‘As soon as my hand touched hers, with Xiafuya’s sharp senses, she would immediately notice that the size of my palm didn’t match Princess Amidina’s delicate little hand at all! Then I would definitely be chopped into mincemeat…’
This can’t go on any longer!
Lin Nuo carefully observed Xiafuya’s breathing rhythm, pushing his senses to the extreme.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment of intense focus.
As his other hand released Xiafuya’s hair, it swiftly reached for the gray powder in his pocket.
In his heart, he thought:
‘Xiafuya, this time…’
‘I really have to offend you!’
After burning wood soaked in the Mihun Fern, the resulting ash had an even stronger anesthetic effect than a typical sedative.
Of course, this wasn’t enough to immediately knock out someone with Feng Aotian’s unique constitution and make her lose all resistance.
But what if she had already inhaled a lot of a similar intoxicating gas, and was still not fully recovered from the injury she sustained a few days ago in the forest outside the moat?
No need to worry too much.
The time to go all out had come!
Lin Nuo even used his sleeve to evenly spread the ash from the pocket so that even if the bedding got dirty, it would still be within a manageable range, unlike grabbing a handful of ash directly, which might make Xiafuya cough and wake Princess Amidina.
His mind raced as he made the fullest preparations.
At the very moment Xiafuya was about to inhale—
A shadow suddenly flashed before his eyes.
The wrist Xiafuya was holding, lifted in front of her, was suddenly gripped tightly.
Two warm fingers pinched her jaw downward before she could react.
As she realized her mouth was being forcibly shaped into an “O,” Lin Nuo slapped his sleeve over her mouth—
“Bang!!”
By the fireplace, piled with kindling, red flames still flickered and danced.
The lavishly decorated bridal chamber seemed completely silent tonight as before.
“Creak—”
After an unknown amount of time, a weary figure slowly opened the door and hurried out of the room like a furtive flower thief.
Inside the room.
A young girl lay on her side, raising a hand to scratch her willow-leaf-thin ear before turning over again, her hands still neatly folded over her chest in an elegant and cool manner.
Only when the door closed behind the departing figure did her shoulders unconsciously twitch, burying half her pretty face deeper into the bedding, which had been tidied once more before someone left, as if drifting into an even more peaceful dream.
***
“No, Lord Kaier, you can’t be serious so early in the morning… My reputation’s already that bad, and now there are rumors about me outside? Claiming I fancy some lizardman who can entertain thirteen guests a day, and saying I’m into his little trinkets hidden in the boudoir?”
Lin Nuo, still groggy from a long sleep and the exhaustion of last night, rubbed his forehead.
Normally, ruining his own reputation was no big deal, and if Father or Mother knew, they’d probably be amused.
“It’s like this.”
Standing before him was Kaier, the Guard Squad Captain, with flaxen hair and dressed in a solemn red uniform.
He hesitated before speaking: “The people spreading the rumors are quite vivid. It’s as if they actually saw a lizardman stuffing the little lady’s usual boudoir keepsakes into the young master’s flower heart…”
“Let them say whatever they want… Wait, is this some kind of joke? Why would she be stuffing anything into me? I’m seriously…”
‘Do I look like the kind of guy who’d get stuffed like that?’
Lin Nuo quickly composed himself and said, “If there’s anything I don’t know, tell me everything.”
Kaier chose his words carefully: “Young master, yesterday Parkes Angekesai, the secret ritualist of the Salidor Divine Empire’s sixth grand ducal family, the Angekesai House, visited once.”
“He requested to inspect the Clemence family’s estate, searching for the Silver Coins that should have been used to escort and suppress Sea Demons and Yuanling—but the dozens of slaves that mysteriously disappeared a few days ago.”
“He said he had searched all of Luke. Now only the Clemence family’s castle and estate remain unchecked.”
The sixth grand ducal family, the Angekesai House…
Isn’t that Princess Amidina’s family?
Lin Nuo frowned, sensing this was no simple matter.
“And then?”
“As you know, Duke Kuxiu’s internal injury relapsed, and he has ordered that no outsiders be seen. Yesterday, Mrs. Puli refused Mr. Parkes outright, saying young master would be discussing the marriage contract with Princess Amidina.”
“But early this morning, he came again requesting to inspect.”
“Mrs. Puli claimed illness to avoid seeing him and sent me to find you, young master. She said this kind of matter should now be decided by you.”
“So basically, the Angekesai family has some standing, and Mother can’t keep refusing anymore. They want me to decline on her behalf, right?”
Lin Nuo understood quickly and asked, “But what does this have to do with the rumors about me?”
“The eldest son traveling with Mr. Parkes seems quite fond of Princess Amidina. However, the princess always keeps her distance from the Angekesai family. But here, she was… quite forward with you.”
No need to say more.
Typical, just so typical!
“Parkes’ eldest son is about the same age as you… As guards, we have to give some face to Mr. Parkes and it’s not appropriate to argue with another noble’s junior over words…”
“So for now, we can only let him say those slanderous things about you. He’s still outside the moat bragging that he could knock you down with one hand…”
Tsk.
‘Knock me down with one hand? What, because he needs the other hand for something else down in the dojo?’
“In these situations, only an impudent brat responding to the provocations with equal rudeness can preserve the facade of harmony between nobles, right?”
Lin Nuo stroked his chin and said, “Tell them to kick those guys out.”
“Yes.”
“Wait, no, never mind.”
Lin Nuo glanced at the knight badge on Kaier’s chest, judging his strength.
“Just ride your Gryphon, take the second son of that old wall lamp family up into the air, give him a good beating, then warn him that next time on the battlefield, Kaier won’t go easy on him!”
Kaier blinked twice, then wore an expression of admiration, as if saying “It has to be you.”
But Lin Nuo had more to add: “After the warning, turn back sharply and say, ‘We meet again,’ then pull down his pants, give his butt a couple of slaps, and throw him into the moat to feed the fish.”
“Oh, young master! That’s perfect… I’ve been holding back for two days! I didn’t dare fight without someone backing me up. This is so frustrating it hurts!”
Now fully backed by the young master, Kaier gripped his sword at his waist, ready for action.
Lin Nuo called him back: “What was Princess Amidina’s reaction when she learned someone from the Angekesai family came?”
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