Chapter 36: Want It?

The two of them packed up their things and walked out of the room.

The landlady was wiping glasses behind the counter.

When she saw them coming down, she immediately put down her work and came over.

“Little brother, leaving so early?”

“Yeah, still have to hit the road.”

“How did you sleep last night?”

“Don’t even mention it…”

“Haha, looks like the little girl still needs to practice her drinking.”

As she spoke, the landlady looked at Ni Wei, who was following behind His Blackstone.

Ni Wei instinctively stepped back half a step, as if someone had stepped on her tail.

The landlady was amused by the girl’s on-guard expression.

“Oh my, it’s just getting drunk, no need to be shy, little girl.”

His Blackstone smiled, didn’t reply, and just reached out to gently tug Ni Wei’s sleeve, leading her toward the door.

The girl lowered her head, following behind His Blackstone, wishing she could shrink her head into her clothes.

The landlady followed them to the door, muttering things like, “What a match, so suitable.”

***

After getting on the carriage, Ni Wei did not sit opposite His Blackstone like before, but instead kept a distance from him.

“Does your head still hurt? Want some water?”

His Blackstone took out a water canteen and placed it on the table.

Ni Wei shook her head, hugged her suitcase tightly in her arms, and stared fiercely out the window, looking like she wasn’t planning to talk to His Blackstone today.

Seeing this, His Blackstone didn’t say anything more.

Since he hadn’t slept well last night anyway, he simply lay sideways on the carriage bench, ready to catch up on some sleep.

Ni Wei, while looking out the window, secretly glanced at His Blackstone lying opposite her from the corner of her eye.

He was acting as if nothing had happened.

‘About last night… What is he thinking?’

‘He really didn’t take it to heart at all, did he?!’

‘Although things ended up like that wasn’t what I wanted, but agreeing to stay in the same room with him, and even taking the initiative to take a bath…’

‘I did prepare myself mentally…’

‘Sure enough… He still prefers my sister…’

“How much longer are you going to stare?”

His Blackstone’s sudden remark, while his eyes were closed, startled Ni Wei, who was lost in her own world.

“You weren’t asleep?”

“How can I sleep with someone staring at me like that.”

His Blackstone opened his eyes, his tone somewhat helpless.

“So… is there something?”

“No… nothing.”

Ni Wei turned her face away and again looked out the window.

His Blackstone didn’t press further and closed his eyes again, preparing to sleep.

Ni Wei bit her lip.

As her consciousness gradually returned, the memories of last night seemed to become clearer and clearer.

‘What was it… “Young Master Xisi told me to call him anything,” and “Harder”…’

‘How many embarrassing things did I do last night?!’

Thinking of this, Ni Wei felt her face grow hotter and hotter.

She simply turned sideways, pressed her head against the window, and closed her eyes.

***

“Hey, wake up.”

Feeling her face being patted twice, Ni Wei groggily opened her eyes and found His Blackstone right in front of her.

“Ah!”

“What are you yelling for?”

“Who wakes someone up like that?”

His Blackstone withdrew his hand and didn’t argue with her.

“Wake up, we’re about to get off.”

The girl rubbed her eyes and followed His Blackstone as they jumped down from the carriage.

Before she could even steady herself, Ni Wei was stunned by the sight before her.

A massive city gate stood in front of them, the arch built from gray-white boulders carved with intricate patterns.

And inside the gate…

“This… is this the Royal Capital?”

Ni Wei’s eyes widened, and she stood frozen in place.

Compared to the small town they had passed through earlier, the Royal Capital seemed like an entirely different world.

A wide main street stretched out of sight, lined with shops that were grander than the next.

Tall spires and domes loomed in the distance, along with some architectural styles she had never seen before.

“Come on, let’s go to the inn first to drop off the luggage, then I’ll take you around.”

“Mm!”

Ni Wei nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with undisguised excitement.

All the awkwardness and unease from before were thrown to the wind in that moment.

***

His Blackstone led Ni Wei into an inn.

Looking at the familiar Blackstone Family crest on the door, Ni Wei couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, this inn isn’t owned by you too, is it?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what’s with the crest…”

“My father is at least a duke. It’s only natural for him to have some businesses in the Royal Capital.”

As he spoke, His Blackstone couldn’t help but sigh.

Although he had made a lot of money using information asymmetry, in the eyes of Duke Blackstone, it was probably just small change.

“Young Master, you’re here?”

Just then, the inn’s front desk immediately recognized His Blackstone and hurried over to greet him.

“Came to the Royal Capital to see my father, and brought her along to have some fun.”

His Blackstone handed over the luggage.

“Understood. Will you be needing one room or…”

“Two rooms!”

***

After they set down their luggage, His Blackstone led Ni Wei to the busiest commercial street in the Royal Capital.

The street was packed with people—nobles in luxurious clothes and commoners in plain attire, and occasionally a few pointy-eared elves and stocky goblins.

For Ni Wei, who was visiting the Royal Capital for the first time, everything was new and exciting, her eyes flitting between the shops and window displays along the street.

“Wow, these are so pretty.”

The girl stopped in front of a window filled with various small accessories, her gaze drawn to a pair of earrings that shimmered with a pale blue light.

“If you like them, go in and take a look.”

“Can I?”

“Of course. Isn’t the whole point of coming to the Royal Capital to have fun with you?”

With that, His Blackstone stepped into the shop first.

Ni Wei followed closely behind.

“Welcome!”

Seeing them enter, the dwarf shopkeeper, with a thick beard, greeted them warmly.

“Hello, I’d like to take a look at those earrings.”

“Haha, little lady, you’ve got good taste. These are the latest style.”

The dwarf shopkeeper took the earrings out of the window and handed them to Ni Wei.

The girl touched the gemstones on the earrings, clearly liking them.

“Want them?”

His Blackstone’s voice came from behind.

“Mm…”

Ni Wei’s head first nodded lightly twice, then shook it vigorously.

“Never mind, just looking is fine.”

Although she had no worries about food and lodging at the duke’s mansion now, her upbringing still made her resist buying things like “accessories.”

His Blackstone ignored her and just nodded toward the dwarf shopkeeper.

“How much for these?”

“Fifteen gold coins!”

His Blackstone nodded.

“Get me a box for them.”

“Coming right up!”

“Huh?!”

Before Ni Wei could process what was happening, His Blackstone had already handed over the money.

“N-no need! That’s too expensive!”

Ni Wei hurriedly stepped back, trying to put the earrings back in the window.

She had thought they would cost at most a few silver coins, not this much!

‘Is this the cost of living in the Royal Capital?!’

“You’re someone from the duke’s mansion now. What kind of behavior is this?”

His Blackstone was both amused and exasperated by the girl’s reaction.

“The money’s already been paid. Instead of worrying about that, why don’t you try them on and see how they look?”

“But…”

“Be good and listen.”

“Mmm…”

Though conflicted inside, since the benefactor had spoken, Ni Wei obediently put on the earrings.

“Yeah, they look good indeed.”

His Blackstone nodded in satisfaction.

Hearing his praise, for some reason, a feeling of happiness welled up in Ni Wei’s heart.

“You can get a pair for your sister too.”

“Huh?”

“Boss, give me another one of these earrings, same style!”

“Coming right up!”

***

Leaving the accessory shop, His Blackstone strode ahead, chattering nonstop to his maid about all sorts of things in the Royal Capital.

Ni Wei, following behind him with her head down, two bags in her hands, didn’t hear a single word.

‘Did he make me try them on just to see how they’d look on my sister?’

‘Hateful…’

‘Hateful, hateful, hateful!’

thump

Perhaps lost too deep in thought, the girl didn’t notice His Blackstone had stopped and bumped into him.

“What are you thinking about?”

His Blackstone turned around and asked the girl, who hadn’t spoken for a while.

“Nothing…”

“Hey, hey, you’re not upset because I bought the same earrings for your sister, are you?”

His Blackstone raised an eyebrow.

In his memory, Ni Wei wasn’t the type to hold a grudge.

“No… it’s just…”

Looking at the stammering Ni Wei, His Blackstone suddenly realized something.

She grew up in a poor family, and as the younger sister.

From childhood to adulthood, she probably never had anything that was truly her own, did she?

Come to think of it, the casual clothes she was wearing when she came out with him were the ones he had bought for Rafina last time.

No wonder.

“Those casual clothes you’re wearing—they’re your sister’s, right?”

“Ah? Yeah…”

Confused as to why His Blackstone had suddenly changed the subject, Ni Wei nodded hesitantly.

“Come on, I’ll take you to buy some outfits.”

“That’s not necessary… I won’t get to wear them much anyway.”

“It’s not like this is your only vacation.”

His Blackstone extended his hand toward Ni Wei.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“Mm…”

For some reason, Ni Wei inexplicably took His Blackstone’s hand, and the two of them went from one clothing store to another along the commercial street.

***

In the evening, they walked back toward the inn, watching the sunset paint the entire commercial street gold and crimson.

Ni Wei carried several bags, her attention already drawn to the scenery before her.

The Royal Palace not far away glittered in the sunset, the entire building looking as if it were made of gold.

“Today… was really fun.”

The girl said softly.

“That’s good.”

As they neared the inn, His Blackstone suddenly spoke up.

“By the way, tomorrow I’m going to see my father. If you don’t dare to go out by yourself, just wait for me at the inn.”

“You… you’re going to see the master?”

Though Ni Wei had never met Duke Blackstone, thinking of what the townspeople had said about him, she couldn’t help but feel nervous for His Blackstone.

“What? Getting worried for me?”

“N-no way!”

Ni Wei turned her face away, but her clenched hands on the bags still betrayed her feelings.