Chapter 9: Small But Confident

‘Of course, I remember.’

Yulilian was sent to Princess Amidina’s side from a young age to grow up with her—though unrelated by blood, they shared an exceptionally close bond—Lin Nuo studied her smooth, delicate chin carefully.

Just as described in the original text, she was petite and charming, with exquisite features and wide apricot eyes that immediately conveyed the vibrant youth and energy coursing through her.

‘But as a loli, that undeniable figure of hers… pfft! What am I thinking again!’

In the original story, Yulilian, also one of the heroines, was the prime example of “small branches bearing abundant fruit.”

No matter how ordinary she seemed now, it wouldn’t at all hinder her future renown as the one wielding a pair of fierce weapons, conquering the “highest peak of Salidor!”

Lin Nuo, of course, wouldn’t follow Yulilian’s words.

He was instead pondering the more pressing issue at hand.

Although Mother appeared to be having a pleasant conversation with Amidina and seemed quite satisfied with the daughter-in-law her son was destined never to bring home, Lin Nuo had no intention of following Mother’s advice to kneel on one knee and kiss Amidina’s hand as a gentleman…

As a man who was destined to win by guarding and enduring!

Lin Nuo’s creed when facing Feng Aotian and the other heroines was simple:

—Avoid the sharp edge and hold back for now!

Yet despite clutching a handful of delicious treats, Yulilian curiously circled him, clearly disrupting his plan.

“So, you really are the one promised to my sister. Sorry, I haven’t met you before…”

“I already asked my sister what happened between you two last night! I didn’t expect that despite all the rumors painting you in a bad light, you were the first to think of switching clothes with my sister and splitting up to trick those adventurers. And you even prepared yourself to be the bait. Hmm, I’m genuinely impressed!”

“But if that method fails, I can’t really blame my sister entirely. After all, it’s normal for a girl to have her clothes ripped off.”

Having finished the preserved fruits, Yulilian glanced around and lowered her voice again, setting aside the snacks in her arms.

“Let me tell you a secret—I also asked my sister how she felt about witnessing her fiancé pinning her down on the bed with another girl. But she ignored me. If you ask me…”

“Hehe, I just think you three living your lives well is better than anything else!”

“……”

“Oh… you’re so weird! You looked at my chest the moment you saw me, and then when I tried talking to you, you just ignored me…”

“Who looked at your chest?”

Lin Nuo looked at Yulilian, who was patting the fried egg-shaped patch on her chest, wearing a “small but confident” expression, and finally couldn’t help but respond:

“At your age, you should be focusing on better things. What do you take me for, a pervert?”

“…Oh?” Yulilian scratched her head in confusion.

“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to think?”

“……”

“Yulilian, enough rudeness.”

Amidina’s ethereal voice rang out, and Yulilian immediately stood at attention, puffing her cheeks as she gathered the raspberry mille-feuille, caramel pudding, and other treats back into her arms, obediently moving behind her sister.

But when she saw Amidina approach Lin Nuo, she suddenly grabbed a dining knife from the table and, without a word, threw it “clang” onto the floor.

Yulilian’s face fell in shock—wasn’t this the Dueling Ritual before a duel among the Saint Knight Order?

Picking up a weapon thrown at you means accepting a challenge…

And Lin Nuo, after a moment’s hesitation, actually picked up the dining knife!

Was he really going to fight?

Yulilian’s eyes went wide in horror—was her sister planning to settle the score here over the slap Lin Nuo gave her last night?

But in the next moment, Lin Nuo, holding the dining knife with both hands extended and the handle pointing towards Amidina, returned it to her.

Was this… a sign of surrender to his sister?

“Mrs. Puli sent me to duel you,” Amidina took back the knife and placed it down carefully.

Her naturally clear, distant voice carried a hint of clarity: “Madam told me I would understand what this means.”

Yulilian understood immediately.

This was an ancient noble tradition between groom and bride—a symbolic acceptance of the bride’s challenge followed by the groom’s voluntary surrender, representing the groom yielding his strength to the bride.

The Goddess’s Follower had once explained the Goddess’s blessing as the groom showing utmost respect and reverence toward the bride.

Yulilian’s face was filled with shock.

Her sister had come alone to the marriage appointment.

Not a single elder from their family, not even their father, had come.

Even as an Angel-blessed Sword Family, if the family treated their daughter’s marriage with such near contempt, the other side might take offense and vent on the innocent sister.

No matter how carefully Amidina dressed herself in soft, gentle clothing to display friendliness, going to any ordinary noble family would not earn the groom’s family the kind of hospitality reserved for honored guests…

Yulilian had been skeptical of the preparations by the Clemence Family until now.

But this young master Lin Nuo, whose reputation was notoriously hard to bear, acted with such decorum—it opened Yulilian’s eyes wide!

“Of course, Mother already warned me about what to watch out for.”

Amidina paused thoughtfully, not responding right away.

Whether she was as shocked as Yulilian to find that the so-called “good-for-nothing son” rumored to want to snatch his enemy’s wife and repeatedly vent his wrath at his father’s grave was in reality so respectful of his parents’ instructions, no one could say.

“Thank you for your help last night.”

“……”

Amidina averted her gaze and adjusted the lace bow on her sleeve, as if embarrassed to bring up such a shameful incident again.

She turned slightly, her clear eyes reflecting the beautiful garden of Claremont Manor.

Her nose was high and elegant, her slender figure paired with a flawless profile, making her look even more coldly stunning than last night—radiant and beyond description.

Her tone grew lighter as she continued: “Until just a moment ago, I thought you’d snatch away my dining knife in a flash, or maybe… find some way to use it against me and force me into things I don’t want to do…”

This guy… was remarkably perceptive!

Lin Nuo glanced at the dining knife put back on the table.

Their meeting in the original story was indeed like this.

He had not followed Mother’s repeated advice to perform a small ritual.

Instead, he slid and kicked the dining knife Amidina offered, leaving her and Mother embarrassed in public.

He also superficially agreed to Amidina’s request to store the twenty-three golden blessing statues in the Collection Room of Claremont Manor, which housed important items.

But later, he reneged.

He saw that Amidina valued those blessing sculptures in a special way and used that to blackmail her—not only harshly humiliating the carefully prepared wedding gifts but also unforgivably forcing her to submit her body and serve him in that manner if she wanted to continue storing the statues in the Collection Room…

One move ruined the tiny flicker of trust Amidina had started to feel for him, plunging her into utter despair and driving them to extreme opposition.

Lin Nuo had scolded himself while reading—the arrogant, brainless villain getting slapped in the face, causing Amidina to be snatched away by Feng Aotian, and thus ending up in such a trap…

Wasn’t it his own doing?

“Excuse me, may I interrupt and get a word in between you two…”