The Inn

"No, Young Master, I'll always be your maid."

Little Fool lightly licked Li Yan's hand like a puppy. This was a little trick she had learned from Xiao Xue to act cute. Whenever Li Yan was in a bad mood, Sister Xiao Xue would do this, and it would cheer Li Yan up.

"Tch! You really learned everything."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and reached out to grab that moving little tongue. Looking at Little Fool's innocent and pitiful appearance, Li Yan silently let her go. She passed this time.

The carriage continued to move forward. Li Yan looked at the scenery outside the carriage, the leisurely wind blowing his short hair and bringing a coolness. At this moment, his mood involuntarily became joyful—a joy of looking forward to meeting Frieren and Flamme.

"Hee hee, Young Master, you smiled."

Little Fool sat by Li Yan's legs, her small head rubbing against Li Yan's trouser leg. Seeing that Li Yan was no longer bullying her, she pulled the Magic Tome she was reading from her clothes. It was her favorite thing to do lately.

Li Yan lowered his head and glanced at the little idiot rubbing against his trouser leg, a trace of tenderness adding to his heart. The Demonic being he picked up should not be that kind of ungrateful wretch; it seemed the cultivation of human knowledge could still cultivate a thing or two out of her.

"Young Master, we've arrived at Xi'an Town. The sky is a bit dark, and it's not suitable to continue traveling."

The driver gently reminded from outside the carriage.

"Let's enter Xi'an Town to rest for a night. We won't travel the night road."

Li Yan opened the carriage window, looked at the dim sky, and said so. The soldiers guarding the small town were also preparing to close the gates of the small town.

Since the carriage bore the Earl's Mansion crest, the soldiers guarding the Small Town's city gates didn't even dare inspect it. The driver expressionlessly took out the Earl's Mansion badge. The soldiers guarding the Small Town saluted, their expressions serious, and let the carriage enter the city.

The carriage stopped at the most luxurious inn in town. Having sat in the carriage for a day, Li Yan rubbed his somewhat numb precious butt, picked up Little Fool, and got out. He entered the inn first and ordered the local specialties.

Xi'an Town was famous for watermelon stir-fried cantaloupe. Looking at the various specialties served by the clerk, Li Yan frowned: strawberry egg fried rice, tomatoes stir-fried with tomatoes, watermelon stir-fried cantaloupe, and extra-spicy grapes.

The taste could be unique, but eating fruit as a meal was definitely not acceptable.

Li Yan rewarded Little Fool with all these unique delicacies. He ordered some ordinary food separately; even if it was just plain white bread and milk, he didn't want to eat watermelon stir-fried with cantaloupe.

Watching Little Fool eat with relish, Li Yan immediately rejected his earlier notion that she seemed like a real human being. She could eat this kind of nonhuman dish with a look of pure enjoyment.

After dinner, Li Yan carried Little Fool up to the room. After a day of traveling, he had long been longing for the soft, cozy bed, but aristocratic etiquette meant he had to go to the bathroom to bathe.

He mercilessly brought Little Fool into the bathroom. They weren't the same race, so he didn't care about her, and Little Fool didn't care either. She had seen Sister Xiao Wu and Sister Xiao Xue help the young master bathe. Before, she could only watch and learn, but now she could finally show off her skills.

"Young Master, let me help you."

Looking at the eager Little Fool, Li Yan ruthlessly picked her up by the scruff of her neck.

"Stop messing around, I'll finish scrubbing you quickly and we'll sleep. You sleep on the floor, I sleep on the bed."

Li Yan finished scrubbing Little Fool as if he were washing a pet puppy. As for Little Fool's two small horns, Li Yan was especially rough with them, even tugging to see if they could be pulled off.

"Awoo, Young Master, don't pull my horns."

Little Fool let out an awoo, looking utterly pitiful.

That night, Li Yan threw a pillow onto the floor; that was Little Fool's bed for the night. She clearly hadn't yet earned enough of his trust to sleep in the bed of the Earl's eldest son. At least for now, he treated Little Fool as a pet.