My Master Is Waiting for You

At noon, the sunlight was like a blunt knife, barely piercing the impenetrable canopy.

Below, a winding path ran through the dense forest, leading straight into the distance.

It was the only route to Fruit Basket Village.

A carriage stood by the roadside, its body meticulously carved from fine oak, smooth as a mirror and reflecting the faint golden light of the setting sun.

Its roof was draped in soft purple velvet curtains, their edges embroidered with intricate silver-thread trim, while two glossy black steeds pulled the carriage.

Viscount Karen Hughes lay atop the carriage's front compartment, idly tossing a red fruit into the air, catching it as it fell, then repeating the motion.

He wore a well-tailored black formal suit and an exquisite silver tie. Were it not for his overly broad shoulders and casual movements, he truly would have looked like a noble gentleman.

Several mounted guards stood near the carriage, vigilantly watching the surrounding area to protect the viscount.

Of course, they all knew it was merely for show. Everyone knew that their lord was the strongest person in the entire territory.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

At that moment, urgent hoofbeats sounded from afar. The guards instantly raised their spears in alert, only lowering them once they recognized the approaching figure.

"My lord, Sauron Knight has returned," a guard reported.

"He finally came. This tie was practically strangling me to death!"

Karen was overjoyed. He bit the red fruit in his hand to pieces and swallowed it directly, pit and all.

"My lord, His Highness has agreed to meet you in the late afternoon."

Sauron Knight swiftly dismounted and spoke respectfully.

"He agreed that readily? Looks like the odds really have improved considerably." Karen fell into thought.

"It will soon be late afternoon. Get ready; we will depart immediately."

Karen clasped his hands and forcefully stretched his waist before jumping down from the carriage's front compartment.

This carriage, luxurious only in appearance, had not been prepared for him. It was one of the dowry items his wife Dennis had brought from the Masha Family.

If His Highness's identity was genuine, this luxurious carriage would serve as the modest vehicle used to bring him from the village to Black Wolf Castle.

After all, it would be far too disgraceful to let the heir of a superpower live indefinitely in a shabby village within his territory. Even Karen, who had never cared much for Noble Etiquette, felt he ought to be stripped of his noble status.

Naturally, all this depended on whether the other party truly was the first person to return from the East Continent in centuries, and whether he was indeed the heir to the super kingdom that most likely ruled the entire East Continent.

If it was fake... Karen's gaze gradually turned dangerous, and an icy killing intent bloomed from his body. The surrounding soldiers felt their scalps tingle.

Then he could only let the man experience the agony of watching himself be devoured bite by bite by a pack of wolves.

Awooo!

Karen drew a deep breath, then let out a sound from his mouth that resembled a wolf's howl.

Awooo! Moments later, an incomparably mournful howl echoed from deep within the woods to the right of the road.

Crash! Crash! Crash! Amid the sharp cracks of snapping branches and the heavy breathing of some massive creature, a huge figure slowly emerged from the dark forest and entered everyone's sight.

It was a ferocious black wolf more than two meters tall at the shoulder and five or six meters long. The alpha wolf that had once pounced on Xian had not even been half its size.

Its entire body was knotted with muscle, and its jet-black fur gleamed coldly beneath the faint light. One could imagine how terrifying it must have been while stalking prey through the forest.

It held the corpse of another gray wild wolf tightly between its fang-filled jaws, and foul-smelling blood dripped all over the ground.

That wolf was clearly larger than an ordinary wild wolf as well, yet before this giant wolf, it had been reduced to nothing more than food for a glutton.

For some reason, neither the guards nor Sauron Knight showed the slightest panic before this enormous beast radiating savage ferocity.

"Black Tail, didn't I tell you to just relax in the forest? Why did you go hunting?" Karen asked with a frown.

"We're going to meet an important figure. If you offend that person's eyes by looking filthy, just wait until I deal with you properly!"

This giant beast was his knightly mount—the ruler of Wolf Howl Forest, a Black Abyss Wolf.

It was precisely because of this magical beast mount that he had once slain several Extraordinary Knights while fighting one against many, establishing his great achievements and earning the title Wailing Wolf.

Awooo! Sensing the displeasure in his master's tone, Black Tail bit down and crushed the wolf corpse's head, then began to devour and chew it in huge mouthfuls.

Smack, smack.

Amid scalp-numbing chewing sounds, the wolf corpse was soon reduced to nothing but a dry, shredded hide.

Then Black Tail began licking his fur like a house cat. Only after every trace of blood had vanished from his massive body did he wag his tail and approach Karen, sticking out his tongue ingratiatingly.

"Honestly, you're a wolf. How can you act like a dog?"

Seeing his companion's fawning expression, Karen's anger instantly dissipated. He shrugged helplessly.

Black Tail continued wagging his tail as though he had not heard him, a flash of humanlike disdain passing through his dark green wolf eyes.

Was being a wolf so wonderful? Exposed to wind and sun, with no one to care for you when you got sick—how could that compare to being a "dog," living in a castle every day with dedicated servants waiting on you?

"Let's go."

Karen leaped onto the Black Abyss Wolf's back.

Then the group set off toward Fruit Basket Village. It was late afternoon.

The sunlight was no longer as blazing as it had been at noon, instead becoming gentle.

Golden sunlight flowed from the azure sky like melted honey, dyeing the fields bright gold. In the distance, lush green orchards trembled faintly in the breeze, like a watercolor painting soaked in water.

Karen's group arrived at the entrance to Fruit Basket Village precisely on time.

For nobles, arriving late was discourteous, but arriving early for an audience was also a breach of etiquette.

"Welcome, Viscount Hughes."

The girl in a blue dress lifted her skirt and gave a slight curtsy.

"You are?"

Looking at the beautiful girl before him, who seemed as though she had been meticulously sculpted by a god beneath the sunlight, a hint of amazement flashed through Karen's eyes.

He had seen countless beauties, and even his wife Danielle was renowned as a great beauty in the southern part of the kingdom.

Yet the girl before him possessed an extraordinary, ethereal beauty. Even Danielle fell somewhat short by comparison.

However, Karen's gaze soon gradually calmed.

Had his eighteen-year-old self encountered such a beautiful girl, he might have pursued her love without regard for anything else. But now, at thirty-two, when he feared handing over his marital dues every day, all he felt was a pain in his lower back.

"I am Anlìyà, His Highness's maid. My master is already waiting for you. Please go and meet him at once."

The girl's expression remained calm, as though the man before her was not the lord who held the power of life and death over everyone in the territory, but merely an ordinary guest paying a visit.