Everything Was in Place

After seeing Dili off, it was already close to midnight.

Unfortunately, Lux still wasn't ready to rest.

"Karya, do you think Dili can be trusted?" Lux sat on the bed, her hand resting on her sword. "Honestly, I haven't noticed anything wrong with him..."

"I haven't either." Karya's answer surprised Lux somewhat. She'd thought Karya might have picked up on something she'd missed. "Or rather, compared to Codora, he's far more capable—by quite a margin. At the very least, he knows exactly where he stands."

"Knows where he stands?" Lux blinked, puzzled. "You mean the way he acted toward me?"

"Exactly." Karya nodded. "He wants to pledge himself to you, so he's been as sincere as possible from beginning to end. He doesn't care if he reveals his own shortcomings. That kind of loyalty is a quality every person in power appreciates."

"But honestly, I don't really like him." Lux shook her head. "I know his actions might lead to a decent outcome, but I can't shake the feeling that it isn't the outcome he wants. He wants something else."

"Your instincts are right, but there's a problem with how you're putting it." Karya sighed helplessly. "I told you to judge people by the facts, not by what you imagine is in their hearts. Whether someone does good for praise and rewards or for power and status, someone who does good is still a good person. Judge them by their actions, not their intentions!"

"...But I can feel that his heart isn't in it."

"You can only judge your own heart," Karya said earnestly. "And if someone's actions and intentions both align with yours, then you share the same ideals. People like that are rare."

"...Right." Karya's words left Lux a little dejected, but she soon remembered her close friend. She tossed her hair and quickly perked up again. "Not everyone can be like Sona!"

"So, have you figured out your next move?"

"I need to contact the Magic Seekers and mobilize some of the garrison..." Lux stretched languidly. "But I imagine my great-uncle has people keeping an eye on me right now. Come to think of it, I'm a little surprised Dili came to see me so openly. Won't that get him into trouble?"

"Who knows?" Karya sounded unconcerned. "He must have made his own preparations. More importantly, you need to think about yourself now—how to get the message out."

"I've already figured that out!" Lux grinned. "How about having my guards get drunk and start a brawl?"

"...It's tough being your guard." Karya stared at her in disbelief. "You're sending your own guards to jail to deliver a message? That's so like you, Lux!"

"What else can I do?" Lux spread her hands, looking helpless. "You're the one who taught me so well."

"Hmm, fair enough." Karya sounded pleased. "You've learned well."

"Karya, you're shameless!"

"Likewise..."

Meanwhile, just after Dili had returned home, a servant from the Codora household arrived in the middle of the night to invite him to the manor.

Dili had been expecting this. Putting on a troubled expression, he followed the servant.

Soon, in the study of the Codora manor, Dili came face to face with the sprightly old man.

Unlike his "righteous" and "unrestrained by etiquette" demeanor when dealing with Lux, Codora put on the full airs of his station when he saw Dili, making no effort to hide his contempt.

If Lux had been there, she would have understood at once.

So that was why the old rascal had been so overbearing earlier. The one who was "proud of his status and bound by etiquette" was Codora himself!

"I hear you went to visit Lux alone?" Codora touched the gold button on his chest and raised his chin slightly. "In such a hurry?"

"I—"

As if caught red-handed, Dili awkwardly raised his head. But when he met Codora's gaze, he quickly turned away and fell silent.

"You're nothing but a schemer!" Codora snorted. The gold button struck the desk with a dull clink. "Lux came to Silvermine City on a mission, not to amuse herself. Keep your filthy little thoughts to yourself!"

"I don't have any ulterior motives!" Dili stubbornly protested. "I just want Gao Kan to learn more from her, to study the etiquette of the nobles in Demacia City—"

"Learn etiquette?" Codora stood up, grabbed a copy of The Grand Etiquette from the bookshelf, and hurled it straight at Dili's face. "Then tell that brat of yours to read more books instead of chasing after women all over Silvermine City!"

The Grand Etiquette hit its mark. Its hard cover split the skin at Dili's temple, and blood trickled down.

Just then, a servant from the Codora household hurried in with the latest news from the inn.

"Miss Luxanna's guard seems to have had too much to drink. He got into a fight with a few drunkards who'd stayed until the end of the banquet. The garrison even had to step in to separate them."

Even Codora, a shrewd old man, couldn't help widening his eyes when he heard this.

"Where is he now?"

"I heard the city guard took him away to 'cool off.'"

Codora's mouth twitched. "A disgrace to the family." He left the servant to tend to Dili's wound, then swept out of the study.

By the time Dili returned home, his forehead was wrapped in gauze, and he looked utterly disheveled.

Seeing his father beaten up like that, Gao Kan nearly flew into a rage on the spot. But after dismissing the servants, Dili suddenly chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?!" Gao Kan was so anxious he almost thought his father had been beaten senseless. "You're in this state, and you're still laughing—"

"I'm laughing at that fool Codora." Dili gave a disdainful snort when he'd laughed enough. "He's been completely seen through, and he's done me a huge favor."

"???"

"A wise leader always rewards and punishes fairly." Dili slowly peeled off the gauze and pointed at the wound on his temple. "Look closely and learn. This isn't a wound. It's a medal!"

Gao Kan blinked.

"I'm not joking." Seeing that his son didn't seem convinced, Dili sighed. "This one wound is worth a medal earned by risking your life fighting the barbarians in the north."

"You didn't have to go that far." Gao Kan gritted his teeth. "That old bastard—I caused this trouble, and I can handle it myself."

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." Dili smiled and patted his son on the shoulder. "I deliberately let that fool Codora give me a hard time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have needed to ride that white horse around so conspicuously when I went to see Miss Luxanna. Codora thinks I'm still trying to use marriage to get ahead. In his eyes, that's all I'm capable of."

"..."

"It's a shame my respected Uncle Codora seems to have forgotten that before I married your mother, I was the youngest ranger captain in Silvermine City!" At that, Dili clenched his fist. "And Codora... What is he, anyway? Apart from the Crownguard name, he's nothing!"

Gao Kan was so stunned to see his father like this that he could barely think.

"All right, you can go back to bed now." Dili seemed quite pleased by his son's expression and smiled as he patted him on the shoulder. "Your mother and I need to rest too. Didn't you want a little sister?"

Under his father's shameless teasing, Gao Kan beat a hasty retreat.

Watching his son's back, Dili shook his head helplessly. He'd always been pretty confident in his son.

Until he met Lux.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Thinking of it, Dili clicked his tongue helplessly. People really did look worse by comparison; some things just couldn't measure up!

It seemed he hadn't been strict enough in raising his son...

Should he send him to the army for some training?

No, best not. Wasn't the whole point of all his efforts to keep Gao Kan from risking his life in the army?

In any case, after this was over, his family would eventually move to Demacia City.

Shaking off those thoughts, Dili whistled cheerfully as he headed back to his room.

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