Chapter 236

The remaining objective was the second one—to build up their own power base in Demacia.

Now it's obvious what to do...

Half—or even a third—of an obedient Demacia would be far more useful in the future when facing the Void than a whole disobedient Demacia.

It is clearly better to have a medium-sized or even small country that is willing to obey your orders unconditionally than a large country full of uncertainties.

So Chen Ce decided to take a hard line.

From now on, all schemes and political struggles are just nonsense to him.

Those who are willing to obey, take them with you; when the Void descends, we'll all fight for survival together. Those who are unwilling to obey but willing to surrender, please leave and don't get in the way of others; let's all go our separate ways. Those who are unwilling to obey and unwilling to surrender...

Then let's kill them.

In the face of the very survival of Runeterra, no individual or organization is significant.

Kindness has been given more than enough.

"From now on, I can do whatever I want..."

As Chen Ce left Grand Marshal Tianna's private residence, he took out the silver Mageseekers badge again.

Then crush it directly.

Looking at the chaotic manor and tower not far away, he even thought of an old friend... that man in the cloak who also did whatever he wanted.

Of course, that fellow villager was almost synonymous with evil, perversion, and hypocrisy, and everything he did was to satisfy his own desires.

But that was true "freedom."

Lux... also needs freedom.

Chen Ce arrived at Lux's manor after a long absence—well, not too long, just a few days.

The young and beautiful girl was sitting alone in the study, lost in thought, with unfinished homework on the table.

As with any other day, she no longer wanted to learn these useless aristocratic etiquette rules that only served as "dowry" for others; she just wanted to go out and explore this beautiful and vast world.

She was very distressed.

And what's been happening lately... Aunt Tianna told her a lot...

Beneath her seemingly glamorous life lay a life of helplessness and constraint. She was not happy.

"Sigh..." The girl sighed softly, her eyes filled with longing for the freedom outside the window.

As well as...

A man suddenly appeared outside the window.

"Hey Lux, I'm here again." The young man waved from the window, his relaxed and carefree demeanor exactly what Lux longed for.

"Chen Ce...!" The girl exclaimed in surprise, quickly opening the window to let him in. "Why did you suddenly come over like this again? Don't I have a front door? Front--door--."

"If we go in through the main gate, I'm afraid Garen will stare at me with those murderous eyes." Chen Ce chuckled and reached out to casually stroke the girl's soft, long golden hair—the latter didn't flinch or resist, but just playfully said to try not to mess up her hair.

"So even someone as straightforward as Garen can see through your ill intentions." Lux grabbed the hand on her head, a hint of ambiguity hidden in her joyful smile.

But soon, a hint of melancholy flashed in her eyes.

She silently lowered her hand and quietly retreated to her desk.

"So... Mr. Chen Ce, what brings you here to see me today? You're not going to take me to see Sister Sona again, are you?"

"No, I just came to see you." Chen Ce keenly noticed the change in the other person's way of addressing him and guessed something.

Tianna's almost sophistical explanation was not only told to him, but must have been told to Lux beforehand as well.

"You seem a little reserved, Miss Lux ..." Chen Ce deliberately added a suffix.

"...No." The girl turned her head to the side, seemingly conflicted—she understood that the other person's deliberate emphasis on the suffix meant they had noticed her "distance."

She knew he knew. But... she had no choice.

She couldn't let Chen Ce be put in danger for her own sake...

If it were just Aunt Tianna, that would be fine... but that's...

The King's decree...

No one can resist it...

"Is it really okay to be so indifferent?" Chen Ce shrugged.

"Indifferent? No, I've always been like this." Lux didn't even dare to look the other person in the eye.

"Don't you want to chat with me or go out for a walk?"

"I... I haven't finished my homework yet... and I also have an etiquette class and a horse riding lesson later..."

"Oh... I'll be going then?"

"..."

"Am I really leaving?"

"Um..." Lux lowered her head, unable to utter the words "goodbye."

Of course she wanted to... but she... couldn't be so selfish...

She's grown up now and should be more considerate of others... She's no longer a little girl who can be willful...

She can't...

Lux thought this, her beautiful turquoise eyes gradually closed.

She felt that as long as she couldn't see it, the desires in her heart would gradually subside... at least she could control herself.

That's what she thinks.

Until a familiar touch suddenly came from behind.

She felt a familiar warmth... and a solid sense of reliance... She remembered the first time she couldn't suppress her magic in front of Chen Ce and almost exposed herself.

She was the one who took the initiative to hug him.

But this time it's...

"You said that if something is worth celebrating, you should hug." The relaxed voice was close to her ear, Lux could even feel the other person's warm breath.

The tension that had been building in her heart for so long snapped almost instantly, and she felt an urge to submit to her inner desires.

She stopped resisting and stopped overthinking; she just wanted to quietly enjoy this moment of "freedom."

"I was just kidding... Demacia doesn't have a custom of hugging to celebrate..."

The girl pursed her lips and continued:

"However, your hug is something to celebrate in itself..."

Chen Ce smiled and nodded, their bodies pressing even closer together. "Then maybe you can celebrate every day."

"That's impossible..."

Why?

"Because...because..." Lux shook her head slightly, a deep helplessness hidden in her smile. "I'm already engaged..."

Having said that, she was prepared for Chen Ce to release her in surprise.

But... the truth is that the embrace was still warm and powerful.

The voice she heard remained gentle yet firm. "If you don't want to marry, why not just break off the engagement?"

Lux remained silent for a moment.

He then shook his head again. "Impossible... This is His Majesty the King's decree... No one can disobey it..."

"No, I can." Chen Ce's tone remained relaxed.

"Chen Ce... this is impossible..."

Nothing is impossible.

"That's His Majesty the King—"

"Don't you trust me?" Chen Ce interrupted the other person with a smile.

Lux fell silent again.

A sudden pang of pain shot through her heart, and her body seemed to turn away uncontrollably.

Just now, Chen Ce hugged her from behind; now, she and he are embracing each other.

She raised her face, inexplicably feeling an urge to give him a "last kiss".

If in the end it can't be the person I truly chose, then at least...

At least the first one is...

The girl's eyes were a little red.

A somber atmosphere permeated the air.

Chen Ce couldn't help but laugh, "Why does it sound like a life-or-death separation? Is this some kind of new style of humor?"

"... You're still laughing!" Lux angrily punched the other person in the chest, but her pessimism did not diminish.

Until Chen Ce stopped joking with her and made his point clear:

"If you don't want to, I can assure you—no one can control your marriage, not even the king."

"I know what I'm saying right now sounds like drunken ramblings to anyone, but I want you to believe me."

"From this day forward, you will no longer be coerced by anyone—my dear Lux Crownguard."

After hearing this, Lux's rational mind told her that it was indeed a bit far-fetched, but looking at the other person's serious expression...

Her emotions told her that this wasn't fake.

Looking back on everything Chen Ce had done... it seemed that there wasn't a single thing he couldn't do if he promised to do it.

So...

Even the king...

Also...?

"I won't lie to you." Chen Ce hugged the soft girl and boldly tapped her fair forehead lightly.

The latter blushed instantly, her body rapidly heating up, but she remained quiet and enjoyed it.

Chen Ce added, "But there's one more thing I want to ask of you... No matter what I do next, please believe me."

"I..." Lux paused for a moment.

Then he quickly tilted his head back and lightly kissed the other person's cheek.

Finally, blushing, she whispered:

"I will always... believe in you..."

Darius, the Hand of Noxus, struggled to read a letter.

Why is it difficult? Because this letter was written by a raven... yes, a raven.

A red-eyed raven suddenly flew into his study and, without a word, grabbed the quill pen from the table—to be honest, his first reaction was to just shoot the foolish bird dead, but then he suddenly remembered something.

It seems that a man who has been away from Noxus for some time also controls ravens.

So he resisted the urge to slap the raven to death and watched it use its claws to hook his pen and do a series of operations.

The handwriting was so crooked and messy it was practically indistinguishable from graffiti... It was difficult to even decipher.

This stuff doesn't even need encryption... Darius thought. Even if the "enemy" intercepted it, they probably wouldn't be able to decipher the gibberish written on it...

Oh, it really is the character for "bird"...

Darius found reading the letter extremely painful.

But after reading the letter, he felt refreshed—first surprised and bewildered, then overwhelmed with joy.

It was even more exhilarating than when I led my troops to conquer Delverhold back then.