Teasing and Being Teased

At the same time Dolin was heading home, in a dim underground chamber, a man in black knelt before a fat man.

"My deepest apologies, Chief. We failed. Today, Young Master Dolin also happened to be next door to the scene when we made our move. He appeared and stopped six of our men. After I realized it was him, I called off the assassination. The wounded immediately killed themselves. Everyone else withdrew as well."

"You did well. With Dolin as a smokescreen, the king won't imagine I arranged this assassination. But have you found out how Dolin arrived at the assassination site in time?"

"Apologies, Chief. We haven't discovered that yet."

"Then go find out."

Did that boy Dolin guess something? Does he really value the position of family head that much? Fine, then. That suits me perfectly. If he proves he has that ability, I don't mind giving him such an opportunity.

At this moment, I was on my way back. In the carriage, I was reflecting on the sudden incident today. I really had been too reckless. If Isolte's "Flow Perception" hadn't reacted to the enemy's attack ahead of time, I would have fallen right there today.

And those people weren't here to assassinate me at all. Losing my life to protect that foolish woman Ariel would have been a massive loss. I had to be careful next time.

I couldn't get careless just because I'd fought a Sword King before. Before I had an absolute-defense skill like Dragon Saint Battle Qi, one tiny mistake could cost me my life. This time had truly taught me a lesson.

A small arrow—if it shot into the body, then once it was pulled out, a Healing Spell and a Detoxification Spell would fix it. But if it shot into the forehead, that would be fatal.

Today, of Ariel's three guards, two died on the spot with swords through their heads. The other had been stabbed in the stomach; even his intestines were visible. But as long as he hadn't died instantly, I was able to save him. That was the best example. I had to make sure I didn't suffer a fatal attack, and if I encountered an unavoidable attack, I had to prioritize protecting my head.

Lastly, the way those people withdrew was strange too. I kept having the feeling that they weren't scared off by my fireball. They ran only after they saw my face.

But that might have been my imagination. No matter who it was, if they saw me cast magic that powerful, they would immediately retreat, right?

I thought too much, and my head felt a little dizzy.

After I got home, the maids prepared hot water for me. I went to take a bath first.

The one scrubbing my back today was Lilith. After she walked in front of me, she let out a startled "Ah!"

I thought she had been frightened by my sturdy muscles. What was there to make such a fuss about? It wasn't as if this was her first time seeing them.

Just as I was feeling smug, she ran over without even caring that the bath towel in her hand had fallen to the floor.

Then she felt around my chest. "Master, who hit you and left this red mark? Does it still hurt? Should I call a doctor over to examine and treat you?"

I followed her hand and looked. There was a thick red sword mark imprinted on my chest.

This should have been caused by that girl Isolte slamming the spine of her sword into my chest. Now that I saw the mark, I remembered that she had used her full strength at the time.

If not for the fact that she saved my life, I would have left a mark like this on her no matter what. No, I couldn't just let her off like this. When she grew up, I'd definitely make her experience the pain of being hit in the chest too.

Thinking about how I had nearly been shot dead by an arrow today, if I had died like that, I wouldn't have enjoyed anything at all! After finally transmigrating into a rich young master, that would have been far too much of a waste. Right now, after taking a stroll around the gates of hell, I felt a bit like I wanted to seize pleasure while I could.

I took Lilith's hand in mine and said calmly, "These are only minor injuries. Didn't we get attacked by assassins today? This was a necessary sacrifice I made to protect the companions behind me."

Lilith's little trembling hand gently stroked my chest as she sobbed softly beside me. She must have been moved by my brave actions.

Over these past four years, the little girl had grown up too. At present, her looks were the most outstanding among all my maids. And this little girl's figure was the one that least matched Prodia's standards of beauty. It made me look forward to the future a little.

If this went on, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to bear letting her leave me.

Sigh. After so many years of noble life, I had fallen too.

The night was so cold. It would be warmer to sleep together. Heh heh!

The next day, I got up from my huge bed, which was five meters wide. Beside me lay an innocent little hand warmer.

I didn't wake her. I guessed that because my hands had been restless last night, she had gone to sleep very late.

After breakfast in the morning, I received a letter from the palace.

My first reaction was to think it was a commendation from the king. After all, I had genuinely protected Princess Ariel.

But after actually checking the letter, I discovered that the sender was Ariel. She wanted me to go to Silver Tear Palace to see her.

The one who came bore ill intent.

Although I wasn't afraid of her, it was still best to prepare an escape route.

I brought Meteor and the magician's cloak that had been repaired overnight yesterday. On the inside was a powerful chain mail I had found in the family warehouse, capable of blocking one strike from the advanced Sword God Style.

I changed my shoes to a magic item from my grandfather's collection that could make a person move even faster. (The item itself was a pair of shoes.)

At the position of my heart, front and back, I installed sturdy heart-protecting mirrors.

Then, in the inner pocket of my cloak, I inserted two magic scrolls written with Saint-level Healing Spell and one magic scroll written with Saint-level Detoxification Spell.

With this full set of equipment, from the outside, one could only see that I was wearing a magician's robe. But in reality, all the equipment combined weighed forty jin.

Having made everything absolutely foolproof, as long as I focused on protecting my head, any injuries to any other part of my body could be treated in time, and then I could use Invisible Wings to escape.

I stayed on guard the whole way and arrived at the main hall of Silver Tear Palace.

This was my first time arriving at the main hall of Silver Tear Palace. Last time, I had only glanced at it from outside before following the corridor to the garden next door.

Ariel did not receive me in the outer reception room. I was led by a maid into her master bedroom.

This bedroom was enormous. In the middle of the room was a huge bed ten meters long and ten meters wide. The four-poster bedframe was carved with patterns of seahorses and coral, and the curtains were made from gradient blue silk embroidered with hidden lily patterns. To get out of bed from this thing, one probably had to walk a few steps before even reaching the edge.

There was also a fireplace by the wall. The fireplace was decorated with Gothic flame-patterned tiles, the mantel inlaid with the crest of the Asura royal family, and above it hung a portrait of Ariel.

Of course, beside the master bedroom there was also a bathroom and a washroom. Those weren't places I could tour.

Perhaps because I was a Guardian Knight, the maids did not seem particularly surprised by my appearance in Ariel's master bedroom.

By the time I arrived at Silver Palace, it was already around ten in the morning. At this time, Ariel was still dressing and doing her hair by the window. I walked forward and bowed to her.

After seeing me arrive, she dismissed all the servants around her.

In the enormous room, only Ariel and I remained. An invisible pressure filled the air, as if even the candlelight were trembling faintly.

As always, I didn't give her a pleasant look. I glanced around, confirmed the room was empty, then walked straight to an exquisitely carved chair nearby and sat down. My tone was hard and cold. "Why exactly did you call me here today? My time is precious. I don't have the leisure to go in circles with you."

Ariel sat upright across from me, her golden hair glowing softly under the lamplight, but her eyes held an unquestionable resolve. "Dolin, I hope you'll help me investigate where yesterday's assassins came from. At the same time, I require you to continue fulfilling your duties as my Guardian Knight."

I gave a cold laugh, leaning slightly forward, my gaze like a blade. "Ariel, do you take me for someone easy to bully? You and I both know perfectly well why I became your Guardian Knight. I'm nothing but a knight in name, a protective talisman your father uses to restrain my grandfather from sending people to assassinate you. I have no interest in being your lackey, and I'm even less interested in investigating any assassins for you. That's the City Guard Knights' job. I made myself clear yesterday. As long as you behave and stay inside the palace, your life will be safe."

I paused, my tone turning even colder. "Let me make this even clearer. Even if you die, I won't be buried with you. At worst, I'll leave the Asura Kingdom and wander from place to place. This position will only implicate me alone; it won't harm my entire family. After ten or so years, when your father passes away and your elder brother takes the throne, I can naturally return to the country. By then, no one will pursue my responsibility anymore."

After hearing this, a sharp glint flashed through Ariel's eyes, yet the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, as if she had caught hold of some weakness. "Dolin, I will never give up that position. For that, I have already paid with the lives of five companions. How could I shrink back simply because the road ahead is rugged?

"If I die, you can indeed flee abroad and preserve your life, but what about your status as heir to the Prodia Family? The family would never allow someone wanted by the state to become family head, even if you bore that crime for the family's sake!"

I snorted coldly, stood, and closed in on her. With one hand, I pinched her slender neck and lifted lightly, raising her from the chair. Her breathing grew faintly hurried, yet she showed no fear at all. There was even provocation in her eyes. "Accompanying you on a shopping trip counts as a reason for their sacrifice? What a beautiful woman. A pity.

"You've exhausted every scheme and calculation, but have you ever considered one possibility—that I don't care about being head of the Prodia Family at all? Also, could yesterday's assassins have been sent by my grandfather? My being at the scene was purely an accident. Maybe those assassins only retreated because they recognized my red hair?"

I let go, and she fell heavily to the floor, her skirt swaying. A faintly pungent smell rose from the ground. Had she actually been frightened into losing control? I cursed under my breath, faintly sensing that this woman might have deliberately enraged me. Damn it, she got off on it again.

I had not found out the truth behind yesterday's assassins, but I had deliberately thrown out the possibility of my grandfather being involved to make Ariel understand that using me to restrain my grandfather was futile. If she continued to treat me as a shield, she would only discover that the two of us were nothing more than abandoned pieces in a political game. Before the interests of the family, any kinship could be cast aside.

Yet she did not retreat in the slightest. She looked straight at me and said, "Then kill me right now!"

Seeing me fall silent, she pressed closer step by step, her voice low and powerful. "What, you don't dare? Dolin, if you were content to be an abandoned piece, yesterday you could have stood by with folded sleeves and let the assassins take my life. But you didn't. Dolin Prodia Greyrat, you and I have long since been on the same boat!"

Her words stabbed into my heart like a sharp blade. Somewhat angered from shame, I lifted her with one hand as if carrying a chick, then flung her toward the broad velvet-covered bed ten meters away. The bed curtains swayed lightly as she crashed onto the soft mattress, her hair disheveled. I bent over and threatened her, my voice low and hoarse. "I don't dare kill you, but I can let you taste what it means to be a woman before you die. Ariel, don't tell me you still haven't tried it?"

Unexpectedly, not only did she not panic, she instead slowly propped herself up on the bed and struck a seductive pose. The flames of provocation burned in her eyes, and the corners of her lips curved into a meaningful smile. "Come on, Dolin. Do you dare?"

"You really are a lunatic." I gritted my teeth and cursed under my breath, yet a strange throb stirred in the depths of my heart. This woman could always stir up my anger and other emotions with the greatest of ease.

I turned and left, my steps heavy as I walked toward the door. Just as I gripped the handle, her magnetic, bewitching voice came from behind me. "Dolin Prodia Greyrat, come again tomorrow. I need you to train my guards and give them the ability to protect me. You won't be late, will you?"

I gave no response. I yanked the door open and left without looking back. Her laughter seemed to still echo beside my ears, carrying the lingering note of victory.

Sounds continued coming from inside the room. "If you don't come, I'll have my father write you a letter and send people to invite you over. Hahahahaha, just thinking about it is delightful."

Her laughter rang so loudly that the entire Silver Tear Palace could hear it.

When this woman went mad, she really had some force.

With no other choice, the next day I continued carrying out the Guardian Knight duties I had skipped for three years.

After arriving at the garden, Ariel's little friends had already made their preparations in advance.

Karam, whose life I had saved last time, and several little friends who were close with him all came over to salute me and express their thanks. I also responded amiably.

Among them were Ariel's Escort Knights, some were Ariel's Escort Mages, and some were ordinary attendants and personal attendants.

(Note: Escort Knights and Guardian Knights are different. Escort Knights are like bodyguards recruited from among the common folk. Guardian Knights and the people they guard are broadly equal, their status rank is higher, and the protection contract between them is also more complicated.

I couldn't be bothered to distinguish between so many identities. Even if they were unwilling, that was Ariel's business. I left the ideological work to Ariel.

Then I split them into groups.

I had the Escort Knights and physically strong attendants learn swordsmanship. Swordsmen learning the Water God Style would defend Ariel at close range. Swordsmen learning the Sword God Style would conduct assault battles when encountering enemies. As for swordsmen of the North God Style, they would serve as hidden guards.

There were only three Escort Mages to begin with. I had each of them focus on only one type of magic. I also taught them some magical combinations, so that when attacking, several people could coordinate as a group.

As for the remaining personal attendants and the attendants whose bodies were not quite as strong, I taught them healing magic and detoxification magic.

Although these spells were simple and easy to learn, they consumed quite a lot of mana. An ordinary person would have to sleep for half a day after casting them two or three times.

Just like that, in a state where I went to guide them occasionally, I taught them bit by bit for a year.

During this year, Ariel did not pick any fights with me. She had probably also realized that before absolute strength, all other petty tricks were futile.

When she could not guarantee her own life, no matter how much prestige she had among the commoners and the army, it was all just flowers in a mirror and the moon in water.

Knowing history, I was not worried at all, because I knew the secret to her success did not lie in Asura at all. When the time came, even if Darius did not go assassinate her and force her out of the royal capital, I would take action myself and force her out.

I hoped that this time, with my efforts, these little friends of hers would not end up with only three people left alive.