Chapter 135

Is it because the blood flowing through his veins signifies that he is still part of the royal family of this country? Is it because he has the potential to reclaim the power that belongs to Drak?

Or is it because he's already starting to fantasize about having control over the Core City of Victoria?

Who knows?

"Well, actually, I can understand how you feel."

However, Zuo Jian's casual chat while holding the steering wheel with one hand immediately made Eblana's heart tighten.

Wait... what does he mean by that?

The girl from Drak suddenly became a little nervous, and began to speculate on the hidden meaning Zuo Jian's words.

However, her speculation did not last long, and soon Zuo Jian continued to speak.

"Actually, when I first came into contact with a big city as a child, I felt the same way as you... I always worried that I might not fit in, or that I might be looked down upon by the city people... So, I can probably understand how you feel."

Zuo Jian seemed somewhat at ease.

He spoke to Eblana in a comforting tone, but the latter was stunned upon hearing this.

"...?"

She glanced at her still-wagging tail, then at the boy beside her who was still babbling on about how it was his first time in the city, trying to calm herself down.

... I feel like... something's not right?

Her excitement stemmed from the imagining that, as Drak, she would one day have the opportunity to completely take control of the city and the entire Victoria it represented.

How exactly did this guy interpret it as the plight of a country bumpkin aristocrat moving to the city?

However, despite her thoughts, Eblana could not deny Zuo Jian's guess.

After all, denying it wouldn't do her any good.

It's better to let him continue to hold this mistaken belief.

Only...

Ha, a country aristocrat?

Although she had always stayed in Warwick's territory and rarely left to see much of the world, Eblana didn't think that the mere city of Londinium could exceed her expectations.

Even if it went too far, she wouldn't show any signs of losing her composure.

After all, she was born with a special bloodline.

How could it be because of a few buildings?

Shock...

"Cough cough cough... What... what?"

Eblana stared in disbelief at the enormous, luxuriously decorated hotel before her.

Looking at the towering buildings, which seemed countless at first glance.

Her slightly agape mouth prevented her from even noticing that her younger sister was already standing behind her.

Zuo Jian glanced at Eblana, who was standing there stunned, and Loughshinny, who was standing behind her.

Compared to her older sister, the latter was clearly much calmer, and had been sticking close to her sister ever since they got off the bus.

He didn't even look up to observe his surroundings the entire time, just silently watching Eblana's back.

With a sigh, Zuo Jian looked at Loughshinny standing behind Eblana. Bathed in sunlight, she stood quietly in her sister's shadow.

However, it was clear that Eblana was thinking about much more important things at this moment.

This doesn't make sense.

How is that possible??

She had originally anticipated that the gangs in Londinium might be slightly better than those in other places, but she felt they would at most be upgraded from the dark sewers to the run-down alleys of the slums.

Who knows... who knows...

What's going on with a hotel of this size?!

Even with the Duke's backing, this is just too... too...

In reality, Eblana was unaware that, within the environment where the dukes could not openly enter Londinium, the power struggle between the gangs they supported subtly reflected the power struggle between the dukes themselves.

Just as other dukes support gangs that run luxurious establishments like hotels and casinos, you can't expect your own gangs to be roaming around in those dilapidated public places.

In a sense, this is also part of demonstrating the Duke's power...

Is this not typical of Victoria aristocrats? They certainly spared no expense in such a strange place.

However, they had no idea that one of the hotels was now completely under Zuo Jian's control.

Both the building and the people inside.

"Alright, stop sighing, let's go inside."

Zuo Jian patted Eblana and Loughshinny on the back, then took their hands and led them through the gate.

Only then did Loughshinny finally turn her head and take a serious look at the unfamiliar man beside her for the first time.

And... he was holding his hand.

However, my older sister seems... very nervous?

Suddenly, Eblana's face darkened, and then fine beads of sweat began to drip from her forehead.

Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it.

This gang's size is outrageous!

She had initially thought that even a gang supported by the Duke wouldn't be this large, but now... the sheer size of its buildings and personnel made her start to doubt whether her actions had been too risky.

If it were just an ordinary gang, she and Loughshinny could have easily escaped unscathed on their own.

Even if she ultimately fails to achieve her goal of contacting the Duke behind the scenes, she can rely on her own strength to directly break ties with them and run away.

But now... facing a gang that owns a hotel of this caliber, just the security personnel in their sunglasses and black suits made Eblana start to doubt whether she could win.

Did she... mess things up?

Zuo Jian glanced at Eblana, who seemed to be deep in thought, and gently shook his head. He decided not to disturb her thoughts and turned to pat Loughshinny's head.

Then he bent down.

At this point, the usually taciturn girl finally looked up at him, though her eyes still seemed misty and somewhat bewildered.

"Hello, Loughshinny, this must be the first time we've spoken, right?"

Looking at Zuo Jian's smile, Loughshinny nodded subconsciously.

"Is there anything bothering you? After all, the land vehicle has been traveling for so long, bumpy and jostling. Oh, or..."

What would you like to eat? What are your sister's and your own preferred foods? I'll go and prepare them for you."

Zuo Jian led Eblana and Loughshinny to the front desk and then asked the latter a question.

However, Loughshinny seemed to have thought about it for a long time, looked at Zuo Jian, and then asked hesitantly.

"Um... what's your name?"

"?"

"Cough cough..."

This time, it was Zuo Jian's turn to be embarrassed.

Damn it, did this child not listen to his and her sister's conversation at all before?

She didn't seem cold... rather, she seemed a bit... naive?

My goodness, it's already the 23rd of this month and I've only taken one day off.

Ah, as expected, people are just insatiable.

Like I said before, I only take a maximum of two days off per month, and the thought that I only took one day off this month, and not the second... makes me feel a little guilty -- ugh, lazy me! Get up and update!!!

Okay, just kidding. I've been really busy today, so I'm taking a break and getting myself in the right frame of mind for some serious updates tomorrow.

Seriously, I'm a dog if I'm lying. jpg

Chapter 93, Is This Paradise?

"Huff... huff..."

Zuo Jian escorted the Eblana sisters to an empty room on a high floor and, before leaving, specifically told Loughshinny that if there were any problems, she should use the built-in phone in the room to call the front desk.

The receptionist will help her solve everything.

Although, in reality, the one standing in the forefront is now just a part of oneself.

After receiving the only visibly emotional response from Loughshinny since their first meeting—a slight nod followed by a soft "Mmm"—[the response was...].

Zuo Jian patted her head with satisfaction, then watched her enter the room.

Meanwhile, Eblana, who used to occasionally exchange a few words with him, was unusually deep in thought, biting her thumbnail, her brow furrowed, looking nothing like a child.

Let's just say it's because girls have diverse thoughts and feelings.

He shook his head, then slowly closed the door and walked into the hallway.

"Is the Doctor still on the top floor? Let's go find her."

Zuo Jian pondered for a moment, then took a step forward.

'What are you doing?'

The Wraith asked, puzzled, seemingly unable to understand what the Doctor was doing.

"It's so noisy, let me have some peace and quiet..."

Before me, on the long sofa, the Doctor sat upright in the center, gently swirling an amber-colored wine glass filled with red wine. The red of the wine blended with the pale gold of the glass, reflecting a mysterious yet elegant purple glow.

She held her wine glass, while crossing her shapely legs—which, while perhaps not long, were certainly fair and not short—and striking a pose that was both alluring and intellectual.

However, right in front of her, the body of the gang leader that Zuo Jian was using lay quietly in the chair, eyes closed, body motionless, like a doll.

The Doctor squinted, slowly walked over to the body, then leaned against his chest, sipping the contents of his cup in small, deliberate sips.

'Sigh... Don't you think this is embarrassing?'

"You're so noisy! I already told you I just wanted to find a place to lean against..."

'A sofa is much softer than the human body you're leaning on right now, which is made up of water, fat, protein, inorganic matter, and so on. What's more—'

'Aren't you upset? This thing, without Zuo Jian's consciousness, or rather, his soul, is just an unsightly lump of flesh.'

The Wraith's voice was somewhat shrill, and carried a hint of disdain.

"I've said it before, if you really want something, you should take the initiative, instead of acting like someone else's used body, begging for someone else's clothes as a substitute for food."

"Oh, you can't say that. At least when someone's clinging to clothes and acting crazy, they can still smell something. You can't even smell anything like that. Someone like you, without a doubt, will end up being a pathetic loser who, after realizing the male and female protagonists are making dumplings at home every day, can't even be the filling and can only cry under the covers."

'In the hands of a typical third-rate author, the only purpose of this character might be to be killed by a passing truck while burdened with endless guilt, thus triggering the protagonist's memories and setting the stage for a side story.'

"Ugh, so noisy! Shut up! Don't try to draw conclusions about me with your outdated ideas!"

The Doctor, somewhat annoyed by what he was being said, turned around and retorted.

The Wraith merely conjured up its own image of flowing white hair in her eyes and waved helplessly.

'In fact, the reason why a routine is a routine is because humans are constantly repeating things they have already repeated countless times before.'

"So what! Anyway, you just inexplicably make me angry, and, and..."

The Doctor hesitated for a moment, then sniffed the body beside him.

"This definitely smells! It smells like Zuo Jian! I'm in his..."

I smelled a similar odor on my previous body! What do you mean I can't even smell anything?!

For a moment, amidst the Doctor's somewhat abstract rebuttal, the Wraith didn't even know what to say.

Theoretically, if someone suffers from amnesia, they are reset to their initial state before they encountered many things.