Chapter 151
Banishing the thought from his mind, Zuo Jian turned to look at Loughshinny.
"Loughshinny, didn't you want to ask me a question?"
"Um."
"Go ahead and ask, don't be so reserved."
The girl put down her knife and fork, then slightly raised her eyes to look at the Zuo Jian, as if carefully choosing her words before speaking.
"Please..."
Tell me your... real name.
"You shouldn't be called Norman Smith, right?"
Chapter 109, Zuo Jian: Save my teeth! Doctor!
"Wow... I didn't expect you to notice... You're really perceptive."
Zuo Jian, a hint of helplessness in his expression.
"Tsk, this guy's even fake name, how are we supposed to trust him?"
Eblana replied as if she were looking for trouble.
Loughshinny simply looked down at her plate silently and slowly answered.
"Because, every time I call your name, your eyes don't remain as calm as a still lake."
"You only react when your full name is pronounced completely... but in most cases, a person's name only needs the first few parts to sound similar to attract attention..."
Am I right?
Reed looked up, not stating anything definitively, but merely making a hypothetical gesture, indicating that Zuo Jian could also completely deny this hypothesis.
But----
"Phew, you guessed right, my real name isn't Norman Smith."
"If you wish, you can call me Zuo Jian in private."
"It's a surname that has a distinct Flame Kingdom style. The left side, representing direction, is the surname, and the gap, representing the space, is the given name."
He doesn't need to lie to the children in this regard; if he did, it would be too calculating and scheming.
After all, he had just said he intended to educate them in a way different from that of Earl Warwick, but then he couldn't even be honest, which was far too hypocritical.
"Of course, if possible, you two should remember to call me Norman Smith when you're out in public."
Loughshinny opened her mouth slightly, silently repeating his name several times, and then nodded slightly as if accepting something.
"Um."
"Tsk, hypocrite."
Eblana turned her head away, somewhat annoyed, and muttered something.
"And another thing, aren't you the second-in-command of the gang? Did you make the decision to adopt us all by yourself? Aren't you afraid that if something is exposed, what will the Duke behind you do?"
Eblana stood up and voiced her question.
At least on this point, she needs to figure it out.
"In fact, why do you think I'm just the second-in-command? Because that's what people outside are saying?"
Zuo Jian leaned back in his chair and silently made a shushing sound.
The gesture.
Actually, he wasn't wrong.
He's the gang leader.
He was also the second-in-command.
Even the receptionist could be him.
As for what Eblana thinks, that's up to her; at least Zuo Jian wasn't lying.
... Ahem, in reality, adults can't possibly tell their children everything, right?
Although he didn't intend to educate them according to Warwick's methods, sometimes, a little bit of necessary, minor... incomplete concealment, which is a matter for adults, was still acceptable!
Just like Zuo Jian a child, his dad's answer to the topic of taking him to KFC Crazy Thursday was always "Next time, definitely."
Yes, that makes sense.
He lowered his head; he didn't know what others thought, but Zuo Jian certainly didn't have any objections.
"What... tsk, you really are a hypocrite."
Eblana paused for a moment, as if she understood something.
I see.
Was that guy, who was always perceived as the leader, just a scapegoat?!
The real boss of this gang... is actually this number two who usually keeps his head down and works quietly?
Is this even a thing?
Thinking of this, she subconsciously turned her head to look at Loughshinny beside her.
"?"
"No... it's nothing."
"And also... you actually know about the Duke behind this?"
At this point, Eblana paused, then saw Zuo Jian in front of her, put his hands on her shoulders, and give her a chilling smile.
"... It's just... necessary understanding."
"Really? It's necessary to understand..."
Zuo Jian slightly, seemingly deep in thought.
"Eblana, there's something I'm curious about."
He spoke, as if asking a question.
"You—regarding the blood flowing through your veins and the things involved behind it, how much of your contact with them is due to the Earl Warwick's teachings, and how much is your own personal will?"
Zuo Jian's voice had a strong pause, especially --
When talking about the phrase "personal will"...
However, facing Zuo Jian, who now exuded a slightly oppressive aura, Eblana felt a long-lost, familiar feeling.
She slapped Zuo Jian, revealing a wicked smile as she spoke.
"What are you talking about, Uncle Zuo Jian?"
"Isn't a spiral of violence and greed flowing through Drak's veins?"
"No one can control the red dragon, no one."
"Yeah."
Zuo Jian looked at Eblana's appearance and sighed softly.
"Have you considered what responsibilities you should bear after you get everything you expected?"
"Responsibility...?"
A thin mist seemed to have settled over Eblana's eyes.
A word that had never been taken seriously was thus uttered from Zuo Jian's mouth.
However, just as she was about to fall into thought, Zuo Jian clapped his hands and said...
"Okay, I understand the situation. Honestly, you're a classic problem child, Eblana."
As he spoke, he patted her head again, ignoring her struggles.
"Also, stop thinking about your bloodline, violence, greed, and such things. You shouldn't be that immature at your age. Look at your sister, isn't she perfectly normal?"
"Huh... huh?! A chuunibyou?! Are you kidding me?!"
"In fact, I do match my sister's description to some extent."
As if to help Eblana out of a predicament, Loughshinny answered like a well-behaved student raising her hand.
"Oh? For example?"
"For example, Drak's consistent greed, I think that's true." She said, looking to the Zuo Jian and then pointing to her plate.
On the now empty plate, there once stood a small, exquisite piece of grilled meat.
However, it's quite obvious that the young girl's stomach simply cannot satisfy... such exquisite tastes.
That's Drak.
"Pfft--Ahaha~ That's really true."
As if amused, Zuo Jian raised his hand and released the disgruntled Eblana.
"Alright, Loughshinny, take your sister to take a shower and freshen up. We'll go later... um, barbecue? Victoria may not be the most authentic, but there should be a few scattered barbecue shops."
Loughshinny stepped forward and took Eblana's hand, preparing to return to her room.
"Remember, it took too long--"
"Okay, Zuo Jian..."
Loughshinny opened her mouth slightly, and two more syllables floated softly after the name on the Zuo Jian, so softly that even Eblana beside her couldn't hear them.
"Huh? What did you say?"
"It's nothing... Let's go, sister."
Call...
Zuo Jian watched the receding figure and couldn't help but sigh.
That's great.
Sometimes... taking care of these children from another world gave him a sense of... familiarity.
Just like being a parent?
Whew—it always gives me a sense of peace and comfort...
Yeah, right!!!
"Huh?! Barbecue?!!"
Inside Victoria's rented room.
The Zuo Jian attached to Laurentina almost bounced off her shoulder!
"You guys are going to eat barbecue too?!"
Laurentina Zuo Jian, who seemed to have been startled and almost jumped out, with some confusion.
"What's wrong? Why are you reacting so strongly? It's not that I wanted to eat it... it's just Skadi."
As she spoke, she pointed to Skadi was already dressed and standing to the side.
"If you don't want to go, then that's fine."
"Um... no... aren't we going?"
Skadi froze, as if struck by some blow, and for a moment could only tug at Laurentina's sleeve, casting a pitiful look at her...
Strictly speaking
He cast a pitiful glance at Zuo Jian, whose eye was peeking out from Laurentina's shoulder...
... This is fucking crazy.
On the other side...
Zuo Jian, inside the building, opened his eyes and glanced at the Drak sisters, who had quickly showered and dressed.
"You guys... are too fast."
"I thought you'd only need to dry your hair and body—"