Chapter 103

The capital of the Saint Airo Empire is located on the eastern side of Boer Mountain, and it is not particularly close to either the port of the Aibuting River or other main transportation routes leading into the empire from the outside.

Generally, after traveling for a while, one will enter the royal city via the Bulo Main Road.

The Alchemists and Physicians Exchange a grand event held only once every five years, and each conference displays countless unexpected items, sparking competition among nations.

This isn't just about competing for products, it's also about competing for talent.

Therefore, even before the exchange meeting began, nobles and even kings from various small countries continued to enter the capital of the Saint Airo Empire, where they were housed at the Sheri Hall by Prince Kashu, the youngest son of His Majesty the King.

The imperial capital was bustling with activity almost every day, and even the winter chill couldn't keep up.

Whenever a long train procession enters the royal city, it attracts a large crowd who gather to watch and discuss the conspicuous emblems on the carriages.

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Until the caravan entered the area of the Sheri Hall, commoners and slaves stopped, while nobles would watch discreetly from a distance as the people in the carriages disembarked and entered the luxurious and magnificent guild hall.

The ever-blooming Divine Flower Belanka adorns the entrance to the guild hall, symbolizing respect.

Shamir had been out for several days with her butler and maid, Merry. She stood not far from the Sheri Hall, watching as kings and nobles from outside the Saint Airo Empire continued to move in.

Of course, she also spotted Prince Kashu, who was in charge of receiving her.

His Majesty the King's youngest son was only fourteen years old, but he was already an adult. At the Queen's request, the King appointed him to be in charge of this important yet seemingly unimportant reception task.

The queen gave birth to three sons and a princess, consolidating her position. The king took her words very seriously.

These were all told to Shamir by the Marquis Galli himself, and Shamir kept them in mind.

Shamir had been very excited and happy these past few days. She flitted through the streets of the royal city like a joyful little bird, finally landing near the Sheri Hall.

She saw Prince Kashu, with brown hair and blue eyes, handsome in appearance, and said to resemble His Majesty the King. He was also the Queen's most beloved son, even surpassing the princess.

Every day, he stands at the entrance of the clubhouse, a proud smile on his face, to greet distinguished guests.

Shamir also clearly saw the Grand Duke Achiyoli and Archibald Cavendish that her father had mentioned. Their irresistible charm made her blush and her heart race even when she was not far away.

She thought that it wasn't just her; after these two arrived at the Sheri Hall, the number of noble ladies loitering around the club quietly increased.

However, neither Cavendish nor the Grand Duke often came out of the guild hall, Shamir could see the look of disappointment on the faces of many women and young girls.

Shamir patted her face, wondering if she had actually done that.

She stood at the end of the Bulo Main Road., with her butler and maid, Merry, behind her. The crowd around her was dense, and various voices constantly pierced her ears, creating a cacophony, mostly discussing the Lord of Desinia.

Shamir couldn't contain her excitement and anticipation. News had come from the port a few days ago, and today was the day the Lord of Desinia would arrive in the royal city.

"I've heard that the Lord of Desinia has an entire animal legion, and the banner of the Black-and-White Cavalry uses two large tigers as its emblem, which is enough to terrify the enemy."

"This lord also has a very, very large eagle, white, that flies very fast... its talons are strong enough to grab an adult. Do you remember the Battle of Gadayat Grand Canyon many years ago?"

Shamir couldn't help but look in the direction of the voice and found two noblemen talking about the war that led to the destruction of Gaina, one of the stories she had heard from her father, Marquis Galli.

Back then, my father still praised the Lord of Desinia, but now...

On the other side, the women gathered together, chattering about the new cosmetics and clothing from the Thorn Merchant Guild. Before long, they were talking about Desinia's age and appearance.

Shamir's hands were tucked inside her cloak, and she was holding a book of Tales of the Gods. She unconsciously moved closer to it, her ears turning red as she listened.

A woman with a mature and elegant demeanor covered her mouth with the surface of a down fan and said, "The Lord of Desinia is young and charming, but he is far too young."

"He's almost an adult... I can't even call him a man yet, he's still a boy, perhaps he doesn't even understand the beauty of women."

The mature woman's words made all the women around her laugh, their smiles seemingly carrying a deeper meaning, making them blush with embarrassment.

The young girl's face was flushed, perhaps from the cold wind.

She murmured in a barely audible voice, "Rumor has it that he's like a rose about to bloom, roaming freely among thorns..."

"Oh my god, don't look at me like that, I didn't say those things..."

Before the girl could finish speaking, she couldn't bear the sight of those around her and covered her burning cheeks.

Her friend nudged her, urging, "Who said that? Comparing the Lord of Desinia to a rose? Is he too charming?"

The girl lowered one finger and continued with shining eyes, "It's my uncle, Chad. Do you remember that he went to the Desinia Territory a few years ago to seek treatment for his illness from this lord?"

Once the girl said that, the others remembered.

After returning to the Empire, Chad continued to praise many things about the Desinia Territory, especially Visas, the administrative center.

The marquis said it was the cleanest city he had ever seen.

At the time, many people disagreed.

Chad had also mentioned to His Majesty the King the need to improve the environment of the royal city, but nothing came of it, and it was clear that the King did not pay much attention to it.

The girl's voice was filled with great enthusiasm. "Uncle Chad said that the Lord of Desinia is the most incredible person to him."

"No one but him is worthy of the glory of the Thorn Rose."

The elegant, mature woman gently lifted the girl's chin with the surface of her fan and smiled, "So, you want to pluck this rose surrounded by thorns yourself?"

"Aren't you afraid of pricking your hand?"

Perhaps it was the woman's tone that displeased the young girl, and her expression darkened slightly.

She swatted away the woman's delicate down fan with her hand. "Avril, what business is it of yours whether my hand is prickly or not? You old woman, you don't actually believe the Lord of Desinia would take a liking to you, do you?!"

Avril calmly put her fan away, seemingly unconcerned by the girl's words.

She was a famous socialite in the imperial capital, with a stunningly beautiful appearance that attracted the attention of many men. Even her uncle, Chad, had an ambiguous relationship with her.

Her red lips curved into a smile, like a seductive serpent flicking its tongue. "What's impossible?"

"Perhaps this lord prefers a mature woman like me. Young men are always passionate and impulsive. Once he's tasted the flavors of a woman, would he still be interested in someone so dry...?"

Avril smiled, hiding her face with her fan. Her deep, charcoal-drawn eyes landed mockingly on the girl, and it was obvious who she was referring to.

The girl was clearly furious at Avril's words, and someone next to her grabbed her arm to stop her from acting impulsively.

Shamir, her face flushed, took a step and then stood in the opposite direction.

The crowd erupted in cheers and excitement at that moment.

--A long convoy of cars drove onto the Bulo Main Road.

"Ah!" Shamir gasped briefly, covering her mouth with her hand.

She was immediately shielded in front of the butler and maid Merry, who were also screaming in alarm, or held onto their arms and retreated backward. Many other people around them did the same thing.

The crowd continued to retreat and move away.

In no time, the Bulo Main Road became much quieter, with a large open space in the middle, and no one wanted to go forward again.

Because this could be fatal.

--Although they had long heard that the Lord of Desinia kept many large and ferocious beasts by his side, hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it with their own eyes was quite another.

No one could withstand the overwhelming fear that surges within them and not back down after witnessing it firsthand.

Especially when these large beasts are not restrained and roam freely in the streets, their enormous bodies, sharp claws, and intimidating aura... all inspire fear.

They were terrified that these ferocious beasts would uncontrollably charge into the crowd and tear them apart... Creator God! This is horrifying.

Shamir's pink eyes widened.

She was a little excited, and unconsciously gripped the storybook in her hands, staring intently at the ferocious beasts leading the procession: tigers, lions, black panthers... oh, and there was even a half-grown White Wolf...

She glanced at the White Wolf, which was smaller than the other beasts. It probably didn't like the bustling crowd that was still lively and noisy despite retreating away. It hadn't gone far before it turned around and darted into the cavalry guarding the front. The imposing cavalry did not become chaotic because of the White Wolf's presence.

They didn't even change their walking pace, remaining completely calm.

Two cavalrymen, one in black and one in white, stood on either side, their faces hidden by helmets and their bodies protected by armor. Each held a long spear in one hand, and their steps were so synchronized that it seemed as if the street itself was shaking.

Shamir heard many people gasping at the news, and her heart pounded rapidly.

She saw the White Wolf pass by two mounted officers, then leap onto the luxurious carriage that was moving in the center. The carriage was a style she had never seen before; it was tall and beautiful, with small doors at the front and sides.

The coachman calmly lifted the curtain that had left a small door in front, and the White Wolf crouched low and slipped inside.

That must be the carriage of the Lord of Desinia!

Shamir instinctively clutched her chest, which felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. She was both overjoyed and disappointed. Overjoyed that she had finally found the Lord of Desinia, but disappointed that she hadn't seen him in person right away.

It doesn't matter.

Shamir comforted herself, thinking that she could follow the cavalry all the way to the entrance of the Sheri Hall, and then she would see Prince Kashu when he received Lord Desinia.

Many people share the same thought.

Shamir followed the group forward.

She was completely wrapped in a cloak, her face mostly hidden, and the butler and maids protected her carefully so she wouldn't be pushed over by the crowd.

Finally, the Sheri Hall came into view.

Prince Kashu stood by the door decorated with the Belanka Divine Flower, his face a mixture of politeness, a smile, stiffness, and fear.

He took two steps back as the beast approached, his heels hitting the steps and nearly causing him to fall. Fortunately, the knight behind him caught him, and his expression immediately turned even more grim.

At this moment, the Desinia cavalry halted, and the beast at the forefront stopped, yawning boredly, its wide-open mouth revealing sharp teeth and a scarlet tongue.

Shamir heard gasps of surprise from the crowd again, and Prince Kashu's face was pale and stiff.

--Like a canvas with dried paint, Shamir thought.

The soldiers stood on both sides, and the coachman got off the carriage at this time, respectfully opening the side door and lifting the curtain.

Shamir stood on tiptoe.

She first saw the White Wolf who had climbed into the carriage earlier get off, carrying a black and white cub in its mouth. The cub was howling, standing out in the noisy street. The White Wolf then carried the cub to a group of wild beasts. The cub was put down and tried to run away, but was immediately held down gently by a large golden lion, as if it were kneading the cub's chubby little body.

After glancing at it a few times, Shamir couldn't help but turn her gaze back to the carriage.

The person she had been longing to see finally appeared—a white, stiff, button-down top with Thorn Rose badge pinned to the right breast, a belt cinching her slender waist, black trousers, and black boots, her legs long and her figure tall.

He had very soft, black hair, with a few strands casually falling across his forehead, and a pair of sweet, caramel-like eyes. He wore a single, round, gold-framed eyeglass over his left eye, and a matching gold chain dangled down his shoulder and chest...

Shamir couldn't find the words to describe it; her legs were trembling, her heels were slumped, her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst into her throat, and her ears were ringing. She couldn't even hear what the person closest to her Merry, was saying.

At that moment, a white cub peeked out from the black cloak covering the Desinia lord, followed by its small body...

It turned out that the Desinia lord had been holding it in one arm the whole time, and now it tilted its little head and looked around curiously.

Shamir saw the Lord of Desinia gently stroke the cub's head with his long, slender, and fair hand, before walking step by step toward Prince Kashu, who was waiting at the door.

Staring at his retreating figure, Shamir was lost in thought, her ears, hidden beneath her cloak, practically steaming, as she heard the girl's soft murmurs from before.

"Uncle is right... He really is like a blooming rose, beautiful and charming..."