Chapter 171

John's successful leg suture surgery was not an isolated incident within the Desinia Territory; similar incidents occurred to varying degrees in different cities.

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A successful suture procedure is just an isolated case and may not attract much attention.

However, news of successful surgeries gradually emerged from various cities, indicating that the treatment method proposed by the Lord of Desinia was indeed feasible.

All of this was published in the newspapers and then distributed and sold in various places.

While everyone was excitedly discussing the suture technique, Cyrus first found Orville in the castle, hoping to talk to him.

The two of them sat alone in the study, facing each other.

"Ugh."

Rice Cake was held in Orville's arms. The little snow fox's petite size allowed it to curl up comfortably on the Duke's lap, its snow-white fur stroking gently.

However, when Rice Cake saw Cyrus sitting on another sofa, her dark eyes lit up, and she tried to stand up and jump out of Orville's arms.

She tried to move her legs, but when she came to her senses, she was still being held tightly.

Cyrus watched as Nian Rice Cake's four short legs, suspended in Orville's arms, kicked and shuffled in place...

Pfft.

He couldn't help but laugh.

"Cough..."

Cyrus then cleared his throat and looked at Orville seriously, saying, "May I ask you a question?"

Upon hearing this, Orville's expression softened considerably. "Of course, I will answer any question you ask."

He kept stroking the Rice Cake's big tail.

Cyrus: "I really hope you can answer this question."

"If I were to force you to choose between me and a group of furry beasts, you could only choose one. If you chose me, you could never touch the furry beasts again; if you chose the furry beasts, I wouldn't be there..."

"Orville, what's your choice?"

Orville, who was stroking the end of the Rice Cake, suddenly paused.

His light gray eyes gazed at Cyrus with utter calmness, and after a long pause, he said, "Do I really have to choose?"

Can't we have both?

Cyrus understood what he meant and shook her head, saying, "Things always have imperfections; you can't keep everything with you..."

"You can't stay either."

Orville silently lowered his eyes, just in time to meet the curious little gaze of the Rice Cake looking up at him.

"Huh?"

"Impossible..." Orville murmured.

Cyrus: "Have you really realized how you feel about me?"

"I like you, and I want to stay by your side."

"Whether in the Desinia Territory or the Achiyoli Territory, as long as you are willing, I can agree and compromise for you." Orville said earnestly.

Cyrus sighed and said, "Then you make your choice, Orville."

"In your heart, can you choose me without hesitation? Am I more important than the fluffy ones?"

Orville did not answer, because he had no choice.

He hesitated and wavered about choosing Cyrus and abandoning the furry beasts... He couldn't choose either answer.

But... why can't we have both?

In his view, Little Zuoyi was one with the furry creatures; he and his beasts were never separate.

Cyrus noticed his hesitation.

He already understood when Orville didn't answer immediately.

He said, "Orville, I need a lover who will treat me with all his heart. He must have nothing but me in his eyes and put me first."

"Instead of hesitating when I ask this question."

You may like me, but that feeling isn't love yet.

Orville said softly, "What is love... I don't understand, you can teach me."

Cyrus: "No, Orville, I can't teach you this, because I..."

He thought of His Holiness the Pope, and his expression softened unconsciously. "Because my affection and love have been decided to be given to another person."

"... Is that the Pope?" Orville whispered.

His light gray eyes seemed to be shrouded in a layer of hazy mist, making him look rather pitiful.

Although Cyrus felt a little reluctant, she still had to make him face a cruel reality.

"Orville, you must understand, when a person already has someone they belong to, they cannot accept anyone else unless that person changes their mind."

"But I won't change. Even if you stay here for a month, a year, or even three or five years, I still won't agree to be with you."

Cyrus said, "Between friends, I have no extra feelings for you, nor is it possible for me to return to the Achiyoli Territory with you."

"Besides, why do you think you like me?"

Orville: "You're wonderful. We've known each other for so long, and being with you is the most enjoyable. I don't have many friends, but you're the most important one."

Cyrus: "Then let me be your friend for life."

"Friendship is, in some ways, more precious than love..."

He used some cynical advice to soothe the still somewhat naive Orville, making him less fixated on the matter.

No need, really no need.

Since you prefer fluffy things, you can still touch them even if you don't become lovers.

Orville remained silent for a long while before saying, "Little Zuoyi, I have a request."

"What? You said it?"

"Could you please deliver the Coalball to...?"

"Impossible."

"Snowball are fine too."

"Impossible."

"Qing Tuan? Black Sugar? Ice Cream? Rice Cake? Rollie..."

"... Wake up, it's still daytime."

Fortunately, Grand Duke Orville was reasonable; he knew that no matter how long he waited, Little Zuoyi's decision would not change.

If that's the case, why should he force a relationship that hasn't even started?

However, Orville was still a little sad, and that night he slept in the fluffy creatures' room, with Rice Cake in his arms and Rollie beside him.

After persuading the Grand Duke to reclaim the arsenal, Cyrus immediately went to find Archibald.

"You're rejecting me, aren't you?"

As soon as he entered the study, Archibald said, "Orville may not understand emotions, but I don't."

"Would you like to repeat your reasons for persuading him?"

Cyrus: "Archie, do you think it worked?"

Archibald has already answered the question with his expression.

Cyrus: "Since it has no effect whatsoever, I won't say anything more."

"But I'm sure you understand that it's better to let go sooner rather than later, because I can't accept you, Archie. We should be friends and partners."

Cyrus decided to be slightly tougher on Archie than she had on Orville.

After all... a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one.

Some things you just have to politely refuse.

Archibald: "Do you think we can still be friends?"

"If you no longer want to be friends with me... Archie, I just hope we won't be enemies," Cyrus said after a moment of silence.

Archibald Lake's green eyes dimmed for a moment, and he gave a bitter smile, "Aren't you even going to try to keep me here...?"

Cyrus: "I don't want to force you. If being friends makes you sad... then it's better to remain strangers who know each other."

After he finished speaking, the air seemed to fall silent.

Archibald's eyes seemed to hold raindrops falling onto a clear lake, creating ripples, like lake water under a rain curtain, always carrying a touch of depth and sadness.

"Archie ..." Cyrus's lips moved, but she didn't say anything more.

But he thought that the time since they returned to the Desinia Territory from the Saint Airo Empire should have been enough for Archibald to see his attitude toward this matter clearly.

His silence was the best answer.

Out of consideration for their childhood friendship, being best friends, and partners, he didn't want to be too absolute... Perhaps in the end, even...

"Aside from responding to your feelings, I respect your decisions and attitudes on everything else," Cyrus said.

His caramel-colored eyes looked intently and sincerely at Archibald.

How heartbreaking!

Archibald wondered where he had gone wrong... He was truly unwilling to accept it.

He closed his eyes briefly, concealing what seemed to be welling up inside. When he opened them again, his beautiful, emerald-green eyes had returned to normal.

Archibald: "Can I hug you?"

Cyrus hesitantly opened her arms.

Archibald stepped forward and hugged him.

He buried his head in Cyrus's neck, suppressing a trembling sigh that threatened to escape his lips, and said in a slightly weaker tone, "Little Zuoyi, from now on we will be... we will be friends and partners forever."

"Please don't distance yourself from me."

"Good."

Cyrus raised her hand, intending to pat him on the back to comfort him, but in the end she put it down.

Archibald never showed him any attitude or behavior beyond friendship again, and they seemed to have returned to the way they used to get along.

A few days later, they even discussed matters related to the new agricultural cooperative.

"I should go back now."

Before Orville could leave the Desinia Territory, Archibald said, "The matter of the new farm is very important, and I also need to return to the Anas Kingdom to make arrangements."

"Little Zuoyi, you always surprise me."

Cyrus: "I hope I can keep giving like this in the future."

Archibald smiled at him upon hearing this.

Cyrus personally went to the port to see Archibald off, and as he watched the fleet belonging to the Nagabi merchants gradually disappear into the distance, he sighed softly.

But the matter was finally resolved.

Time will heal all wounds.

Cyrus thought things would be peaceful for a while, but as soon as they passed Komoy Fort, the soldiers guarding the city gate stopped the group and said they had something to report.

Judas got off the carriage and went over to ask what had happened.

The soldier said a black leopard had appeared in the city, seemingly the lord's beast, but it was accompanied by an unfamiliar young man and a silver-haired girl he had never seen before.

Judas immediately explained the matter to Cyrus.

Cyrus: "..."

Who else could be leading a black panther...?

--Brali, one of the male supporting characters in the original book, is the leader of the Kadi Tribe.

As for the silver-haired girl... it's even easier to guess who she is.

Cyrus couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Was this ever going to end?!