Xu Yi turned his head and smiled faintly. "Now that you've seen it for yourself on His Majesty the King's behalf, isn't that just as good?"
"Perhaps..." Servini nodded with a soft laugh.
Three months had passed. Servini no longer looked utterly devastated as she had when she first received news of Lampari the Thirteenth's death. Her usual calm smile had returned. Compared to before, her smile now seemed much more sincere and gentle, making her feel even more approachable.
Thinking of what Servini had done during this time, Xu Yi could not help feeling a trace of admiration.
Few people in this world could rival her strength of will: she had remained calm and strong in the face of an upheaval, held to her convictions, and resisted the immense temptation of power.
"Come to think of it, you still only call Father King His Majesty the King." Servini glanced at the Porter Merchant Guild's cargo ships weaving back and forth across the Sandy River, then suddenly added, "My eldest brother hasn't done anything to you or the Xinfei Merchant Guild since taking the throne. Are you still unwilling to accept him?"
"It's not a matter of accepting him or not." Xu Yi shook his head. "It's just a habit. I've only ever met one His Majesty the King in my life. As for Prince Eric... I've never even met him, so I'm not used to changing how I address him. Besides, I'm just an ordinary small-time merchant. What I think of him can't affect anything, can it?"
"Xu Yi, there you go with that old habit again." With a slightly playful smile, Servini pointed a finger at him. "Stop belittling yourself all the time. You say you're just an ordinary small-time merchant? I doubt anyone else in the entire