Love and Crown

A sliver of sunlight seeped into the dark hall of the Salt Gang's Hangzhou headquarters.

"Who are you?" The little girl widened her eyes and took a step forward. Her pink gauze dress was crumpled into wrinkles, the pink ribbon tying her hair had come undone, and her disheveled locks hung messily over her shoulders. On her slightly grubby little face, those large eyes shone as bright as spring waters in March, brimming with surprise and astonishment.

She received no answer. The person she was questioning merely furrowed his brows slightly.

"Do I know you? Who exactly are you?" The little girl opened her eyes even wider and took another step forward.

She reached the table, leaning her head forward until her sparkling eyes were practically glued to the other person's face: "You're really good-looking."

Wei Xichen, the Third Master of the Salt Gang, cleared his throat lightly: "Young master, might the person you wish to ransom be this young lady here?"

"Thank you, Third Master. Indeed, the person I wish to ransom is this young lady." The young man who had been subjected to the girl's intense scrutiny turned his head toward Wei Xichen with a faint smile. He emphasized the words "indeed is" with particular weight, and for some reason, his calm voice carried a hint of gritted teeth.

"Not only are you good-looking..." The little girl continued her admiration unabated, her eyes remaining fixed on the young man's face without wavering for even a moment during this entire time, "...your voice is also really pleasant... like wind blowing through a pine forest... Say a few more words for me to hear!"

"If it's this young lady, then all is well." Wei Xichen chuckled.

"You're going to ransom me?" The little girl finally finished her admiration and began to focus on her own situation. "That's great, I can finally get out of this godforsaken place where birds don't shit and chickens don't lay eggs..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a sudden flick landed on her forehead. The young man withdrew his hand, his expression still calm: "Young ladies shouldn't speak so crudely."

The little girl was momentarily stunned by the flick, clutching her forehead as she stared at him.

Following the young man out through the main gate of the Salt Gang headquarters, the little girl surprisingly managed to keep silent.

A few days earlier, she had been arrested and thrown into the Salt Gang's prison after exchanging some heated words with gang members at the docks.

After waiting anxiously, her rescuer had finally arrived—someone she'd never met before.

Now she walked along silently, occasionally scratching her head or her arms, and touching the spot on her forehead where the young man had flicked her.

"You..." Only after they had walked quite a distance did the young man finally pause. With an almost inaudible sigh, he turned back to look at her, "Are you alright?"

Seeing him turn back to address her, the little girl's eyes lit up, but what came out was a rapid-fire series of questions: "Who exactly are you? How did you know I was locked up there? Why did you spend so much money to ransom me? Are you a friend of my brother's? Have we met before? Why don't I know your name? Can you tell me your name? Huh?"

The young man looked at her brightly shining eyes, unsure whether to laugh or be exasperated, but the corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile nonetheless: "With the energy and enthusiasm to ask so many questions, it seems you're doing just fine.""Not at all!" the little girl immediately retorted. "I haven't bathed in five days! And I haven't eaten meat in five days either! Those people only gave me cabbage, greens, and tofu..." She stole a glance at the young man's expression, seeing no change, she continued with a smile, "So, how about you take me to eat something delicious and get me a room at an inn to bathe... The salt gang took all my money."

The young man looked her over and nodded. "Would you like to eat first or bathe first?"

"Eat!" the little girl answered without hesitation, then rattled off a list, "I want the crab roe crystal dumplings from Five Phoenix Tower, the wine-marinated duck feet and steamed pork meatballs from Carefree Pavilion, the soy-braised ribs from Sunny Garments Garden, oh, and the rose rice wine soup from Moon Perch Tower—tell them not to make it too sweet, I always have to remind them several times..." She paused, cautiously glancing at the young man who was quietly listening, then swallowed before adding, "That's all for now..."

After she finished, the young man nodded lightly again. "Then let's find an inn first and have these places deliver the dishes."

Seeing how he granted her every request, the girl stifled a giggle, her mood lifting as she smiled up at him. "You probably already know, but I should still introduce myself. I'm Ling Cangcang—you can call me Cang Cang. What's your name?"

After circling around, her thoughts seemingly scattered, she finally circled back to this question.

The young man looked at her quietly. His expression had always been faint, but now it was so faint it was unreadable. After a brief pause, he spoke. "Xiao Huan. My name is Xiao Huan."

He spoke softly, his tone unchanged from before.

Cang Cang's eyes slowly widened. She straightened her back, her smile fading bit by bit. She furrowed her thick brows and tentatively asked, "You're... that Xiao Huan?"

"There probably isn't a second Xiao Huan in Great Wu," the young man sighed lightly, a trace of amusement flickering in his unfathomably deep eyes as the corners of his lips lifted slightly. "If you'd like, you can call me Brother Xiao. I don't mind."

Cang Cang didn't respond, staring fixedly at his face as if a flower had bloomed there.

"No!" Cang Cang suddenly shouted, her face flushing red—whether from embarrassment or agitation was unclear. "I refuse to call you Brother Xiao!"

"You..." For the first time in her life, Cang Cang stammered. "Why do you have to be that Xiao Huan!"

In all her life, Ling Cangcang had only ever known of one Xiao Huan.

That Xiao Huan was always far away from her. That Xiao Huan's face was always obscured behind blue, purple, and red official robes. That Xiao Huan rarely spoke, and even when he did, she could hardly ever hear his voice clearly.

The Qianqing Palace was too vast, the white marble steps outside too long. She was merely the daughter of a minister, always far from that noble Imperial Throne, never having the chance to carefully observe that Xiao Huan's face—nor had she ever had any interest in doing so.Cang Cang glared at Xiao Huan in frustration. He was standing so close that she could count each long, dense eyelash framing his slightly lowered lids. She could also clearly see her own disheveled reflection in his overly dark eyes.

The Xiao Huan before her curled his lips into a faint smile. "If you don’t want to call me that, then don’t."

It wasn’t really a big deal. Just a spoiled young lady who had run away from home to avoid an arranged marriage, only to discover that the man she had taken quite a liking to happened to be the very fiancé sent to retrieve her.

That young lady simply felt a bit like a petty thief caught red-handed—nothing more.

Besides, a captured thief wouldn’t have been treated to such a lavish spread.

Five Phoenix Tower’s crystal shrimp dumplings, Changyi Pavilion’s wine-marinated duck feet and steamed lion’s head meatballs, Qingyi Garden’s soy-braised ribs, and Xiyue Tower’s rose rice wine soup—all laid out in perfect order on the table.

Cang Cang buried her face in the feast, shoveling food into her mouth with a ferocity that matched the hostility in her eyes. Between sweeping through the dishes, she still found time to shoot Xiao Huan the occasional glare.

By all rights, upon realizing his identity, she should have immediately dropped to her knees and kowtowed—whether they were inside the palace or not.

But the man across from her… First, he had the audacity to knock her on the head, then shamelessly insisted she call him Brother Xiao. Since His Majesty was being so casual, she figured she could skip the formalities—kneeling hurt, after all.

In fact, not only did Cang Cang skip the formalities, but she also effortlessly tossed aside all notions of propriety between ruler and subject, completely forgetting that the way she was glaring at Xiao Huan was enough to cost her head many times over.

Xiao Huan sat across from her, seemingly unbothered by her resentful gaze. He made no move to pick up his chopsticks and compete with her ravenous eating. Instead, he idly poured himself a cup from the jug of wine in front of him and sipped leisurely.

He was drinking Bamboo Leaf Green Wine—unchilled, and not even a particularly fine vintage.

Cang Cang had assumed that if he drank at all, it would be the most expensive liquor. She had even imagined him waving a hand, summoning two shadowy figures leaping from some hidden darkness, bearing rare wines specially transported from the capital in jade jugs, the liquid shimmering with an air of nobility.

Instead, after ordering the dishes she had requested from the inn’s waiter, he had simply added, "Bring a jug of Bamboo Leaf Green."

When the waiter asked what kind he wanted, his reply was even simpler: "Any will do."

Once the wine arrived, he slowly poured the pale green liquor into his cup and took unhurried sips. The faint smile never left his lips, but his expression was so subdued that, paired with his light blue robe, he seemed on the verge of dissolving into the white sunlight.

Cang Cang stuffed another bite into her mouth, glared at him again, and finally couldn’t take it anymore. She slammed down her chopsticks. "I don’t like you!"

Xiao Huan lifted his gaze to meet hers and smiled. "So what?"

His reply was so infuriatingly indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with him. Cang Cang grew even angrier, widening her eyes as she declared righteously, "I don’t like you, so why should I marry you? I don’t want to marry you!"Xiao Huan also looked at her and smiled again. "I know you don’t want to marry me—otherwise, you wouldn’t have left a letter and run away. But this isn’t something I can decide alone. There’s very little room for negotiation."

Cang Cang choked, knowing he was being quite polite about it.

Their marriage was decreed by the late emperor. In other words, under the watchful eyes of the entire court, unless the Great Wu Empire fell or the late emperor miraculously revived to revoke the decree, they would have to marry—whether they liked it or not.

Who asked her to be the daughter of Grand Secretary Ling Xuefeng? And who asked him to be the emperor of the Great Wu Empire?

Perhaps even Cang Cang herself didn’t realize that her thick eyebrows had furrowed together. Her tone was sharp: "I won’t like you!"

"Is that so?" The man before her, who should have been confined within the heavily guarded Forbidden Palace at this moment, still smiled, his voice gentle. "Come back with me. Mr. Ling is very worried."

The warm July breeze drifted in through the open window. Cang Cang glared fiercely at the person in front of her but ultimately succumbed to the faintly upturned corners of his lips. Defeated, she slumped onto the table. "Why do you have to be so good-looking… Why do you always smile?"

There was a soft knock at the door. Ban Fangyuan, the commander of the Imperial Bodyguard’s Venom Battalion, dressed in black martial attire, entered silently. He approached the table and clasped his fists. "Young Master, the carriage is ready. When will you and Miss Ling depart for the capital?"

Cang Cang abruptly sat up, her eyes locking onto Xiao Huan’s. "I take it back—you’re hideous!"

After hearing the dreadful news of their return to the capital, Cang Cang was in a foul mood.

Thus, when she was dragged into the carriage, she muttered a string of curses at the composed man sitting across from her. Then, after what felt like the hundredth time she disdainfully remarked, "Only old ladies and old men ride in carriages," the man finally sighed softly and said, "If you want to escape unnoticed, riding a horse would be much easier."

Cang Cang was left speechless. After glaring at Xiao Huan with intense hatred for a while, she suddenly nodded in realization. "You can’t ride a horse because you’re sickly, right? The palace has always said you’ve been frail since childhood." She gave him another once-over before adding magnanimously, "I hate sickly people the most. Fine, since that’s the case, we’ll take the carriage."

The man who had just been granted her mercy curled his lips into a smile, utterly ungrateful. "Then I should thank you for your consideration?"

"Don’t bother!" Even someone as thick-skinned as Cang Cang could tell his gratitude wasn’t sincere. Indignant, she grabbed an embroidered pillow from the side, propped it under her head, and flopped onto the small table to sleep.

She had been locked in a cell for days, and after bathing, she was already exhausted. Surprisingly, she fell asleep quickly despite the carriage’s jostling.

She slept soundly and dreamed many dreams. When she was jolted awake by a sudden, violent bump, the surroundings had already darkened.

In the chaos, Xiao Huan caught her as she lurched forward. She clutched her head. "What happened?"

"An ambush," Xiao Huan answered after a brief pause."Assassins!" Cang Cang immediately shouted, suddenly flipping over and jumping up from her seat. She pressed Xiao Huan's shoulders against the carriage wall, pushing him firmly. "Someone must have found out your identity and come to kill you!"

She continued in one breath: "See? See? What are you even doing here? Now you've caught the attention of bad people! Are those two outside even useful? That Ban Fangyuan—what’s he thinking? How could he not arrange more guards for someone as delicate and defenseless as you, who can’t even ride a horse? Now we’re in trouble! Or does he think my martial arts are good enough to protect you? Ah, don’t worry, it’s fine. Actually, my skills aren’t bad. I should be able to protect you."

Aside from the two of them, there were two Imperial Bodyguards from the Venom Battalion outside driving the carriage. The sound of clashing weapons indicated they had already engaged with the ambushers.

The carriage continued lurching forward amid the chaos. Without giving Xiao Huan a chance to speak, Cang Cang patted her head and said, "Quick, lie down! Sitting isn’t safe!" She grabbed his shoulders and forced him to crouch on the seat, then shielded him while preparing to lift the carriage curtain to check outside. She still managed to turn back and warn, "Don’t you dare lift your head—it’s dangerous!"

Before her words faded, a large blade suddenly pierced through the carriage wall from behind, followed by a loud crack as the entire compartment split in two. The upper half of the carriage roof collapsed with a crash amidst the fierce wind.

Cang Cang reacted swiftly—before the blade even struck, she had already ducked and covered her head. Now she scrambled out from under the debris of wood and splinters, grabbed Xiao Huan’s hand, and pulled him as they leaped off the carriage.

After a brief struggle, the carriage had slowed down. Once on the ground, Cang Cang glanced at the Imperial Bodyguards still fighting the black-clad assailants. Without steadying herself, she tugged Xiao Huan toward the dense forest by the roadside.

The woods on either side of the road were thick with fallen leaves, but Cang Cang paid no mind, dragging Xiao Huan toward the densest part of the trees.

Fortunately, after running for a while, no pursuers seemed to follow. Panting, Cang Cang stopped and immediately began patting Xiao Huan’s head and body, asking, "Hey, are you okay? You didn’t get smashed up, did you?"

"Mhm," came the reply. Xiao Huan answered obediently, "I didn’t get smashed."

"Good." Cang Cang exhaled in relief, not noticing the amusement in his voice. She patted her chest and said, "As long as you’re not broken. Taking care of someone as delicate as you is such a hassle."

"Mhm, sorry for the trouble. Thank you," he replied quickly, still with a hint of laughter.

This time, Cang Cang caught a bit of it but didn’t dwell on it. She reached out to pat his shoulder but found it too high, so she settled for two pats on his arm instead. "No need to thank me. With me here, you don’t have to be afraid. I’ll protect you."She finished speaking with great bravado, peered into the pitch-black forest for a long time, and saw no signs of black-clad pursuers. Relieved, she said, "They haven’t caught up after all this time—guess we’re safe." Scratching her head, she glanced back at Xiao Huan, bit her lip, and suddenly asked, "Are you afraid of the dark?"

Night had already fallen, and the dense forest blocked out the moonlight, leaving the surroundings frighteningly dark.

"Probably not," Xiao Huan replied with a faint smile.

Cang Cang nodded hesitantly before adding, "It’s not that I meant to abandon you, but if I don’t run now, I’ll never get another chance—"

She paused, then continued, "Don’t be scared. Just stay here for a while. The two people you brought are quite capable—once they defeat the enemies, they’ll definitely come for you." Still uneasy, she added, "If by any chance the enemies find you, don’t fight them head-on. Run as fast as you can."

After saying this, she took a few steps back, muttered, "Take care of yourself. Goodbye," and then turned to dash deeper into the forest.

Watching her figure disappear, Xiao Huan remained motionless, as if truly intending to follow Cang Cang’s instructions and wait for rescue.

A chilly breeze swept through the heavy darkness. Then, Xiao Huan’s hand suddenly moved—just as a glint of light flashed behind him, his fingers flicked with precision.

The force between his fingertips struck like lightning, sharply piercing the black-clad man’s acupoints. In the darkness, he had pinpointed the enemy’s position by sound alone, executing the move flawlessly in one fluid motion.

The steel blade in the black-clad man’s hand clattered to the ground. He staggered back several steps, unable to shake off the numbing paralysis spreading through his body. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead—he was no ordinary fighter, having roamed the Martial World for over a decade, yet he had never been forced back in a single move.

"Kindly relay a message to your master," the calm voice spoke from not far away, still indifferent. "If he wants my life, he should send someone more skilled next time."

That detached tone carried an unexpected sharpness, sending a shiver down the black-clad man’s spine. The forest outside had long fallen silent—his companions must have already been subdued. This seemingly gentle young man was a figure of unfathomable depth.

After only a moment’s hesitation, the black-clad man abandoned stealth and swiftly fled deeper into the woods.

As the rustling footsteps faded, the darkness returned to silence.

After a pause, soft footsteps approached. An Imperial Bodyguard stepped forward, clasped his fists, and whispered, "Young Master."

A light chuckle sounded before the composed voice, now tinged with amusement, spoke from the shadows. "Chu Qing, if a young girl told you she’d protect you, how would you feel?"

Before the Imperial Bodyguard named Chu Qing could answer, the voice continued, murmuring almost to itself, "That little girl… she treats me like a porcelain vase—one touch and I’d shatter."

Meanwhile, Cang Cang wandered aimlessly through the nighttime streets of Hangzhou. In truth, she had been drifting around the city all day.

After escaping from Xiao Huan in the chaos yesterday, she had fled back to Hangzhou without even sleeping. But now that she was here, she had no idea what to do next.

And, tragically… she had no money in her pockets.Restlessly wandering around the lakeside street lined with inns for the fifth lap, Cang Cang finally realized she was likely doomed to sleep on the streets tonight.

Spotting a patrol of yamen runners with sharp eyes, she swiftly ducked into a nearby corner.

Exhausted from a day of fright and hunger, and now thoroughly disoriented from aimless wandering, she simply curled up in the corner and prepared to sleep.

It was the night of the waning moon, which only rose slowly in the deep night. Across the street from where Cang Cang slept stood an inn. A guest in the room facing the street—whether wanting to admire the moon or simply get some air—quietly pushed open the window.

After gazing at the distant scenery first, the guest's eyes eventually fell upon Cang Cang, curled up in the street corner.

There seemed to be a faint sigh as the guest pressed a hand against the windowsill, nimbly flipping down. He walked over to Cang Cang, bent down to gently pick her up, and with just a light tap of his toes against the ground, his figure soared back up, landing at the second-floor window.

Not a single sound accompanied the fluttering of his sleeves.

Meanwhile, on the roof of a tall pavilion not far away, an assassin with amber-colored eyes casually lay back on the tiles where he had been hiding. The tiles barely made a sound, not even startling the mouse gnawing on the wooden beam to sharpen its teeth.

The assassin propped his head up with one hand, comfortably closing his eyes, while the fingers of his other hand tapped rhythmically against the Black-sheathed longsword resting beside him.

Under the cool night breeze, he seemed to have already fallen asleep, his fingers tapping the scabbard in an absentminded yet almost musical rhythm.

Soft blankets and softer pillows—when Cang Cang poked her head out from the cozy nest of bedding, sunlight had already filled half the room.

Yawning drowsily, she rubbed her eyes and scanned the room before suddenly letting out a shriek.

Startled by her cry, Xiao Huan, who had been resting with his head on the table, lifted his gaze. Rubbing his temples with a light tap of his fingers, he smiled at her. "Awake?"

"It's you?" Cang Cang sat bolt upright, wide-eyed. "What are you doing here?"

Xiao Huan chuckled as he looked at her. "I didn’t expect someone to enjoy sleeping on the floor either."

Only then did Cang Cang remember that she had fallen asleep on the cold stone pavement the night before, only to wake up in this room. She flushed slightly. "So what if I slept on the floor? It’s none of your business!"

Xiao Huan gave her an amused glance but said nothing, standing up to call for a servant to bring hot tea and water for washing up.

Since the tea and water hadn’t arrived yet, he returned to his seat by the table, casually smoothing out the wrinkles on his collar and sleeves.

Cang Cang shuffled over to the table in her slippers, clearing her throat before asking awkwardly, "So… I’m not too heavy, right?"

"Hmm?" Xiao Huan looked up, smiling.

"I mean, when you carried me up, did I feel heavy?" She fidgeted, then scrutinized him before adding, "You could carry me, right?"

Xiao Huan didn’t answer her first question, the smile lines at the corners of his mouth deepening as he nodded. "It was manageable."

Cang Cang pulled out a stool and sat down, puffing her cheeks as she glared at his still-smiling face. "Is this how you always talk to people?"

Xiao Huan tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"You’re so boring!" she blurted out, but when she met his smiling eyes, she childishly reached out to cover his face with her hand. "Ugh, stop smiling like that—it’s making me blush!"

"That… might be difficult," Xiao Huan replied, letting her splayed fingers hover in front of his face. "I’ve been smiling like this for years. I doubt I can change it now."

"Fine, forget it… keep smiling." Cang Cang dropped her hand in defeat, then flopped forward onto the table with a groan, remembering her grand escape plan. "This is such a headache."

Watching her pout, Xiao Huan chuckled. "If you really don’t want to return to the capital, you can stay in Jiangnan for now."Cang Cang immediately perked up and sat straight: "You're not taking me back to the capital anymore?"

"Since you're so unwilling to return, forcing you would be pointless. You'd probably run away again the moment we arrived," Xiao Huan replied with a smile. "So I can wait until you're ready to go back."

Cang Cang looked at him, biting her lip as her bright eyes flickered. Suddenly she said, "If I don't tell you what I plan to do first, but ask you to promise you'll help me anyway—would you agree?"

Xiao Huan smiled. "I don't speak falsehoods."

Cang Cang recalled the saying "A ruler's word is unbreakable"—didn't that apply to him too? Her face immediately lit up with joy. "You're such a good person. I like you."

After their conversation, the waiter brought hot water for washing, along with a pot of premium Lion Peak Dragon Well tea.

The moment the mellow fragrance of tea reached Cang Cang's nose, her hand shot toward the teapot—only to be intercepted halfway by Xiao Huan's grasp.

He pointed to the washing supplies nearby. "Wash your face first."

Cang Cang stuck out her tongue discreetly. "So bossy." She had no choice but to dash over and give her face a quick scrub, rinse her mouth with salt, then hurry back to the table to pour herself a cup of tea, drinking it with relish.

Xiao Huan's washing routine was far more meticulous than hers—rinsing his mouth, cleansing his face, then undoing his already neat hair bun to comb it again before finally straightening his robes. Only then did he return to the table to pour himself tea.

Cang Cang watched him while sipping her tea, then remarked, "I didn't think you'd do these things yourself."

Xiao Huan smiled faintly, lifting his cup for a sip as his eyes lowered slightly. "Would you like breakfast?"

Her eyes instantly brightened. "I want two baskets of chicken broth buns."

A cool breeze swept through a quiet courtyard in the auxiliary capital, Daiyu City.

Early autumn had arrived. The wind rustled across the lotus pond in the garden, flipping a few withered leaves, carrying a crisp chill.

In a small blue-tiled pavilion by the water sat a lone figure in brown, casually placing black and white stones on the go board before him. The game was far from taking shape, with vast empty spaces between the lines.

Another autumn gust blew through. Before the newly picked stone in the pavilion dweller's hand could land, a black figure appeared from across the pond.

The black-clad man moved swiftly, soon arriving directly before the stone table in the pavilion. The seated man smiled at him. "Xian Xue, you're back?"

Instead of responding directly, Xian Xue paused before saying, "In Hangzhou, I saw the young mistress."

The man's hand hesitated, his stone tapping lightly against the pearwood board as he sighed. "That girl... I truly have no way with her."

Xian Xue smiled slightly, then after a beat added, "In Hangzhou, I also met someone else."

At this, the man finally looked up, his refined face revealing sharp, penetrating eyes. "Who?"

Xian Xue paused, then uttered two words very softly: "Xiao Huan."

Those eyes narrowed abruptly, flashing with blade-like intensity for an instant before the man chuckled lightly. "So the one in the palace has long been a substitute. Our frail emperor has gone alone to Jiangnan—could it be just to retrieve his runaway betrothed wife?""Traveling a thousand miles to find someone isn't entirely impossible, is it?" Xian Xue quietly added.

"You're not suggesting His Majesty has already developed feelings for that girl, are you?" The man actually chuckled, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes folding together. The sharpness in his gaze faded instantly, and in that moment, he became nothing more than an ordinary, weary middle-aged man.

He spoke with a faint, almost imperceptible sigh: "If that were truly the case, it would be wonderful."

Xian Xue did not respond further. He stood silently for a while, waiting for the breeze from the lotus pond to pass, then cupped his hands in salute. "Sir, I take my leave."

Receiving a nod of approval, he swiftly turned and retreated along the pond's edge.

He left as quickly as he had come, his figure disappearing behind the flowering shrubs by the pond. The refined middle-aged man seated at the table paused briefly before rising from the chessboard.

The smile on his face had vanished completely, and with it, the lazy demeanor he had worn earlier. With a wave of his hand, a black-clad attendant appeared at his side.

Addressing the attendant, he spoke coolly: "Send an anonymous letter to Feng Yuanjiang of the Phoenix Come Pavilion, along with five thousand taels of silver. Tell him to bring me Miss Ling's head."

The attendant stiffened visibly. "The young mistress?"

"No need to worry," he said, noticing his subordinate's tension, and finally smiled again. "With that man around, the girl won’t lose her life so easily."

Only then did the attendant relax, saluting before departing to carry out the order.

Casually tossing a black chess piece onto the board, the middle-aged man in brown robes also stepped out of the lakeside pavilion.

The chill of autumn in the north was deepening, and soon, even this small pavilion by the lake would be too cold to linger in.