The Princess And The Lord

When morning came, Lory woke to find a beautiful man seated across her bed. She wondered why they rented two rooms if he always ended up in her room. She was more baffled by the fact that Zhao Li Xin would rush to her room but still keep his distance from her bed. The man could be weird at times...well, most of the time. 

"How long have you been here?" Lory yawned. She wasn't bothered that he got into her room without her noticing.

"Just a minute ago," Zhao Lin Xin responded with a straight face.

Mong Yi who was guarding the door rolled his eyes. Zhao Li Xin retired to his room at night but he quickly felt lonely, so he rushed into Lory's room. He sat on the couch and watched her sleep. The uncomfortable feeling in his lower regions crept on him as he watched her. So, he rushed back to his room to appease the feeling but got lonely once more so he returned to Lory's room. The uncomfortable feeling came once again so he had to rush to his room to take care of it. Zhao Li Xin had been at it the whole night. Rushing from one room to the other. 

Mong Yi, he pretended to be blind to his lord's actions. It was a good thing his lord's steps were quiet and swift as he didn't disturb Miss Luo's sleep. 'Milord, what if Miss Luo found out about your silly behavior…?'

"Shoo… I want to take a bath!" Lory stretched her limbs, got out of bed, and waved a hand at Zhao Li Xin yet he remained on the couch. She couldn't help but joke, "What? Don't tell me you want to be here when I take a bath."

'YES, I DO!!'

Zhao Li Xin blinked a few times and rose, "I'll be outside."

"I'm going to take a long bath. You should follow me and take a bath if you haven't done so already," Lory said casually.

Zhao Li Xin suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at her in surprise.

Lory didn't understand at first why he looked shocked but she soon realized her words could be misinterpreted. She chuckled awkwardly. 

"Alone. I mean you could take a long bath too, alone… Take your time," Lory clarified.

Zhao Li Xin was slow to recover from his shock. Although his face didn't show it, Lory could tell she had shocked him. She raised her eyebrows and teased, "What's wrong? Were you expecting an invitation, Milord?" 

It was a simple joke to Lory but her flirty nature made Zhao Li Xin's blood rush to his head and below his waist.

His face heat and he suddenly got the urge to leave the room. He was at the door when he said, "No…"

Lory giggled at his quick movement, "Silly..."

Zhao Li Xin was slightly embarrassed when he noticed Mong Yi outside his room. He was quick to order, "Prepare my bath."

"Yes, milord," Mong Yi respectfully answered.

"Add snow crystal in it," Zhao Li Xin said with an expressionless face. He made it seem like it was a normal order.

Mong Yi was no longer bothered by his lord's antics, "Yes, Milord!"

Mong Yi was about to leave when Zhao Li Xin called him with his usual cold voice, "Mong Yi…"

"Yes, Milord," Mong Yi turned around and cupped his fist and waiting for his lord's command.

"Do you think I'm silly?" Zhao Li Xin asked with a serious face.

'YOU ARE, Milord!'

"No, you are perfect Milord," Mong Yi said firmly. His face didn't change as he bowed solemnly to Zhao Li Xin. "Anything else, Milord?"

"Leave…" Zhao Li Xin said. He couldn't help but feel like one of his most loyal subordinates was lying to him for the first time in his life.

Outside the room, Mong Yi sighed helplessly when he was a distance away. Mong Yi couldn't help but lament, 'Brother, where are you? I miss you…'

Lory was surprised by how empty the inn looked once she finished the bath and headed downstairs. This is if she could compare it to the previous day. There were only a few elderly and normal people in the restaurant. Lory didn't think much about it as she saw Zhao Li Xin eating leisurely outside the inn. There wasn't much difference between the outside or inside the restaurant as there were two gigantic holes in the wall. One could still feel the breeze whether they were inside or outside.

Lory couldn't tell how Zhao Li Xin managed to prepare stools and a table with a big parasol. Mong Ki was back to his duties as he served her porridge and dumplings while handing Zhao Li Xin a cup of wine.

It was a weird scene if you witnessed the high-end breakfast in the middle of nowhere, but Zhao Li Xin who was elegantly sipping his wine made it seem very normal.

"Eat first before we leave," Zhao Li Xin said.

"Yes," Lory sat on the stool and could quickly tell the food wasn't from the innkeeper. "Smells good. Who cooked?"

"It's me, Young Miss," Mong Yi courteously replied.

Lory tasted the porridge and was amazed. The food was tasty, "Brother Mong, I didn't know you could cook. This is very good."

Mong Yi blushed slightly as he didn't expect Lory to praise him, "Thank you, Young Miss."

The breakfast was good and the weather was also nice. Lory could see Girsha flying happily in the sky. His long golden tail glimmered brightly when the sun touched him. Girsha was a very beautiful bird. His true appearance was even more majestic but the curse also bonds his true form. Lory took a deep breath. It was all her fault yet Girsha never blamed her.

Zhao Li Xin noticed her slight mood change. He was quick to comfort her, "Do you feel hot? The weather will get better when we reach Liangzu."

Lory smiled at him, "I'm fine…"

It took them three days to reach the Liangzu Kingdom. Lory couldn't hold her excitement during the whole trip. She would place her head on the carriage window every time they passed a beautiful scenery. It reminded her of the good old days she used to drive across the country with her brother and friends. They mostly did this for the beast subjugation but they would still visit foreign cities, meet interesting people while they killed the beasts. Those days were priceless to her.

"We have almost reached the capital city, Jing An," Zhao Li Xin said.

"How does the place look like?" Lory's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Zhao Li Xin was never interested in anything and he never paid attention to the things around him. It took him a moment to remember the good of Jing An city, "The city surrounds a big river strategically found in its center and it has many water canals. The summer's heat in Jiang An is milder if you compare it to the other kingdoms."

"That sounds terrific. How's the food?" Lory was back to looking like a kid on her first school trip.

"Hmmm… There are many tea houses near the canals…and there are many local pastries and sweets... I think…" Zhao Li Xin tilted his head as he tried to remember if the food was any good. He wasn't even sure about what he said. He just faintly remembered his subordinates talk about it.

Lory knew Zhao Li Xin wasn't interested in sceneries and food so she didn't give him a hard time. She muttered to herself, "I'll check it out later."

"I'll join you," Zhao Li Xin was quick to add himself to her plans. How could he stay alone if his little savior chose to stroll around the city alone? She was new to the city and she could get lost. She could also meet bad people or get into an accident. What if...? The more he thought about it, the more he got worried.

Lory hadn't realized she had picked up another worrywart. She smiled cheerfully, "Sure. It will be more fun if you come along."

"Ri Yi, give me your hand," Zhao Li Xin said. Lory gave him her hand without much thought. There was an amicable trust between them and Lory never doubted him. Zhao Li Xin was quick to slide a ring on her ring finger. Lory's heart jolted from her chest. This scene was too impactful for her weak heart. She was so flustered she literally stopped breathing.

"This is the spatial ring I promised to give you before," His calm word woke her from her wild imaginations. She could hear glass breaking inside her.

"Oh…oh…okay. Thank you…" Lory stuttered. She felt stupid for her thoughts. This world didn't have the custom of giving engagement rings. The only thing they exchanged was dowry rights. Her brain froze as realized she was thinking about marriage.

"You don't like it?" Zhao Li Xin found her reaction strange. Did she prefer his spatial space ring? The only problem was his power was still not strong enough to create a spatial space ring. He wondered if he should give her his ring instead since he rarely used it.

"No…no…no. I like it…it is…beautiful," Lory was still flustered from her previous thoughts.

"You are sure? Do you want my ring instead?"

"Huh…?"

Mong Ki and Mong Yi almost fell off the carriage when they heard this from outside, 'Milord, stop being weird for a while!'