The Princess And The Lord

In a blink of an eyes two weeks just past, Lory body starts to feel like her old body although it's still far from her top condition back then, Lory exercise is starting the moment she got up, every morning she would do sit up fifty times then push up fifty times than she continues with squat fifty times it's hard on the first week but it got easier the next week so she add it another fifty on her exercise regiment.

Then she make a weighted vest using iron bead than she hides the vest under her robes and then he runs for a few miles, after a week she adding parkour for practice, she works out five hours a day just to make her body adjust first then gradually she would exercise longer and harder until her body back to her shape. ​​

While Lory feel complacent, Mong Yi and other shadow guards watching her anxiously especially when Lory jumps from tree to tree when practice her parkour, Lory was a slip and fall a dozen times make her bodyguard heart drop every time that happened. Mong Yi tries to persuade her to stop her training but Lory always brushes him off while assured him its normal for her.

On the third week lory start adding rock climbing in her exercise menu, this time Mong Yi can't stand it anymore, he send one of the shadow guard to inform they're Master, when Zhao Li Xin heard about it the air around him become heavy and fire burning on his body, his eyes glint furiously, he clenched his fist and hissed "She did WHAT?"

Lory is in the middle of climbing, her hand clenching the edged of the rock, her body pressed on the wall while her leg shift to for the strong foothold after she balanced herself she then she pulls herself up again, the wind blows strongly her ponytail sway behind her back, Lory look down and she can only see a sea of green tree underneath.

Suddenly her foot slips, thankfully Lory body attach with the anchor she clenched on the rock tighter and her legs immediately searching another strong surface to withstand her body, Mong Yi quickly hold her waist, he didn't care about propriety if something happened with her even if he got a hundred lives it won't enough to compensate her life.

"Young Miss are you okay?" Mong Yi also climbing with her he insist to attached a rope on Lory waist to his so he can secure her safety, Lory smiles at her anxious bodyguard.

"I'm fine, its a nice view isn't it?" Lory grinned widely she feel slightly guilty for Mong Yi, he looks more afraid than her.

Mong Yi feel perplexed he has no time to enjoy the view his focus fixed solely on Lory safety, every time Lory hand or leg slip Mong Yi feel his heart stop beating, he really wants to cry and begged her to climb down but when he saw Lory excited smiles he knew she would never listen, he shakes his head helplessly and let go his hand from her.

'The life of bodyguard is so hard….'

"Come on Brother Yi, Don't look at me like that I got anchor and rope for my safety not to mention other rope that you attach on me, I'm perfectly fine…" she assured him.

"No you're NOT!" a cold baritone voice suddenly heard beside her.

Lory turns her gaze on her left and there he is, hanging with only one hand clenching the rock without rope whatsoever he glare at her like a mountain tiger, Lory's shoulder shrink her face turn stiff she just got caught.

"Li Xin~" she smiles awkwardly "Wha….what are you doing here…"

"Pick up my fiancée…" said Zhao Li Xin with eerie smiles "What an interesting place you chose my dear" his smiles get scarier it make Lory feel anxious she unconsciously smiles awkwardly.

Of course, Zhao Li Xin would angry he never heard a normal woman would climb the cliff deliberately although she wear protection gear but mishap still could happen and if something happened and she fall…..from this height she would become meat pasted, imagine she would hurt always make Zhao Li Xin heart feel loss he doesn't know what he would become if she's gone and that possibility always drives him crazy.

Mong Ki take off the rope from his waist than he throws the end of the rope to Zhao Li Xin after he catches the ropes he wrapped his arms around her waist than he grabs another rope in front of Lory than in one beat he pulls lory and himself upwards, he bounces a few times before they managed to the top of the mountain.

Lory sighs inwardly her exercise was cut short by certain Lord even though she wants to exercise her grips and increased her stamina, she knew stamina one of the key points to survival.

Zhao Li Xin make her sit on his lap with a stern face, Lory feel uncomfortable getting to close to him when she was sweating and dirty after the long climbing, she shifts her but away from his thigh but he didn't let her.

"I'm sweating and smelly…" Lory whine.

"Its because you climb for too long, look what happened with your hands!" he shows her hand full of callous and scratch, not only her body back to her previous state even her hands become the way it uses to be.

Lory slightly feel embarrassed she wants to retract her hand from Zhao Li Xin's grip but his hand clenched her hand tightly he stares at her hand with a complicated expression.

Lory smiled sheepishly "It looks bad isn't it, I will put lotion after this…."

"Why you push yourself like this…" he looks very sad "You don't need to be strong, I can protect you I promise you whatever happened in the ancient tomb would never happen again, I give you my….."

Suddenly her hand covers his mouth "Don't!" she stops him immediately "Don't torture yourself with that word" Lory smiles softly at him than she caresses his refined jawline gently.

"I believe you but I can believe myself, I know what kinda woman I am and you can't protect me from who I am or what I would become, no one can…not even me" Lory let out a long heaved than she looks at him again "I want to be strong, I need to be strong for myself, for you...for everyone"

Zhao Li Xin frowned in disagree "You don't need to help anyone but yourself…."

Lory tilted her head and her smiles deepen "I don't think it's my choice"

"Why not?" he confuses but oddly his heart beating faster like sign him about the bad omen.

Lory silent for a moment as she was drawn in deep thought she looks far to the distance where the sun shined brightly behind the white fluffy cloud and the wind blow her hair gently, Lory look down with faint smiles.

"Everything has a reason and everything has it cost, there is a reason why I'm here and why my power still exists within me…and there is a cost for everything I had done I can't escape it"

Zhao Li Xin mind back on Huo Long warning about something lurking in the dark waiting to catch her but no one told him what is it other than Huo Long reminder that thing is stronger than him right now but why no one says anything who or what is it so he can understand what he dealing it.

"What can't you escaped it, tell me how could I help you?" he grab both her shoulder, his eyes fixed on her firmly.

She can feel his worry and anxiety, Lory heart aching for him she never scared to die but now she scared what would happen to him if she's gone, he needs her more then Lucas ever needs her. Lory pressed their forehead together she can smell warmed breath from his nosed than she cupped his cheeks.

"I don't know…. I don't know my dear…"