[Lory, someone is watching us...] Girsha warned her.
[Oh, you just found out now…] Lory was calm enough to tease him.
?
[My powers have regressed to 'pitiful' level so SHUT UP!] Girsha glared at her.
Lory stifles a laugh. actually, She feel guilty because of the connection between their souls. The curse did not just bind her powers but also Girsha's powers. If Girsha retracted all of his powers by force, Lory would die. As much as he liked to act as an irresponsible companion, Girsha loved Lory more than his own kin. It was the reason he tied his souls to hers.
[Should I be worried?] Lory asked.
[Mmm… no. I don't feel any animosity from him…] Girsha landed on her shoulder gently.
Lory turned around but she couldn't see anything. The forest was dark and quiet. The only sound came from the crickets and owls.
Lory wondered who was watching her and why. She dressed plainly so she could not be mistaken for a rich young miss. Her looks were also too plain to call attention.
"Are you gonna keep watching me?" Lory suddenly shouted as curiosity got the best of her.
Lory squinted her eyes and waited for the person to reveal themselves. It took a few seconds for a man to emerge from the top of one of the trees. He wore fancy dark robes with silver embroidery. The man's face was exquisite like precious jade, he also had a tall body, broad chest, and long legs that remind her of a male model, heck, his better than them.
A devilish smile was plastered across his beautiful face. He looked familiar. Lory was quickly stunned, "Sixth Prince? Why are you here?"
Zhao Li Xin smiled indifferently, "I have never seen a flower like this before. The shape is also odd."
Lory frowned but did not respond to him. Zhao Li Xin glanced at the girl in front of him. She wore plain blue robes and her untied shoulder-length hair was being blown gently by the wind. Her beauty was otherworldly. It was strange. When you looked at her closely, she was not someone who could be defined as a heaven-defying beauty but there's something about her that made one cannot take their eyes off her.
"What is the flower's name?" Zhao Li Xin asked courteously.
His honest eyes shook her heart. Lory sighed and used the local language to translate the flower's name, "It is the 'Bluebell Flower'."
"Bluebell… A unique name but… appropriate." Zhao Li Xi muffled to himself. The flower does look like a small bell.
"Your highness, you still have not answered my question... why are you here?" Lory asked him with a probing look.
It was rare for anyone to question him the way she did. Those who did would easily be dead within seconds. However, seeing her serious face amused him. It was weird, "It is Zhao Li Xin… When you ask such a serious question, it is better to use my real name. Don't you think…?" He ignored Lory's gaze and squatted down to the flowers.
"I don't think it's appropriate…." She refuted shortly.
"It is fine…" He replied casually.
Lory frowned, "I don't think I'll be allowed to…"
"I allow it. So… it's enough…" He raised his eyebrows confidently.
"Am I gonna be killed because of this?" Lory pursed her lips wondering if he was joking with her. Such a crime would be called 'Lese majeste' in her world and the punishment was quite heavy and she believed the punishment in this world could be worse.
Zhao Li Xin stood up with cold eyes. He hissed with a proud and arrogant look "Who Dares?"
Lory had never liked an arrogant and overbearing man before. She had always been attracted to a calm man with a gentle demeanor like his father. But in front of Zhao Li Xin, her heart was beating so fast that it was almost deafening. Lory subconsciously took her eyes off him. She didn't dare to look him in the eyes for too long.
She thought she was fortunate when the wind suddenly blew strongly which allowed her hair to cover her bashful face. However, she did not know strong cultivator had enhanced senses and the Prince with his high cultivation had already seen her tinted cheeks before her hair covered the rest of her face.
Zhao Li Xin did not dare to tease her too much even though he had a strong urge to make her a little mad. It was their first proper meeting and he didn't want to push his luck.
"I just wanted to return a favor after you saved my life a year ago..." He said calmly. His eyes were trained on her as he scrutinized Lory's expression. He was still not sure if he found the right person and wanted to clear his doubts.
"...what makes you think it was me?" Lory tried to deny it but her pause and nervous expression betray her words. Lory used to be good at hiding her feeling as she was a Princess and Fredhard had drilled her with etiquette lessons from a very young age. But somehow, her training failed in front of Zhao Li Xin. She couldn't help but feel apprehensive. It was like if he could see right through her.
Zhao Li Xin was tempted to burst out with laughter, but he refrained himself, afraid of embarrassing her. He covered his mouth with his fist and pretended to 'cough'. It seemed the woman really didn't know how to lie and he found it refreshing.
After years of spending his life among royalty and cultivators, he had met numerous women who knew how to lie and scheme. He already had his fair share with different women all over the country. He never thought he would end up meeting a genuine honest woman in his life.
"It's your voice. I remember your voice also your scent… You smelt like this flower?" Zhao Li Xin said with a faint smile.
'Is this what they called hyper-sensory memory?' Lory pondered. She heard about such people in Harland but she never met any since they were rare. His second answer also puzzled her. 'What did he mean by smelled like the flower? Bellflower existed only after she met him not before…'
She telepathically asked Girsha as she unconsciously sniffed the back of her hand [Do I smell like the Bellflower?]
[I don't know. You always smell the same for me…] Girsha said before adding [Perhaps he is just a pervert?].
[With that kinda face...? I refuse to believe you!!] Lory disagreed. A pervert with a face like his would be a disgrace but then she paused and contemplated it. she remembers that Fargo was a bit pervert too... wait… he was a beast according to Fred.
"You don't believe me?" Zhao Li Xi asked with a calm voice.
His words woke Lory from her daze. She looked at him and asked suspiciously, "But why do you still look sick?"
"I'm not sick. I just used a pill to make me look that way. My old disease has been cured by you..." his gaze softens as he ook at her.
"Oh, is that so..." Lory was stunned. That could be the reason why she overused her power causing the cursed to react badly. She sighed with relief. She felt glad that she was able to help him but most of all she felt relieved her power did not digress as much as she thought. "That's good…" she muttered
Zhao Li Xin couldn't hide his chuckle this time. He probed her reaction and she did not disappoint him. "So, you admit you are the one who healed me that day..."
Lory's eyes unconsciously bulged out in shock as she realized she fell into his trap. Her mouth opened and closed. She tried to make an excuse, but her head is blank, "Uhm...…"
'DAMN IT!!'
Zhao Li Xin did not dare to push her further as he looked at her flustered face. He just wanted to find her and maybe repay her kindness. However, he never thought his savior could be this interesting. He didn't get bored being around her.
"Don't worry I won't ask further. I just want to thank you for saving me and if you need anything you can find me…"
"Oh… okay. Thank you..." She responds casually.
Zhao Li Xin frowned thinking her savior was a bit weird.
'Why is she the one who thank me?'
"Oh no, it's almost dawn. I have to go back!!" Lory gasped as she realizes she was stayed longer than she wanted because of Zhao Li Xin. Lory quickly ran past Zhao Li Xin, but then he held her wrist.
"I could take you home faster," without waiting for her reply Zhao Li Xin then lifted her like a princess to carry her. Lory shrieked in surprise but unconsciously wrapped her hand around his neck. She quickly let go once she realized it was inappropriate.
"If you don't hold me tightly, you gonna fall," he warned her.
Lory's mouth twitched as she reluctantly grasped his collar. Zhao Li Xin smiled faintly. He realized it was fun teasing her. It was unfortunate for Lory as he had discovered a new hobby.
Carrying her, Zhao Li Xin leaped from one tree branch to another at a very high speed. It almost felt like she was flying. She was not scared. She liked flying but doing it on her own was different from being carried. She prayed Zha Li Xin's hand won't slip as that would mean dropping her to the ground. The embarrassment would be worse than the pain.
It took them a few minutes to arrive behind the maid's living quarters. Zhao Li Xin put her down gently.
"You should rest…" He told her with real concern. Lory was not a cultivator and it was hard for a normal body to work without proper rest.
"I rather not. I need to get up in a few hours, sleep would just make me dizzy," Lory said casually. She didn't notice Zhao Li Xin's worried look as she trying to fix her crumpled robe.
"Thank you for bringing me home. I should go now!!" Lory waved goodbye, turned around, and disappeared behind the wall.
Zhao Li Xin watched her leave with concern. He knew a servant's life was not as easy as you depended on a master. If the master was good, then the servant could live well but if not... He knew how bad the life of a servant could be.
Zhao Li Xin took a deep breath, jumped off the wall, and disappeared into dark night.
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