“What? You’re called Xiao Hua? Okay, Xiao Hua, why did you barge into my house? … Oh, Sister Ying… oh no, princess Shen DaiYing asked you to come get me for the banquet. Hehe, thanks for your hard work… eh? What was I doing with my maid you ask? Were we being intimate? … No, no, you’re mistaken, I was just helping her with her clothes… Eh? Why were we hugging each other and lying on the floor? … Uh, t-that was an accident, we never had breakfast so we got lightheaded and accidentally fell, we definitely weren’t being intimate!”
Lin Xiao was better than anyone else when it came to lying, Xiao Hua may be quick witted, but she was slow in certain aspects and against Lin Xiao, even if she had doubts she was still duped.
And as for the girl that suddenly barged into his house, Lin Xiao couldn’t afford to be negligent.
Even though Xiao Hua looked like a neighborhood girl who couldn’t be any more normal, she was Shen DaiYing’s trusted attendant.
If Xiao Hua sees through their relationship and reports it to Shen DaiYing, then wouldn’t it be over for him?
Of course, Lin Xiao didn’t know that Xiao Hua already saw through him and was fully aware that he was a greedy scumbag. If badmouthing him could sway Shen DaiYing, then she would definitely repeat it hundreds of times ever day!
“You pervert…”
Xiao Hua quietly cursed at him as she didn’t know how to retort and could only believe his nonsense. She put away the knife and got down to official business.
The banquet was taking place at the royal palace, since Lin Xiao had a low status, if no one was leading him, he wouldn’t even be able to get through the front entrance, let alone the main hall and would get chased away by the guards. So, Shen DaiYing sent Xiao Hua to get him.
“Okay then Xiao Hua, let’s go, otherwise we’ll be late!”
When it was finally time to leave, LIn Xiao prepared himself and walk towards the door with Elena.
“Wait!”
“Hm? What is it?”
When he was stopped by Xiao Hua, LIn Xiao thought there was something wrong and nervously asked.
“You’re going to bring your maid?”
“Yes.”
“Lin Xiao, Miss invited you personally to this banquet… and you’re going to bring another woman?” When she got near the end, her voice was filled with anger as she unconsciously reached for her dagger, and would use it as soon as he gave her an unsatisfactory answer.
Seeing the situation, it dawned on him so he continuously said good things while deliberately choosing his words trying to convince her.
In the beginning, he did think about leaving Elena home and going by himself, but he didn’t know why he just went along with it and took her to buy new clothes and completely forgot he even had the option to leave Elena home.
… Isn’t bringing a maid to a banquet normal? What’s so surprising about that?
Since Elena is so beautiful she could also help him hold up appearances.
Lin Xiao felt that there shouldn’t be any problems even if he brought her along.
Of course, that was just his own wishful thinking.
Objectively speaking, leaving Elena home was the smarter choice, because that would help avoid a lot of predictable trouble. With Lin Xiao’s intelligence, he definitely thought of it, what kind of trouble he’ll encounter by bringing someone as beautiful as Elena to the banquet, but he was still persistent.
It’s not that he didn’t think of it, but he was willing to bear any amount of trouble.
Perhaps even he himself did not realize this small change inside him.
One logic was that since Elena wasn’t willing to bear his child, then she’ll never be able to escape the slave contract, which meant starting from now, he could completely take Elena as his maid. He could announce it to the world without being afraid.
Perhaps those were the thoughts lingering in his subconscious mind, Lin Xiao stuck with it and Elena acquiesced. Even if she called him a pervert, she still obediently went along with him.
You can’t help but mention that they were being more compatible and came to a tacit agreement easier, even if they always bicker, they could always reach an agreement. They were able to compartmentalize their fighting, life, and feelings. Their mutual understanding of each other was like that of an old married couple.
Seeing them showing affection pissed Xiao Hua off as Shen DaiYing’s loyal dog, not killing this greedy scum with her dagger was already the greatest mercy!
“Xiao Hua! Just take it easy, listen to me! I’m not scum! My feelings for your lady haven’t changed! …I-I’m bringing Elena because I can’t let her go… no, no, because she can’t let me go! She relies on me, so as soon as her master isn’t with her, she’ll panic and then die! So I have to bring her along.”
“Puh…”
Hearing Lin Xiao’s comical excuse that was full of holes, she laughed out of anger, and wanted to say something back but ended up not after thinking about it.
After all, she knew that Elena wasn’t a normal maid, but a high-level demon!
Shen DaiYing strictly forbade her from revealing this and didn’t allow her to bully Elena behind her back. So Xiao Hua was helpless, even though she wanted to help the Miss take out some anger, she could only drop it and obediently lead these two.
But what was the Miss planning on doing?
She still didn’t understand.
Elena was clearly her biggest rival, if she revealed her identity, and tell the Crucifix Guards then they could kill her on the spot and then take him for herself.
At that time, whether it’s treating him as a convenient boy toy or really getting married, would it not be just a thought for her?
“Sigh, miss, what do you like about this scum?”
On the way, as Xiao Hua lead them through the streets, she muttered to herself as she walked ahead of them.
“Hm, little sis Xiao Hua, what did you just say?”
“Nothing to do with you.” Xiao Hua pouted then turned to complain, “Also, I’m not your little sister, don’t call me so intimately!”
“Uh… okay.”
“Strange, does Lin Xiao know how to bewitch people, not just Miss, but also such a beautiful demon maid… and with such big… I really don’t get it.”
Xiao Hua was still angered and continued grumbling to herself, but she never stopped moving.
As they headed towards the royal palace, they saw fewer and fewer people.
After passing several large roads, they finally arrived at the palace. It was a magnificent sight as far as the eye can see. Just the courtyard was tens of times larger than his worn down home, and they still had to walk a long way after entering the front entrance.
When he heard from Xiao Hua that the banquet was at the palace, he still didn’t have a clue, but now that he’s finally here, he finally realized what grand and resplendent and luxurious meant.
He heard that the Great Qin Empire was even affluent than Lombard Kingdom, then doesn’t that mean that the place where Shen DaiYing usually lives is even more luxurious?
Lin Xiao suddenly thought of something…
For a princess as beautiful as Shen DaiYing, the people she normally meets are princes and dukes of comparable status, or wealthy merchants and magnates, or invincible young talents, but anyone who can talk to her are all wealthy and respectable people, not mediocre and unmotivated commoners like him.
Never before, for the first time, he felt the difference in status between himself and Shen DaiYing.
Perhaps Elena was right, he was only lucky enough to meet her because he went to Loran Academy, otherwise, he wasn’t even qualified to be looked at by her.
“Royalty… is really different from us normal folks.”
Looking around at the impossibly tall walls and the serious guards on both sides of the corridor, he felt a lot of emotions and it was like a dream.
He suddenly realized his own naivete, he was merely appreciating the magnificent feathers of the golden canary outside of its cage, and picked up some worthless feathers, and he wishfully thought that he could get her, possess her, that he could break the impenetrable cage to take her away.
How much are his feelings worth, and how much power does it carry?
A good-for-nothing like him probably doesn’t even have the right to shake the cage.
Good for nothing? No, he actually has an innate gift and power, and book smart with martial skills. With his talents, not just a princess, if he wants and if he’s willing to work hard like Caesar, he could even become an overlord, and proclaim himself as a king!
But he doesn’t… even if he has the chance, he doesn’t want to.
He doesn’t want to be famous, or authority or proclaim himself a hegemony. He was willing to be useless, he hated responsibility and believed that life should be passed simply and down-to-earth. Without any worries or unwarranted disasters and just live on like that.
Is that right? Is it wrong?
No, there was no right or wrong for something like that, no one could criticize his way of life, because there was no right or wrong for life, advancement or laziness, all that matters is your happiness.
But unfortunately, he was still wrong.
His only mistake was greed.
Not only did he want to live peacefully, he wanted to marry Shen DaiYing, be Elena’s master… he wanted too much but gave up too little.
There’s nothing wrong in life, but greed is wrong.
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