Chapter 393

Chapter 393

While going over the numbers one last time, Luo-Luo ignored Lord Husbands loud boredom and noisy distraction. Unconscionable is what he was, a callous, hateful man idling the time away while she and Sung-Hoon slaved over financial accounts worth thousands, if not tens of thousands of gold. Sadly, this was better than the alternative, for if not for her dogged persistence, Lord Husband wouldnt even bother coming along to these meetings. He was utterly irresponsible and entirely too naive in his business ventures. Trust, but verify, hed say, in response to what he undoubtedly considered her nagging. Things will work out.

Luo-Luo had a different phrase in mind when she thought of his behaviour: A fool and his coin are soon parted. Having found a trustworthy partner in Mister Rustram, Lord Husband assumed all his associates would be equally as reliable and ethical, which was no proper way to do business. Figures could easily be altered and documents forged, so without constant updates regarding the situation, how could one know the true value of ones investment? Even more infuriating was how uncharacteristic it was of Lord Husband to be so trusting. Calling him overly suspicious was more than generous, for he was a man who saw threats waiting around every corner and assassins hanging in every shadow. Granted, his suspicions were warranted now that hed fallen out with his powerful patron Shen ZhenWu, the heir apparent and possibly the second most politically powerful man in the Empire, but that was an entirely different matter all together.

Truth be told, Luo-Luo had many reasons to insist Lord Husband accompany her to these meetings, and not all were solely for his benefit alone. Mostly, she wanted to spend more time with him and show him how miserable she was, but what if she uncovered a discrepancy in the numbers and could prove Sung-Hoon or the Yo Family was stealing from them? How was she to defend herself if they wished to silence her? Or worse, what if she made a mistake? With only two weeks of practice, Luo-Luo could claim a passing familiarity with this new number system, but any more would be a lie. Already, her insistence had paid off, as Lord Husbands unconventional thinking saved them from disaster more than once. Compound interest on penalties, purchasing futures to protect against price manipulation, and better working conditions only scratched the surface of his contributions, for many of their decisions had been based off of an errant comment made by Lord Husband, seemingly without much thought put into the matter. Selling directly to the army, for example, to build their reputation before marketing to the masses, or investing into bell-making facilities, though how Lord Husband knew it would be a good idea before the Legate announced the construction of his watchtowers, Luo-Luo couldnt say.

Cursing her inattention, Luo-Luo angrily reset her abacus and started from the beginning, her cheeks burning despite Sung-Hoons silence and Lord Husbands ignorance. What must Lord Husbands associate think of her? The Yo family scion hadnt asked about her strange numerals, nor had he commented about her need for a physical abacus instead of calculating with her fingers, but in his eyes, she must seem like a rank amateur indeed. It wasnt entirely her fault she couldnt learn a new number system and do mental arithmetic at the same time, but thankfully, he had yet to lose his patience and left her to her own devices.Follow current novels at novelhall.com)

Likely because Lord Husbands proficiency with numbers put them both to shame.

When she finally finished double checking her work, Luo-Luo gathered the papers and silently placed them before Lord Husband for his perusal. Leaving Blackjack to roam free, Lord Husband flipped through the documents one by one, spending perhaps three seconds to scan each page. The first time he did this, she thought he was putting on a show, right until he pointed out an error neither she nor Sung-Hoon had noticed. When confronted about his remarkable ability, Lord Husband merely shrugged and attributed it to his Natal Palace, accidentally revealing his undisclosed status as the youngest Expert of the Empire in the process.

No wonder Shen ZhenWu saw Lord Husband as a threat. What other miracles would this young warrior casually accomplish in his lifetime, however short it might be?

Everything seems in order, Lord Husband declared, passing the stack of documents to her with a smile. Phenomenal work as always.

Stifling the urge to smile and blush, Luo-Luo merely nodded and feigned indifference to his praise. Show no happiness, she told herself. Be miserable, because in truth, you are. Mere words arent enough, you deserve more for your efforts, and you will have your due. Lord Husband is a kind man, and he will soon notice your unhappiness and take steps to correct it.

But when? How much longer must she wait? Did Lord Husband not find her attractive? Would he like her more if she had animal ears and a tail?

Her misery still unnoticed, Lord Husband exchanged what few lines of small talk his limited patience would allow. Well, he concluded, not even a minute later, If thats everything...?

Knowing his business partners preference for brevity, Sung-Hoon pounced upon this opportunity while he still had Lord Husbands attention. Now would be a good time to meet the bell-founder. His new home is nearby and I gave him the day off to spend with his family. You would give much face by visiting him today, but if you think its too much...

Yea sure, I wanted to talk to him about a future project anyways. Come, Blackjack. Time to go. Blackjack! Come! While Lord Husband struggled to get the hare to obey, Luo-Luo exchanged a questioning glance with Sung-Hoon, but the young man was every bit as confused as she was. Besides making more bells, what future projects could there be for a bell-maker? Neither one had the courage to ask, lest they be shown for a fool, so instead, they kept silent and fell in line as Lord Husband exited the room in a huff, leaving the disobedient hare behind. Not ten seconds later, a piercing shriek emanated from behind as Blackjack raced to catch up, having learned the consequences of disobedience and not liking them one bit.

An experienced warrior, brilliant scholar, skilled self-Healer, expert animal tamer, and from what Luo-Luo gathered, a consummate lover, Lord Husband was a man who excelled in all walks of life.

The bell-makers home was a modest courtyard manor nestled in the heart of Nan Ping, which meant they couldnt bring the Guardian Turtle without remodelling this part of the city. Thankfully, the great beast had grown complacent of late and no longer insisted on keeping Lord Husband in sight at all times. Instead, at his direction, the massive creature happily hunkered down on the main street to bask in the sunlight, and after a quick hug and concealed kiss on the beak, Lord Husband left her to go about his business. Glancing over her shoulder, Luo-Luo watched as the crowd queued to pray before the gentle giant, already accustomed to the process after weeks of appearances.

How might these same people react if they learned their Divine Guardians favourite treat was Lord Husbands bathwater?

The Guardian Turtle was Lord Husbands greatest defence against Shen ZhenWu, and if used properly, could also be his greatest weapon. With how recent events unfolded, there were rumours claiming the Guardian Turtles actions were guided by divine mandate, due to how she destroyed the Canston Trading Groups merchant house before their treacherous actions were revealed. This in turn raised Lord Husbands status even higher in the eyes of the populace, and was perhaps the only reason Shen ZhenWu had yet to act against them, but Lord Husband refused to listen to her suggestions out of sheer, ignorant stubbornness. I dont want things to escalate, he said, unaware his relationship with his Patron was already beyond salvaging. He was dealing with a man destined to sit upon the Dragon Throne, and one did not refuse such a man and walk away unscathed, not under normal circumstances. If Lord Husband were to play his hand right, he could severely limit Shen ZhenWus options and perhaps even force a stalemate, a position few could otherwise claim.

After parting ways with the bell-maker and Sung-Hoon, Luo-Luo and Lord Husband rode home in silence, sitting side by side in her rickshaw yet still worlds apart. Theyd been married for over two weeks yet she was still a virgin, a horrific scenario which she wasnt prepared for. Her bold and seductive behaviour only drove him into the arms of another woman, a shameful defeat which wounded Luo-Luos pride, perhaps even beyond repair. Every night since, the cadenced moans and heavy breathing would haunt her dreams and shed wake each morning panting and covered in sweat, aching at the imagined memory of Lord Husbands touch. Sadly, even without Mila or Yan here to compete for his affections, he still paid Luo-Luo no mind, and Lin-Lins advice to halt her efforts and let nature take its course had thus far failed horrifically. In distancing herself and only speaking when she deemed absolutely necessary, shed turned herself into a nagging harridan of a shrew who only opened her mouth to criticize, hardly the image shed hope to cultivate.

Perhaps this was to be Luo-Luos fate in this life, to be unappreciated, undesired, and unloved for the rest of her days. A virginal widow soon enough, for Lord Husband was now separated from his greatest allies and protectors, undoubtedly a prelude to Shen ZhenWus cold vengeance. A shame he wouldnt listen to her advice, but for all his virtues, Lord Husbands greatest flaw overshadowed them all.

Nothing could be done until she fixed his crippling lack of ambition.

Throwing herself at him didnt work. This passive approach wasnt working. What else could she do to win his trust and affection? Open a dialogue, at least. For two weeks now, shed kept to herself in hopes hed ask her if something was bothering her, but all she accomplished was make it easier for Lord Husband to ignore her. Grasping for a relevant topic, she took a deep breath and asked, Lord Husband, what is the strange bell for?

Oh? His wry smile nearly drove her to madness, though out of anger or lust, she could not say. Finally willing to speak again? Is my punishment over? I suppose curiosity won out over anger. Ignoring his jibes, Luo-Luo pouted until he asked, What do you think its for?

He thought she was punishing him by remaining silent? In what world would silence be a punishment? Baffled by his stone-headed foolishness, Luo-Luo rolled her eyes and huffed. ... Perhaps its an improved bell, used to direct sound in a particular direction?

Good guess, but no. This thing will make noise, but thats not its purpose. Holding his hand out, he waited for her to take it and Sent, Its a weapon, one the likes this world has never before seen. Noting her confusion, he explained, No, its not a strange club or hammer. Its a ranged weapon called a cannon. Basically, you place a metal ball into the tube and use a propellant to launch it. Theres a few major issues to work out, like the ban on oil and well... anything that explodes in the presence of fire. Shrugging, he Sent, Ive had my people working on an alternative, and just yesterday recieved word they were making progress.

Furrowing her brow, Luo-Luo asked, Your destructive explosive made from yellow dye?

Guessed it in one. Theres still a ways to go before its in working order, but the Enemy is busy innovating new weapons, so for us to do any less would be a mistake. With a grin which made him look younger than his years, Lord Husband Sent, Imagine five kilograms of iron launched faster than the eye can follow from range no bow could hope to match. Impressive right? Even more impressive if it explodes where it lands, but one step at a time. All I can say is, if this weapon works as expected, it will change the way the Empire fights war forever.

Blinking in surprise, Luo-Luo studied her incomprehensible Lord Husband once again. How could she ever think he lacked ambition? He cared nothing for status and reputation, but only because he set his sights on loftier goals instead. Perhaps it was time she accepted there was no mastermind standing behind Lord Husband and he was the driving force behind his book after all, the brilliant mind who sought to bring great change or unspeakable horrors to the Azure Empire. What sort of man could be so loving and sweet, yet also devise such terrifying weapons of destruction?

And why did this make her ache for him all the more? Maybe if she wore an animal costume...

Pleased by her amazed reaction, Lord Husband released her hand and said, You know, I wasnt lying when I said I consider my mind my greatest weapon. Youre a smart girl and your talents are wasted cooped in your yurt all day. Assuming your plan works and the world learns to appreciate the value of my book, then Ill need help organizing all the inquisitive minds who come in search of funding and cooperation.

Snapping out of her fugue, Luo-Luo nodded. This one is here to serve at Lord Husbands pleasure, she said, hoping hed catch her play on words. Her body was ready, he only need crook his finger and she would be his...

Settling back into his corner as if afraid to accidentally touch her, Lord Husband went back to playing with Blackjack while saying, Excellent. I look forward to a successful working relationship between us.

Damnable, insufferable man...

Chapter Meme

Chapter Meme explanation