Chapter 43 - Genuine Feeling

This morning Lory wakes up early, she takes a long hot bath then change her dress immediately she can't let her 'Boss' waiting for her again like yesterday, at first Zhao Li Xin only let her once to watch the competition but then Lory shamelessly begging and pleading at him and no surprise the Lord is lost again.

[Girsha are you coming?] Lory was smeared rouge on her lips when she asks the old bird who rest comfortably on her blanket.

[Watching human bashing on each other...certainly] he said sarcastically.

[Then hurry!! He probably waiting for us] she urges him to follow her immediately.

[Don't worry, your boyfriend won't leave without you….] Girsha rolls his eyes lazily.

[He is not my boyfriend] she glares at him [And it's a matter of courtesy!!] she justify herself.

[Yeah yeah….] he answers carelessly, Girsha then perches on her shoulder.

Just like she thought Zhao Li Xin already waiting for her in the main hall, Mong Yi beside him served him with more wine. He leans on the couch with half-awake eyes, his robes slightly open revealing a bit his collarbone and his dark long silky hair fall neatly on his shoulders, he smiles flirtatiously when he sees lory enter the room.

[Lory, don't droll…] Girsha teased her.

[I'm not!!] but yet she checked her corner lips just to be sure.

[That's not how Princess should stare a man!!] Girsha reprimands her again.

[That's not A man!!] Lory rebuke strongly [That's is God's perfect masterpiece, created to tempt humankind like me] she exhales deeply, after a few months she thought she would use to his charmed but she's wrong.

Zhao Li Xin doesn't know why she froze in the front door, he put down his wine cup "What's wrong, are you not well?" he put his hand on her foreheads make sure she doesn't have a fever. Lory suddenly feels her cheeks become hotter her face now red as a tomato, Zhao Li Xin sees her red face and become worried.

"Your face is so red, should we stay at home? The weather is too cold for you too...…"

"No, I'm fine….don't worry" Lory unconsciously rubs her cheeks awkwardly "let's go!!"

Zhao Li Xin sigh "If you said so…." He put white fur cloak on her shoulder, he heard normal people used to get sick in winter some might even die because the extreme weather, his little savior is so small and frail she barely taller than his chest he can't help feels worried for her.

"Have you had your breakfast?" suddenly he halt his steps

"Uhmmm...." She froze the spot.

Zhao Li Xin's expression turns dark "We left after you eat breakfast..." he decides firmly.

"But...."

"Eat first!!" he said with a stern face.

"...."

One hour later Lory finishes her breakfast, she hated admitted it but she does feel better after she eats. Just like yesterday they use the carriage to take them to the downtown, Zhao Li Xin still wears his white mask bu today she wears white and dark blue robes 'coincidently' the color is the same with Lory's dress and now they like matching couple.

Zhao Li Xin reserved the same place as yesterday, Lory likes the view from the second floor she can see everything from here including the elder's face at the podium. Mong ki served wine and sweet tea and few pastries on the table while Mong Yi prepared a small furnace, the room feel warmer and more comfortable for Lory, she feels touch with Zhao Li Xin caring she feels very fortunate to meet him in this world.

"You still feel cold?" Zhao Li Xin touches her cheeks make sure it's not cold.

She feels sudden hotness from his touch, she shyly looks down "No, I'm fine…"

Zhao Li Xin relaxed after he sure she's okay, his subordinated watches his Lord so attentive with other people they feel happy and sad at the same time if only their Lord treat them a half…..no, a quarter as good as he treats Miss Luo how happy they would be. Mong Yi and Mong Ki sighed silently, oh well as long as their Lord is happy...

"Oh, it's starting!!" Lory shrieks when she sees someone get in the stages. Zhao Li Xin didn't care he busy to make sure the cloak covers her neatly.

This time the fight between two competitors is more fierce than before, not like before no one give up easily even after they cough a lot of blood, fresh blood spill in the floor one after another this reminds her with underground fighting in her world, she had seen it a few times with Lucas and the others. She sees people gather suspiciously in the back all of them holding their pouch, Lory tug Zhao Li Xin sleeve "What are they doing"

"Betting…" he said shortly

"They were allowed to betting too?" Lory gasped

"Of course…."

"Are you betting too" she mischievously smiles.

"No, do you want to…..?" he teasingly smiles back at her.

"Well yeah, but who do you think we put our bets on?" Lory crosses her arms in front of her chest.

"It's up to you, I'm not minded if I lost a bit of money….." he said indifferently.

'Speaks like a true tycoon'

Lory takes a deep breath, she doesn't know who else the participant excepts the Lao family "Is Lao Min Na pass to the final?"

"She is…" Zhao Li Xin nodded

"Let's bet on her, that girl has improved so much this few years, I have feeling she had a lot of tricks inside her sleeve" Lory smile cunningly, Lao Min Na has transformed herself from useless young miss to becomes one of the final participants in the prestigious Martial Art competition, she wants to know what kinda surprised she brings in this competition.

Zhao Li Xin inwardly smiles, his little savior is so keen "Sure…." He throws a pouch to Mong Yi, without said anything Mong Yi disappears after he nodded at Zhao Li Xin.

On the seconds floor sitting are, Zhao Li Xin notice Zhao Mu Fan, Zhao Yi Chen even Zhao Qin Feng was there, all of them support their woman Afterall, he just got news from his spy about relationship between Zhao Qin Feng and the Ying patriarch daughter Ying Xuan Xie, his spy also said Ying Xuan Xie is an alchemist too.

No wonder royal consort Ying so eager to married her son with Ying Xuan Xie, Zhao Li Xin smirk everything in Royal family was valued and calculated there's no genuine care or unconditional loved everyone think about their own benefit even though his mother said she love Zhao Qin Feng but if he lost his valued would she love him the same, if Zhao Qin Feng life in danger would she bet her life for him, would she sacrifice herself? The answer is easy...it's a No, there's no love behind that cold wall palace. Only greed and loneliness why people try so hard to be an Emperor?

"Ri Yi….."

"Hmm…"

"Do you want to be an Empress?" he suddenly asks casually

"HECK NO!!" Lory rejects the idea strongly, she doesn't care if it's just a joke or not.

Zhao Li Xin smiled faintly.

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___At Harland___

King Marcus and Lory watch the Royal parade from the balcony, this is a parade after Lucas establish as a new crown Prince officially, he was inside the carriage waving to the citizens of Harland with perfect smiles but Lory know he was half embarrassed, half anxious and half annoyed perhaps because of the lack of sleep. Lory giggles when she saw Lucas's weird expression when he sees himself on the big screen.

The King wrapped his hand around Lory's shoulders "Do you want to be a king?" he suddenly asked

Lory tilted her head, he doesn't understand why her Father asking this "No…." She said without hesitated.

The King smiles gently at her "You don't want to rule the Kingdom, then what do you want to do?"

Lory silent for a moment then she suddenly she had a bright idea, her eyes suddenly lit up, she looks her Father with bright smiles plastered on her face

"I want to protect it!!"