Chapter 11
"Has Hughes's identity been discovered?"
Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the regimental commander and deputy commander. Everyone was focused on this topic.
However, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment...
So many people are watching him.
The commander awkwardly looked away and shook his head. "No."
His tone was filled with a deep sense of helplessness, "We found no clues about Hughes's identity, nothing at all."
Hughes's room was unbelievably clean.
He wanted to recall more, but he couldn't remember any details. He only remembered that Hughes' suite was incredibly clean, as if no one lived there.
The more this is the case, the more abnormal it is.
The commander remained silent for a long while, then said, "Hughes is no ordinary man."
No sooner had he finished speaking than someone chimed in, "That's right!"
"Hughes couldn't possibly be a commoner!"
Someone in the crowd began to speculate, "Those are private soldiers?"
The deputy commander sneered, "Does he look like the kind of laborer who works for nobles?"
The group exchanged glances, each seeing the answer in the other's eyes: "...It doesn't seem like it."
Hughes is exceptionally skilled. With such skills, even if he comes from a poor background, he can still climb up the social ladder on his own. What benefits would it bring to work for those nobles and be their private soldiers?
Hughes is not one of them.
Moreover, compared to the one who had to play the role of bowing down, Hughes was more like a master than a subject bowing down to others.
Who could he be?
A silence fell over the room.
Everyone was pondering this answer, and the atmosphere grew increasingly silent, so silent you could hear a pin drop, almost deathly still. "...We're going to the Desert Temple tonight, aren't we? What if we find that legendary treasure? Will Hughes—"
They went to search for clues today because they wanted to turn the tables.
Even if Hughes might not attack them, they are prepared to fight back; they have been searching for that treasure for far too long!
Just then, someone in the room suddenly spoke in a deep voice, "Is it possible that he is a nobleman who is deliberately disguising himself as a commoner?"
"Moreover, they are nobles of very high status who came out specifically to search for that treasure."
The deputy commander frowned. "Who do you suspect?"
"Your Highness the Crown Prince."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the man continued, "His Highness the Crown Prince of the British Empire!"
The deputy commander was taken aback. "...You mean Prince Dilou?"
Is Hughes the prince of Dillow?
"Crown Prince Dilou has never shown his face to the public!"
“That’s because,” the deputy commander said in a deep voice, “that the heirs of those great powers, unless they already have a firm grasp of power, the royal family will not give them a chance to show their faces.”
Ordinary people know nothing about the heir except his name.
“But wasn’t Prince Dilou missing?” someone said.
Someone chimed in, "A month ago, rumors started circulating that Crown Prince Dilou had gone missing. He still hasn't been found!"
"Hughes arrived in the desert a month ago, right?"
The timing was perfect.
The deputy commander frowned, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart. "So Hughes is—"
Before the deputy commander could finish speaking, someone interrupted, "If Hughes really is Crown Prince Dillow, then he represents the military of the British Empire!"
"We're going against the Federal military? Are we asking for death?!"
"That's right! Commander, if we try to take his stuff, aren't we just asking for death?"
"I've heard that Dilou is not someone to be trifled with."
The regimental commander's face darkened, and even the deputy regimental commander's face turned grim.
Before Hughes arrived, they were the masters of this desert!
The strongest mercenary group, with the strongest leader and vice-leader.
They were born and raised here, and they acted recklessly; this desert was their own land to them.
The Federation has never cared about this desert, letting the land develop wildly. So they often do some gray-area business, thinking that the Federation never cares about this land anyway.
But now the owner of this land has suddenly disguised himself and come here in anonymity.
What is he planning to do?
Should we teach a lesson to those who disregard the military and the royal family?
The commander clenched his fist. "We're at their mercy. We've come this far; it's either him who dies or it's our turn to go to hell!"
"Let's strike first tonight! Prepare an ambush at the temple."
Hughes must die!
Everyone looked at each other, no one daring to speak. Just then, the vice-captain's voice slowly faded, "...What if Hughes finds a way to enter the temple gates?"
The group exchanged worried glances again, and someone in the crowd chimed in, "Yeah! Who knows what's inside the gate? What if there are spirit beasts or traps?"
The commander sneered, "Then we'll spare Hughes's life."
He raised his eyes, his usually gentle and gentlemanly face now revealing a sinister glint in them. "When we reach the final checkpoint, we'll all come at once!"
"He is strong. But if all five hundred of us with superpowers attacked together, could he possibly be strong enough to defeat all five hundred of us at once?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the commander turned to the deputy commander and ordered, "Call Perrin out and have her secretly go to the Desert Temple to prepare for an ambush."
"Kill Hughes tonight and absorb his spiritual power!"
Xia Qian focused intently on the room with her divine sense. She shook her head inwardly, thinking that the commander and deputy commander were really courting death!
Since we're all just cannon fodder, why can't we learn from her and be more low-key, and stop courting death?
They even wanted to kill the male lead!
It really is—
Just then, a cold laugh suddenly rang in my ears.
That cold laugh seemed to mock, mercilessly ridiculing the ambitions and plans of the group inside the room.
A bunch of defeated opponents, overestimating their own abilities.
Xia Qian turned her head and glanced at Hughes. She saw that his eyes were indifferent. Even after hearing that so many people wanted to kill him, there was no emotion in his eyes. He seemed to really not care.
To be precise, it's because they simply don't believe in these people's abilities.
Just then, the hand on her waist suddenly tightened, forcing Xia Qian to press herself against the person behind her.
Aren't you going to help me?
She instinctively tried to break free from Hughes's embrace, but before she could, long, slender fingers had already gripped Xia Qian's chin, and another hand on her waist slowly moved up, "Xia Xia."
"They all want to bully me, Xiaxia, aren't you going to stand up for me?"
"..."
Xia Qian silently looked away.
Who dares to bully you? Who can bully you?
What's the point of him pretending to be weak?
At the same time, Hughes's voice came from beside me, "And you still say I'm Dilou."
Hughes suddenly leaned closer to Xia Qian's face and asked, "Do I look like Di Lou?"
Xia Qian spoke with difficulty, "They don't understand."
It's all the fault of the people in this house; now they all need her to save them.
"We are now in the territory of the British Empire."
“Dilou is of noble status and is the most outstanding young man in the British Empire, so it’s natural that they would associate the two of you together.”
Hughes lowered his eyes. "...That's insulting me."
Xia Qian: "..."
To say I suspect you are a DILO is an insult to you.
How much do you dislike your cousin?
Hughes is so hard to please.
She looked away, but unexpectedly, Hughes' fingers were gripping her chin, and Xia Qian couldn't avoid his gaze.
He was tall, much taller than her. Even when Xia Qian stood on tiptoe, she only reached his shoulder, so she had to strain her head to look at him every time.
Seemingly noticing Xia Qian's hard work, he bent down and whispered in her ear, "Including this time, I've helped Xia Xia twice in total."
The next second, his eyebrows twitched slightly, "Why didn't Xiaxia help me when I was being insulted?"
"..."
shameless.
I didn't notice this characteristic of his when I was reading the book.
Hughes really is—
There was clearly no one who could bully him, yet she, a weakling who could be crushed by anyone, had to stand up for him.
What's wrong with him?
abnormal!
"I want to help you too, but I'm too weak." She spoke softly, looking up at his small face earnestly, as if she really wanted to fight for him, but was forced to give up because of her own weakness.
"Besides," Xia Qian said hesitantly, her face full of confusion, "my spiritual power has only just awakened, and I don't know anything..."
No matter which novel it is, the female protagonist can do whatever she wants. Even if she always does something stupid, deceives the male protagonist, betrays and hurts him, the female protagonist will never get into trouble.
But a vicious supporting character like her is no good; she doesn't deserve it.
Even concealing a single word from the male lead would be a capital offense.
Not to mention, the original owner of this cannon fodder body had somehow learned about the male protagonist's identity, which already made the male protagonist very suspicious.
Hughes is not a good-tempered person.
He's suspicious, hard to coax, and always likes to touch her neck to threaten her.
He might already be plotting to kill her.
If she continues to conceal the fact that she possesses spiritual power, how will Hughes view her?
A lowly slave somehow learned of his identity and his powerful spiritual abilities.
She's not the female lead, would Hughes tolerate her?
Definitely not.
She might as well tell him everything. In Hughes' eyes, she was madly in love with him. Apart from her tendency to seduce him indiscriminately and throw tantrums, she had never done anything bad to him.
That way, he won't hurt her.
Xia Qian shrank her neck.
She practically had "I'm afraid of him" written all over her face.
But she thought she had concealed it well, being careful and cautious, as if afraid of annoying him, "Hughes—"
Hughes looked at her indifferently.
Thinking of what was to come, Xia Qian hesitated and gently tugged at his black robe sleeve, afraid that he would turn around and leave without paying attention to her at any moment. Xia Qian carefully said, "Tonight, will you take me to the Desert Temple with you?"
"I won't throw a tantrum, and I won't hold you back. I'll just quietly follow you!"
He gazed at her, his eyes seemingly carrying other emotions, yet also seemingly devoid of them, his gaze as calm as still water.
Xia Qian's fingers gripped the sleeve of his black robe. Not knowing whether Hughes would agree, her voice became even softer, "I... I'm scared."
"I'm really scared to be alone in the hotel all by myself."
Hughes' handsome face was right in front of her, watching her quietly, as if waiting for her to finish speaking.
This person was just as indifferent as when we first met.
Will he be like this when he falls in love again?
Xia Qian suddenly thought of the female lead.
What does Hughes look like when the female lead is scared?
It seems that nothing is written about her; it's all about the female lead being strong on her own. Even though she's scared, she won't ask anyone for help. She's a very stubborn and strong-willed girl.
Unlike her.
Extremely timid.
Without Hughes, they basically couldn't survive.
She cautiously looked up and asked, "Really, you can't come along? I'll be very good."
After saying that, she couldn't help but add four more words, "I won't cause any trouble."
As she said this, Hughes bent down. He didn't speak, but instead cupped her face in one hand and slowly pulled her closer to him.
The sun had already set, and as the last rays of sunlight disappeared into the earth, the sky darkened, as if plunging into darkness.
Hughes stood there, backlit.
His long, slender, yet icy hands cupped her cheeks, while his other hand slowly embraced her, pulling her into his arms like a vampire hunting for prey, keeping his prey captive in his embrace.
Xia Qian felt a chill for no reason; her thin shoulders trembled slightly from the cold, and she couldn't help but look up and ask again, "Is it okay? Can I go?"
“No,” Hughes said. “Your bells will get dirty there.”
Hughes really did raise her like a cat!
The girl lowered her head, seemingly very unhappy.
I don't know what I'm cursing at him in my heart this time.
Ever since he got heatstroke after throwing a tantrum in the desert, this little slave seems to have really changed a lot when he woke up.
In his presence, she always liked to lower her head, or secretly avoid his gaze, as if she was intentionally avoiding him, or as if she was still angry, throwing a tantrum, and sulking with him.
“Xiaxia,” Hughes lifted her face, forcing her to look directly at him, “Be good, I don’t like to coax people.”
From childhood to adulthood, this prince has never bowed his head.
He always acts recklessly and doesn't care about other people's feelings. Coaxing people is a tedious, time-consuming, and pointless thing.
When his parents had a fight, his father would always spend two hours trying to coax his mother. Hughes had seen this scene countless times since he was a child. He only found it troublesome, but his father did it willingly.
My older brother is the same.
When the doctors came to our house to treat us, it was always my older brother who had to comfort them when they were feeling discouraged, telling them that they would eventually find a way to cure their illness.
My older brother and father are both like that; they always like to coax people.
But Hughes was different; he didn't like to coax people, and he especially disliked bowing his head.
It's meaningless.
trouble.
“I like obedient ones.” He spoke each word clearly, as if he were speaking specifically to her, “like a flying dragon.”
He didn't need to coax her; she was quiet and well-behaved, almost unbelievably so.
Xia Qian found Xiu Si's behavior utterly baffling.
Not only did she refuse, but she also accused her of being disobedient.
She looked away. "Dragons aren't human! Why would I imitate them?"
"You still need to learn that."
"I only like someone if they are well-behaved."
Xia Qian was taken aback.
Before she could react, Hughes had already bent down and rested his arm intimately on her shoulder, saying, "And only if I like you enough can Xiaxia become my queen."
Empress?
She stared at him blankly, seemingly unable to process what was happening.
Is Hughes joking?
Make her his empress?
Xia Qian suddenly shrank her neck.
—So, what if she doesn't want to be his empress? Does that mean she can start acting naughty?
She had only thought about it suddenly, but when she came to her senses, she noticed that Hughes's eyes were slowly changing.
Xia Qian looked at the other person in confusion, completely not understanding what was going on.
What did she do to offend him this time?
Everything was fine just a moment ago.
Hughes thought to himself, "This girl really doesn't know how to hide her emotions."
Like a disobedient kitten trying to escape.
Those narrow eyes narrowed dangerously. "Xiaxia doesn't want to be one?"
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