Chapter 57 Castilia (Part 8) Living Together in the Cave; Humiliation...
"Ah—!" He cried out in pain. The glass bottle rolled to the ground. He instinctively reached out to pick it up, but his wrist was grabbed first. In the dim light, Chu Jing looked up and saw the unfamiliar knight frowning slightly. She spoke, "You're injured. Why didn't you say so?"
“I…” Omega didn’t know how to answer. It was just a normal sentence, but why did he feel his face getting hot? The warmth from his wrist made him unsure how to answer the question. He took a slight breath and said in a very soft voice, “I was too scared, so I forgot.”
Xu Lingzhao listened to his words without saying anything. She simply took out some herbs she had prepared in advance from her bag and carefully applied them to the wound that had scabbed over but had reopened due to her movements. Then she took out gauze and wrapped it around the wound. Throughout the entire process, Chu Jing did not notice any discomfort.
He silently gazed at the earnest Alpha before him. Since his mother's death, no one had ever treated him like this. "Alright," the Alpha's voice broke his reverie. Chu Jingze then realized his lapse in composure and quickly lowered his head to hide his panic. His gaze swept over the cave entrance, and he spoke, "I... aren't we going out?"
"We have to wait until dawn; there are too many Zerg outside." Xu Lingzhao picked up the glass bottle that had rolled to the ground, wiped it with a clean handkerchief, removed the cork, and handed it to the Omega who was looking down. He said in a flat tone, "Drink it, it'll help you feel better."
"Yes, thank you." The slightly sweet wine moistened Chu Jing's dry lips, and he sipped it slowly, a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes. Like a child who had just eaten candy, his mood had clearly improved. He squinted slightly and his head swayed unconsciously.
Xu Lingzhao, who was spreading cheese on rye bread, glanced at Chu Jingze, whose eyes were slightly dazed. She stopped what she was doing, a hint of regret flashing in her eyes. She had forgotten that although the wine was not very strong, it was still quite strong for people who couldn't drink alcohol.
Xu Lingzhao was uncharacteristically silent for a few seconds. She reached out and took the glass bottle from his hand, waved her slender fingers in front of his eyes, and tilted her head to ask, "How many is this?"
"Hmm... two." Chu Jingze also tilted his head like Xu Lingzhao, and after answering Xu Lingzhao's question, he showed a slight smile and two blushes appeared on his cheeks.
Okay, he seems to still be somewhat conscious. Xu Lingzhao placed the rye bread with cheese in his hand, and only looked away after watching him hold it firmly before saying, "Eat something."
Omega nodded obediently, taking small bites of his bread, his cheeks puffing out slightly. Xu Lingzhao ate her bread while observing him out of the corner of her eye. She thought the person in front of her was even more handsome than the prince of Lorraine, though he was a bit thin.
The two ate their simple dinner in silence when Xu Lingzhao felt her cuff being tugged slightly. She turned her head to look at him and asked, "What's wrong?"
Omega patted his chest, mumbling, "A little...a little choked."
Seeing his expression, Xu Lingzhao couldn't help but chuckle. She handed him the glass bottle beside her and instructed, "You can only drink a small sip, understand?"
He nodded obediently as usual. In his dazed state, Chu Jing felt that the person in front of him was so gentle. This was the first time he had met such a gentle and powerful female Alpha. Perhaps it was because he was slightly drunk, but his movements were much more relaxed. When he took the glass bottle, his fingertips touched the Alpha's fingertips, and he did not flinch.
After taking a small sip under the knight's gaze, he looked at her with his beautiful peach blossom eyes, his eyelashes fluttering, his eyes bright, as if showing her his obedience.
Seeing that he seemed determined to get a response, Xu Lingzhao had no choice but to say softly, "Yes, that's great." As soon as she finished speaking, his eyes crinkled, and he unconsciously leaned his head on her shoulder.
A slight weight came from her shoulder, and Xu Lingzhao stiffened. Looking down, she could only see his fluffy hair and round, delicate nose. Her gaze seemed to be fixed on him. Was he really so unguarded, leaning on an Alpha's shoulder like that?
"My name is Chu Jingze. What's your name?" The Omega didn't look up. His voice was so soft that Xu Lingzhao wouldn't have heard it if she hadn't had such keen hearing.
"My name is Xu Lingzhao." As if guided by some unseen force, Xu Lingzhao responded to him. Not long after, even breathing could be heard; he had fallen asleep.
Xu Lingzhao's stiff body relaxed a little. The temperature in the cave dropped as dusk deepened, and she seemed to feel the Omega's body trembling slightly. For him, the temperature was rather cold.
She pulled the half-shoulder cape of her knight's uniform off her shoulders and draped it over him.
That night, Xu Lingzhao didn't sleep. Listening to his faint breathing, her reason gradually returned, and she shattered and hid her inappropriate thoughts. She and Chu Jingze could only be considered strangers who met by chance. Perhaps after tonight, after she safely sent him home, they might never see each other again.
However, Xu Lingzhao couldn't understand why he was so determined to save him. Perhaps it was because he couldn't bear to see a living being become food for the Zerg, or perhaps it was because he didn't want to negatively impact the Knights Order and his own development due to poor protection, or perhaps... Xu Lingzhao tried to convince himself with various reasons.
Although the concubine was not the queen's wife, he would eventually enter the palace, a place rife with intrigue and deceit, where he would also have to compete for favor. Xu Lingzhao eventually convinced herself that as a knight, she had an obligation to protect him.
At dawn, the sound of birdsong could be heard.
Xu Lingzhao, who was resting with her eyes closed, slowly opened them. She subconsciously looked down and saw that the Omega was fast asleep and showed no signs of waking up.
She lifted his head with her hands, pulled out the corner of her cloak and pressed it against the stone wall, resting his head against it to avoid any awkwardness if he woke up.
As she withdrew her hand and turned to walk towards the cave entrance, Chu Jing opened his eyes. He had woken up earlier than Xu Lingzhao. Perhaps it was because of the wine, or perhaps it was because he felt inexplicably at ease being by her side. In any case, he slept very soundly. When he opened his eyes, he found that he was wearing a knight's cape.
A strange feeling welled up inside him. She was so thoughtful. Leaning on her shoulder, Chu Jing was not moved, afraid that she would notice that he had woken up.
Xu Lingzhao walked to the cave entrance to observe. The number of insectoids in the vicinity had decreased significantly, so it was time to set off. However, she did not go back immediately but waited for a while before going in.
"Thank you for the cloak." Chu Jing folded the half-shoulder cloak and handed it to her. Xu Lingzhao reached out and took it, then fastened the cloak back on her shoulders. Her expression was normal, even a little deliberately indifferent. She said, "Let's go."
Chu Jing followed behind her, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes. He knew the reason for her coldness: he was the concubine of the Queen of Castile, while she was a knight of Castile.
Last night's interaction had already crossed the line, but neither of them mentioned it. Chu Jing looked at the Alpha's tall back and thought that if an Omega married her, he would be very happy.
If she is so gentle and considerate to a foreigner like him, she must be even more so to her own lover.
"Ouch!" Chu Jing, who wasn't paying attention to his walk, tripped over a small pebble and bumped into her back unexpectedly. Xu Lingzhao stiffened, turned around to look at the person covering her forehead, and couldn't help but ask, "Are you hurt?"
These words made Chu Jingze blush. Her question was so strange. Did she think he was so weak that she would hurt him by bumping his back? He shook his head and stammered, "No."
Xu Lingzhao handed him the sword hilt. "Take this. The mountain path is difficult." After saying that, she turned around and only continued forward after feeling him grasp the hilt. She looked up at the sun. It was about 5:30 in the morning. She should be able to arrive before the group set off. Sending people back quietly like this would avoid a lot of criticism.
After passing through the forest and reaching a relatively flat area, Xu Lingzhao slowed her pace. She heard the Omega's slightly heavier breathing, which must be because she had been walking too fast.
Not long after, Xu Lingzhao saw the flag of Castile. The mission was finally complete. At that moment, a voice came from behind him, "Sir Knight, will we have a chance to meet again in the future?"
Xu Lingzhao paused slightly, lowering her eyes. "Protecting you is my duty, my lord." These words drew a clear line between them. This was a crucial moment for her to begin her career; anything inappropriate couldn't happen. Yesterday's events were an accident.
Chu Jing did not reply to that sentence. Just as they were about to arrive, Xiao Yuan and Yu Yu walked towards them. Xiao Yuan immediately took the Omega away with the heavy cloak. As they parted, he turned back to look at her.
Xu Lingzhao noticed that his eyes seemed to be filled with sadness, but Yu Yu blocked her view. The female Alpha looked excited and patted Xu Lingzhao's shoulder, saying, "You've really stolen the show this time. The Knight Commander will definitely report your achievements to the Knights Hall."
She nodded, a hint of weariness in her eyes. "What kind of reward could there be?"
Yu Yu, however, kept everyone in suspense. She simply gave a meaningful smile and then changed the subject, saying, "The Knight Commander has woken up. Do you want to go see her? She's very grateful to you, but Galahad is a different story. His face is as red as a pig's liver."
"Since you put it that way, then I definitely have to go see the Knight Commander." Xu Lingzhao said as he walked, tucking his sword to his waist.
Chu Jingze was dejected after being taken away by Xiao Yuan, but what happened next was hard for him to face. He was taken to a snow-white tent where an Omega doctor and the envoys of the Lorraine wedding procession stood. The doctor said to Chu Jingze, "My lord, for various reasons, the Castilian envoys request that you undergo a full physical examination to ensure your absolute loyalty to the Queen."
Chu Jing looked at the Lorraine envoy with a tough attitude and knew that he had no room to refuse. If he refused, he would harm himself and her. However, he felt ashamed and humiliated by this situation, even though the person examining his body was a male Omega.
The Lorraine envoy withdrew, and tears welled up in Chu Jingze's eyes. He took off his clothes, lay down on the bed, turned to his side, and closed his eyes.
Resentment, anger, and helplessness spread through his heart. Only she came to save him, only she was willing. But now, he had to prove his purity to those who didn't care about his life.
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Author's Note: [Exaggerated praise][Exaggerated praise]
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