Chapter 128. Looking at him, your heart will flutter...
Freezing rain fell again; the freezing rain in this western region just never seems to end.
I slipped inside with a group of maids and servants. As we entered the long, narrow corridor, the head servant whispered to them, "Everyone be careful. Prince Bernot hasn't been in a good mood these past few days. One of the guard captains was just dragged out last night."
"Is it because his pet mouse is missing?" a maid asked gossipy in a low voice.
“We can’t find him anywhere,” the head servant whispered. “Prince Bernard kicked the head guard out the door and had him thrown into the dungeon.”
The air suddenly became heavy, and everyone became tense and solemn.
Upon entering the hall, the solemn atmosphere grew even more somber. The splendidly dressed nobles had already gathered in a corner, whispering amongst themselves. Bernard had arrived long before, his mistress Belleanne nestled close to him.
Bernard was dressed formally in a silver-blue jewel-encrusted t-shirt robe, a three-strand pearl necklace, sapphire earrings, a silver diamond forehead ornament, and a ruby bracelet, all of which shone brilliantly and were exceptionally dazzling.
This is a handsome man who knows how to dress well and pays great attention to his appearance. Even when he stands there with a blank expression, he attracts a huge amount of attention.
Almost everyone was watching him, openly, secretly, straight, sideways, crookedly, hiding behind pillars, peeking through several people—everyone was watching. Even the maids and servants who had just walked in were watching, and even I, a rat who had just sneaked in, couldn't help but watch.
On the contrary, the main character of the day—Yorri, the adopted son of the head of the Yod family who was about to sign the contract—looked rather lackluster.
Yori was also dressed in a luxurious robe, with pearls and gemstones embroidered on the body, hem, and sleeves. He wore a beautiful gold band on his arm, a cat's-eye necklace on his chest that sparkled, and an expensive diamond bracelet on his wrist. In addition, he was young and had good skin, making him a handsome and energetic young man. However, he did not have the same dazzling brilliance as Bernard, who immediately became the focus of attention when he stood there.
Bernard's alluring and glamorous face, her crystal-clear eyes, and the shifting, cool blue light were like a beautiful dream.
Fragile yet indestructible.
An irresistible sense of beauty.
Looking at him, your heart will pound violently, so hard you can hear it clearly through your chest.
Everyone was mesmerized for a long time, and I don't know how long, because I was also mesmerized and had long forgotten the time.
My attention was only drawn back when the two who signed the agreement walked onto the main table and the elderly nobleman who was presiding over the ceremony spoke first.
"Gentlemen, the most important signing ceremony of the year for our Western Territory is about to begin. Now, please invite our two important esteemed guests to step forward." The old nobleman then stepped aside.
Yori and a nobleman from the West stood before the table, holding a seal in their left hand and a pen in their right.
I lay motionless under the floor mat in the hall.
The contract had already been agreed upon; now it was just a matter of signing and sealing it, which was quite easy. It was completed in no time, and applause from the nobles filled the hall.
The old nobleman stepped forward, carefully put the contract away, placed it on a maid's tray, and walked out of the hall surrounded by guards.
This must be the secret room. I cautiously mingled inside.
Following the group with utmost caution, they finally arrived at the secret room, which turned out to be a dungeon. Or, to be precise, it was inside a hidden door within the dungeon.
—This setup makes perfect sense. Dungeons are often the most heavily guarded places, which perfectly matches the confidential nature of a secret room.
After everyone had left and I was absolutely certain it was safe, I slipped to the hidden door. The hidden door had no door; I had noticed that earlier. Because it was forbidden for anyone from the mainland to enter, they weren't worried about anyone breaking in. Only those with special talismans could enter.
I took a deep breath and rushed in, in just one second.
They managed to get in very easily.
Before I could even get excited, I grabbed the contract from the table in the middle of the room, put it in my mouth, and dashed out as fast as I could.
Just as I was about to rush out of the hidden door, I was bounced back, the contract fell to the ground, and I was dumbfounded.
Immediately clarify the logic here—non-mainland Chinese can enter, but cannot take their belongings out.
I quickly spread out the contract and memorized its contents—the types of spices, the transaction period, location and method, and most importantly, the signing bonus. I memorized it repeatedly, about ten times, and after confirming that everything was correct, I put the contract back in its place and hid by the dark door.
After a patrol passed by, I dashed out in a second and ran out of the dungeon at an extremely fast speed.
I didn't dare turn my head back, and I didn't even dare to think about what would happen if I caught it.
Fortunately, I managed to escape the dungeon, the corridor, several gardens, and some strange winding paths. After losing my way, I hid in the deep grass and lay dormant for two hours. Then I heard a large flatbed cart passing by and jumped on it without thinking twice.
As it turned out, I was lucky; the large flatbed cart went out through the small side door to load vegetables.
I, who am usually unlucky, have finally hit the jackpot.
Leaving the palace, I quickly followed the familiar streets back to the small house where Di Ya Ruo had hidden in the market. Reverting to human form, I swiftly wrote down the key points of the contract on a piece of paper. Afraid of forgetting, I wrote quickly and handed it to Di Ya Ruo, who readily gave me two silver notes worth ten thousand gold coins each.
"I only remembered part of the contract and didn't receive the contract. How can I still get all the money?" I was surprised.
"You wrote down the key information, the amount of money they were trading, which achieved my goal, so the mission is complete."
I suddenly had a premonition that Di Ya Ruo would definitely be able to reclaim the several royal cities that her uncle had taken away.
She doesn't easily fool those who do things for her, and she pays them promptly.
Di Yaruo held up the paper and said, "If I sell this information to the Southern Border now, I can get a reward of 400,000 gold coins."
"What does the Southern Territory need this for?" I asked curiously.
"The South also trades spices, but the prices are higher. Spices in the West used to be more expensive, but due to a poor harvest this year and reduced taxes, they decided to lower prices. This has harmed the interests of the South, which is why the South wants to know the trade price between the East and West."
I became even more curious, "Is the Southern Territory also planning to lower prices?"
"That's right. They want to know which varieties will be reduced in price and by how much. They can then reduce the price a little bit further and successfully sign a contract with the Eastern Territory."
"The profit margin for spices must be very high," I exclaimed.
“That’s right. Spices are a luxury item, only royalty and nobility can afford them.” She put the paper in her pocket. “The economy has been sluggish these past two years, and trade wars between countries have been fierce.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Di Yaruo and I were startled. The door suddenly opened, and Bernard, dressed in a silver-blue robe, walked in against the light. The pale sunlight shone on his long silver hair, almost dazzlingly so.
I was completely stunned, while Di Yaruo recovered from her shock after two seconds.
The two guards behind Bernard closed the door for him.
The sunlight was once again blocked out, leaving only the glowing firelight of the fireplace inside. This was a room without windows to begin with; once the door was closed, virtually no light from outside could penetrate. Diya rented it because of its privacy and its low price.
Bernard walked right up to me and extended his hand, but I didn't take it.
He then turned to Di Yaruo, "Your two accomplices have been apprehended; they live next door." He was referring to Haiya and Dailin.
Di Yaruo's face was expressionless.
He then said to me, “Let’s go. It’s damp and cold here. In a few days, the West Frontier will get even colder. It will rain freezing rain from morning till night, and at night it will be so cold that the eaves will freeze. Are you going to stay here?”
I moved closer to Di Yaruo without saying a word.
"You want to go with her?" Bernard asked with a half-smile. "I'm afraid she'll sell you out and you'll still be helping her count the money."
I remained standing still.
Di Yaruo suddenly looked at me and smiled sweetly, "Go with him. You have to leave today, and I can't save you."
"I don't want to leave." I finally spoke, looking at Bernard. "I am not your slave, I have not signed a contract of servitude with you, and I have nothing to do with you. You have no right to force me to leave."
“If you come with me, then you’ll be involved with me.” Bernard tried to hug me, but I reacted quickly and dodged away. A hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
“I’m already married, I have a marriage certificate,” I said.
“I’m already married,” he said, “but what does it matter? I want to be with you.”
I laughed in exasperation. "Of course it doesn't matter to you men. This world is always kinder to men but crueler to women. I don't want to be cursed."
His blue eyes, hidden beneath his eyelashes, held a turbulent undercurrent. "I'm afraid even if we weren't married, you wouldn't come with me."
“Since you already know, why force yourself?” I said bluntly, so bluntly that Di Yaruo couldn’t help but glance at me a few more times.
“I rejected you then, and I will reject you now,” I said.
He didn't speak, but from his slightly heaving chest and faintly fluttering light blue eyelashes, one could guess that his emotions were unstable.
"Why?" His voice was beautiful yet slightly cool, as if it came from afar, and carried a sense of aloofness.
"There's no reason why, we're just not compatible. We weren't compatible before, and we're even less compatible now." I was even more direct.
I was never his first choice, and he was never mine.
His thick, bulging pectoral muscles heaved even more dramatically, seemingly about to burst forth through the thin blue robe.
He walked to the door, which opened automatically from the outside, and he disappeared.
“You’ve embarrassed him,” Di Yaruo sighed. “His circle of mistresses is quite famous; they’re all young, beautiful, and quite influential. Your refusal will make him very angry.”
“This isn’t the first time I’ve refused,” I said, sitting down by the fireplace. The weather seemed to have gotten colder again; with the door wide open, the room temperature had dropped considerably. “I’ve refused twice before, and he told me that I would never lower myself to beg him like this again, but I ignored him.”
“I’m curious, can I ask you?” Di Yaruo sat down next to me, “Why did you reject such a handsome man? God knows how many women want to sleep with him, including me.”
I laughed and tossed a piece of firewood into the fireplace. "Go to sleep then, maybe he won't refuse."
“He will definitely refuse,” Di Yaruo said with regret, “because I know you very well, and he won’t sleep with someone you know. That would make you lose face and feel betrayed.”
“But there are plenty of handsome men,” Di Yaruo shrugged. “You can’t find one as handsome as him, but you can find one with good skills. Turn off the lights, have some fun, and it’ll be just as enjoyable.”
I laughed out loud, but Di Yaruo frowned and said, "Don't laugh. You're a woman who doesn't understand romance. You don't know how pleasurable that is, which is why you keep rejecting handsome men like this. If it were me, I would have taken advantage of him the second after he confessed to me."
It was late at night, and Diya had gone to sleep in the next room. I faintly heard Haiya's voice; it seemed Bernot hadn't taken him away. Then I heard Dailin's voice, and a sudden chill ran down my spine. Were the three of them sleeping in one room? I listened to the wall for a while, and it seemed to be true. The bed frame creaked, and the sounds of men and women breathing were faintly audible. I stared blankly for a moment.
I don't remember when I fell asleep. I leaned against the headboard and struggled for a while before finally drifting off.
When I woke up, the glowing red fire of the fireplace still quietly illuminated the room, and the door shut out the noise, leaving the room completely silent.
I sat up halfway, and suddenly a pair of thick, strong arms, exuding the scent of hormones, embraced me from behind.
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I turned around and saw a sleepy-eyed Bernard with his silver hair cascading down his bare chest and eight-pack abs.
He was holding me naked, with nothing on his body.
"You...you're here?" I asked, my words tumbling out incoherently.
"Yes," he replied succinctly and forcefully.
"Didn't I reject you?!"
"But I didn't reject you."
He held me tighter, his bare arms, etched with the ferocity of a wild beast, burning hot. I could hardly bear it and pushed him away forcefully, saying, "Don't be so... thirsty. Where is your Lady Bellanine?"
"I don't want her, I only want you." His silver hair fell all over me. "It doesn't matter whether you reject me or not."
Anyway, he won't let go again.
Otherwise, he would be the one suffering. He didn't want to suffer anymore, not even for a day.
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Author's note: Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes yesterday, I received them all!
Please remember to support my other works too~~ Mwah~~ It's late tonight~~
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