Chapter 191 "I've always hoped to meet someone..."
Winter hadn't arrived yet, but the weather was already getting chilly, especially at night. Nights in the East were always cool, regardless of the season, but it got even colder in winter.
Abdul's injuries had not yet healed; he was barely clinging to life. Chaos was brewing within the Yod family. Abdul's half-brothers were fighting tooth and nail over several properties and trade projects, while the younger generation frequently drew their swords in the streets, engaging in fierce brawls.
Worse still, Abdul's underage illegitimate son, his only son, the one who had been switched with a girl by Benoit, was poisoned. He lay dead in the attic for two days before being discovered by the cleaning maid; had it been delayed another two days, his body would likely have completely decomposed.
This incident caused a huge uproar. King Amur, Bernot's father, ordered a thorough investigation. But when it comes to poisoning, one should either not do it at all or do it perfectly. The poisoner had already planned everything. In the end, King Amur found nothing and could only arrest a family elder who had a long-standing feud with Abdul. A large quantity of poisons was found in his house. This elder was a skilled poisoner who enjoyed tinkering with these bottles and jars.
The elder cried out that he was innocent, and I saw him collapse on the high steps of the palace, crying and begging King Amur to investigate again, but King Amur ignored him completely. The nobles of the Yod family stood around him, spitting on him, throwing rotten eggs, and cursing him as a wicked man.
I don't know if he's the murderer, but he must have offended a lot of people. He likes to tinker with poisons, and many people are afraid of him and dare not offend him. Now that he's committed a crime, they are secretly cheering. Several members of the Yod family exchanged glances and laughed heartily behind the crowd's backs.
Leaving the bustling main hall, I walked alone down the deserted corridor. Passing through the brightly blooming garden, I saw Desen, with his short silver hair, fencing with two little boys with long silver hair. The fight was fierce; the two boys launched desperate attacks, but Desen countered with ease, his swordplay varied, forcing the two boys to retreat repeatedly.
Suddenly noticing me, Desen sheathed his sword, and the two little boys stumbled and almost fell.
“Lady Lana,” Derson smiled brightly, “I never expected to meet you here. Today I suddenly felt like practicing swordsmanship with them.”
"Your injury looks almost healed." I was surprised by his rosy complexion. "How did it heal so quickly?"
I was quite far away when the explosion happened, but I only got out of my wheelchair this morning and can't walk too much, otherwise my back will hurt.
“I exercise every day, so I’m in better physical condition than you guys,” Desen said with a smile. “I was a little worried about your condition, but now that I see you can walk around, I’m relieved.”
This young man is really good at talking; he's so approachable. My facial muscles relaxed.
“Let me introduce you,” he suddenly said, pulling the two little boys over. “These are Bernard’s two sons, Ethan and Kevin.”
The two little boys were somewhat shy, although they had been exceptionally fierce when they first started practicing swordsmanship.
They were all very beautiful. Although they did not have the breathtaking beauty of their father, their skin was delicate and fair, and their eyes were clear and bright blue, making them very intelligent.
"His son is so grown up already," I exclaimed.
“Yes, we can get married in five or six years,” Derson laughed, “Do you have a lady you like?”
The two little boys blushed and ran away immediately. Sunlight shone in Derson's eyes, making them sparkle. "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Mrs. Lana."
I just smiled and said, "It's nothing. How old is your son?"
"I don't have a son, and I'm not married."
"Hmm, what about illegitimate children?"
No, not at all.
I was a little surprised. "Really?" In my memory, it was rare for noblemen here not to have illegitimate children.
“Really.” His voice was unusually soft.
“That’s so strange. In my memory…” I smiled, and he continued, “You thought all noblemen had mistresses or illegitimate children?” His smile was warm and gentle, “But I didn’t.”
I was stunned. Could there really be such a man on this continent? And a nobleman at that?
"I have always hoped to meet the person of my dreams, to have children with her, and to be with her forever."
It sounds so dreamy. I laughed and said, "I hope your dream comes true."
He smiled again, his delicate face radiating dazzling beauty in the bright sunlight.
As time passed, the feud within the Jod family intensified, even escalating to the point of public murders. Two relatives from the same family killed each other, which pushed King Amur to his breaking point. He summoned all the princes and ministers and redistributed the Jod family's property and wealth, thus quelling the family feud.
Benoit's social life has become more active, with invitations to drinks, parties, and hunting trips. The head of the Jod family remains seriously ill and bedridden, likely to pass away soon, potentially leading to a new round of inheritance distribution. Some are dissatisfied with King Amur's allocation, feeling they've been shortchanged, and believing that a redistribution will occur after Abdul's death. In such situations, they will try their best to win over members of other families, speaking on their behalf to King Amur to secure a larger share.
Bernard would often invite me to balls, but I always declined, using the excuse that my injuries hadn't fully healed. I already had enough balls to attend regularly—the regular balls of the three major families, and occasionally balls from other families—I was simply too lazy to go. I also had to handle some affairs at the Imperial Palace School, which kept me very busy. Now, I was in charge of the Imperial Palace School.
Hero subtly mentioned to me that many women coveted Bernard, saying, "You'd better keep a close eye on him; one wrong move and someone will end up in his bed."
“I never thought he would be loyal to me.” I closed the ledger at the palace school. “I spend one night a week at school; he must be with other women, right?”
“I don’t know,” Hero replied. “I really don’t know, I can’t find out.”
It seems they even kept it from Hero.
“Why does he need to do that?” I said. “I know he has a circle of mistresses, and women are lining up for him. He doesn’t need to hide it, and I know it’s hard for him to keep his body.”
“But you are the chief mistress,” Hero said. “It’s clear that you are number one in the prince’s heart.”
I didn't say anything. That night, I made a surprise return. I was supposed to spend the night at the imperial palace school, but I only stayed for half an hour before returning.
I caught Bernard and a naked woman on the bed right there. But I didn't cry, I didn't make a scene, and I didn't fight with the woman or the man. I just stood outside the door with a half-smile and said, "You've had a hard time, old man. You came with me once before I left, and now you're serving another woman. Did you get paid for this?"
The naked Bernard was not afraid at all. He laughed as he got off the bed, put on his robe, and came to me. "I'm sorry to have startled you."
“I’m not surprised at all. I came back to catch you. I’d be a little disappointed if you didn’t do it,” I said.
The naked woman clutched her clothes tightly and quickly left us. I didn't pay her any attention, nor did I care who she was. "I'm moving to the palace tomorrow."
“Don’t do that.” Bernard’s smile vanished. “I apologize, I’ll apologize however I want.”
I shook off his hand. "Don't touch me."
“It’s actually a social activity,” he explained. “Don’t take it too seriously.”
I stared at him coldly. "I thought I was different in your heart."
“Of course it’s different,” he said in a humble voice. “You are the most important person in my heart. You have always been the only one in my heart, so please don’t be angry.”
“I thought that after I came, your circle of mistresses would disappear, that there would be no distinction between a chief mistress and ordinary mistresses, because there would only be me.” My voice was colder than my eyes. “I have to accept the reality that you can’t marry me, but I can’t accept that you’re still fooling around with other women. Let’s just leave it at that, we can break up directly, anyway, I can’t accept your current situation.”
After I finished speaking, I threw a lit candle at him. He didn't dodge, letting the candle flame be extinguished by hitting his strong chest, and the candle stub landed on the carpet.
————
Of course we didn't break up. I checked into the Imperial Academy that night. He followed me there later that night, but I ignored him.
I slept in the bed, while he made a makeshift bed on the floor. We both stayed awake until dawn.
While eating breakfast, his eyes were slightly swollen and his voice was a little hoarse. "I swear I won't do this again. You're different from other people. I'm really afraid you'll leave me."
"Is it exciting to have sex with other people?" I asked casually.
"Stimulate."
Are you happy?
"happy."
"How are we different?"
"It's very different. Only when I touch your body and smell your scent do I feel truly satisfied."
"With others?"
"It would be exciting, but anyone could do it. There's no satisfaction; I feel empty after getting out of bed."
"Are you still going to sleep?"
“It’s just a social interaction.” He said with a fawning smile, “I’m talking about a collaboration with her uncle. He thinks that our collaboration will go more smoothly if she sleeps with me. She’ll tell me what percentage of the profits her uncle wants while we’re in bed and we’ll negotiate with each other. The negotiations will be more friendly in bed.”
I chuckled out of the mouth, "Is that so?"
He laughed, but it was still a fawning laugh. "Don't take men's sex too seriously. It's just sex. Sometimes, even with interests involved, it's just a form of cooperation."
I picked up the hot milk, not touching the rest of the breakfast. "Alright, I'm busy now, you can go."
He refused to leave, sitting motionless in the ornate chair. "If you're still angry, I won't leave. I'll keep following you until I feel safe."
"What danger?" I asked coldly.
"You must leave me in danger."
“You can’t marry me anyway,” I sneered. “I’ll have to get married sooner or later, and I’ll have to leave someday.” My “marriage” with Mamboa is only valid in the North; it’s invalid elsewhere.
“I can’t marry you right now,” he said, his icy blue eyes shining with a clear light, “but I can give you everything a legal wife has.”
“I don’t care.” I emphasized. “Everything the legal wife has, I can have in the North.”
"Are you going back to the North?" His voice was icy cold.
-----------------------
Author's Note: If you're interested, you can follow my account "Green Cloud," which is the name after "Animal Farm." You can also pre-order my new novel, "Animal Farm susizhou2013."
Thank you everyone for your support! Thank you for following the story!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
