Chapter 225 "My value doesn't depend on marriage..."
I woke up early this morning. For some reason, I've been sleeping less and less lately and waking up very early.
I sat by the window, watching the snowmelt fall along the eaves.
The snow hadn't completely melted yet, and it fell little by little, like rain. Reflected in the morning sunlight, it always gave off a strange feeling.
A snow-white fox fur coat was draped over my shoulders. I turned around and saw Artis, dressed in a black robe. He smiled and fastened my collar.
"When did you come in?" I asked. He usually gets up earlier than me, going to the gym before dawn.
"When you're spacing out."
"What are you doing here?" I asked again.
"I wanted to wake you up for breakfast, but I didn't expect you to be already awake."
We walked side by side into the narrow passageway, where snowmelt from the eaves on both sides cascaded down like rain, like miniature waterfalls.
"This snow is melting so fast!" I exclaimed.
“That’s because spring is coming soon on this island,” he smiled. “If Prince Desen can hold on a little longer, he will see the flowers about to bloom in the courtyard.”
I didn't say anything. He suddenly asked, "Would you like to come with me on a patrol of the mine today?"
"Why are you suddenly taking me along?" I asked curiously.
"I just felt that you haven't been there in a long time, so maybe you'd be interested in going to take a look."
I agreed. After breakfast, he led me into an exquisite carriage pulled by a dozen or so colorful birds. He said the carriage was made of extremely lightweight materials, so it wouldn't add much burden to the birds. We sat in the carriage, watching the colorful birds effortlessly pull it back, forth, left, and right.
“The main purpose of making such carriages is to protect against the wind,” he said. “Some women and frail elderly people cannot ride directly on flying birds.”
“That’s right,” I replied.
Since they didn't have Pegasus, they trained colorful birds to pull the carriage. Among the colorful birds, they selected males, those that were "strong and robust," so pulling the carriage was no problem for them.
"How many people can usually ride in one of these carriages?" I asked.
"Two or three, four will slow down the speed."
During our conversation, we soon arrived at the first mine, the same one I had discovered under the guidance of the Elf Queen. It had changed dramatically in the few years since I'd last seen it. Well-trained workers were mining, and guards patrolled the area regularly. The extracted ores and precious seafood were neatly arranged to one side, guarded by dedicated personnel.
As we entered the cave, people bowed and made way for us along the way.
I was speechless. "You've repaired it so well, you've become a professional. No wonder you can make a fortune from this."
"You flatter me!" he said with a smile.
We continued walking forward, and the cave was brightly lit by firelight, as bright as day.
“The tunnel you used to escape through has been sealed off,” he suddenly said.
I was stunned for a moment.
"So, don't even think about escaping anymore." He looked at me gently. "And don't try to escape by any other means. I won't let you escape this time."
"Are you warning me?" I asked casually.
"I just don't want to lose my wife."
We entered the second mine, which was successfully excavated after the initial discovery of the first. This mine was primarily for pearls, and it was filled with seashells everywhere—on the ceiling, floor, and walls; you'd easily step on a few if you weren't careful. There were also numerous pits filled with mud and seawater, teeming with these seashells. It's said that this mine was once covered by seawater, allowing tiny marine organisms to thrive, providing the seashells with their favorite food. This led to a massive increase in the seashell population, resulting in high-quality pearls.
I walked carefully, trying not to step on any more seashells.
Under the bright torchlight, the densely packed expanse is unbearable for people with trypophobia.
I watched for a while longer, then went outside.
“No outsiders will come here,” I said after taking a deep breath of the fresh sea breeze outside the cave. “Why are you so strict about mine security?”
"Humans are the most unpredictable thing. Even if no outsiders come, there are still people inside. It's even more terrifying when people inside cause trouble," he said.
I laughed. "Aren't you tired of always trying to figure out what people are thinking?"
“I have to think about it,” he lamented. “My family is counting on me.”
Then he told me his story. He said he came from a very powerful family with an extremely prominent status, only a few steps away from the throne. However, their ancestors had sworn never to seize the throne or become king, and their descendants strictly adhered to this ancestral precept. As a result, they gained the trust of successive kings, and their position as powerful ministers became increasingly secure.
He had thought he would stay in the Elven Realm forever, just like the previous head of his family. But unexpectedly, things changed. To save the life of the former king, he would lead several families in a bloody escape to this secret island, thus parting ways with the Elven Realm.
"I never dreamed that I would leave the place where I grew up and come to this unfamiliar place to start all over again," he said.
"Do you regret following Daio instead of King Sarga?" I asked him.
"How could we regret it? Our family will only follow the king born to the first queen, until death do us part."
On the way back to the palace, we sat in the carriage. Even though the doors and windows were closed, the cold wind still rushed in, making our sleeves flutter and our hair fly wildly.
"If I weren't a woman with superpowers, would you marry me?"
Would a man with such a distinguished background and a penchant for gauging people's feelings truly marry me?
He smiled and answered me honestly, "No."
“I am the head of our family. Even in the Elf Realm, our family can command the wind and rain. I cannot marry just anyone.”
He seemed to sense my displeasure and said with a smile, "This just proves your worth, doesn't it?"
I said calmly, "My value doesn't depend on what kind of man I marry."
"But doesn't that prove it from another angle?"
I ignored him, and he smiled faintly again.
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Author's Note: Please continue to support me!
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