Chapter 272 The boy's hormones exuded a strange aura...
The woman walked towards a few makeshift wooden sheds, shouted a few words inside, and several adults and children quickly came out and started arguing with her.
The woman was furious, her face flushed and her neck bulging, but she seemed unable to out-argue them.
I dare not go over there; I have no advantage in this situation.
The boy suddenly walked over, said nothing, and pulled the dagger from his calf, plunging it into the mud. The adults and children fell silent. A few seconds later, a child obediently handed over his purse. The boy took it, walked up to me, and tossed it over, saying, "Sis, yours!"
I had just caught it when I suddenly saw the child pull out the dagger that the boy had just stuck in the mud and stab him hard from behind. I pushed the boy away, and the dagger was about to stab my arm, but the boy reacted very quickly, pulling me aside with great strength—literally pulling me aside—and then kicked me with his other long leg. The child and the dagger were kicked away together. A woman outside the wooden shed cried out and ran towards the child.
Before I could recover from my shock, the boy had already put me down.
"Let's go!" The boy's sister quickly pulled me and the boy away.
We are now safe at the bustling street corner.
"What are you doing in our royal city?" the boy's older sister asked me curiously.
"Well, I'm here on someone's behalf to collect stories, like recent big events, divorces or difficult marriages, people being wronged and trying to get help, or a theater troupe performing here and the male or female actors falling for someone and not wanting to leave—these kinds of interesting stories," I said.
"Who needs a story like this?" the boy's sister laughed. "But it sounds quite interesting."
I smiled and said goodbye to them. Just as I turned around, the boy suddenly said behind me, "Come over tomorrow, and I'll take you to find it."
I turned around in surprise. “Really,” he said, “I know how to get interesting stories out of people.”
I smiled broadly, "Okay, see you tomorrow!"
The snow had melted, but the palace's floor heating was still burning brightly. I sat on the thick carpet, flipping through the paper-printing samples that had been submitted, and writing down annotations that needed improvement.
“Mother, I advise you to be careful in choosing your friends.” Aurora sat down next to me at some point, and a maid brought two cups of hot tea.
"Oh, how many people did you send to follow me?" Although it was expected, I still couldn't help but ask.
“I instructed them to minimize disruption to your life, and that the bodyguards would only intervene if absolutely necessary, in life-or-death situations,” Aurora said. “Every high-ranking nobleman has bodyguards when they travel.”
"I am not some nobleman."
"Mother is joking again. You are the mother of the Queen of the Royal City, how could you not be?"
“I’ve always felt that I’m of commoner blood.”
“You are no longer that,” Aurora sighed, “from the moment your father held your hand and pressed his fingerprint on the marriage contract.”
I picked up the hot tea and took a sip.
"Mother, you shouldn't make friends with boys casually, it could kill someone."
"Don't kill people indiscriminately, or I will never forgive you."
"Why should I do it myself?" Aurora chuckled. "Mother, this poor boy may be handsome, but how can he compare to Father and the other kings? Why do you want to harm him?"
"What nonsense are you talking about! I've only made one or two new friends, and you're all acting like this is a major threat."
"I just couldn't help but remind you, lest you regret it. King Bernard will never tolerate a handsome young man by your side; he will only die."
I put all the documents into the bag next to me and prepared to go to the library. "Actually, I had already warned him not to kill people indiscriminately."
The next day, I didn't keep the appointment. I sent a maid to inform her that I had something to do and wouldn't be coming. The maid returned and told me that when she arrived, the handsome young man was still there, half an hour past the appointed time. When she told him I wasn't coming, he actually asked her, "Sister, will you come tomorrow?" The maid said he probably wouldn't, but that she could come herself. At this point, the maid couldn't help but laugh and say, "I'm sorry, Madam, he's really very handsome, and I couldn't resist asking him out."
“It’s okay,” I laughed, “you two are quite a good match.”
“But he refused and just left.” The maid shrugged.
Another day passed, and I disguised myself as a man, donned a wig and men's clothes, and slipped into the tavern. It was the middle of the night, and the tavern was still bustling and noisy. I mingled among them, trying to gather any exciting news that might be breaking.
"Last night, the woman from the Gede family cornered Gede and the miller's daughter on the bed, causing a huge commotion."
“Ira had three fingers chopped off a few days ago after losing a large sum of money gambling and being chased by loan sharks.”
"My neighbor's kid stole something, got caught red-handed, and was beaten half to death."
These weren't the news I wanted, I sighed inwardly and continued my search.
They crawled under several more tables, spewing vulgarities and swearing, but not a single piece of news was of any value.
Suddenly, I was pulled out from under the table. "I noticed you a while ago, you little rascal, always crawling around, up to no good. Tell me, what do you want?" a loud voice yelled at me.
"I noticed that too. That kid's acting really strange. What's he doing hiding under the table?"
Several burly men with big beards surrounded me. I was so scared that I stammered, "I... I just went to the wrong place."
"Wrong place? Who are you trying to fool?"
"Big brother, teach him a lesson!"
I frantically waved my hands, "I meant no harm, I really meant no harm."
A crowd of onlookers had gathered around. "Look at his age, he's not young anymore, yet he's hiding and doing things like a kid eavesdropping."
"Are you trying to steal money?"
Upon hearing that I was stealing money, the burly men with big beards panicked. They frantically searched themselves, afraid I would take it. Finding the money still there, they breathed a sigh of relief.
The tavern's thugs were also alerted and came over to ask, "What's going on?"
"This kid is trying to steal money!" They accused me without any explanation.
I was dragged outside the tavern by the thugs again, and I was about to be brutally beaten. I was on the verge of tears, and I was about to throw a punch when suddenly a strong and powerful hand grabbed me.
The burly thug was furious, but his anger subsided when he saw who it was. "You... what are you doing here?"
"Here to deliver goods." A familiar young voice rang out. "I know this person. He's not the thief. If anyone's money is missing, I'll compensate them."
I looked over in surprise and saw that it was the same handsome young man from two days ago.
His tall, slender figure and handsome face shone clearly under the hanging lamps in the tavern.
"Alright, with you saying that, I won't make things difficult for him." The thug actually let go of me. "Remember, don't come to the tavern to cause trouble next time."
I hurriedly stood up and stepped aside.
The thugs left, and the handsome young man walked up to me and actually smiled, "Sister, I didn't expect to see you here."
"Are you here to deliver goods?" I asked.
"Yes, my family delivers alcohol."
"Is it for brewing wine or for delivery?"
"I guess so, that's why I often deal with taverns. I didn't expect to run into you," the handsome young man said with a smile. "Why weren't you here the day before yesterday? Did you decide you didn't want to collect stories anymore?"
I was speechless for a moment, and then said, "I just don't want to bother others. As you can see, this matter will disturb others, so I'll do it myself."
“I’ll take you somewhere,” he suddenly said, “where you’re sure to find a satisfying story.”
He grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the street corner. Before I knew it, he had led me past two street corners.
In the night breeze, the boy's hormones exuded a strange fragrance, lingering on my nose and enveloping my entire body.
He sometimes slowed down, afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up. I asked, panting, "Where are you taking me?"
“There are caravans outside the city gate.”
We finally reached the city gate, and he led me to a small side gate. He was clearly familiar with the gate guards; after exchanging pleasantries and laughing for a while, he slipped some money to the guard and led me out of the side gate.
Ordinary caravans generally wouldn't stay overnight in the city, as it would be too expensive for them to stay in an inn. They would usually camp outside the city. Several campfires would be lit, the women would set up small pots to cook food, the men would sit around the fire chatting and drinking, and the children would laugh and play around.
The handsome young man led me to sit by several bonfires, and I heard an interesting story.
The son of a noble family fell in love with a commoner's daughter. The commoner's daughter gave birth to a son, and the noble son disappeared. The commoner's daughter raised her illegitimate child until he was two years old, when the noble son reappeared. It turned out that his father had passed away, and he had inherited a sum of money, which allowed him to finally bring the mother and child home. Of course, not to the noble son's own home, but to a house he had bought elsewhere, where the mother and child moved in.
When the nobleman's wife found out, she came and made a scene. From then on, the nobleman protected the mother and child even more fiercely. The wife fell ill from anger, and her parents came to cause trouble, threatening the nobleman's family business. The nobleman reluctantly agreed to let the mother and child leave. Of course, he gave them a large sum of money.
The mother and son left crying with the money. Unexpectedly, the commoner woman was incredibly lucky later, meeting a man who truly cared for her. He was a wealthy businessman in his early forties; his wife had passed away, yet he disregarded the difference in their social status and resolutely married the commoner woman. The two had two sons and lived happily ever after.
The nobleman was furious when he learned of this. He had given the commoner woman a large sum of money because he didn't want her to marry so soon. Enraged, he went to find her, and she returned the money she had given him. He angrily demanded his son back, but she refused, leading to a lawsuit between them.
Back at the palace, I first sent people to verify the truth, then wrote an article titled "The Story That Isn't a Story!" It was nearly a thousand words long, and at the end I commented: "Human greed, anger, ignorance, and resentment are fully displayed when former partners become bitter enemies. Sometimes letting go, letting each other go, is the best interpretation of love. Happiness isn't about being together, but about remembering each other after separation and genuinely caring for one another; only then can one truly experience happiness."
The person who verified the story returned and reported to me that the story was basically true. I then felt relieved and took the manuscript to be printed using movable type.
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Author's Note: I usually don't update on Fridays, but I rushed to post a chapter today, so please support me! Also, please read my other novels! Your support is my motivation!
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