"Lucas."
Nguyen Thanh An called out Lucas's name as a warning.
Lucas respectfully bowed and stepped forward, cutting the Fire Spirit Fruit into small pieces, inserting a silver fork into them, and carefully handing it over.
After placing it on the table, Lucas cautiously glanced at Ruan Qing'an and couldn't help but say, "Miss, he is just a slave, while you are of noble birth. Even if you wanted to buy him and train him as a thug, he is not qualified to protect you personally."
"Besides, if you need someone to tease—"
But before Lucas could finish speaking, the girl's slender fingertips had already curled up and tapped the table, the rhythmic sound bringing a strong sense of oppression.
Ruan Qing'an, looking somewhat tired, pressed his temples. He slightly raised his leaden eyes, looked coldly at Lucas, and said softly, "Lucas, I don't like you talking nonsense."
“…It was I who overstepped my bounds, Miss.”
Lucas stiffened and lowered his head slightly.
The fact that he could say so much was already a sign of leniency from Ruan Qing'an, who had been the butler for a long time. Anyone else would probably have been sent to the disciplinary room long ago...
Ruan Qing'an didn't say anything more, but just beckoned to Aldrich with his finger. The man, who was sitting on the bed with his head pressed down and still had some aftereffects of being unconscious, noticed the movement and looked over with some curiosity.
“Come here, Aldridge.”
"?"
Immediately afterward, without waiting for Ruan Qing'an to urge him, Aldrich obediently came to her side. The tall man knelt down on the floor next to her, nuzzled against her hand, and enjoyed the caress from the girl's soft palm, just like an exceptionally clingy big dog.
She leaned back in the luxurious armchair, propping her face up with one hand and casually stroking Aldridge with the other, her attitude nonchalant and flippant, as if she were treating her pet.
It was clearly a humiliating act, but Aldridge was just too tall, and as he sat like a dog beside the soft chair, instinctively chasing her gentle caresses, something unexpected happened—
It's like confining a young girl in a man's broad arms.
Meanwhile, Lucas, bowing respectfully to the side, was slightly pale.
After Ruan Qing'an ate the Fire Spirit Fruit, she said, "Lucas, don't let me hear those kinds of words again, do you understand?"
“Even a dog, bearing my name Dolores Lancaster, will be high above others. Whether it is my slave or—you, Lucas, even if you are just the Lancaster family’s butler, you are no different from the nobles of the Lycas Empire.”
She paused, a smile curving her vibrant lips, and looked up with an almost haughty air: "So, what's the difference between you and him?"
"...Yes, Miss, I was confused."
Lucas finally came to his senses. He placed one hand on his chest and knelt on one knee in front of Nguyen Thanh An. It was clearly an insult, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He said, "Thank you for the supreme honor bestowed upon me by you, Miss. I will do my best for you. I hope you will not blame me."
Ruan Qingan waved his hand casually: "Go down, Lucas. Considering this is your first offense, I'll spare you from punishment. Wait at the door."
Upon hearing this, he bowed again, greeted her, and left, saying, "Miss Xie."
Only after Lucas left did Ruan Qing'an turn her head and look down at the man sitting next to her on the soft chair, his long arms outstretched, almost half-embracing her, rubbing against her like a large dog.
Ruan Qingan: ...He should be my slave, so why do I have this feeling that I am his beloved toy?
037: [Seriously, this is really hard to judge...]
After a brief silence, Ruan Qingan stopped thinking about the question. After all, training a dog is not something that can be done overnight, let alone taming a human.
With a flick of her slender finger, she lifted Aldridge's chin.
Do you know what he was just saying about you?
"Know."
Aldridge nodded: "That's what slave owners used to call me. I don't know what it meant, but it seemed like a bad word."
"Yes, it's a bad word."
Ruan Qing'an chuckled softly. She suddenly pushed Aldrich away, then stood up on her own and strode forward with her slender legs until she stopped a meter away from Aldrich, then turned slightly to the side.
Her leaden-gray eyes looked down at him: "Kneel properly, good dog."
"Why a well-behaved dog?"
Aldridge tilted his head, looking somewhat puzzled.
She tapped his brow with her slender fingertips, gently pressing Aldridge down: "Because if you're human, you have to stay away from me. You're not allowed to hug me, you're not allowed to cling to me, understand?"
Upon hearing this, Aldrich had no choice but to kneel obediently, looking up at Ruan Qing'an. He still preferred to hold his sweet and soft master.
Ruan Qingan: ...Strange, why do I still feel like I'm the one who's at a disadvantage?
037: We dare not say, we dare not ask. (????-)?
Seeing that Aldrich had knelt down, Ruan Qing'an stopped thinking about it. Her slender and graceful figure was turned away from him, her skirt adorned with exquisite dark red lace trim, delicate and beautiful, and she spread her hands—
The fire element flew into her palm like a sprite.
It was so beautiful it looked like a dream, but just as Aldrich was engrossed in watching it, a sharp pain suddenly struck him!
The fire element condensed into a long whip like a fire snake, which Ruan Qing'an held in her hand. She turned around and lashed out at Aldrich with the whip, instantly tearing his skin open!
"hiss……"
He couldn't help but groan, and the whip disappeared the next moment. Ruan Qing'an stepped forward, bent down, grabbed Aldrich's collar with one hand, and pressed the whip wound on his chest with the other, smiling radiantly.
She murmured softly, "Since you know, then remember this well, Aldrich: no one can insult you. I mean—anyone."
"Whether they are royalty or wealthy merchants."
"Kill anyone who deceives you, insults you, or hurts you."
Ruan Qing'an smiled, but beneath that coquettish laughter lay a vicious and chilling murderous intent: "Remember forever, everything you have belongs to me, from your life to your reputation, and nothing can be violated."
"I don't want to see Lucas a second time."
Even though the wound on his chest still hurt a little, Aldrich looked at Ruan Qing'an and suddenly laughed: "I understand, Master."
【Affection Level: 10】
Despite being mentally incomplete, they are as pure and innocent as children, untouched by the dust of the world.
But precisely because of this, Aldrich is exceptionally perceptive of emotions. Compared to Lucas's subtle malice and contempt, Ruan Qingan's undisguised protection and indulgence are quite different...
Like the bright sun and blazing flames, it's warm enough.
\u0003\u0003\u0003
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