In the woods, Serena saw a figure of medium build sitting on a rock, fiddling with his crossbow.
Hearing footsteps, the man put away his crossbow. In the firelight, he wore a large hooded cloak, beneath which was brand-new leather armor. At his waist hung a black-sheathed longsword, and on the other side was the crossbow that had just been put away. This man was none other than Yun Zhe.
"Good evening, Miss Earl," the man said softly. His tone was gentle and soothing.
Serena bowed respectfully. Although she was startled to have her identity exposed, she figured that someone willing to lend a helping hand at this moment must be no ordinary person, and it wasn't surprising that they knew her identity. It was just that calling her "Countess" at this moment sounded rather awkward.
Serena got up and looked around. When she came over, she saw a row of crossbow bolts on the ground and guessed that there must be a lot of people in the forest. But she only saw Yun Zhe sitting on the rock.
Serena suppressed her doubts. "Thank you, sir. Thank you for saving my life and my companion's life. May I ask your name? I swear on the honor of the Donic family that I will repay you handsomely."
“I don’t think the Donic family’s reputation is good enough to guarantee right now. After all, you’re in a precarious situation yourself, and the title of Earl is just an empty name. I’d like to know how the Countess will reward me, and what kind of reward she will give me.”
Serena was momentarily speechless. She disliked the way this person was speaking at that moment, but what was infuriating was that he was stating the very real and difficult situation.
Lorraine drew his longsword an inch and took a step forward. He was worldly-wise and knew that the man before him had no sense of honor; his offer of help must have been for a reason. Negotiations had already begun, and if he fell into the other's trap, he would surely be overcharged. Therefore, he decided to take the initiative, intending to intimidate the man and disrupt his rhythm.
Yun Zhe chuckled and waved his hand, "I don't intend to take advantage of you, that's too boring."
Lorraine was startled. How did he know her thoughts?
Serena pulled Lorraine back and bowed again. "My partner was rude just now. As you said, the Donic family's promises are indeed no longer guaranteed. However, I am still willing to give you a promise, a promise from me. If you want a reward, you can name a price, and we can discuss it."
Yun Zhe suddenly recalled the image of the girl in front of him holding a sword to his neck, and felt a pang of emotion, but he continued to speak according to his own plan.
“Young lady, I find it difficult to be at ease with either your promise or the Donic family’s promise at this moment. However,” Yun Zhe paused deliberately, noticing that both of them had frowned.
"But what?" Serena had already regretted coming over to thank her, but out of noble manners, she still asked politely.
“But I expect you to keep your promise, and I also expect the Donic family to keep theirs. Only if they are kept can I get what I want, right?”
Lorraine was startled; he vaguely guessed the man's purpose.
Serena was a little confused; she didn't understand the meaning of the sentence, as if the person had said something meaningless.
"I will help you become a true earl, so you can fulfill the promise you made to me tonight. However, the price will be higher. Are you willing to accept it?"
Serena stared at the man before her. He was furtive and suspicious, seemingly not a good person. His wild words suggested he was mentally unstable. The more she thought about it, the more she felt this man was a madman.
Lorraine felt that although the man before him was putting on airs, he might actually have some skill. As a wandering knight who roamed various no-man's-land, he had naturally seen and heard some legends of reclusive masters. At this moment, it seemed no different from the beginning of those stories, except that most of the stories involved young princes and beautiful, mysterious women, while the current situation seemed to be the exact opposite.
"It's actually very simple. Just think about who will benefit and who will suffer if you don't become an earl. Then the current situation will become clear, won't it?" Yun Zhe said patiently, disregarding the thoughts of the two people in front of him.
Lorraine was still pondering the mystery behind those words when Serena felt as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer, and her body swayed.
Yun Zhe was very satisfied with Serena's reaction. At this moment, seven or eight names had already appeared in her little head.
“Solving these problems is not complicated at all,” Yun Zhe smiled, but did not continue.
Serena stared at Yun Zhe and said, word by word, "Please teach me, sir."
“It’s very expensive,” Yun Zhe blurted out.
Serena was taken aback, then quickly realized what was going on. She thought to herself, "So this person is greedy. Luckily, luckily, these kinds of people are the easiest to deal with." Her smile remained, but a hint of disdain crept into her heart.
“One thousand… gold coins,” Yun Zhe said slowly.
Serena frowned, thinking, "It's a bit expensive, but not unaffordable." However, since a price had been set, it was a deal. The Donic family had built their fortune on business and were extremely confident in their abilities.
“I agree,” Serena smiled. A thousand gold coins is nothing compared to becoming a count and uncovering the truth.
Lorraine gasped. Was a thousand gold coins too expensive? But before he could object, Serena had already agreed. Lorraine looked at Serena with even greater astonishment, feeling for the first time that he couldn't understand the girl before him.
Yun Zhe clapped his hands. "You have good judgment. My method is simple: go to the Paz family. They are the only ones who support you right now. As long as you give them enough treatment to heal their wounds, they will be your most..." Yun Zhe stopped speaking because he saw Serena glaring at him angrily.
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