Chapter 10: Married Her
“Are you lost in thought, Master Claude?” echoed through the empty swordsmanship arena. The speaker was a white-haired old man, but his posture was as straight as that of a seasoned warrior, resembling a towering sword planted in the ground!
“Grandfather Laogeri, no, I just…”
He hesitated, feeling that anything he said now would sound like an excuse, given what had happened.
Laogeri cleared his throat, presumably well aware of the reason for Claude’s disarray. After a moment of consideration, he spoke in a low voice.
“It’s quite embarrassing, Claude.”
“Yes, I am indeed quite embarrassed,” Claude replied weakly, standing up with his usually proud head now hung low, resembling a student who had made a mistake.
Laogeri shook his head and sighed.
“An honorable knight is bound to make mistakes, it’s inevitable. Even our great King of the Sunlight Empire has experienced missteps due to matters of the heart, so there’s no need to feel guilty about it. However, when one knows they’ve erred but becomes mired in deep self-blame, unable to extricate themselves, that’s when mistakes compound, and that’s when a knight truly loses their honor. Master Claude, to acknowledge one’s mistakes and be able to correct them is true wisdom.”
Claude listened to Laogeri’s words with deep thought. His head, previously lowered, lifted up.
Seeing the young man’s ability to grasp the situation, Laogeri showed a kind smile and then put his hand on Claude’s shoulder, saying in a low voice,
“Furthermore, if you truly feel sorry for that young lady, just marry her. There’s no need for all this blame and fault.”
“Marry… marry, marry her?!!” Images of the stunning beauty flashed through Claude’s mind, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions.
“No, I can’t do that. I have a fiancée, and besides, that young lady hasn’t even regained consciousness. It’s disrespectful to discuss her like this.”
Seeing that his attempt at persuasion had failed, Laogeri retracted his somewhat sleazy kind smile, cleared his throat, and said,
“Well, let’s set this matter aside for now. I’ve already reported to the Duke earlier, and the idea is to investigate the background of that young lady first before making any other plans.”
Claude nodded in agreement, but still felt somewhat worried.
“What if that young lady is the princess of an enemy nation? What should we do?”
This hypothesis was not unreasonable. Laogeri had hinted at this question somewhat obscurely in the forest earlier, but at that time, Leia and Claude were both confused, so they didn’t catch his meaning. Now that Claude had calmed down, naturally, he could think of this problem.
“This matter…” Laogeri was about to speak when suddenly hurried footsteps approached from outside the swordsmanship arena, accompanied by Leia’s anxious call, “Master Laogeri, something’s wrong! Yuehai says her head is hurting badly, possibly due to some injury she suffered earlier!” The two met Leia’s gaze, and Laogeri spoke first, “Tell us as we walk.”
“Yes.”
Duke’s mansion.
A massive structure spanning tens of kilometers, with beautiful scenery inside, featuring artificial hills, bamboo forests, pavilions, towers, and pavilions.
There is also a separate trading street that has been opened up for the servants, subordinates, and peripheral families to trade, bustling like a small town.
At this moment, in the courtyard at the core of the Duke’s Mansion, three figures were walking quickly.
“So, this beautiful young lady is named Yuehai, but she can’t remember her own background?”
Laogeri summarized Leia’s narrative, with a faint trace of inscrutable brilliance flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Claude, who was beside Laogeri, quickened his pace, speaking with a sense of urgency.
“Grandpa Laogeri, now is not the time to consider these things. While we are talking, Miss Yuehai may still be suffering unbearable pain because of the headache.”
Watching Claude’s somewhat panicked expression, Leia, who was following closely behind, turned pale, her solemn face unnoticed by anyone except the guards stationed along the corridor.
Turning at the last fork in the corridor, Laogeri and his two companions arrived at Yuehai’s residence. This area was the VIP quarter, intended for the temporary accommodation of dignitaries visiting the duke.
Upon reaching the door, Leia went in first and said softly,
“Yuehai, sister, I have brought Grandpa Laogeri. How are you… feeling?”
Leia’s words ended in a big question mark, as she couldn’t imagine what could be wrong with the spirited girl lying on the bed.
“Ah…” Yuehai stared blankly at Leia who had burst into the room, followed closely by the others. She felt a sense of foreboding in her heart.
Regardless, might as well go all out and break the jar.
With resolve, Yuehai slowly set down the obsidian she had been examining for a while, stood up as if nothing had happened, and made a formal bow.
“Are the two adults behind Miss Leia the benefactors who saved me? I am extremely grateful.”
Suddenly, a strange fragrance wafted towards the three of them. Mr. Claude couldn’t help but feel restless once again.
Leia naturally was taken aback and asked hesitantly,
“How about your headache?”
“Thank you for your concern, Miss Leia. It seems the headache subsided after resting for a while. Um, if it’s okay, could you tell me the names of these two adults?” Yuehai spoke elegantly, looking towards Claude and Laogeri, a soft smile playing on her lips, causing Claude’s already restless heart to feel as if dozens more monkeys were stirring within.
“Oh, right.” Leia realized and quickly stepped aside, speaking respectfully.
“This is the grandson of Duke Hillel, who is also the top young talent in several neighboring countries. Not long ago, he single-handedly killed the 【Broken Army】 level bounty target, the 【Mountain Axe King】, earning him the reputation as a rare genius in Hillel for a century. He is Master Claude Hillel.”
