Chapter 316
Chapter 316
Chapter 316
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 316: The Bad News Is That the One Beside Lan Qi Is Sigrid
The sky above Kingston City had turned into a piece of silk dampened by time, its colors gradually shifting from vivid to dull. The gold and orange of day faded into blue-black dusk.
The warmth and liveliness of the reception hall also seemed replaced by a faint sense of solitude.
The wide sofas and delicate tea tables, the family crest under the dim light—all seemed muted. The red curtains swayed gently at the windows, letting in a breeze that carried a touch of chill.
The candles flickered wearily upon their stands, wavering as if about to be devoured by the oncoming night.
The three of them sat quietly.
By the time Viscount Levin Kingston returned to the reception hall, Lilith was already gone.
The composed lord instructed his butler and servants to attend properly to Lan Qi and Sid, while privately inviting Shaya to walk and talk with him.
Thus, only the thoughtful Lan Qi and the leisure-loving Sid remained in the hall.
When night had fully fallen, and after they had finished the dinner sent by the servants, the butler led Lan Qi and Sid upstairs toward their guest rooms.
The two kept their silence for a long while.
The second-floor corridor of the mansion was still faintly warm.
Looking out through the tall windows, only a few scattered stars were left in the night sky.
“Sid, what kind of romance stories do you like?”
Lan Qi finally raised his head and asked.
Sid thought for a moment, tapping the air lightly with her fingers as she strolled.
“A young boy and girl fall in love, but along the way they face the oppression of power and family. Next comes the part where the boy, with his wisdom, courage, and steadfast resolve, overcomes hardship and wins back his destined girl, composing a romantic ballad of love.”
Sid spoke her thoughts seriously.
“Meow, meow!”
Boss Cat began to fidget restlessly just at hearing this.
It seemed his bias against Sid was too strong.
But really, she had fine taste when it came to romance.
Boss Cat even started to look forward to how Shaya and Lilith’s romance might unfold.
This time, at least Lan Qi didn’t seem to have any reckless plans—Huperion’s repeated warnings had held him back!
“I see...”
Lan Qi muttered to himself.
“With wisdom, courage, and steadfast resolve to overcome hardship... I was right after all.”
He suddenly clenched his fist and clapped his palm, turning to Sid.
He had asked for someone else’s opinion, and it wasn’t so different from his own thoughts. That meant his understanding of romance wasn’t wrong.
“Meow!”
Seeing Lan Qi’s expression of sudden realization, Boss Cat was instantly filled with dread.
What exactly did you “realize,” you naive brat?!
But Lan Qi paid no heed to the cat, who had sat up in shock, and quickened his pace.
In less than a minute, he arrived at the guest room where Shaya was staying, having gotten the location from the butler. He stood before the door and knocked twice.
“Shaya, it’s me.”
Lan Qi’s tone was steady.
There was movement inside.
Footsteps, heavy and listless, approached the door.
“Yes, this is the moment. If Shaya is dejected, then a mentor should come to encourage him.”
Sid, unexpectedly, thought Lan Qi seemed to understand after all.
As they waited for the door to open, Sid stood at the side of the corridor, watching the little black cat that had jumped down from Lan Qi’s arms.
Since Lan Qi had taken action with such determination, the little black cat’s condition had suddenly worsened.
But then again, the cat was always afraid of her, so being fidgety around her was normal.
“His role must be something like ‘a fated benefactor in one’s life,’ or the ‘reliable adult figure we imagined in our youth.’ A trustworthy big-brother image.”
Sid sighed to the cat.
“Meow... it’s not like that... not that beautiful...”
Though Boss Cat was still terrified of her—afraid she might smack him to death in an instant—he felt Sid was the only one who could stop Lan Qi now. At least as a woman, her views on romance were sound.
“Sid... please... stop him. This is not a romantic comedy...”
“Don’t worry. With me here, the story will follow the romantic comedy script. It won’t stray too far.”
Sid believed firmly that the Saint Child’s romance script commissions and what he enacted could not possibly differ much.
The metallic click of the lock turning came, and Shaya finally opened the door.
“...”
Boss Cat felt utterly doomed.
“Shaya, do you want to win back your destined girl?”
Lan Qi stood calmly in the corridor, his gaze warm and steady as he looked straight into Shaya’s eyes.
Shaya did have talent. A second-rank who had managed to survive the pursuit of several third- and fourth-ranks across the snowfields—he could probably pass Ikerite Academy’s entrance exam.
He just hadn’t awakened yet. The south was too peaceful, too safe—like even tigresses had their claws dulled there.
“I want to...”
Shaya’s voice was calm, but his hands hidden under his sleeves were clenched so tightly his nails nearly pierced his palms.
“But can you help me, Mr. McCarthy?”
Every time he felt despair, this man would appear in his bleak vision.
In those gentle green eyes was a gaze that said I believe in you.
A gaze that made you believe he would truly help you.
Such a gaze, perhaps one only encounters once or twice in a lifetime.
Of course.
“...”
Just those two simple, resolute words made Shaya’s eyes sting with tears.
It was like someone sharing their hearth fire with you in winter when you were shivering, on the brink of freezing to death.
Since childhood, Shaya had had a sharp eye and intuition.
The moment he first saw Lan Qi and Sid, he knew they carried countless unsolvable mysteries.
And this man before him—dangerous, yet so reliable. Those green eyes were the deepest and most beautiful color he had ever seen. Even if consumed by them, it felt like happiness.
He wanted to be strong like him.
Perhaps his life would never have many moments to stake everything on the line, but right now—if there was a chance—even if it meant consorting with demons, even if it meant staking his soul, he would do it. He could not allow Lilith to fall into Dean’s hands.
“Even if it requires paying some price.”
Lan Qi clasped his hands behind his back and smiled, asking deeply:
“Do you have the courage to be cast into certain death, only to rise again?”
“...?”
Hearing this, Boss Cat began wailing. He had seen this before—this wasn’t a romantic comedy at all!
“A price? What price could I pay? If it’s to protect her, I’d give up everything I have!”
For once, Shaya’s eyes blazed with rare fierceness as he ground out his words.
“Good! Then let me teach you.”
Lan Qi, delighted at finding a promising pupil, pressed his hand firmly on Shaya’s shoulder.
“Love is war. Without the trial of iron and blood, it’s nothing but an illusion. From this moment on, I am your instructor. Do you understand?”
“I understand!”
Not far away—
“...”
Sid stood at the side of the corridor, arms folded, listening to Boss Cat’s cries.
Up until the line “Love is war,” things had sounded normal enough.
But after that... it seemed Lan Qi meant every word literally.
Was this really a youthful romantic comedy...?
(End of Chapter)