Under the escort of numerous Black Armoured Guards and National Guard soldiers, Ye Dui and his group arrived on the main street outside the Lord’s Mansion.
By this point, Ye Dui had also learned why they had been discovered so quickly while hiding in the slum district. The old carriage driver they had frightened away upon their return had reported their whereabouts to the City Guards.
This could not be blamed on the old carriage driver. Any normal person encountering such a Terminator-style entrance would surely be terrified.
At the grand gate of the Lord’s Mansion, the lord of Windrock City, Kevin, was pacing back and forth somewhat anxiously. His personal steward stood by his side, comforting him that there was no need to worry, but the matters weighing on his heart were far too numerous.
It had been over half a year since his daughter’s disappearance. Although he had been extremely strict in disciplining Windsor and had even used certain dishonourable methods to break up Windsor and Cass, in the end, it was simply the emotions of a father hoping his daughter could have a beautiful life at play. This morning, when the Fourth Prince was suddenly teleported back, he had immediately asked the Fourth Prince about Windsor’s safety. From the Fourth Prince’s angry words, he could judge that his daughter was now safe, which eased his mind somewhat. However, because she was with Cass, this had infuriated the Fourth Prince, and the engagement was probably off. Compared to Windsor’s safety, he did not care about these things, but he worried about what the Fourth Prince might do to Windsor.
His heart was simply filled with worry to the point of desperation. Upon learning that Ye Dui and his group had also been teleported back, the Fourth Prince had stormed off aggressively with the National Guard to demand them. He had hurriedly arranged for his own people to go as well. Others could be disregarded, but Windsor had to be brought back safely.
At this moment, a guard he had placed by the Fourth Prince’s side came running back in a hurry. “Lord, Miss Windsor is safe and sound.”
“Really?” Lord Kevin’s face suddenly relaxed with a sigh of relief. “Where is she now?”
“She is on her way back. They have already reached the main street,” the guard quickly explained. “Miss is with Cass, and also Ye Dui, Debbie, and the others.”
“Cass!” Kevin gnashed his teeth as he uttered the name. Windsor was the Fourth Prince’s fiancée, yet you are still with her now. Is this not adding fuel to the fire? Would the Fourth Prince let you and Windsor off?
“Lord, the situation seems a bit strange,” the guard continued, his expression somewhat odd. “I was standing outside just now and did not see the specifics clearly, but it seems that Prince Geller knows that Debbie, and their relationship appears quite close.”
After Windsor’s disappearance, Lord Kevin had conducted a detailed investigation into Ye Dui and his group’s information. He knew that Debbie claimed to be from the imperial capital and was a member of the Anduin family, so she might know Prince Geller. But what of it? The Anduin family was now just an ordinary family. Even if she knew him, it would absolutely not quell the anger of the Fourth Prince and Prince Geller. After all, Cass’s actions were a disgrace to the imperial prince.
He had to find a way to save Windsor.
In his anxious state of mind, the vast procession had already arrived on the main street in front of the Lord’s Mansion. Kevin saw Prince Geller standing together with the girl named Debbie. Ye Dui, Green, and the others followed behind. His own daughter was indeed safe, but at a time like this, she was actually still holding hands with Cass! Her body was even pressed closely against his?
They were surrounded by a circle of Black Armoured Guards, with the Fourth Prince walking at the rear, his face as sombre as could be.
“Silly daughter!” Lord Kevin wailed inwardly, believing that Windsor must have seen them being captured and thus thrown caution to the wind, openly displaying her affection.
Lord Kevin immediately charged forward in a fury, drawing the short sword at his waist and preparing to attack Cass.
Killing Cass might just save his daughter’s life.
“Cass, you villain, I will kill you!” Lord Kevin shouted loudly. After all, he had been mingling in the empire’s ruling class and knew that at a time like this, one had to put on a full show. Though he was a lord, his own skills were not weak. Caught off guard, he had already rushed to the side of the Black Armoured Guards.
“Father!” Windsor’s face paled in shock as she hurriedly cried out.
“Stop!” A loud shout came, but it was from the Fourth Prince’s mouth.
The Black Armoured Guards were not there for show. A tall, bald swordsman with a massive build reached out with one large hand and grabbed Kevin’s sword-wielding wrist in an instant. His other hand landed on Kevin’s abdomen, exerting force, which immediately dissipated Kevin’s forward momentum. At the same time, sword energy spread throughout his body, firmly suppressing him.
Every Black Armoured Guard was at the level of an advanced swordsman, so Lord Kevin’s methods stood no chance. However, being stopped was entirely within Lord Kevin’s expectations. He was merely putting on a show to save his daughter. After being restrained, his face still bore a furious expression as he shouted at Cass. “You actually abducted my daughter. I never imagined you were this kind of person, Cass. The curse of the Demon Emperor, I must kill you today.”
“Lord Kevin, I believe there must be some misunderstanding here,” the Fourth Prince said as he walked over.
“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? Windsor is the Fourth Prince’s fiancée.” Lord Kevin raged, but as his gaze shifted, he realised the speaker was none other than the Fourth Prince himself, leaving him momentarily stunned.
The Fourth Prince continued. “Windsor and Brother Cass fell in love at first sight and belong to each other. If I had known about their relationship earlier, I would never have forced the issue. Lord Kevin, why did you not tell me sooner about the connection between Windsor and Brother Cass? It nearly led me to break up this pair of lovers. What a sin.”
Lord Kevin: “…Ah?”
Was the Fourth Prince speaking ironically?
But that affable smile on his face did not seem like it. In his impression, the Fourth Prince was wise and cold. Now he appeared so… dim-witted? Just before setting off to capture Ye Dui and the others, he had been furious, as if he wanted to kill them all. How had he changed so suddenly?
“Lord Kevin, this Cass is Sister Debbie’s friend, which makes him my friend. Were you just trying to kill him?” Prince Geller said coldly at this moment, his eyes glancing sideways at the Fourth Prince.
“No, I merely…” Lord Kevin was now in a state of complete bewilderment. What on earth had happened?
Sister… Debbie?
“Go and prepare a banquet. I want to have a few good drinks with Sister Debbie!” Prince Geller continued. His status was noble, far higher than Lord Kevin’s, and in Windrock City, he was the master. As he spoke, he immediately took Sister Debbie’s hand affectionately with a smile and led her into the Lord’s Mansion.
Debbie pulled a funny face at Lord Kevin, who was full of astonishment.
Ye Dui smiled at Lord Kevin. This was the first time he had seen Lord Kevin’s appearance: somewhat short and stout, slightly balding, with a round face that carried considerable dignity, though now it bore a strange sense of comicality. Noticing Ye Dui’s gaze, he forced a stiff smile onto his face.
Ye Dui then turned his attention to the Fourth Prince.
The Fourth Prince’s face twitched slightly, vaguely resembling a smile.
“Hey, Fourth Prince, that head of green hair you have looks really dashing,” Ye Dui said with a cheerful laugh.
“?”
The Fourth Prince’s expression stiffened, somewhat bewildered, completely failing to grasp the meaning in Ye Dui’s words, but he knew it was definitely mockery.
Ye Dui had already followed inside the Lord’s Mansion.
Cass and Windsor did not hurry to enter but came to Kevin’s side.
“Windsor, are you alright?” Kevin, disregarding everything else, hurriedly embraced his daughter and asked in an excited voice.
“Father, I am fine. Cass has taken very good care of me,” Windsor said, her emotions also stirring upon seeing her father. She knew that although she had only been away from Kevin for a few days, to him, it had been over half a year since her disappearance.
Kevin looked towards Cass.
“Lord Kevin,” Cass responded in a somewhat odd voice, his feelings complex.
Kevin still showed little goodwill towards Cass. He snorted and, pulling Windsor, walked towards the Lord’s Mansion. “Windsor, what exactly happened to you these past days? Oh, right, where is that chubby girl Linda? She disappeared with you. Where is she now?”
…
In the banquet hall of the Lord’s Mansion, at Prince Geller’s insistence, Debbie sat directly in the seat of honour, and Ye Dui, at Debbie’s request, sat beside her. Prince Geller sat companionably by Debbie’s other side. As for Lord Kevin, the Fourth Prince, and the others, they were all to sit off to one side.
A lavish spread of food was quickly laid out on the table. The previously somewhat reserved Gunny immediately perked up with excitement. Just wait until you see the monstrous appetite of the super-strong girl.
Debbie, while savouring the delicious roast beef and foie gras, boastfully recounted her adventures to Prince Geller, who listened with keen interest. When Debbie raised her glass of red wine to drink, he sighed. “Sixty-four years have passed, and I never thought I would see you again. Unfortunately, I am just an old bag of bones now.”
“Sixty-four years? You are an old man now, even older than the old man in my family. At first, I did not even recognise you,” Debbie said casually, but then her movements suddenly stiffened, and her little face turned pale in an instant. Her voice trembling, she said, “The old man in my family… how is he now?”
Ye Dui’s movements also stiffened slightly as he glanced worriedly at Debbie.
Prince Geller paused, then sighed. “After you disappeared, old Lord Anduin spent vast resources searching for you, but to no avail. Then… about ten years after your disappearance, I suppose, he had already passed away.”
Debbie’s little nose twitched. “The old man is dead…”
Prince Geller nodded. “He was the backbone of the Anduin family. Your family… is somewhat special, hiding certain secrets. After his death, with no heir, the family was taken over by the adopted son he had later taken in. It then suffered several mishaps. If not for Brother Four and me looking after it in secret all along, the Anduin family would probably have been extinguished long ago. But even now, it is no longer the flourishing powerhouse it once was.”
When Ye Dui had first met Debbie, she had spoken of the greatness of the Anduin family, but the facts Ye Dui later learned were that the Anduin family was indeed formidable, yet far from possessing the influence Debbie had described.
Sixty years was enough time to bring even the most prosperous great family to decline.
“Wah,” Debbie finally could not hold back and burst into tears. She had not even put down the ham in her hand when the tears came streaming down.
With Debbie’s crying, the atmosphere in the banquet hall immediately turned eerie. No one dared make a sound. In the vast hall, only the little girl’s sorrowful sobs remained.
The Fourth Prince, seated at the lower end, saw the opportunity to perform and hurriedly took a napkin from a servant, approaching Debbie’s side to offer it to her for wiping her tears.
Debbie, in the midst of her weeping, instinctively took the napkin, but in her tear-blurred vision, she saw that it was the Fourth Prince who had handed it over. The little girl immediately threw the napkin to the ground and, still not satisfied, kicked the Fourth Prince twice more.
Ye Dui then picked up the napkin and silently handed it back to Debbie. Only then did she take it to wipe her tears, though her “boo hoo” cries continued unabated.
The Fourth Prince, who had been kicked down and was climbing back up: “…”
Debbie had never imagined that the old man would pass away just like that. The last memory she had of being with him was arguing with him. At that time, she had secretly prepared to go on an adventure, only to be captured by some mercenaries and brought back in exchange for a reward of one hundred gold coins. She had had a big row with the old man, then slipped into the family’s secret chamber, where she discovered the teleportation coordinates that sent her into the ruins world.
Little did she know, that would be forever.
In this world, there was no longer anyone who cared for her and indulged her so much.
The emotionally overwhelmed girl suddenly found a warm chest to lean into. Her body fell against Ye Dui’s embrace, her eyes gradually swelling red. Her cries turned into intermittent sobs, and she looked utterly exhausted now.
Ye Dui signalled to Prince Geller, who hurriedly arranged for a room to be prepared. Ye Dui gently carried the girl and took her to the room.
Watching as she slowly fell asleep on the bed, with tears still trickling from her eyes, Ye Dui wiped them away before quietly withdrawing.
Standing outside the door, Ye Dui let out a deep sigh.
He knew that although Debbie appeared foolish, she was not actually dim-witted. She had probably long realised her own time-travel issue but had stubbornly refused to believe it, deceiving her own emotions all along. Moreover, the moment she encountered Prince Geller, she had likely already sensed that her father had passed away. In fact, when Prince Geller had called out “Sister Debbie,” she had instinctively gripped Ye Dui’s hand tightly.
That was not out of confusion or shock, but a wordless sorrow and melancholy.
Ye Dui shook his head, preparing to leave, when he suddenly spotted Prince Geller standing nearby.
This seventy-something-year-old man was gazing at Ye Dui with bright, piercing eyes.
Ye Dui’s heart tensed in an instant.
In front of Debbie, Prince Geller, due to his youthful experiences, felt nostalgia and excitement, showing her that flattering demeanour and happily playing dumb about certain matters. But that was only with Debbie. Towards Ye Dui, he might not have such a favourable attitude. Now that Debbie was resting exhausted in the room, perhaps he was about to reveal his tough side?
Under Ye Dui’s tense gaze, Prince Geller’s aged yet dignified face seemed to twitch slightly, giving off an imposing aura of authority without anger.
This feeling was even stronger beneath the armour covered in sword scars.
Then, he spoke.
“…Brother-in-law.”
Ye Dui: “Huh?”
