The Big Cousin calmly pushed her away as he said that men and women should not have contact. Especially since she had reached marriageable age. He even helped to stress that she should only allow her husband to be in close proximity with her - other men except for her brothers and father could not even stand in front of her. What a very conservative man - are you sure you are her cousin not her mother?
I noticed this Big Cousin had a pleasantly soothing voice when coaxing her into accepting the marriage. He definitely sees his cousin as a baby sister - if I wasn't directly observing them from above, I imagined him as an uncle persuading a toddler with sweets.
My thoughts went to guessing his age when analysing whether I liked this type of voice which is neither too low and deep like a mature man or high-pitched and clear like an adolescent boy. Usually, older male cousins characters' age ranges from five to twelve year gap from the female MC. If she is fifteen years old, he could be between twenty to twenty seven years old - too young would cause the FMC to not have the respect towards the elder and rely on them but too old would make her to not able to approach that bravely.
Albeit I was looking down at them, his back was facing me, making me unable to see his face.
But Qi Sha is not a visual creature, she has a mild voice fetish!
Consequently, Qi Sha decided to put this Big Cousin as one of her fishes list. Since he had no indication on his head that he is the second lead or perhaps a villain, he might just be a background character - a 'safe' fish. After the event occurred in 'Your Consort wants a divorce' World, she would prefer to not be entangled with any sorts of titled characters. Save her the trouble they brought!
The method to bait this fish? She had no idea for now. Might need to continue peepi- err observing him first to gain some insights on his personality. Hopefully he will still be sticking around this main courtyard while I wait for the signal to capture the flag with Fifth...
Wait no... was the one partnering up with me Fifth or Second? Was it Fifth that did the distraction and Second was the person I met up with in this Residence?
Huh... Literally the information went in the left ear, went out the right ear.
Never mind! The more important bit is I will be snatching one of those fluttering flags of Minister of Finance with the guy hidden well at the back! Expect the unexpected - we might employ decoy strategy or double shadow trick to get the mission done. Qi Sha will go with the flow and adapt well as how she had done multiple times before.
While I was distracted by my own distraction(s), I totally didn't catch the FMC's decision with the whole marriage thingy with the Fourth Prince - hot gossip just flew away like that. She went backtrack her original direction with a determined face, not a trace of previous depression shown on her face.
Big Cousin's prep talk was a success I assumed. He was strangely staying rooted on his place even after the FMC lose from his sight. I still can't see his face properly though.
He is quite tall and has a broad shoulder. His long black hair was tied loosely as some strands of hair fell to the front of his chest. Looking closer on his clothing, wasn't he rather loosely clothed as the outerwear was draped onto him, not wearing by the arm sleeves?
Thinking about it, it is already midnight... That young lass before, she's bolder than a marine soldier to have a rendezvous with a male in the middle of the night! That male was even in his pajamas!
Shall I cross his name out from the fish list? Men who meet up with other women behind my back is unforgivable, even when she is his cousin.
As I was contemplating to have his name crossed out, I felt my hairs stood up. This is what my body is trying to alert me of the presence of an unidentified same profession being.
That 'shadow guard' materialized himself beside the Big Cousin. Kneeling on one knee, he greeted his master first before presenting his report.
"Qin'er really planned to escape her marriage by fleeing the capital. The rumours the Fourth Prince had deliberately spread had reached her ears. Which lady would want to be with a rumored tyrannical monster prince?", Big Cousin said as he finished hearing the report.
"Continue your task. We can't do anything with the rumors as it is what the Fourth Prince wishes. The marriage has to go on. Keep an eye open to the movements of Qin'er. Report to me if she's acting suspicious!"
The previous soothing voice of Big Cousin was replaced with a charismatic and overbearing tone of a leader. What a devillish charm.
"This subordinate obeys!"
And then he disappeared as good as he appeared. I can now refresh my breath.
Even my sweat silently squeezed out from my pores, showed that the 'shadow guard' was of a higher league than this body.
Having such a high quality shadow guard, Big Cousin, what is your identity?
Big Cousin strutted off to the opposite direction of the FMC, with no footstep sounds nor the rustling sounds of cloth. My eyes, oh my careless eyes, had decided that he was 'not a threat' when I first arrived and scanned the area. Not even a faint aura he let go that discern him as a 'human'.
What a ruthlessly deceptive fellow.