"Ah..."
Inside the luxurious villa, Almer sneezed several times in a row, then smiled at the knight commander's bewildered expression, which made him appear almost foolish.
"General Ruan is probably cursing me right now."
The knight commander remained expressionless. Not to mention General Ruan, even he would curse in such a situation.
After returning home, Ruan Shu also took out three gems.
"This one was given to me by His Majesty, and he asked me to weave a rope with the other two."
There were many styles of ropes, and several of them could indeed be used to adorn pearls and other items, creating a beautiful appearance.
So, Ruan Shu had already figured out how to weave it for him.
Ruan Xiao looked at the gems his daughter took out in silence, and the pressure around him lessened even more.
What did His Majesty want to do after all?
Although he had many gems, the one he gave to Ruan Shu was very special.
It was a "Phantom Sea Star Stone" that only the Sea Monster Royal Family could possess, obtained from the depths of the magma-filled abyss under the sea.
The Phantom Sea Star Stone was special because it acknowledged its owner by emitting a bright light when needed at night and providing warmth in cold environments.
Being extremely rare, it also symbolized status. Among sea races, only high-ranking royal families could wear it.
Even if it was given as a gift, they would only bestow it upon recognized strong individuals, and it was not easy to obtain the Phantom Sea Star Stone even in auction houses.
Among His Majesty's many gems, there were probably only about three Phantom Sea Star Stones.
But he gave his daughter a Phantom Sea Star Stone like this, which made Ruan Xiao have to be vigilant. What did he want to do?
Ruan Shu was unaware of her father's heavy mood and continued talking to him.
"Almer is so pitiful." "He said that other things given to him by others, as long as they are alive, cannot last more than three days."
Ruan Xiao remained expressionless. This was true. Furthermore, this Majesty appeared to have experienced some misfortune. When accidents happened, he would definitely be the first to suffer from them, and only by being resilient could he grow up healthy.
"Almer claimed to possess the most gems; therefore, when presenting gifts to others, he can only offer gems."
Ruan Xiao suppressed his emotions and refrained from swearing in front of his daughter.
"What kind of gift did he send?" The dragon race, a species that only takes and never gives, still sent gems. You can't even get a single coin out of them. To whom did he send gems? "Was it a gem similar to the Phantom Sea Star Stone?"
Ruan Xiao took a deep breath, holding his daughter tightly, and giving her advice.
"His Majesty is very busy managing affairs every day, so we shouldn't disturb him."
Ruan Shu thought her father's words made sense. After all, he had to manage such a large country, so how could he not be busy?
So she nodded seriously, "Don't worry, Dad, I won't disturb him."
Ruan Xiao felt relieved. He trusted his daughter.
But…
He ignored one thing. His daughter was obedient, but a certain Majesty was quite rebellious.
The next day, Ruan Xiao left for the military department, while Ruan Shu stayed at home drawing, attending classes, and weaving ropes.
She nestled in the small basket, enjoying the sunny day after yesterday's rain.
Ruan Shu wore knee-length shorts and a small T-shirt, revealing snow-white arms and legs that were plump but not chubby, exuding just the right amount of cuteness.
She wore white socks with lace trim on her chubby feet, and the clothes and accessories prepared for her by the steward were mostly custom-made. They always included some cat-themed items, such as pink paw-shaped pads on the soles of her feet.
Her fair legs were exposed from the basket, swaying slightly in relaxation.
She was quiet, with soft white hair framing her face, looking adorable as she focused on her work, with a pair of fluffy white cat ears drooping slightly on top of her head.
She skillfully tied the fine gold threads with her fingertips, and in an instant, a beautiful knot was formed.
She took the red gem and placed it, wrapping it around the sides, revealing a beautiful shape on the front.
She was in a good mood, and even her tail swayed a few times.
Almer arrived at this moment.
He was accompanied by the knight commander and the steward, who led the way.
The steward's smile seemed a bit forced.
"Miss, the master asked me to keep an eye on you and not let you go to the next room, but he didn't say what to do if the next room's occupant arrived!"
After all, he was a Majesty, and he couldn't keep someone outside.
"Shu Shu."
Almer's voice came, and Ruan Shu looked up in surprise at him.
"Why are you here, Almer?"
Almer smiled, "What, don't you welcome me?"
Ruan Shu quickly shook her head, smiling with her lips and eyes curved.
"No, just... are you looking for Dad?" "He's not at home."
After all, Almer and her father had a superior-subordinate relationship, so it seemed normal for him to look for her father.
Almer was quite casual as he sat down next to her. "No, I'm here to find you."
Ruan Shu looked at him in surprise, then lifted the item in her hand and said softly, "It will take some time to finish this."
"I know, but you forgot something yesterday."
"What did I forget?"
Almer took out a beautiful vine ball.
Upon seeing the vine ball, Ruan Shu immediately recalled feeling scared and passing out the day before. She gave Almer a slightly resentful look but quickly averted her gaze.
However, Almer guessed that she must have known, so he handed her the vine ball and apologized by touching his nose.
"Sorry for scaring you yesterday."
Ruan Shu shook her head, hugging the vine ball, and curling her toes in embarrassment.
"Yes, I shouldn't have gone to your place without your permission first."
"It's still my fault." "You don't need to inform anyone if you want to come over in the future; you can come anytime."
Ruan Shu smiled at him and said, "Okay."
"How do you play with this?" "I've never seen this kind of ball before."
"This is my own creation." Other balls are too heavy for me, but this one is called a vine ball…"
Ruan Shu explained in a childish voice, and somehow it transformed into a cute cat doll shape, playing with Almer.
The round eyes of the cat gazed at the black dragon on the other side, silent, as it held the ball.
The black dragon seemed to deliberately suppress its size, resembling a tiger, slightly smaller than her father and the others.
But for Ruan Shu, it was still too big.
After hesitating, she rolled the vine ball toward him.
Almer then gently flicked his tail, and the vine ball flew up, turning into a shooting star... and disappeared.
Both the cat and the dragon looked up together, observing the vine ball as it flew away and never returned.
Ruan Shu said, "..."
How did I get tricked into agreeing to play vine ball with him?