Upon hearing Feli's words, Ron was astonished by the power of the Moore family's Qi Force but even more shocked by Feli's cold, unfeeling demeanor.
"Could these really be the words of a fifteen-year-old girl?" he wondered. "At an age when she should be the most innocent and carefree, she's able to talk so casually about using her own sister like a prostitute, and with such a matter-of-fact attitude."
Ron found himself thinking more highly of Christie. Really, she was a good girl, as good as they come! Compared to her sister, she was practically an angel descended from heaven.
Sighing, Ron decided to stop dwelling on the sisters' issues and said, "I still have a few more questions!"
"Please, go ahead."
"The first one—you haven't told me how to use this stone tablet."
Ron started with the question that concerned him the most.
"Oh! My apologies!" Feli smiled. "It's so simple that I forgot to mention it. You just need to hold this Qi Force tablet in your hand, or keep it on you. When you can sense a heartbeat-like rhythm from within the tablet, that means you've successfully resonated with it and have begun the initial awakening."
"After the initial awakening, you just need to remember that first resonance and keep recalling that feeling. Gradually, you'll be able to master the rhythm."
"Once you've fully mastered that rhythm and synchronized your mental energy with it, you'll have truly awakened. At that point, as long as you maintain that mental frequency, you'll be able to wield Qi Force anytime, anywhere."
"I don't see what's simple about that. In fact, I can barely understand it," Ron said, frowning.
"It's really quite easy," Feli reassured him. "Do you believe in intuition? Besides the five senses, everyone has a sixth sense. It's mysterious, coming from one's mental energy. While it's not as direct as what your eyes can see, it still allows you to perceive everything around you."
"And you combat knights refer to this intuition as perception or perception talent."
"Some people are born with this talent. If you have it, then when you hold the Qi Force tablet, you'll understand everything I've just said."
Ron found this rather amusing. What Feli was implying was that if he couldn't awaken the Qi Force, it wasn't the tablet's fault, but rather that his own perception was lacking—that he didn't have the talent.
He even began to suspect that this so-called Qi Force tablet might just be an ordinary stone, and this was all just a trick.
"Well, I understand. Thanks for answering my question. I'll give it a try later! For now, let me ask my second question."
"My second question is, what are you going to do with that assassin? You know, my situation is already difficult enough. If The Night Performer comes after me, I might not even be able to sleep with both eyes closed!"
Feli chuckled softly, covering her mouth, "You're quite amusing. Most people, after hearing about the Qi Force tablet, can't wait to try it right away—some even before I finish explaining."
"But you chose to ask about other things first. Can you tell me why? I'm curious!"
"Can you answer my question first?"
Ron didn't want to let this woman keep control of the conversation. Most of what she said was idle chatter, without the information he really wanted to know.
"Of course," Feli said, gently brushing the hair from her eyes before continuing, "Actually, you don't need to worry about that. Since I understand why you wanted to keep the assassin alive, I know what to do. I've always admired your methods, and you can trust me. I guarantee, I'll handle it better than you would."
But Ron felt more sorrow than relief at her words. If his guess was right, the assassin would be secretly imprisoned and interrogated, and they would follow this trail to the assassin's organization.
Of course, Ron's sorrow wasn't for the misfortune awaiting the assassin but for Lir.
If they were going to imprison and interrogate the assassin secretly, Lir would have to die; otherwise, it wouldn't be a secret.
Sure, they could keep Lir under house arrest, but knowing how nobles operated, Ron doubted they would waste food on a commoner.
Ron didn't want his actions to result in the death of someone who had helped him, but he couldn't think of any way to save Lir.
Even if he brought up Lir's safety as a condition of cooperation, it might only protect her for a while. Ron was certain that as soon as he left, they would eliminate Lir because only the dead can keep secrets.
Even knowing this, Ron still tried his luck, asking, "I don't care about the assassin, but I want to know what you plan to do with that woman."
"You care about her?" Feli asked, puzzled. "You know, to ensure your safety, she has to die. And even if it weren't for you, we need to kill her to dig deeper into the assassin's organization. This isn't up to me."
"Have you acted yet?" Ron asked, worried.
"Not yet."
"That's good!" Ron breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll take her with me to my territory. She's quite useful, and I need her."
Feli frowned. She knew Ron hadn't slept with Lir, so this was probably his way of protecting the woman's life.
This made things a bit tricky. But if the woman went to the border with him, she likely wouldn't survive anyway. "Fine, she can go," Feli said after a moment's hesitation, nodding. "But Ron, your decision disappoints me. I always thought you were a rational person, but now it seems you're overly sentimental. This trait could be the death of you!"
Ron chuckled, "Think what you like; it doesn't concern me. You are you, and I am me! Alright, let's move on."
"My final question: you know sending me to the border is basically sending me to my death, so why are you being so thorough in your explanations? You could've just brushed me off. After all, once I'm dead, you could just replace me."
Feli squinted, but a pure, innocent smile, the kind that suited her age, spread across her face.
"You might think my admiration for you is fake, but I assure you, it's genuine. I truly believe in you, and yes, I really do want to marry you."
"I think you're a thousand times, no, ten thousand times better than the Duke's eldest son. My fiancé is nothing without his title."
"But you're different. I see extraordinary potential in you. Compared to the first time I saw you, during the championship match when you dueled that legendary gladiator, your skills have improved drastically!"
"Especially your blocking technique—it's flawless. Even though I don't understand swordsmanship, my intuition tells me that with enough strength, your sword could block any attack. Just like your Champion's Sword, and your title as Champion, your swordsmanship is worthy of the name!"
"And my intuition also tells me that during the duel, you could've counterattacked at any moment. Although I don't know why you held back and insisted on winning with a single strike, I'm confident my intuition is right."
"Of course, my admiration for you is just one reason. The other is that clause you had me change—the one with the three-year deadline."
"Clearly, you're full of confidence, and your confidence has infected me. I believe you can survive, and I want you to survive. It benefits us both. So, whenever possible, I'll help you to the best of my ability. Are you satisfied with my explanation?"
Ron was shaken to his core by her words. Could there really be such a thing as intuition that allows someone to perceive everything?
"Thank you for your explanation. I have no more questions. If you don't have any orders for me, I'll go and rest."
"Of course, feel free!" Feli smiled as she watched Ron leave. Once he was gone, her serene and graceful expression returned.
Then, suddenly, she spoke to the carpet, "Have you selected a new candidate?"
At that moment, the previously still red carpet suddenly whipped up into a small, silent whirlwind. Countless red threads were pulled from the carpet, weaving together to form a humanoid figure.
The whirlwind dissipated, and from within it emerged a figure clad in a red robe. The robe covered the figure entirely from head to toe, making it impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman. Even their face was hidden. The only thing left of the carpet was a large patch of black flooring.
"Yes, someone very similar to Ron—a fallen noble," the red-robed figure said in a voice that was neither male nor female, sounding almost like the call of a deer.
Feli idly twirled her hair around her finger and said, "Very good! Keep a close eye on him and make sure nothing happens. Also, bring the assassin and that prostitute here."
"Understood. But I must ask, are you sure you only want to keep an eye on that person? Do you really have that much faith in Ron, Mistress?"
Feli smiled, "I have only one sister, and blood is thicker than water. Even if she doesn't care about her reputation, I still have to consider it. Ron must die before she can remarry, don't you think?"