...
…
The night was cool like water, and lights shrouded Lionheart Castle.
Xi Mu walked alone through the streets and alleys, returning to Kronos's residence, carrying a bird beak hood as he entered.
"Oh, you're back late~" Kronos turned her head, watching Xi Mu's approaching figure, then her gaze inadvertently fell on the hood in Xi Mu's hand, her pupils unconsciously constricted.
"Hmm~ were you called out by some noble lady?" She sipped her coffee cup, speaking in a teasing tone.
"Panting and even bringing a precious gift."
"..." Letixia's joyful smile slightly stiffened, feeling as if her heart had been pricked by a needle, but she knew she could not show it.
"Welcome back, Lord Ahtal." Her smile was gentle, her firm green eyes tinged with a bit of sadness, she said softly,
"Please do not do so much for me."
"What's done is done, even the gift is already in hand." Kronos chuckled lightly, "Saying this now is already too late."
Letixia:"..."
Her already bad mood now turned even worse, even though with her good nature she would endure it to not involve others.
But now she felt a surge of anger towards Kronos.
"Tonight you're even coming to my room." Kronos rested her chin on her slender hand, her smile slightly malicious and disdainful.
"Ahtal, you didn't do something with that noble lady, did you?"
"..."
Xi Mu fell silent, looking at Letixia who was nervously staring at him, and at Kronos's mischievous smile.
"We just talked, nothing else."
"Is that so." Letixia revealed a trusting smile, she believed her knight, who would not lie about this matter.
Seeing this, Kronos's laughter shook her body, very pleased with what she saw.
"Letixia, you're... really cute."
"I trust you, Lord Ahtal!" Letixia's words did not waver, then she caught Kronos's playful gaze.
"After tonight, will you still believe that Ahtal and I have done nothing?"
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Kronos certainly knew Ahtal was not lying, as her witch's intuition could sense that Ahtal's aura was not mixed with another woman's scent, he really just had a chat, but Letixia's facial expressions were too amusing.
Not teasing her would be a disservice to her witch's persona.
As expected, Letixia's expression froze, she wanted to retort, but found herself unable to utter any words of rebuttal.
She bowed her head, her hands clenched tightly.
Anger... or hatred, she was unsure about her inner emotions, but she clearly knew she couldn't suppress her feelings and grievances within.
"Please do not tease Letixia." Xi Mu said, placing the hood on the table and explaining to Letixia,
"I truly didn't do something with her, we just purely talked, she wanted to know our story, that's all."
"Yes, I believe." Letixia's head hung low, her fists clenched tightly as if the arrow wound on her wrist had disappeared at that moment.
She believed Ahtal just went to talk, but Kronos was unlikely to just talk, something real might actually happen tonight.
Although she and Ahtal were neither lovers nor spouses, to say she felt nothing and could smile as she watched Ahtal and Kronos enter the room,
That would be absolutely impossible.
Kronos, looking at the girl whose head was low and who was nearly at her breaking point, said, "Any dissatisfaction is caused by the incompetence of the involved parties."
She picked up the bird beak hood from the table, casually examining it.
"You should consider why you are so weak, why you can't protect what you want to protect, crying and feeling sorry for yourself are useless."
Xi Mu:"..."
From his perspective, it was purely Kronos talking nonsense; it was obvious to anyone that if you are strong enough, you can resolve many troublesome matters.
But for most people, if something can't be done, it can't be done, otherwise he wouldn't need to work, and sometimes even overtime.
However, Letixia unexpectedly calmed down. She quickly adjusted her mentality, swallowed her grievances, and although she still lowered her head, she concealed her expressions.
If she could recapture the throne, she would take out the Sword of Light sealed in her family's forbidden grounds and use it.
"This headgear is quite interesting, who gave it to you?" Kronos asked Xi Mu with a smile, his expression showing no anomaly.
However, her heart was filled with a cold murderous intent.
In order to assassinate the Goddess of Plague, she had lurked in Lionheart Castle for a long time, often wandering around, going to different dueling arenas, just to find the Goddess of Plague.
And now she had finally discovered the whereabouts of the Goddess of Plague.
"A lady." Xi Mu casually responded, but saw Kronos frown displeasedly, then chuckled lightly soon after.
She beckoned Xi Mu with a curl of her finger. As Xi Mu approached, she parted her red lips, her words carrying an ambiguous tone.
"Go wash off the scent on you and come to my room." Having said that, she finished the coffee on the table in one gulp and elegantly stood up to leave the living room.
This woman wanted to know the whereabouts of Xiyel.
This is what Xi Mu thought, then turning his head to Letixia he said, "Wait, I will take you to get your injuries treated."
"Hmm." Letixia responded with her head lowered, then she heard the knight beside her turn and leave for the bath to shower.
Her hand unconsciously clenched tighter.
Xi Mu then took off his silver armor and clothes in the bathroom, carefully washed the blood stains off the armor, and bathed earnestly.
Afterward, he wrapped himself in a bath towel from the bathroom, stepped out, and headed towards Kronos's bedroom, passing by Letixia without a word.
The sound of the door closing followed.
"..." Letixia tightly closed her eyes, preparing herself for the agonizing moment, but unexpectedly, a minute later...
The door was pushed open again.
"Right, right, right, move it there." Kronos leaned against the door frame, directing Xi Mu as he moved a vase, then with a mock smile, she looked at Letixia, who was possibly about to shed tears, and knowingly asked:
"Who has wronged you, or is it that you're not willing to let your knight brother help move a vase?"
"Move a vase?" Letixia blinked and saw Kronos with that mock smile, lightly gathering her hair at the ear.
She asked in return.
"Otherwise, what did you think it was?" Kronos lifted her hand to her lips, feigning surprise, "Princess of the Iris Flower Kingdom, is it really what you thought?"
She gently shook her head.
"I am the Grand Duke of the Dragon Kingdom; Miss Letixia, are you not underestimating me too much?"
Letixia: "Sorry."
She unexpectedly did not get angry at being mocked; instead, she apologized to Kronos, the torment inside her vanishing instantly.
Although she was fooled and cursed the other party in her heart.
However, knowing it was a practical joke, she had relaxed and harbored no significant resentment towards Kronos.
After all, he indeed had helped her.
"Perhaps you could be a little more angry." Kronos smiled and continued directing Xi Mu to move some precious items within the room.
After moving a few items, she waved her hand dismissively.
"Alright, you can go now."
"..."
Xi Mu nodded, put on his Red Dragon Blood Armor, then picked up Letixia on his back.
"Lady Kronos, I hope to see you again." He said, leaving the room.
Kronos, seeing this, didn't seem to mind. Watching the two leave, she asked the air:
"Your follower has brought me some good news."
"He is not my follower, just someone who borrows my power." A cold voice responded, and ghostly flames ignited in the air.
Then, the Witch of Death appeared.
"The conditions have been met, we can proceed with the plan."