V2: Chapter 18: If Your Reputation Offends a Nation's Ruler

["Liang Di, if—I mean, if."

"If one day I could meet you again, I hope it would be a beautiful one."

"I'm sorry, I lied to you, and I hurt you."

"I don't apologize often, and I don't know how to apologize sincerely. I hurt you, and you hurt me; let's call it even."

"I don't hate you, but seeing you always brings back bad memories, so I left. I have to fulfill my mission."

"Liang Di, don't live for me; you must be your own light."

"Liang Di, Goodbye. I mean it."]

Ah…

Why didn't I notice these things back then?

Like that phrase, "I won the lottery, but it's expired," these words are like a final whisper.

Liang Di stared at the words on the envelope, her fingers trembling. "If—if I had seen these words back then…"

Wouldn't it be less painful? Wouldn't I be so immersed in sorrow?

Liang Di was crying, but then she smiled—a genuine smile through her tears.

"Sister Liang Lin, I won't let you down."

She wouldn't let Liang Lin down, that was all.

Liang Di still didn't understand what it meant to "live for oneself." She was completely devoted to Liang Lin. If Liang Lin was a blazing fire, then Liang Di was the moth drawn to the flame, recklessly and passionately loving.

Her changes weren't for herself, but for Liang Lin, for Liang Lin's happiness, for Liang Lin to like her.

For Liang Di, only by being loved by Liang Lin could she find her own happiness.

Poor this tentacle mother, she just couldn't learn to love herself.

"Then, for Sister Liang Lin and our child, I will fight even harder." Liang Di gently placed the envelope back in the drawer.

Border, on the battlefield.

Liang Lin took the enemy general's head and held it high.

"Your general is dead! I don't want to kill the innocent! Surrender and you will be spared!"

Although Liang Lin tried to lower her voice, it was still somewhat shrill, sounding neither male nor female, a very strange tone.

With the general dead, morale plummeted. The few remaining soldiers hesitated for a few seconds. After the first cowardly soldier removed his armor, the others quickly discarded their armor and squatted on the ground.

Liang Lin smiled with satisfaction.

Sometimes, soldiers go to the battlefield so that they and their families can have a full meal. There's no need to be ruthless towards them; surrender is acceptable.

After leaving the battlefield, Liang Lin removed her armor and cloak, and also took off her mask.

Finally, she could breathe a sigh of relief. After all, she had breasts, even if they weren't particularly large, being constricted by armor for so long still made her feel a little suffocated.

"Phew~"

"Boss! In just one year, we've recovered almost the entire border! I wonder how the King will reward us?"

Liang Lin laughed and slapped him lightly. "All you think about is rewards. Rewards or not don't matter. Seeing the people of the Soteland Empire living peaceful and happy lives makes me happy enough."

Blaze pretended to take a sip of tea, then slurped it up, almost spitting it out, wincing in pain from the burn.

"Ouch, ouch!" Blaze stuck out his tongue, putting on his pain mask, but his mouth didn't stop, continuing to voice his opinion, "A reward is a given! Boss, don't be modest, any more modesty is going too far!"

Liang Lin wasn't being modest at all. She felt that even before she died, she had defended the border so well, her fame was widespread, everyone knew her, and she was deeply loved by the common people, yet she hadn't received a reward from the Empire. How could she possibly receive one now?

"We've never received a reward before, so don't overthink it. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment." Liang Lin put down her teacup and sighed.

But Terence mysteriously leaned closer.

"Miss Liang Lin, you don't know this, but you're now hailed as a savior by the common people on the border! Even other cities have heard the news; many civilians admire you and want to join the army!"

"Oh?" Liang Lin's interest was piqued.

Being admired and adored was a gratifying thing, satisfying one's vanity, and Liang Lin was no exception. She instantly straightened her back. "Is it as exaggerated as you say?"

"It is! Why would we lie to you, boss?" Mandel shouted loudly. "Now, if I walk down the street, I hear several civilians praising you every few steps. My ears are practically calloused after just one street."

Liang Lin's smile was harder to suppress than an AK. She stood up, hands behind her back, paced around twice, and coughed lightly. "Ahem, how should I put it? This is all deserved. I'm not being modest; these praises are all rightfully mine."

This lady, Liang Lin, was never modest.

"The other cities have all heard, and it won't be long before the news reaches the capital!"

Sylvester added, "Between defending the border and reclaiming territory, the latter sounds more difficult and noble, so it's normal that you're receiving more praise this time."

Liang Lin beamed with pride.

"I knew it! Even with a different identity, I can still make a name for myself. After all, my strength is undeniable!"

But was it really a good thing for the news to reach the capital and the king's ears?

What truly made Liang Lin famous was a battle a year later. She reclaimed the last remaining territory belonging to the Soteland Empire, dismounted, and plunged her sword into the enemy general's chest.

Since Eli's death, this enemy general has been unstoppable, invading, burning, killing, and looting in various ways. His motto is "kill them all" and "loot them all." The civilians in the occupied areas suffer terribly, and those who survive are considered lucky.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

Cheers erupted from the soldiers, weapons raised high, every face beaming with genuine joy.

They had finally won!

Finally, they could return to their peaceful and happy lives.

"Uncle, I told you, I was the strongest on the battlefield!"

Liang Lin took Carol from Sylvester's arms and kissed her child's cheek.

"Carol, Mommy can take you out to play for a while now."

"Mommy..." Carol raised her little hand, grabbing a strand of Liang Lin's hair and playing with it.

"Ah~ so good."

Liang Lin was overjoyed.

She hadn't expected it to be so easy. She thought it would take two or three years to reclaim the territory, but in just one year, she had regained all the land under her jurisdiction. She had no intention of continuing the attack to invade other empires.

"Just being able to protect my empire is enough for me."

On the way back to the city, Liang Lin rode her horse, surrounded by a surging tide of commoners, completely blocking the way.

"My lady! You are truly a savior from our suffering!"

"Without you, our lives would not be peaceful."

"My sister died at the hands of that damned beast! I heard you stabbed him through! So satisfying! So satisfying! Hahaha..."

Some cried, some laughed, and wasn't even thanking Liang Lin.

Seeing the scene before her, Liang Lin felt a warmth in her heart.

"From now on, I will definitely become someone like you and General Eli!"

Hearing that familiar name, Liang Lin stopped. She turned back to the source of the voice, nodded heavily, and gave a thumbs up. Beneath the mask was her smiling face.

Indeed, some people died, but they still live on in everyone's hearts.

Liang Lin thought she could take Carol on a trip for a while, but the very next day, the Duke's mansion was packed with people. Countless nobles from surrounding cities came to visit, all eager to know what this person, who had reclaimed all the occupied territories on the border in just one year, looked like.

This time, Liang Lin still wore a mask, but stood before everyone as a woman.

"Duke Sylvester, are you saying this is the hero who defeated all the enemy generals on the battlefield?"

"This, this is clearly a young lady..."

Liang Lin tilted her head.

"So what if I'm a young lady? It's the truth."

There was surprise and disbelief in the eyes of the crowd, but more than anything, there was admiration. Faced with absolute strength and absolute power, everyone felt respect and worship.

The news that "the hero on the battlefield is a young lady" quickly spread throughout all the surrounding cities.

Within half a month, the dreams of commoner girls were no longer just about marrying nobles or wealthy merchants, but also about mastering swordsmanship, going to the battlefield, and becoming a majestic general.

Not only among commoners, but even among noble ladies, a wave of "swordsmanship fever" swept through. Although most of it was short-lived, at least the topic of women learning swordsmanship and fighting on the battlefield was no longer a secret discussion.

Within half a month, countless nobles came to visit. Liang Lin was incredibly annoyed and wanted to run away with Carol, but was repeatedly stopped by Sylvester.

"This is a good opportunity to revive the border economy, Liang Lin. For the sake of our border, just bear with it a little longer."

"...Fine."

Helpless, Liang Lin could only wear a long face all day. When she encountered nobles, she had to offer a token smile and answer their various, occasionally vaguely understood, questions.

"Carol... Mommy's life is so hard...Dealing with these nobles is more tiring than going to the battlefield... Carol, can you grow up instantly and become like me to deal with them?"

Carol: Tilting her head, innocently sucking her fingers, blinking her big eyes.

"Sigh..."

Liang Lin hugged Carol, looking utterly dejected.

Bang!

The door was suddenly pushed open, startling Liang Lin. She looked up to see Sylvester's panting face.

"Liang, Liang Lin! People from the capital are here!"

People from the capital?

The first person Liang Lin thought of was Liang Di.

Could it be her?

Liang Lin instinctively hugged her adorable daughter tighter.

A year had passed, and she had forgotten much of the hostility she felt toward Liang Di. After all, Liang Di was the child's other mother. However, Liang Lin didn't want Liang Di to know that she had given birth to the child.

She and Hilary had been in contact. Since Hilary learned that she had given birth, Hilary had briefly complained, and Liang Lin had told Hilary not to tell Liang Di.

The reason was simple: she was afraid that Liang Di would immediately come after her, and then she would be entangled with Liang Di again, which would delay many of her plans. Most importantly, she had a high chance of not being able to defeat Liang Di. Although she now had a sword, it was just ordinary knives, spears, and clubs. How could she possibly defeat someone with a physical abnormality who could also perform magic?

Because she was worried that the person who had come was Liang Di, Liang Lin put Carol back on the soft bed.

“Uncle, who is it?” she asked.

Sylvester gave her a strange look and replied, “People from the royal palace, of course.”

“Oh,… Ah....”

Suddenly, her mood became inexplicably strange.

How strange!

Liang Lin shook her head, inwardly cursing herself for having Stockholm syndrome. Hearing that it wasn't Liang Di, she felt a slight disappointment.

But…

“Why are people from the royal palace coming?”

Liang Lin didn't understand. She tucked Carol in, put on her mask and black cloak, and followed Sylvester into the hall.

Inside the hall, a dense crowd stood, a sea of ​​black, all knights of the Royal Knights, and a few familiar nobles.

Liang Lin frowned.

This was truly strange; why had all these nobles traveled so far to the border?

She had a feeling things were getting complicated.

"You must be the famous Divine General!"

A nobleman, seemingly the leader, approached Liang Lin, bowing and offering insincere flattery.

"I've heard so much about you! I've heard so much about your name!"

Liang Lin returned the bow without speaking.

She felt this nobleman looked familiar, probably because she had seen him at the ball in the capital.

"Duke Sylvester, this young lady and you...?"

The nobleman's eyes darted lewdly between the two, his smile utterly disgusting.

Sylvester frowned, his voice tinged with displeasure.

"This is my goddaughter, Duke Lionel. Please don't misunderstand."

"Hahahaha~"

Lionel's laughter was equally shameless.

He stroked his sparse beard and continued meaningfully, "A goddaughter is good, a goddaughter is good! If I had such an excellent and beautiful goddaughter, I would be incredibly fortunate."

"You…!" Sylvester's face turned ashen.

Liang Lin spoke up at this moment, her attack as fierce as ever.

"No wonder Duke Lionel speaks with such humor; it turns out his genitals are on his eyes, making everything look yellowish."

Now it was Lionel's turn to turn pale, while Sylvester laughed gleefully.

“How can you, a woman, speak so rudely! So presumptuously!”

Lionel’s entire body trembled as he spoke, making him look utterly ridiculous.

Liang Lin laughed along.

“It’s nothing, Your Grace, I was just joking. You’re such a magnanimous person, you wouldn’t hold a grudge against a rough woman like me who knows nothing of manners and only tactics, would you?”

Liang Lin directly used moral blackmail.

Lionel was speechless.

Another duke pushed past him.

“Haha~ Let’s not hurt our feelings, everyone. Yes, yes, it was all a joke. Duke Lionel, please calm down.”

Gardner smiled at Sylvester, then his gaze fell on Liang Lin.

"Miss, we are from the capital. His Majesty the King personally ordered us to come. Your deeds have already reached His Majesty's ears. He greatly values ​​talent and sent us with rewards."

Liang Lin finally understood the group's purpose. At the same time, she was overjoyed. The royal family finally knew of her existence, and moreover, they knew she was a woman. Would she be able to secure some benefits for the commoners and noblewomen?

Gardner waved his hand, and members of the knightly order carried in two large chests. Opening them, they revealed chests overflowing with gold and silver jewelry, a dazzling array that overwhelmed the eye.

Wow, these two chests of gold and silver jewelry must be worth several thousand gold coins!

Although Liang Lin wasn't particularly greedy, seeing so much jewels displayed before her, she couldn't help but swallow hard, imagining her happy life ahead. With these rewards, she could live a life of wealthy with her daughter, without worrying about food, drink, or clothing.

Click~

Gardner closed the box again, smiling as he stood in front of it.

"But before that, Miss, could you please remove your mask so we can see your beauty?"

Liang Lin was taken aback, feeling inexplicably offended.

"I'm sorry, my face was disfigured on the battlefield, so I've always worn a mask. It's a scar in my heart, and I don't want others to see it."

Liang Lin didn't want others to know that she was the young lady of the Langwendi family; she was afraid of causing trouble for the Langwendi family and her sister.

Gardner was still smiling, but it was a forced smile.

"Miss, isn't it a little impolite of you to come out and see us like this, without showing your true face?"

"Impolite?" A surge of anger shot through Liang Lin's head.

"I think it's the one who reopens old wounds who's truly impolite. I've already clearly stated that my face is disfigured. You know, not just women, everyone is very concerned about their appearance. So, I simply refused your request, why is that impolite?"

Lionel sneered from the side.

"Miss, we address you as 'Miss' as a sign of respect. But if you continue to refute our courtesy like this, then… don't blame me for being rude." Lionel stepped forward, standing before Liang Lin.

This duke was short and stout, only slightly taller than Liang Lin by less than a finger's width, and he had a receding hairline and a large belly.

"You need to understand who you are and who I am. We haven't called you 'lower class,' and calling you 'Miss' is already a huge compliment, understand?"

Huh—?

What a fool.

Liang Lin's pupils gradually turned cold.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind the group.

"Duke Lionel, don't speak so viciously."

Hearing this voice, Lionel's expression immediately changed, and he retreated to the side in fear.

The knights of the Knights made way, and an old duke with gray hair walked up to the group.

Liang Lin knew this man; he was the most prestigious duke in the capital, the king's most loyal henchman, and a rival to the Langwendi family.

He was the most authoritative of the three dukes who had come to the border. Just now, he had stood behind the group, and no one had noticed him.

“Since Miss is unwilling to remove her mask, then so be it.”

Springhall narrowed his eyes, his gaze cold. He glanced at Lionel, who immediately shut his mouth, not uttering another sound.

Then, Springhall spoke to Liang Lin in a gentle tone, “Miss, please don’t be angry. This is their rudeness, it has nothing to do with you. If they have offended you in any way, I hope you can forgive them.”

Seeing that the other party’s attitude was quite good, Liang Lin didn’t want to cause trouble, but she added a sharp comment, “You’re right, I’m not angry either. It’s just that something funny suddenly came to mind.”

Liang Lin chuckled and continued, “Some toads, they’ve stuck on a couple of feathers and think they’re some kind of flying bird. They have no self-awareness whatsoever.”

“You…!”

“Duke Lionel!” Springhall hissed.

Lionel then shut his mouth again.

Gardner, though his expression was unpleasant, didn’t say a word.

The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat strange.

Springhall waved his hand. "Miss, have some of these jewels moved to your room. These are all gifts from His Majesty the King."

Liang Lin nodded.

This old king is quite generous.

Aside from being a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to issuing decrees, he seems like a decent person.

"Is this all you've come for?" Sylvester asked. He keenly sensed that with so many nobles and knights present, it couldn't be a simple gift.

He had heard some rumors recently, and he understood the saying "the taller the tree, the more the wind blows." However, if it was the King, and Liang Lin was protecting the territory of his Soteland Empire, he had nothing to be jealous of. Wasn't he the one benefiting?

Springhall chuckled. “You guessed right, Duke Sylvester. We’re here on the King’s orders. The King has commanded us to escort this renowned young lady to the capital. Besides the rewards we’ve brought, there will be other generous rewards after we arrive in the capital and meet the King. Perhaps…”

Springhall drawled, “Some other unexpected rewards…?”

Unexpected rewards?

Could it be some small title?

Liang Lin’s eyes widened immediately, her joy and longing barely concealed.

“Haha~ But it’s already late today, we can’t leave. Duke Sylvester, please prepare a room for us. We’ll spend the night here and head to the capital together tomorrow morning.”

Sylvester instructed the servants to prepare the room, a strange feeling creeping into his heart.

“We haven’t had dinner yet, Miss. What about you?” Springhall asked.

Isn't this guy asking a pointless question? It's still afternoon, how could I possibly have eaten dinner? He's just making conversation for no reason.

Liang Lin thought to herself, but didn't show it outwardly.

"I haven't eaten yet."

She didn't seem to be inviting the dukes to dinner either.

Springhall paused for a moment. Clearly, he was waiting for Liang Lin to invite them to dinner. However, Liang Lin's emotional intelligence was practically nonexistent; she hadn't even considered such a thing. She turned away, intending to return to her room.

"Miss, let's have dinner together later," Springhall called after her.

"Alright."

Liang Lin didn't turn around.

Back in her room, before she could even sit down, there was another knock on her door. She opened it to find a twin brother and sister with their faces completely covered. If it weren't for their identical short blond hair, Liang Lin probably wouldn't have recognized them.

Seeing her open the door, Hazel slipped inside, while Edwin stood outside, politely inquiring, "Miss Liang Lin, may I enter your room?"

"Uh, yes."

Although she didn't know what was going on, Liang Lin nodded in agreement.

Edwin cautiously glanced around, then, in a flash, slipped inside along with his sister.

Once inside, he quickly closed the door and locked it from the inside. He pressed his ear against the door, his expression serious, carefully listening to any sounds outside.

This strange scene startled Liang Lin.

"What, what are you two doing?"

Seeing these two reminded Liang Lin of the times they cooked together. Instinctively, she hugged her small frame tightly, fearing these two perverts might do something terrible in front of her.

"Phew~"

In the blink of an eye, Hazel had removed her mask, her delicate face filled with seriousness.

“Miss Liang Lin, please do not eat any food offered to you by those dukes or knights. Remember, absolutely none.”