V2: Chapter 42: The Perverted King, the Narcissistic Prince

It's been a long time since I've seen Gael's seemingly respectable face, over a year, hasn't it?

Liang Lin stood at a distance, looking at Gael, and couldn't help but roll her eyes, making a "tsk" sound.

"He's good-looking, but just seeing him makes me nauseous. What a waste of that face," Liang Lin muttered.

At the same time, Gael seemed to be looking this way too, and when he saw Liang Lin, he was surprised for a second. It's been a long time since he'd seen this wicked young lady, it feels like over a year. Now that he saw her again… Gael looked Liang Lin up and down, stroking his chin.

Now that he saw her, he felt she had become even prettier.

He remembered that before, she quite liked him, often using tactics like playing hard to get, deliberately resisting, and being sarcastic to attract his attention.

Tsk tsk~

Gael gave Liang Lin a confident smile.

Just as Liang Lin finished rolling her eyes, she continued looking at Gael, only to catch his inexplicably confident smile. A chill instantly ran down her spine, and she shuddered violently. Touching her arm, she found herself covered in goosebumps.

"Ugh..."

Liang Lin shrank behind Liang Di and whispered in her ear, "Look at Gael, that look in his eyes is disgusting."

Her quick avoidance was interpreted by Gael as shyness.

He thought to himself: Oh dear, so easily embarrassed? Really, but it's normal. Noble ladies… no, including common girls, any young woman who sees me, doesn't she act like a lovesick little girl?

And so, his gaze grew even more intense.

Liang Lin was numb. This guy was getting more and more disgusting, and he kept staring this way. She shouldn't have looked over there in the first place; now she was just asking for trouble.

The King, on the other side, was watching this scene and caught his son's burning gaze.  

Following his son's gaze, he saw the dignified and elegant Liang Di, automatically ignoring Liang Lin, whose face was filled with disgust, standing behind her.

Liang Di also showed disgust, but it wasn't as obvious. After all, they were inside the palace, surrounded by so many royalty and powerful figures; she couldn't let others see her malice.

The king nodded in satisfaction. This guy was just like his son, automatically filtering out Liang Di's wary and disgusted expression as a little girl's admiration and affection. In an instant, he grinned happily, laughing so hard he almost fell over.

Queen Doris, standing to the side, heard her husband's laughter and was puzzled when she saw her son looking at Liang Di, his gaze still so intense. She was startled, cursing her son for being so hopeless; of all people, he had to fall for a monster… a monster just like his mother.

As a monster, Doris had a weakness: her son—Gael. She hoped her child could live a normal life, uninvolved in the struggle between humans and monsters. She didn't even want her son to be caught up in the royal infighting.

But Gael seemed eager to become king.

So, she'd help her son. Besides, Gael becoming king would benefit her and her great god. Then, the city walls could…

But her foolish son… he'd shown such a stupid look towards his own kind! This was absolutely unacceptable.

Doris clenched her fists, her gaze towards Liang Di growing increasingly venomous.

Liang Lin felt two gazes directed her way. She slowly turned her head, and her eyes met those gazes.

My God!

The king's greasy face made Liang Lin feel even more nauseous, especially noticing the malicious smile on his lips as he looked at Liang Di. Liang Lin became even more convinced of her suspicion that the king had taken a liking to Liang Di.

My God, does such a pervert really exist in this world?

Looking at Doris, she was glaring at Liang Di with a venomous look. Liang Lin thought about it and realized she could understand her feelings. If her partner cheated on her in front of her, she would definitely have an even more resentful look in her eyes than Doris.

Thinking of this, Liang Lin shook her head and sighed.

"Sigh~"

Liang Di turned around at the sound.

Liang Lin looked at Liang Di with a very sympathetic and pitiful look, then patted her shoulder. "It's okay, you'll get used to being disgusted. Don't worry, if necessary, I'll... well, I won't take action, I'm not that reckless, but I'll talk."

Liang Di was completely confused.

What do you mean by "disgusted"? Could it be about the king wanted Gael to pursue her?

Hmm... thinking about it, it really is disgusting.

Liang Di nodded.

"It really is disgusting."

Liang Lin continued, "If I encountered something like that, I'd throw up on the spot. It's so disgusting! Old pervert, you have quite the composure. I underestimated you before; you actually managed to hold your temper."

Old pervert?

Who does that refer to?

Could it be the King?

Liang Di looked at the King's wide-open mouth and nodded in agreement again.

"Yeah, it's pretty sleazy."

These two guys have different ideas and aren't on the same wavelength, yet somehow they've been chatting on and off for so long.

"He can't come looking for me later, can he?" Liang Lin looked at Gael in terror, terrified.

She felt she'd never been this scared, not even when she'd fought on the battlefield and seen corpses strewn everywhere. At most, she'd furrow her brow for a moment. Now, her brow remained furrowed.

It was disgusting.

Over at the King's place.

After laughing enough, he looked at Liang Di with lingering satisfaction.

Recently, the Langwendi family has been thriving. Rumors say their wealth is almost on par with the royal family's, and in less than two years, they'll regain their glory from a century ago.

This won't do…

The King wouldn't allow this to happen, but Liang Di's authority isn't very high; she doesn't have Liang Lin's overbearing influence. Therefore, the King hasn't considered killing her. Coincidentally, Liang Di is the right age and has a beautiful appearance. If she marries Gael, wouldn't her wealth also go to the royal family?

But, before that...

"We must first temper her arrogance."

Recently, quite a few things have happened at the Langwendi family's chess arena, causing a stir among the lower nobility.

The King has heard about it.

Perfect.

Before Liang Di marries into the royal family, we should first ruin the Langwendi family's chess arena, tempering her arrogance, so that we can better control her after she enters the palace.

Chess arenas are gambling establishments, and many nobles are imitating the Langwendi family by opening other establishments. The King will deal with them all; he cannot allow this trend to continue.

At this moment, the King's gaze suddenly fell on Liang Lin behind Liang Di.

"Who is that young lady so close to Miss Liang Di?" the King asked the other members of the royal family beside him.

"That's Miss Liang Di's older sister, Liang Lin."

"Oh~" The King nodded thoughtfully.

He had heard of Liang Lin's reputation, but only negative ones—people said she treated people like dirt, or that she was the most wicked woman in the capital. The king just laughed it off and didn't take it to heart.

"She's the first noblewoman swordsman in recent years," the person beside him added.

"Oh?"

The king's interest was piqued. "A noblewoman swordsman? This petite young lady? You must be joking. Can she even lift a sword?"

"Absolutely, Your Majesty."

The king stroked his stubble.

For some reason, Liang Lin gave him a strange sense of familiarity, as if he'd seen her somewhere before.

The king shook his head. He had a feeling this young woman posed a significant threat. But then he thought about it carefully.

What threat could a woman pose to me? It must be because I hadn't rested well lately, hence my inexplicable anxiety.

Since his two trusted confidants returned and reported that the powerful and influential figure at the border had been assassinated, the king felt much calmer. Although he grieved for a few seconds over the death of his most loyal confidant, how could a king grieving for an insignificant duke for long? His death didn't matter; other trusted men could be promoted.

As long as that border figure was dead, that was enough. The atmosphere she had fostered was terrifying. Not only was she beloved by the people, but she had also sparked a swordsmanship craze among noble and common women, many of whom yearned to fight on the battlefield—something the king could not tolerate.

"This is a rule I established. As women, they should rely on their husbands. Allowing some women to be heads of households is the greatest concession I've made."

The king even considered himself very understanding.

While these people were each harboring their own secrets, Gael strode towards Liang Lin with what he considered to be very dashing and elegant steps.

"Miss Liang Lin, long time no see~"

He was as polite as ever, but the moment Liang Lin saw him, she felt a wave of nausea. She clutched her chest, her face pale.

Liang Di shielded Liang Lin behind her. "Your Highness, my sister just returned from her trip and isn't quite used to court balls yet. Besides, she's not very talkative, so please don't take offense."

"Not at all, not at all," Gael chuckled, his gaze sweeping over Liang Lin like that of a predator eyeing its prey.

"It feels like it's been over a year since I last saw Miss Liang Lin. You're even more beautiful than before."

Liang Lin enjoyed being praised, but coming from Gael's mouth, it had an inexplicable lewdness that made her uncomfortable.

However, she still had to politely reply, "Yes, thank you."

Gael wasn't actually attracted to Liang Lin. He simply preferred the naive, easily fooled type to a clever woman like Liang Di. Liang Di's eyes were filled with too much lust for power and wealth, which he disliked. Besides, she was too shrewd and not easily deceived.  

Gael thought that women were more endearing when they were a little naive and easily fooled.

"Wait, may I invite you to dance the first dance of the evening?" Gael asked politely.

To be honest, Liang Lin was quite his type. Gael didn't like the delicate, frail looks of typical noblewomen; he preferred Liang Lin's assertive appearance.

"No."

Liang Lin's refusal was firm.

At the same time, Liang Di suddenly grabbed Liang Lin's hand and raised it.

"Didn't I already say? My sister doesn't like interacting with other people, so I'll dance the first dance with her tonight."

Liang Di smiled at Gael, but in reality, she wanted to kill him.

How dare he covet my sister? He really had a death wish! Once I overthrew the Soteland Empire, the first thing I will do is to kill this guy. Anyone who wanted to steal my Liang Lin deserved to die.

Gael was stunned for a moment, then smiled knowingly.

He successfully misunderstood the two girls, thinking they were vying for his attention and both wanted to dance with him. Liang Lin's refusal was definitely a ploy, while Liang Di's interruption was simply to prevent Gael from dancing with her sister.

Sigh~

Gael, feigning coolness, tossed his long hair, thinking it was normal for women to be jealous of him. After all, he was a prince, destined to inherit the throne, handsome, and exceptionally talented—which girl wouldn't be captivated by him?

Liang Lin: "....."

Liang Di: "....."

"What's that guy doing? That pose was disgusting," Liang Lin whispered in Liang Di's ear.

Liang Di shook her head, shrugged, and quietly replied, "I don't know, it's really strange."

"Does he think he's handsome?"

"I think so."

"Ugh... so disgusting."

The two girls had already cursed Gael a million times in private, but they had to pretend otherwise. Gael, oblivious, was still smugly pleased with himself.

“Well, Miss Liang Di…”

“Thanks for the invitation, but I have to dance with my sister. My sister can't function without me.” Liang Di replied.

Although Liang Lin was very annoyed by the other party's words, as long as Gael couldn't touch her, she and Liang Di could be as close as they wanted.

Compared to Liang Di, Liang Lin disliked Gael even more.

After all, her soul still had a male mindset. Although she was quite feminine now, she still felt that being close to a man was particularly masculine and disgusting.

“Fine~”

Despite being rejected, Gael seemed to be in a great mood and happily left to invite other ladies to dance.

“What is he laughing at? Is he sick?” Liang Lin asked again, her soul filled with questions.

Liang Di shook her head and shrugged. “I don't know either. I feel like all the royals are a bit crazy.”

“Indeed, especially that old pervert, the King.”

Liang Di: “?”

Why did she suddenly start talking about the King again? Could it be because she resents the king wanting to kill her?

Thinking this, Liang Di felt a pang of heartache and patted the other's head. "It's alright, it's all over now. He'll suffer later."

Liang Lin, however, mistook this for self-consolation and cast another pitying glance at her. "Yes, you're right, the psychological trauma will definitely disappear."

"Sigh."

Poor Liang Di.

"Sigh~"

Poor Liang Lin, I feel so sorry for her.

These two are even pitying each other when the music started.

This was Liang Lin and Liang Di's second dance together; the first time was in etiquette class.

Liang Di naturally put her arm around Liang Lin's shoulder and took the initiative to dance the lady's steps. This time, Liang Lin was wearing platform shoes, only about three centimeters shorter than Liang Di, so the height difference was barely noticeable.

Although Liang Lin had grown taller, Liang Di was also growing taller.  

Liang Lin is now 163 cm tall, but Liang Di has grown to 175 cm, making her noticeably taller.

Being in Liang Lin's arms makes her feel safe.

But this dance was too short! How could it end so quickly?

Liang Di reluctantly let go of Liang Lin's hand.

Liang Lin didn't react much, naturally releasing her hand as well.

The sensitive and suspicious Tentacle Girl, once again, was thrown into a state of unease by Liang Lin's decisive release.

During the intermission, Liang Di went to chat with the royal family, while Liang Lin, unwilling to join in, stood aside, eating and drinking.

But she forgot one thing: Gael was still there.

"Miss Liang Lin, are you alone?"

Hearing that familiar voice, Liang Lin shuddered.

Seeing Gael's face, she felt a sense of despair. She thought she might as well have stayed with Liang Di and listened to those boring and tedious conversations.

"Uh, not alone, my sister will be back soon."

Liang Lin took two steps to the side, keeping her distance from Gael. Gael, however, relentlessly pursued her, taking two or three more steps towards her.

Liang Lin was annoyed.

Is this guy some kind of leech? What's he up to? Why does he have to stick so close to me, like some kind of scoundrel? Doesn't he realize nobody likes him?

"Miss Liang Lin, it's been so long since I've seen you. I went to the academy again, but I didn't see you there either. Where have you been this past year?"

Is he investigating my whereabouts?

Liang Lin immediately became wary.

"Just went out to clear my head. I wasn't in a good mood, and besides, there's no one in the academy who can fight me, right? It's really been a bit boring."

Liang Lin took a sip of her drink, her mind racing with wild guesses about what the other person's purpose was in inquiring about her.

In reality, Gael had no ulterior motive; he was just trying to strike up a conversation with Liang Lin, hence the rambling.

"Oh, is that so?" Gael began his awkward small talk. "My swordsmanship has improved recently. My swordsmanship teacher said I'm far superior to my peers. Perhaps we could spar sometime, Miss Liang Lin?"

Liang Lin gave him a disdainful look, sizing him up, and snorted. "Your Highness, forget it. I'm just a noble lady. How can I compare to you? Your swordsmanship is naturally superior; there's no need for a contest."

Liang Lin's tone was sarcastic and unpleasant. Gael sensed something was off, but didn't think much of it, genuinely believing Liang Lin was praising him.

Finally, Liang Lin waited until Liang Di returned.

"Sister, I understand. Let's stay here a little longer, and we can leave after the ball."

Just as Liang Lin was feeling happy, she saw that lecherous old king-like bastard walking towards them.