V2: Chapter 125: The King's Plan
She could have just told her directly, but Liang Lin's mind kept replaying the adorable image of Liang Di's frightened state. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she hesitated to speak.
"You really don't know what you did wrong?"
It was the same question over and over again. Logically, after hearing it so many times, one shouldn't be afraid anymore. But even after Liang Lin said it so many times, Liang Di still instinctively trembled at the sound of it.
"I... I really don't know, Sister Liang Lin, please, please tell me..." Liang Di's voice was now trembling with tears, her eyes welling up as if they were about to spill over.
Oh dear, why is she crying now? Looks like I went too far with the teasing.
Liang Lin cleared her throat, maintaining her previous serious expression.
“As you know, we always address each other as sisters in public, and we are sisters in name and in status, Liang Di. I know your feelings for me,” Liang Lin paused, then continued, “But you shouldn’t be so enthusiastic towards me outside. It’s easy for people to gossip. What if other nobles hear about us having romantic feelings for each other?”
Liang Di wanted to say she didn’t care about what others said, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized there was some truth to what she said. Now wasn’t the time to be impulsive. Although the Langwendi family had regained its former glory, it was still just a large noble family. Public opinion was a powerful force, and it was best to be careful.
“Mmm.... I understand, Sister Liang Lin.” Liang Di nodded obediently. “I’ll be more careful about my words and actions when we’re out together. At home, I’ll cling to you, Sister~”
As she spoke, her voice became sweet and childish, and Liang Di leaned against Liang Lin as if she had no bones.
"Okay, just be careful." Liang Lin didn't pull away from the other's hand, letting her hold her arm tightly.
Liang Di blinked twice, a triumphant smile spreading across her face, her lips curling into a smile that was harder to suppress than an AK.
"So, is this the only thing I did wrong? Have I done anything else wrong? Sister, tell me everything so I can correct it all."
Liang Lin racked her brains, but it seemed there really wasn't anything else.
"No, I'll tell you when I think of something."
"Mmm~" Liang Di rubbed her head against Liang Lin's arm like a docile kitten, "I'm super obedient, Sister Liang Lin, I'll listen to anything you say!"
Ahem.
It's a little hard to resist.
It's all God's fault for giving this girl that face; it's so deceptively cute, looking harmless, and especially evoking a protective instinct.
Inside the Royal Palace
"Gael, how are things going with the young lady from the Langwendi family?"
The King's body was growing increasingly bloated. He sat slumped in his chair, a high-calorie cake—bought from the Langwendi family's bakery—in his hand adorned with a jade thumb ring and a gold ring.
On the wall behind him hung a portrait. The person in the painting was noticeably thinner than him, but their features were remarkably similar. Head held high, chest out, holding a longsword, looking quite imposing. Looking at the King sitting in his chair, his beard still speckled with cake frosting, the stark contrast was undeniably amusing.
Gael paused, his brain racing for a moment, but ultimately failed to process what he was seeing.
“Father, are you asking about Miss Liang Di?”
The King took another bite of cake. “Then which Miss Langwendi are you talking about? Oh, you mean that imposter? I’ve heard of her. Notoriously wicked. Even a fool wouldn’t associate her with the Langwendi family.”
Gael didn’t argue. Although he liked Liang Lin more, he wasn’t about to contradict his high and mighty father for her sake.
“Um…Father, I’ve been studying swordsmanship and astronomy lately, so…” He hadn’t finished speaking.
“An excuse.”
The King’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was intimidating enough. Gael’s heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head in fear, his tall frame hunching over.
"I created so many opportunities for you at the banquet, and you didn't care at all?" The king glanced at him. "Or is it that Doris doesn't want you to have too much contact with the Langwendi family's daughter?"
After being king for so many years, how could he not sense Doris's hostility towards Liang Di? He just couldn't understand why Doris harbored such malice towards Liang Di. In the end, he could only attribute this malice to female jealousy.
Liang Di was outstanding, too outstanding even he acknowledged.
"Women are foolish creatures. Few women are as intelligent as Liang Di. Many times, I've suspected she's a man in disguise. If it weren't for hearing her gentle voice and seeing her voluptuous figure, I would have really sent someone to investigate her gender."
These were the king's words to his trusted confidant.
Hearing his mother's name, Gael became even more nervous. The king was telling the truth. Doris indeed forbade him from having any close contact with Liang Di. Doris told him that Liang Di was an exceptionally wicked woman, thousands, even tens of thousands of times more wicked than the wicked Liang Lin.
Of course, he couldn't tell the king this.
"No, Father, it's just that... I really don't know how to approach Miss Liang Di."
"At the last banquet, I exchanged a few words with her, but I felt that Miss Liang Di wasn't very interested in me. She was always very cold, and I felt that she didn't really want to interact with me. I was really enthusiastic, and in the end, I could only stand there awkwardly." Gael placed all the blame on Liang Di.
"How could that be?"
The king naturally didn't believe it.
“Gael, you are a prince of the kingdom, and the most promising heir,” the king said, looking his son up and down with a smile.
“Tall and handsome, Gael, you are blessed with good looks, inheriting all the best features from both me and Doris. What noble lady wouldn’t like you? Wouldn’t they all fawn over you?”
Gael had always been very confident in his appearance and abilities.
“Father, I know, but.... Miss Liang Di is indeed very cold to me. She’s not like the other noble ladies, following me around like a beacon. I feel that Miss Liang Di is more interested in those dazzling gold coins.”
Gael was right about that. Besides Liang Lin, Liang Di’s favorite thing was those gleaming gold coins.
“Then it seems you haven’t spent enough time together,” the king stroked his beard. “See, I underestimated her. It seems she’s different from the other noble ladies.”
The king pondered for a moment.
“But you are her best choice. She is destined to marry; no woman can escape marriage. She'll be twenty soon, and then she'll have to get married.”
Indeed, in the Soteland Empire, women are engaged at eighteen and married at twenty. Those over twenty are considered outcasts.
“I don’t believe Liang Di can find anyone better than you. You are a prince, the future ruler of the country. It’s only a matter of time before she falls for you. I don’t want to resort to force. Noble ladies are easy to win over with sweet words.”
As the king spoke, a confident smile spread across his fat, greasy face, his beard trembling and his belly fat jiggling.
Gael agreed with his words. If it weren’t for his mother’s objections, he too would have considered Liang Di an excellent marriage prospect. Stunningly beautiful and exceptionally capable, could there be a better marriage partner? At the moment, none seemed to be found.
Sigh, he didn't understand why his mother was stopping him. He asked her, but she wouldn't give a reason. However, Gael had always listened to Doris. At the time, this was based on the premise that the king hadn't given him any orders.
"I've already hinted enough, so let's make it even clearer," the king said.
The king slowly stood up. "Tomorrow, summon Liang Di to the palace. Tell her you're inviting her to play, in your name, Gael."
Upon hearing this, Gael's body jolted. He slowly raised his head, his mind racing with thoughts of Doris's instructions, a frantic internal struggle raging within him.
"Father, is this really alright..." Gael asked hesitantly.
Even this seemingly polite tone fueled the king's anger.
"Are you questioning my decision?"
He was always a man of his word. His orders were absolute; no one was allowed to question or contradict them. Everyone had to follow his orders.
Upon hearing this, Gael lowered his head again.
“I understand, Father! How could I question your decision? You must be doing this for my own good, for the good of our Soteland Empire.”
The King withdrew his angry gaze, walked to Gael, ignored his son's tense posture, and patted him on the shoulder.
“Go do it, Gael. After you've done it, you'll understand my good intentions.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Alright, go and plan and prepare for tomorrow's date with Liang Di.”
“Yes, Father.”
Gael walked stiffly out of the palace.
Only after he had walked a distance and breathed in the fresh, fragrant air of the back garden did Gael finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Phew~”
Headache.
If Doris knew that he had invited Liang Di to the palace in his own name, how angry she would be, how she would scold him.
Gael was at a loss about what to do tomorrow.
In the distance, a burst of laughter and cheerful voices drifted over. He looked up and saw the king's illegitimate son—the third prince. The boy was with a group of maids, running around and jumping about in the back garden like a bunch of monkeys.
Having just been humiliated by the king and having nowhere to vent his anger, Gael's lips curled into a slight smile at the sight before him.
Finally, he'd found an easy target.
The third prince was always timid and cowardly, never daring to fight back against the other princes' bullying, and had suffered quite a bit as a result.
"Hey, what are you all doing here? So noisy."
However, the noise was too loud, drowning out his voice, and no one paid him any attention.
Gael, with a stern face, strode over.
Upon reaching him, he grabbed the third prince's arm.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, didn't you hear me?"
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