V2: Chapter 171: Next Time It'll Be My Turn to Give Birth
"Well, anyway, that's what I mean... you know."
Liang Di did understand, but seeing Liang Lin's awkward little face, she couldn't resist teasing her.
"Huh? Sister Liang Lin, what are you saying?"
She tilted her head, looking completely bewildered.
Liang Lin lowered her head, raised her arm, and scratched her cheek, her mood growing increasingly irritated.
"It's just... it's just that if you combine what I said before, you'll understand what I mean."
Liang Di suppressed a laugh, still feigning ignorance, "Huh? I don't quite understand. Maybe...maybe the water's too hot, making me a little dizzy."
Liang Lin was truly exasperated now. She slapped the water's surface forcefully, splashing water.
"What I mean is, from now on, just treat me well, no need to compensate me with those self-destructive methods! And, and seeing you get sick because of me makes me sick too!"
She finally shouted the last sentence.
However, after shouting it out, Liang Lin felt shy. She slowly lowered her body, burying half her face in the water. Bubbles began to rise from the surface. Liang Lin wished she were taking a rose milk bath, so her blushing face wouldn't be visible.
Liang Di, seeing that she had teased her enough, and knowing that further teasing would likely make her angry, went over and cupped Liang Lin's face from the water.
Liang Lin felt shy and didn't want to look at her, so she turned her face away, puffing out her cheeks like a little frog.
"Yes! I know, Sister Liang Lin. You often don't express your true feelings, but I understand. You care about me, you... you love me."
Liang Lin immediately retorted, "I don't love you! Stop being so narcissistic!"
"Hehe~"
Liang Di wasn't angry or sad, just grinning foolishly as she pulled Liang Lin into her arms.
Liang Lin's chin rested on Liang Di's damp shoulder, enjoying the ambiguous atmosphere.
"If Sister Liang Lin doesn't want to have children now, then we can talk about it later. But don't worry, Sister Liang Lin, if you don't want to get pregnant, then I'll get pregnant."
Liang Lin had considered having a second child, but she really didn't want to get pregnant again and go through that ordeal.
"Well, if there's a chance in the future, let's have a second child. But you're right, I really don't want to get pregnant again."
"Okay! Then I'll have the baby."
Two months later
Doris and Philippa returned to the palace. They couldn't use the teleportation array; returning so quickly would arouse suspicion.
The first thing Doris did upon returning was to arrange for Philippa to stay with a nobleman's dog. She dared not bring Philippa into the palace; the area around the palace had been enchanted by the people of the Magic Tower, and if any monster other than her approached, the people of the Magic Tower would sense it.
After settling Philippa in, she hurriedly returned to the palace to find her son.
For the past two months on the road, she had lived in constant fear, afraid that her son would be harmed by Liang Di. When she returned to the palace and saw that Gael was unharmed, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Mother, you’re finally back.”
After Gael and Doris embraced, Doris slumped wearily into a chair.
“Hmm, Gael, while I was gone, you didn’t keep going to see the Langwendi family’s daughter, did you?”
“No, but…” Gael hesitated.
Doris sensed something was amiss and straightened up instantly.
“What do you want to say? Speak.”
Gael’s voice trailed off.
“Father seems to... want me and Miss Liang Di to get engaged. A few days ago he asked me what day would be auspicious; he wants to invite Miss Liang Di to the palace to discuss it.”
Doris gritted her teeth. “How’s your relationship with Liang Di now? Is it good?”
“It’s just so-so, nothing special. I don’t understand why, but Father seems a little anxious.”
Doris instantly understood.
It was definitely because the Langwendi family was growing increasingly powerful, putting pressure on the King.
Liang Di isn't like that border general who can solve everything with an assassination plot. Even if Liang Di is assassinated, the Langwendi family's existing wealth won't disappear; it will remain with the Langwendi family.
The King hasn't yet considered framing the Langwendi family for colluding with other empires; he's probably waiting.
If Liang Di agrees to a marriage alliance with the royal family, it would be a win-win situation. The Langwendi family and the royal family would prosper together, one controlling absolute wealth, the other power. However, if Liang Di is ungrateful and repeatedly refuses the marriage alliance, then the King will have to resort to methods to bring the Langwendi family down.
Doris isn't quite sure what Liang Di's next move will be—whether she'll feign agreement and then secretly plot against them, or refuse altogether. However, she analyzes that the most likely scenario is a feigned agreement.
Firstly, in the past four years, there's never been any news of Liang Di having a man she's interested in—no noble young master, and certainly no commoner. Even if she did, she didn't believe Liang Di would give up the chance to enter the palace for a man. Once inside, it would be even easier for her to make her moves.
Secondly, Liang Di was so clever; she could surely guess that if she repeatedly refused, it would anger the petty and suspicious king. If the king targeted her then, things would be much more difficult for her.
What Doris urgently needed to do now was to tell the king that she had brought her pure, lovely, and young sister with her, and that she was currently at a nobleman's house outside the palace.
"Your sister is outside; let her come into the palace."
As Doris expected, the lecherous king immediately had wicked thoughts, wishing Philippa were right in front of him so he could pounce on her and satisfy his lust.
Doris pretended to be hesitant.
“But... my sister, she’s rather shy. I asked her to come into the palace, but she refused. She said the rules inside must be very complicated, and she was afraid she’d do something wrong and displease the king, and then you’d hang her.”
This one sentence again incurred the king’s displeasure.
“What are you saying? I’ve always been magnanimous. This is common knowledge throughout the entire Soteland Empire, from nobles to commoners. Didn’t you explain to her that I’m not that kind of person?”
Doris, listening to the king’s self-praise, actually felt a slight urge to laugh.
He really had no idea what he was doing.
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