by William Bill
Damien acted brazenly before them, even after knowing that the princess herself was powerful enough to swat him to death as he knew Luna would have warned him if there was any potential danger at all.
Otherwise, Luna wouldn't have been too laid back, letting Damien alone with three strangers who could decide his life and death in an instant.
Damien felt that Luna somehow was somehow able to discern other people's motives.
But he knew if he asked Luna to verify his guess, she would remain tight-lipped as ever.
Forget about the two protectors...when he realized the power difference between him and a girl just one year older than him, his urge to increase his power increased more than ever.
He didn't want to remain in a pitiful state for long or be at the mercy of other people. That was also one reason he acted a bit arrogantly in front of Lily and her protectors.
Since he didn't want to look weak before them even though his strength was virtually nothing before them. If he did, it would only make him seem like a real slave, which was the last thing he wanted to happen.
"What's there to be so surprised about? This is the Imperial Family, after all, ruling one of the empires out of the four. Surely, there would be powerhouses which you wouldn't casually meet on the road."
Damien softly shook his head, "No, it's just that nothing makes sense."
"Well, if you are talking about that princess, then you should just take advantage of her kindness while you can...well, as long as you don't go overboard," Luna said as her lips closed into a firm line.
Damien narrowed his eyes, "You...haaa...forget it. I would anyway try to get on her good side by teaching her properly, just as a real master would. And then demand the favors I am due from her. Well, it would be a win-win situation for both of us."
"Teaching her as a real master?" Luna rolled her eyes, "We will see how good of a teacher you are."
Chapter 24: The Empress
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace's throne hall, a middle-aged woman was seated on a majestic throne atop an elevated platform adjoined by four empty plain looking seats for the royal highness' direct family.
Those waiting to be heard by their imperial highness can do so on the several extravagant and comfortable marble benches, all of which were perfectly aligned in rows.
The middle-aged woman's figure was gracefully slender, and she wore a long palace robe, which was sparkling with a blue glow. But her face didn't give people the feeling of an ordinary woman. Instead, her face exuded an air of arrogance.
She was none other than the Empress Regnant of the Rong Empire, Olivia Rong!
And standing before her in the vacant hall was Lily with an expressionless face without any trace of the graceful smile she always had before Damien.
"Your Majesty, can I know the reason for which I was summoned here?" Lily asked in an indifferent tone.
"Is that the tone in which you address your empress?" Olivia Rong narrowed her eyes in displeasure.
"If there's nothing else, then I will take my leave," Lily said in a mildly frustrated tone as she turned around to leave.
"Halt there. I know you slipped out of the palace to go somewhere. And when you came back, you brought a bloodied kid with you. You know that we don't allow stray dogs into our imperial palace." Olivia Rong said, her eyes filled with contempt.
"You have no right to decide whom I take in as my servant," Lily said defiantly.
"Oh, what kind of servant is he to make you go all the way outside to employ him?"
"With all due respect, who or what kind of person I employ as my servants is none of your business, Your Majesty," Lily said as she coldly glared at Olivia Rong.
"Hmph. We will see how long you can be this arrogant. But the matter for which I summoned you here is another thing. The second prince from the Gale Empire is visiting here in the name of greeting the 'Celestial Princess' within a month. You will do well to be worthy of that title and not play any games."
Olivia Rong paused for a moment before saying, "If you displease or insult the prince in any way, you will have to face the consequences, which I don't even have to tell you."
"Your Majesty doesn't have to worry about anything as long as the second prince doesn't overstep his boundaries," Lily said with a hint of disgust in her tone.
"Just because you are a walking treasure doesn't mean you can step on these kinds of people if it wasn't for me, who knows where you would have ended up now. You would have even ended up as a mere concubine of the second prince of the Gale Empire." Olivia Rong scoffed.
Lily stared icily at Olivia Rong, "Don't pretend as if you did me a favor. We all know for whom exactly you are carrying out all your plans and schemes. And I am nothing but a political tool for you to use to strengthen and solidify your own political power."
"You can believe whatever you want. I don't have the time or energy to argue with you." Olivia Rong said in a bored tone.
"Since I have already instructed you on what to do when the second prince of the Gale Empire arrives, you may leave now." Olivia Rong said as she waved her hands.
Lily didn't tarry anymore and left the hall with soft, uneven footsteps.
After Lily had left, a silhouette emerged behind Olivia Rong, which took the form of a man with a rough face.
"Have you confirmed that there is nothing strange about that crippled servant boy she brought home?" Olivia Rong said without turning to face the man.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I had already probed the boy using my spiritual perception when he entered the palace. He is utterly and completely crippled because of his destroyed ethereal points."
Olivia Rong squinted her eyes, "Strange, why would she pick up a cripple lying around the streets? If she wanted a gardener or a herb expert, I am sure she could have got way better ones with good expertise from around here itself. And also, why suddenly hire an outsider to take care of her garden? Usually, some maid takes care of it."
The man said in a respectful tone, "Your Majesty has nothing to worry about that boy. I have thoroughly confirmed the facts with my senses. Maybe the princess must have found him on the way and took pity on him, considering the state he came here with all the injuries and blood."
Olivia Rong sighed, "Yes, it might be that. I must be overthinking things. Nevertheless, no matter what tricks that girl comes up with, she can't escape her fate. I only have to watch out for the two Court Masters by her side and the Ancestor, not that they would be of any help to her in the long run." She said as a devious glint flashed through her eyes.
—
In one of the imperial palace's courtyard, there were three people sitting around in a circular fashion surrounding a small table.
They were none other than Lily and her two protectors.
"Your Highness, did the empress catch on to something?" Nestor Rong asked with a worried expression.
Lily shook her head, "No, she doesn't know about our visit to that place. She only asked me why I took Damien as my servant. And also to tell me about the arrival of the Gale Empire's second prince within a month." As she said the last part, Lily clenched her teeth.
Oswin Rong stroked his chin as he said, "Well, even if the empress knew about our visit, she wouldn't care about it much since we practically came back empty handed. But she would task more people to keep a watch on us. The only reason she didn't find out could be that this was the first time you have ever tried something like this."
Lily nodded with a half-hearted smile, "She knows that there is nothing I could possibly do. But that doesn't mean she will let me out of her sights. She is too careful not to make any mistakes since she has already come a long way. Only if my father was still alive, maybe things could have been different."
Nestor Rong sighed, "That's true, your father was really talented, and even his cultivation was half-step into the Heaven Ethereal Realm. Only due to the unfair turn of fate could such a tragedy have happened to him."
Oswin Rong spoke in a reassuring
tone, "But Your Highness need not worry yourself too much. We would do everything in our power to protect you and safeguard your interests. Your father and even the Ancestor had entrusted and trusted us with the task of protecting you. We won't fail to follow their orders."
Lily's lips pressed together, "I just had enough of this farce already. The empress is just trying to sell me off as quickly as she can. If it wasn't for the Ancestor, I would have already been used as a political chip by her. But now, only two more years are left before she can proceed with her schemes of letting her son, the crown prince of our empire, succeed to the throne without any hindrance."
Nestor Rong's brows pulled together, "Your Highness, we will try to come up with some plan within these two years. No matter how much the odds are against us, we will never give up."
Lily sighed, "Okay. Leaving those things aside, I have decided to have my inner courtyard as the training place for Damien and me."
Oswin Rong narrowed his eyes, "Your Highness, are you sure you want to let that boy inside your courtyard? Except for the maid who took care of the garden before, you haven't let anybody inside there."
Lily nodded, "Yes, it's the perfect place. Since it's my own residence, no one will dare to spy or intrude on me, nor will the empress have any suspicions since everyone knows that he is my servant tasked with managing my garden."
Oswin Rong nodded in understanding, "Hmm, since Your Highness doesn't want any trouble to befall on Damien, the inner courtyard of your residence would be the best place to have the training take place."
Nestor Rong asked skeptically, "Your Highness, that boy seems too sly, and we are still not sure of his background. Is it okay to really let him train alone with you? Maybe we could—"
Lily interrupted as she shook her head, "What could he even do to me? He's harmless as a fly, and you two don't have to worry about his background. I can at least assure you two that Damien is not a threat in any way." She said assertively.
Chapter 25: Shall We Start?
The next day,
A boy and a girl were surrounded by a thick patch of grass bordered by fragrant hedges and shrubs. A few heavy trees stood near the left edge. ; their trunk and crown rose like a pinnacle of the garden.
The flowers and plants looked neat and tidy as if they're fighting an eternal competition for the best spots. The hedges and shrubs reached 1.5m/5ft high, but this is something that only seems to happen outside of the wild.
A path of stepping stones curved around each bend in the garden, directing visitors around in a natural way. The grass looked like they wanted to reclaim even all pieces of land, eager to expand their dominion.
The trees have stood there for a dozen years and brought life and offered homes to life in so many ways. It's no wonder they are the pride and joy of the creator of this garden.
The flowers and plants definitely tried to claim their share of the glory, and the hedges and shrubs definitely deserved to be paid attention to as well, but the focus was just simply on the pale red-brown trees.
This place was none other than Lily's own inner courtyard.
And in the middle of the courtyard, there was a hundred-meter wide square area with silver jade tiles, which looked aesthetically pleasing as it reflected the sunlight.
"Wow, this place is so beautiful. The herbs and the flowers give off a fresh and crisp smell. It's like the air is so clean here. It must be because of the presence of those rare sky grade herbs."
Damien's voice was filled with awe and astonishment. He looked around the courtyard and even spotted some medicinal herbs that were quite expensive and hard to find.
Lily showed a sweet smile as she said, "I am glad you like my courtyard. I have always taken good care of this place since…" Lily's expression suddenly looked as if she was reminiscing some memories.
"Since?" Damien asked when he saw Lily suddenly getting lost in thought.
Lily's brows raised as she realized she got absorbed in her own thoughts, "Ah...it's nothing. Actually, this is the place where I usually seclude myself for cultivation. But I also spend my leisure time here by either reading some books or just immerse myself in my own thoughts while staring at the beautiful night sky."
Damien thought that her eyes expressed sadness for a moment but didn't ask since it wasn't his business.
So he didn't seem to mind her changing the topic and nodded, "Yes, I am sure this place can help one relax a lot. Even I am tempted to spend all my nights here, hahaha."
"Hehe…" Lily sweetly giggled as she said, "Well, even though you won't be able to spend your nights here, at least you can enjoy this place any time else. Also, considering your interest in alchemy, studying and researching these herbs in this place would surely help you learn with a clear and refreshed mind."
"Well, this only makes the job of looking after your garden more relaxing. So, this is the place where you want me to train you?" Damien asked as he was checking out the tiles with his feet.
"Well, this is the only place where I can make sure there are no eyes watching over us so that no one will find out what exactly we are doing here."
"Hmm, I guess you have really had this whole training thing planned and prepared well. But I wonder why your two bodyguards are not with you?" Damien asked since he thought that those two protectors were her bodyguards.
"Well, they aren't just bodyguards, they are like my protectors, and they only stick with me if I am in a dangerous place. Also, they have their own jobs to do as they hold respectful positions in the Imperial Ethereal Court. And here, it couldn't be safer since this is my own residence, and no one would dare to infiltrate it...well not without alerting the whole palace."
"Oh, what is this Imperial Ethereal Court?" Damien asked as he cocked his head.
"Well, in our Rong Empire, there are several Ethereal Courts located around to recruit and train young practitioners so that they would mature into assets that could be valuable to our empire as a whole. And each of these Ethereal Courts might belong to a whole city or belong to an entire kingdom. But the most prestigious and distinguished Ethereal Court in our empire is our very own Imperial Ethereal Court. Actually, highly talented youngsters are sent from the other Ethereal Courts to ours so that they would have better prospects in their cultivation and reputation as well."
"Aha, that's a great way to develop your own empire, and at the same time, young talents would also be able to fulfill their dreams and have a chance to achieve things on their own." Damien felt that the Imperial Ethereal Court was like a prestigious institute or college in his previous life.
"Well, those who manage to earn the position of core disciple will be conferred with a noble title in accordance with their contribution. Some might even become generals who can lead an army on their own or be tasked with governing a large territory."
Damien nodded, "Hmm, no wonder they are all interested in joining the Imperial Ethereal Court. If I wanted to lead a comfortable life, I am sure I would have taken the same path."
"So, why don't you try joining the Imperial Ethereal Court? Once you have enough knowledge on alchemy, I can even help you get a position of an Alchemy teacher in our Alchemy department in the Imperial Ethereal Court." Lily asked as she looked at Damien with expectant eyes.
"Thanks for the offer, but I still prefer to join an organization dedicated to Alchemy itself, and also has a well-known reputation throughout the continent."
Lily gave a dry chuckle, "I see as expected. Well, here's the recommendation letter you asked for." She said as she handed out a sealed brown paper scroll.
Damien was surprised as he received the letter from her, "But why now? Today is just day one, and I haven't even taught you anything yet."
"It's nothing. It's not like you are going to run away after I give you the letter. Or will you?" Lily gave a playful smile.
Damien shook his head, "But why are you so nice to me?"
Lily shifted her eyes as she said, "Don't overthink things. I just gave you the
letter to act as a motivation for you and not keep you second-guessing whether I would go back on my words. In the end, it's because I want you to teach me earnestly."
Damien squinted his eyes and sighed, "Fine. Also, you don't have to worry if I would teach you half-heartedly. I will teach you as much as you can learn and leave the rest to you."
Lily looked at Damien as her gaze focused, "Alright. By the way, since we are alone right now, do you mind telling me why you seem so different compared to the day when I rescued you? Not that I think it's bad."
Damien raised his eyebrows, "Oh, actually, this is how I really am. But at that time, I was just in a hopeless situation, which probably could have cost me my life. I had no one to trust, and when you rescued me, I couldn't help but get suspicious. The last thing I want is to get used by someone else without even realizing it. But so far, things have been looking good for me...I thought I had lost my dominant hand forever, but thanks to you, that's no longer the case. Also, my future looked bleak before all this happened. But now I can pursue my goals without any major impediments."
Lily nodded, "Oh, so that is why you don't have that gloomy air around you. Yes, I also prefer that you stay this way. But can you tell how you ended up in that place?"
Damien awkwardly smiled, "I am sorry, princess. But can we not talk about it? It just brings up unpleasant memories."
Lily glanced away, "Oh, sorry, I was just curious. But who taught you these sword skills?" Lily asked with pure curiosity.
"Honestly, I don't know. I know you might think that I am just avoiding your question, but I seriously don't remember. I guess I also trained on my own, but I don't have a clear idea about the person who taught me these things. It's like I always had these skills with me." Damien said with a thoughtful expression.
Lily's eyes squinted as if she had trouble believing him, "Well, forget about it. All that matters is that you have great talent in swordsmanship. So, shall we start then?"
