Chapter 296: I Understand Now, Lord Luo Xiu
Luo Xiu’s voice was not loud. His tone was calm, as usual.
But to Lance and the others, it sounded like a demon’s whisper, causing Lance’s body to tremble violently again. His eyes were wide open, almost bulging out of their sockets, filled with bloodshot veins. But that ethereal hand of lightning seemed forged from steel, and no matter how much he struggled, it still firmly gripped his throat.
The Imperial Guards accompanying him were also shaken to their core, as if an invisible hand had gripped their hearts, preventing them from daring to make any rash moves. Terrifying lightning bolts appeared one after another at their feet.
“He’s gone mad, utterly mad! This man is a lunatic! Just give me a chance to speak!!”
Lance’s cheeks began to swell visibly. This was the consequence of being unable to breathe. His worst-case scenario at the beginning was just a beating. But judging by Luo Xiu’s current posture, he clearly intended to strangle him to death.
Lance’s will was already on the verge of collapse. He had imagined that Luo Xiu might be a bit stronger than him, but he never thought the gap between them would be so immense. The way Luo Xiu held him was as easy as crushing an ant on the roadside.
The next moment, a strange gurgling sound echoed, and a foul, nauseating smell emanated from below Lance’s crotch. He lost control of his bodily functions, scared to the point of soiling himself.
Luo Xiu frowned, flicked his sleeve, and flung him out. Then, the scattered terrifying demonic energy vanished instantly, and everything around them returned to a calm state, as if nothing had happened.
But the man writhing on the ground and the lingering unpleasant odor in the corridor were all testaments to the brutal encounter that had just occurred.
“Take him and get out,” Luo Xiu said coldly.
The soldiers, who had regained their mobility, rushed forward to help Lance up. They didn’t even dare to glance at Luo Xiu again, carrying him away at a speed several times faster than when they arrived, rushing out of the manor without looking back. They had been arrogant upon arrival, but were now utterly pathetic. The biggest contrast, however, belonged to the Third Prince Lance. He had entered upright, but was leaving horizontally.
Luo Xiu waved his hand and cast a “Purify Air” spell, dissipating the unpleasant smell in the corridor. He then walked forward and knocked on the room door. His voice, entering the room, was gentle and reassuring.
“You can open the door now, Selena.”
The moment Luo Xiu’s voice fell, the door was opened from the inside, and a petite figure rushed into his embrace. The girl buried her head deeply in the man’s chest, her slender fingers tightly gripping Luo Xiu’s clothes, refusing to let go no matter what. Her long-suppressed emotions finally erupted at this moment, soaking a large part of his clothes.
Luo Xiu gently stroked her long hair and smiled comfortingly, “It’s alright, Selena. It’s over now. You don’t have to worry when I’m here.”
Because they were so close, Selena’s voice sounded a little muffled. She hummed in response but still didn’t look up. Luo Xiu felt helpless, knowing that the Royal Family’s sudden attack had likely terrified the “Witch,” who had only been calm for a day. He remained silent, letting Selena slowly compose herself.
At the doorway of the room stood another girl. She wore an elegant black dress, leaning against the doorframe, her lips slightly pursed, her eyes also a little red, but she remained silent.
Seeing Luo Xiu look over, Eileen met his gaze. The man shook his head and chuckled. Eileen knew he was showing off to her. Showing off the promise he had made when they first met.
He would definitely protect them.
Eileen crossed her arms, pretended to be cool, and turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze. She mumbled something softly, but her voice was too low for Luo Xiu to hear.
The three of them stood there. Luo Xiu looked at Eileen, and Eileen averted her gaze to look at the air. Selena silently buried her head in Luo Xiu’s chest, her delicate shoulders occasionally trembling, oblivious to the outside world.
After a long while, Selena suddenly came back to her senses, realizing what she was doing. She, she was actually hugging Lord Luo Xiu like this… And Lord Luo Xiu hadn’t resisted, nor had he rushed to push her away, but had just waited quietly. Not to mention the possibility of being disliked, which Selena had always imagined.
Yes, before this, Selena had always harbored feelings of low self-esteem. These feelings of inadequacy and timidity were well hidden in normal times. They only erupted in a torrent when she imagined interacting with Lord Luo Xiu. The inferiority and timidity both stemmed from the difference in their statuses. One was a highly respected priest of the Holy See, whose status was even higher than that of the lord of the outer city. In the eyes of the Maya Empire’s people, he was the embodiment of Holy Light, a gift from the Holy Light. In the face of such a person, how could Selena, who had grown up amidst curses, not feel timid? Even imagining it in her mind required immense courage.
But reality had responded to her. Her Lord Luo Xiu had also responded with tangible actions. Thinking of this, Selena’s eyes reddened again. Fortunately, Luo Xiu spoke in time, “What, my dear Miss Selena, one cry wasn’t enough? Do you need a second one?” His tone was unusually flippant, a half-smile on his face. However, this well-timed teasing helped Selena shake off most of her negative emotions. She habitually fiddled with her fingers, lowered her head, her earlobes tinged with shyness.
The girl then apologized, “I’m sorry, Lord Luo Xiu, for causing you so much trouble.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Xiu extended his hand and cupped her cheeks with both hands. His tone became gentle again.
“Selena, I told you, I have my own selfish motives, you don’t need to feel sorry for me.”
“You haven’t wronged anyone either.”
Selena sniffled and wiped away nonexistent tears from her face with her hand. Then, the girl broke into a bright smile.
“I understand now, Lord Luo Xiu.”
Luo Xiu was pleased with her response. Feeling the smooth, tender touch of her skin, he couldn’t help but gently squeeze it. Luo Xiu didn’t apply much force, so Selena didn’t feel any pain. She just looked up at him, her eyes curved into crescents, gazing at him without blinking.
Luo Xiu coughed lightly, feeling a moment of remorse in his heart. The next moment, he let go of Selena’s small face and said, “So now, we need to consider the next question.”
The girl looked at him a little confusedly, “What question?”
Luo Xiu smiled, “Of course, it’s what we’re going to eat tonight.”
After saying that, he took Selena’s hand. Beside them, Eileen was still leaning against the doorframe. She quietly witnessed the interaction between Luo Xiu and Selena and then curled her lips in disdain. It wasn’t until the man extended his other hand in front of her that Eileen’s expression froze. After a moment, she huffed, didn’t take his hand, and ran ahead.
(End of this chapter)
