“Minor problems are just minor problems; who said I was looking for romance anyway?”
Shuyue thought to herself, realizing she hadn’t given the matter any consideration at all, so she decided to simply ignore it.
Besides, if she could actually defeat her, then her very life would be in that person’s hands.
In such a case, she would have no choice but to yield.
Of course, she could resist to the death, but she felt there was no need.
Becoming strong is sometimes a matter of “playing it safe” and laying low.
As long as one can survive until the end, even the most mediocre talent can become a Great Emperor.
“Exactly. I have the Star Refinement Art. With its high ceiling, as long as I stay safe and lay low, I will eventually become incredibly powerful. When that time comes, no one will be able to defeat me, and no one will be able to force me to do anything. Hmph~”
Therefore, if someone wanted Shuyue to be their “little darling wife,” they would have to be able to suppress her for a lifetime.
After drifting off for a short moment, Shuyue refocused her attention on Vanessa.
As for Emily, she ignored her completely; dealing with her was far too much trouble, and she hated trouble.
“Thank you, Miss Vanessa.”
Internally, Shuyue felt the other woman had ulterior motives, but Vanessa’s actions had indeed helped her.
Saying “thank you” didn’t cost a thing; Shuyue wasn’t the type of person to be petty over small matters.
Vanessa offered a shallow smile.
Conventionally, she could have passed all the credit to Emily standing behind her—after all, they were best friends, and she was supposed to help with her friend’s life-defining engagement.
But aren’t best friends made for throwing under the bus?
She ignored Emily entirely and, in front of everyone, allowed a touch of tenderness to flicker in her eyes.
“You are quite welcome. This humble lady felt a kinship with Mr. Lear at our first meeting yesterday; this was merely a trivial favor.”
“Oh.”
Shuyue nodded.
She wasn’t some naive youth; she wouldn’t be swayed by a girl’s pheromones.
Even catching the faint scent of Vanessa’s perfume didn’t spark any wild fantasies.
She was currently a virgin…
“I have things to attend to, and this isn’t exactly the place for a chat, so I’ll be leaving first.”
With that, she turned and walked away without a second glance, leaving the onlookers with bewildered expressions.
They were all utterly shocked.
Wait, isn’t that the eldest daughter of Viscount Hermann?
She is a pearl that countless people in Ashpine City dream of!
She specifically came here to testify for you, and you dismiss her with just two sentences?
Moreover, they recognized the chestnut-haired girl behind her—wasn’t that Emily from the House of Viscount Leicester?
A noble lady with extremely high magical talent, someone who might reach the Third Rank or even higher in the future, and she’s your fiancée!
You chatted for two seconds with another girl right in front of your fiancée and then left without saying a single word to her…
This youth…
Is truly terrifying!
They didn’t think Shuyue was arrogant or ignorant; instead, they believed Lear White must have massive power backing him, such that he didn’t need to care for the feelings of two noble ladies at all.
Originally, they thought Lear was marrying into the family, but now it looked like two women were fighting over him while Lear remained completely uninterested.
Vanessa tilted her head slightly toward Emily and saw her friend pouting unhappily, staring at the spot where Shuyue had just vanished.
Vanessa chuckled softly but said nothing.
The expressions of Baron Jim and the old judge remained sour.
The old judge’s face wasn’t too terrible, but Baron Jim looked quite peculiar, the gloom in his eyes deepening.
He hadn’t been able to see through Shuyue’s background, and thus his thoughts of revenge were temporarily suppressed.
Shuyue had already left the White Tower Court and boarded her carriage; she couldn’t care less about what they were thinking.
After parting ways with Vanessa, Emily returned to the large mansion of her family estate.
She dismissed the following maids and walked alone to the door of the study, her hand stopping in mid-air just as she reached out.
Her beautiful deep-brown eyes gazed at the exquisitely carved wooden door, tracing the grain meticulously.
Soon, however, the thoughts in her mind began to surge uncontrollably, and her heart started racing.
The young girl withdrew her hand and pressed it against her chest, taking deep breaths to regulate her heartbeat and calm her nerves.
Vanessa often told her that people are most prone to mistakes when they are nervous.
“I…”
She wanted to talk to herself to distract her mind, but she found herself unable to speak.
Her thoughts drifted back to the events of yesterday and today.
Yesterday, she and Shuyue had an argument…
It counts as an argument, right?
Regardless, they bickered, yet her loathing for Shuyue had diminished significantly after that exchange.
Emily didn’t understand why, but she was certain she hadn’t fallen for that jerk.
And today, he actually acted as if he didn’t even see her!
How infuriating…
She was clearly standing right behind Vanessa.
Even if she were trying to hide, he must have seen her.
But he pretended not to see her.
It was absolutely maddening.
How could a boy like this exist?
And he was actually her fiancé!
I don’t want…
I don’t…
The girl suddenly realized: marrying someone who could ignore her might actually be quite nice?
After all, she disliked physical contact.
Ever since the engagement was set, the maids had been teaching her “knowledge of the bed,” saying it would help her serve her husband better.
The lessons made her face flush red and turn pale by turns, nearly making her faint from distress.
If she married someone who didn’t care about her, would she be able to avoid doing “that kind of thing”?
She could let him go find someone else; at worst, she could have the maids help.
As long as the boy’s needs were met, she would be safe.
She had heard the maids say that once a boy’s needs are satisfied, he has no more desire.
“No, no, no! What am I thinking? Emily, you clearly like girls!”
Emily slapped her own face with both hands—a loud crack.
The nearby maids heard the noise and hurried over, only to see the Young Mistress standing at the Master’s study door with two red handprints on her face.
They assumed the Master had struck the Young Mistress and quickly backed away, pretending not to have seen anything.
Emily noticed them too.
Her ears burned with shame as she hastily pushed open the door and stepped into the study.
Leaning her back against the door, she looked up at the man sitting behind the desk: her father, Baron Leicester.
Baron Leicester looked at his daughter as she entered and put down his book.
He saw the two red marks on Emily’s face; though her face was naturally flushed, making the marks less obvious, he could still see them.
He didn’t bother to ask.
Since his daughter hadn’t come in crying, it meant she had slapped herself.
As a father, he paid more attention to his talented offspring; as for the useless ones, he couldn’t even remember their names.
Baron Leicester let out a soft breath.
He was in a very good mood.
He spoke to Emily flatly.
“Is something the matter?”
“Father, I…”
Emily bit her thin lip.
Her heart was actually wavering.
Sometimes, when a person is presented with the option to compromise, it becomes difficult to find the courage to “tear the roof off.”
But in the end, the girl summoned her courage and spoke her true thoughts.
“I want to break the engagement. I don’t want to marry a man. I hope my future partner will be a woman!”
Bang!
Baron Leicester slammed his hand on the desk and stood up abruptly, his eyes glaring intensely at Emily.
“What did you say?”
“…”
Emily was frightened.
It wasn’t that she had never seen her father angry, but she had never seen him this angry at her.
It was as if she weren’t his daughter, but one of those servants who had crossed his bottom line.
His eyes were filled with nothing but coldness and violence.
Baron Leicester had not reached his current position by being a kind-hearted man.
The Leicester family had been rooted in Ashpine City for hundreds of years.
The number of direct bloodline members alone reached over a thousand, and including the various branches, that number was even higher.
Being able to reach the peak of the Second Rank was one thing, but another crucial reason for his position was his methods and his temperament.
Becoming the young head of such a large family and inheriting the title proved that he was no ordinary person, and he certainly possessed no “womanly compassion.”
Emily stiffened her neck and did not back down.
She believed this engagement was a mistake—for herself and for that person—and that it shouldn’t exist.
She spoke her mind hoping for her father’s support, but it was clear now that she wouldn’t get it.
Despite not gaining Baron Leicester’s approval, the girl still believed the marriage could not go forward.
Baron Leicester looked at the small girl who dared to stand tall before him.
He laughed—a laughter fueled by rage that sent chills down one’s spine.
“Emily, my dear daughter, do you know why the limit for a Baron is the peak of the Second Rank?”
“Because of magic…”
Emily naturally knew that advancing to the Third Rank required a certain qualitative change.
Baron Leicester cut her off.
“No. It’s because upon reaching the Third Rank, one is granted the title of Viscount. However, the Third Rank is not the limit for a Viscount. Becoming a Viscount is a massive leap in terms of both resources and power. Therefore, this engagement must be completed. Your consent is not required!”
“I won’t do it!”
No matter how slow Emily might be, she understood now.
Her father had used her as a bargaining chip.
That powerful old man from that day was the agent of the person her father was trading with.
When Baron Leicester said her consent was not required, he meant it literally.
Two dark shadows suddenly manifested beside the girl.
They were both women, slender and agile, dressed in tight black cloth garments with masks concealing their faces.
Two pairs of hands pinned Emily down.
“Emily, my daughter, until the marriage is finalized, you are not permitted to step a single foot out of your room. This is my final indulgence as your father. As a member of the Leicester family—and a girl at that—you should have been mentally prepared to follow orders and marry. Your dear friend, Vanessa Hermann, has done a much better job than you in this regard.”
“…”
Emily’s heart went cold.
She knew she couldn’t talk Baron Leicester out of it.
The two women moved to take her away, but the girl shrugged them off forcefully and said indignantly:
“You don’t need to drag me. I’ll walk myself!”
With that, she pushed the door open and walked out.
The two women followed closely behind to ensure Emily returned to her quarters.
Baron Leicester watched the door close again, his good mood gone.
Sitting back down, his expression turned profound.
He had already obtained the methods and resources to advance to the Third Rank and would soon make that leap.
As for the task handed down from above, he had to complete it.
Even if the Leicester family was considered very ancient in Ashpine City, they could not withstand the wrath of those above.