Chapter 178 - 131: Does a Proper Date Take All Night?

Chapter 178: Chapter 131: Does a Proper Date Take All Night?

Though Yubel Grama had put it nicely, Lian could figure out with his eyes closed what a "date" with Nancy Stuart really meant.

’Do respectable people need a whole night for a date?’

Lian raised an eyebrow. ’A Four-star nobody dares to challenge me?’

But this was the gate of Black Rose Castle. There were bound to be plenty of Mary’s eyes and ears around.

’I can’t reveal my true strength.’

’Oh, in that case, I’ll just offer them up as a sacrifice.’

’The Eye of Misfortune hasn’t received a sacrifice from me in a long time.’

In the Holy Empire, one was generally expected to accept such a direct challenge. To refuse was to be branded a coward, ridiculed by all.

But Lian couldn’t care less about such vanities.

"The moment you uttered your desire to ’date’ my beautiful mistress, you forfeited any claim to being a Glory Knight. A man of your vile character is unworthy of dueling me. I will not gamble with my mistress. If you insist on a duel, you wretch, then let’s stake our lives. If I lose, you can kill me right here. Oh, and I must remind you, I am also a proud Three-star Knight."

Lian spoke with a smile, but his eyes were filled with a clear challenge: ’If you don’t like it, come and kill me.’

But who in Yusofa would dare kill Lian Moria?

The answer was no one.

Even Mary’s current strategy was to win Lian over, to turn him into an ally if at all possible.

How could one of her own vassals dare to kill him?

Even if they ordered his death, they wouldn’t entrust the deed to a man like that.

If Lian Moria were to die, Catherine could raise the banner of justice and launch a war, and she would have the full support of the Moria Clan.

Though the Moria Clan was in the Northern Territory and couldn’t come to the South, no one could underestimate the Creed Clan’s protectiveness of its members. Even if they didn’t send troops, they would provide a massive amount of resources to support a war.

In short, this new rising star of the Empire could not be allowed to die, especially not in Yusofa.

Sting Litt was once again struck by Lian Moria’s shamelessness. This tactic was cut from the same cloth as the time Lian had claimed Khrish as his uncle.

To think he would use his own life to blackmail a Knight who wanted a duel.

"You two are a match made in heaven. But I’ll find my chance."

Sting Litt departed with his men. Though his heart burned with resentment, he could only resolve to find another opportunity.

Before he left, he shot Nancy Stuart a deep, lingering look.

’This woman... sooner or later, I will have her.’

’I’ll make her regret today’s decision. I’ll turn her into my plaything, and when I grow tired of her, I’ll gift her to my men.’

Sting Litt’s venomous gaze sent a chill down Nancy Stuart’s spine.

She was once again reminded of the trouble her face brought her.

It felt as if she’d been targeted by a wild beast.

Lian noticed Nancy Stuart’s distress. He reached out, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and spoke gently.

"Don’t worry. They won’t get another chance."

He decided he would "send them off" in his dreams tonight.

Of course, such a dream would require a guide, and a Succubus was the ideal candidate for the job.

He didn’t have a Succubus with him, but he did have Nancy Stuart, who had consumed the flesh of one. To some extent, she could do what a Succubus could.

Leaning against Lian’s broad chest, Nancy Stuart suddenly felt a sense of security, of being protected.

Only after watching the three men’s retreating figures did Lian remove his hand from Nancy Stuart’s shoulder. He said with a smile,

"It seems my life is more valuable than yours, isn’t it, my dear Miss Nancy?"

"Of course, Lord Lian."

A smile graced Nancy Stuart’s lips.

They boarded the carriage together, joining the girl, Jillian Mora, and Annie, who were already inside.

Jillian Mora immediately threw herself into Nancy Stuart’s arms like a clingy kitten, fawning over her.

She had no idea what Nancy Stuart had just been through and was only surprised that Nancy was no longer wearing her resin mask.

"You should thank Annie for this," Lian said to Nancy Stuart. "She’s the one who told me you have someone you treat like a sister, Jillian Mora, and that I should go bring her here."

Nancy Stuart lifted her gaze to the expressionless Annie.

For the first time, she felt a pang of guilt toward the sisters, Annie and Anna.

"I’m sorry. I sincerely apologize for what I did to you before. I hope you can forgive me, Annie," Nancy Stuart said earnestly.

Annie just snorted. "I didn’t do it for you."

"That’s just how Annie is," Lian said, affectionately ruffling Annie’s long hair. "She doesn’t always say what she means. She’s a good girl at heart."

Annie grumbled in protest, her cheeks flushing faintly as the bayonet in her hand gave off a dazzling gleam.

Lian was suddenly struck by the bizarre image of Annie stabbing him in the chest with her bayonet while fawning over him.

He gulped and decided to stop praising Annie for now.

"Lord Nancy, where are we going to play today?" Jillian Mora asked innocently.

"To my manor," Lian answered in Nancy’s stead.

"Your manor? You mean the ’Maid Manor’ that’s gathered all the Snack Girls in Yusofa?" Jillian Mora asked excitedly.

The corner of Lian’s mouth twitched. "It’s not called ’Maid Manor.’ It’s called Blueberry Manor."

"Blueberry Manor? Oh, right, right, that’s the name! But everyone calls it ’Maid Manor’ now. They say it’s the most spectacular manor in all of Yusofa, with more than half of Yusofa’s most beautiful women gathered inside," Jillian Mora said.

She reminded Lian of Sophie’s Kingfisher, always chirping away.

Lian didn’t like children, precisely because they were so noisy.

Fortunately, thanks to Jillian Mora’s constant chatter, the atmosphere on the journey remained harmonious.

Nancy Stuart and Annie didn’t have any conflicts.

Annie had been training diligently lately but hadn’t made much progress.

She suspected it was a matter of talent and that it might take her ten years to make another breakthrough.

So, after her relationship with Nancy Stuart had thawed, she took the initiative to ask about assassination techniques.

As a Five-star Bloodthirsty Assassin, Nancy Stuart was an expert on the subject. She held nothing back, helping Annie work through the problems she was encountering.

Although Lian understood their conversation, he couldn’t reveal that he, too, walked the Assassin’s Path. He had to feign ignorance and continue chatting with the young Jillian Mora.

The carriage returned to the manor.

Lian spent a leisurely afternoon with Nancy Stuart and Jillian Mora.

That night, Jillian Mora was settled into one of the manor’s guest rooms.

Annie, however, chose to continue practicing her assassination techniques on the hill behind the manor. She hoped hard work could make up for her lack of talent and declared she wouldn’t touch her sewing machine again anytime soon.

Nancy Stuart slipped quietly into Lian’s bedroom.

Blue moonlight streamed into the room through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Lian had just finished a bath and was lying in bed, ready to rest, when he saw Nancy Stuart. She was barefoot, clad in a long white dress.

She sat down beside Lian with a natural air and told him that she needed to plant new spies in the Blue Moon Territory and the Green Shade Territory.

"Then let these ’nails’ be nails. Don’t pull them out. Monitor their every move, and have them pass along only the intelligence we want them to."

Lian knew this was a test of Nancy Stuart from Mary.

All the spies in the Green Shade Territory and Blue Moon Territory had been compromised. That had already made Mary doubt Nancy’s competence. If these new spies were also compromised, Mary would question not only Nancy’s competence but her loyalty as well.

Therefore, leaving some spies in the Green Shade Territory and Blue Moon Territory was the only way to guarantee Nancy’s safety.

However, these spies had to be chosen with extreme care. They couldn’t know any of the spies from the previous batch.

Otherwise, word that the old spies were still alive might reach Mary’s ears, leading to disastrous consequences.

Lian noticed that although Nancy Stuart had finished her report, she showed no sign of leaving. He asked tentatively,

"Are you still frightened by what happened today?"

"Yes. I can still see Sting Litt’s filthy gaze. He and the men with him... they disgust me."

"Good. I also hate the way they look at you. So, how about we ’send them off’ together?"

Lian smiled, looking at the beautiful woman beside him.

Nancy Stuart’s eyes glittered. "You’re going to assassinate them?"