Chapter 72 – The discussion in the lodge
His heart, was not as black as someone! His skin, was not as thick as someone! His face…… There really was not a reason for him to compare, someone did not even have something called dignity.
Slane quickly estimated the difference between him and his enemy, and after making the situation clear he retreated in silence — He was currently not the match of this little girl!
The two of them finally had the sense to end things peacefully, and ignored that unhappy incident earlier to discuss about things formally.
With the aid of the merfolk team leader who was more convincing, Slane quickly understood the situation that Fedrus had when he entered the forest. Like the queen had expected, it was someone within the royal family who poisoned the prince and left him alive so that the Soul Imprint would not be activated at the crime scene. The mastermind ultimately used teleportation magic and threw him into the chaotic Time Space, and left him alone to survive on his own.
Under normal circumstances, this arrangement would have killed the chibi a long time ago, since the poison and curse were hard to deal with. Not only that, he was randomly thrown to a random corner in the continent. Unless he was so favored by plot armor that he was actually thrown to the Pope’s sleeping chambers of the Church of Light, in theory no one would be able to save him.
Yet that day was just abnormal and the prince was thrown out to the path where the little white tiger was taking a walk…….
“This is truly……” Slane’s feelings were complicated. He did not whether to thank the Elven King for allowing his nephew to meet the little girl and saved his live, or to curse him for allowing his nephew to live in such darkness for landing in the little girl’s clutches.
The merfolks were more practical, completely ignoring Slane’s complex feelings and freely praised Sue. Their basic stance was this, without her, the little prince would have met his maker…… In the end Sue was a good person
The merfolks were not analyzing Sue’s background anymore as their goals had changed. They now wanted to turn her into a good person…… At least if she was not a good person she had to be a normal villain instead, it was hard for them to keep being mentally shocked at every turn.
[This girl can be also be called as a good person?!] Slane’s feelings became even more complicated……
“Sue, are you going to go back with me?!” The little prince wore his disguise back again. He had agreed to go back with his uncle once men were assigned to bring him back: “The Tobias kingdom has plenty of nice food, if you come with me I’ll get the head chef to cook for you.”
“Cough!!!” Slane nearly choked on his own saliva.
[What happened to my little Fedrus?! Why are you inviting this evil girl back to the palace?!]
Sue looked condescendingly at Slane before she turned around and gave a fake smile: “Thanks, I’m not interested.”
She wasn’t too inclined to food, and she was not about to sell herself for one or two meals…… Furthermore, the head chef was at best a master, but her cooking skills were at Grandmaster……
“Yes, yes, Sue’s cooking skills are much better than the head chef, why would she be interested in their food!” Slane quickly agreed with Sue’s wise decision.
“That’s true……” Fedrus thought of the food compared to the palace’s food, and immediately sighed loudly. His eyes brightened and he suddenly asked: “Then how about I get the tailors to sew up many pretty dresses for you?!”
“……” Sue did not say anything but pointed at Fedrus’s clothes…… Grandmaster Tailor!
Fedrus tried his best to think: “Erm, the palace has a lot of goin coins, I’ll give them all—“
Slane quickly blocked his nephew’s mouth, the little child was not thinking of using the national treasury to entice the girl back home right?!
“Haha……” Sue’s expression was a delighted one: “That isn’t half bad, your last suggestion has the biggest persuasion.”
“Mmmmph……” Fedrus’s eyes were full of stars as he struggled in excitement, while Slane was about to break into tears.
“But I can’t leave now.” Sue paused for a moment before answering, and she petted his fluffy ears: “If I need it in the future I’ll look for you, so you can keep the coins for me.”
“Hmph!” Fedrus angrily shrugged his uncle’s hand and pouted without saying anymore. He sat on the ground and pulled out the grass, giving off a ‘are you trying to lie to a kid?!’ vibe.
Slane sighed in sadness. He did not understand why his nephew wanted to bring the girl back when she clearly did not treat him well……
It was something like stockholm syndrome, except that the weaker party had to depend on the stronger party and bonding over their fate.
Fedrus had been poisoned, abandoned, and had no way to protect himself. Sue cured his poison, provided his needs, and taught him new skills while appearing powerful……
It was normal for him to treat Sue like a teacher or a guardian.
“Sue, it is a good option if you go to the Tobias Royal Family.” The merfolk team leader was looking through things where an underage kid needed a guardian. He hesitated for a while he managed to break through Slane’s glare and said: “At least they would find you a new home and allow you to grow up like a normal child……”
“Normal child?!” Sue interrupted him: “I’m sorry, please allow me to confirm things. A normal kid would mean something like sleeping early, waking up early, listen to one’s elders, can’t be picky at food, must be polite to adults, while learning from a teacher on flower cutting and ballroom dancing? And after that play with a bunch of snotty kids with stayovers while having activities like throwing bean bags?!”
Slane imagined for a while and shivered.
Fedrus also joined in and trembled.
“……” The poor merfolk team leader opened and closed his mouth repeatedly before he finally gave up: “Indeed, I can’t imagine that you would get used to a life like that.”
If it was a few months ago, Sue might have been interested into entering the human society with a legal status and integrate into it. But now that the Tree of Life had some strange symptoms, she might have the chance to go back to her own world even though there was not much hope to it….. Under these two choices, Sue did not think that this world was better than her own home.