“!?”
XiuYing was startled by the words from the young man, who seemed to regard her with a cold gaze, as though offering her a choice, even as she felt pinned against a wall.
Even in such a cornered state, accepting something like this felt too desperate.
“You have plenty of time to decide, Empress,” Ryuk said, noticing the visible tremor in her body.
He resolved to give her the time she needed, perhaps long enough for him to seek revenge on the woman who had killed Zhen’er—the blind woman he had encountered in Lower Town.
[ Energy Signatures detected precisely in the heart of Jade Dominion ]
The system reaffirmed that the energy signature it had picked up in Lower Town, linked to the person responsible for Zhen’er’s death, was now within the capital city, specifically at the center of Jade Dominion.
This revelation led Ryuk to suspect that this woman might also be the one who had clashed with the Empress.
“Disg…usting, l..ust…ful men.”
Just as Ryuk prepared to turn away and make his way to the main palace from the inner pavilion, he paused at the sound of a muffled voice coming from the malnourished woman.
Her words reached him crystal clearly, prompting him to look back at her.
He noticed the contempt and disgust radiating from her cold gaze, which made a smile creep across his face as he approached her.
‘!’
“S…t..op!”
Although her voice barely rose to a scream, it was enough to break through her shock as XiuYing found herself effortlessly lifted into a princess carry by the black-masked man.
He seemed completely unfazed by her distress as he enveloped her in an orange aura, augmenting his protection around her to guard against any recoil her frail body might feel due to his movement.
With a sudden rush of strength propelling him forward, he took a powerful leap toward the main palace, disregarding the lifeless bodies littered on the ground, thrown aside by the force of his levitation.
—-
“What are they talking about?”
Esme inquired as she placed her hand over her eyes, using them as binoculars to look downward towards the inner pavilion.
There, she observed the malnourished woman speaking to Ryuk.
This prompted her gaze to shift toward Yao Lian, who stood with her arms folded, looking down contemplatively.
“Who knows?”
Yao Lian remarked, her sharp senses seemingly obscured by some invisible barrier that hindered her ability to hear.
“Did he just lift her in a princess carry?”
It was then she spotted Rui ke cradling the woman.
Judging by her exquisite attire, she certainly didn’t strike Yao Lian as someone who would typically catch a man’s eye.
Perhaps he was merely displaying an unexpected kindness toward her.
But why?
In an instant, Rui ke leaped forward while holding the woman. Yao Lian recalled the day not too long ago when their conversation had consisted of threats and him treating her with disdain.
Now he was showing such tenderness toward another woman, who, to Yao Lian’s critical eye, was not particularly striking.
This led to a flicker of suspicion toward the woman, especially given that Rui ke’s strength made it improbable for him to shower affection on just any female.
Swish
The distance between the inner pavilion and the main palace quickly evaporated, as the air shimmered around a glowing orange figure, prompting both women to turn their attention to Ryuk.
He, still cradling the frail woman in his arms, emitted a shout that caused the aura surrounding him to dissipate as he gently set the woman down.
She appeared alarmingly emaciated, little more than a skeleton.
“Are you jealous?”
Ryuk asked, striding toward them after releasing Xiu Ying from his hold.
As he brushed past Yao Lian, he took note of her folded arms and narrowed gaze, as if deep in thought and questioning his intentions.
He concluded that she looked far more envious than Esme, who appeared unfazed and casual.
“Wh-what?! Who is jealous here?!”
Yao Lian stammered, taken aback by his audacity.
It was astonishing that this man could so blithely misinterpret her feelings.
Why would she even have an ounce of jealousy toward someone like him, especially considering his lack of respect for women?
This only cemented her resolve to avoid further conversations with him.
Yet, she couldn’t shake the sense of helplessness that accompanied the realization he had just obliterated her last glimmer of hope for gaining strength.
After all, the matriarch of the Celestial Phoenix Order seemed much weaker than she had thought.
His strength was unfathomable, especially considering how he had managed to defeat her without sustaining a single injury.
This left Yao Lian with no choice but to sigh and contemplate her future, particularly her aspirations to rise higher and perhaps receive guidance directly from the Empress of the Jade Dominion.
The Empress possessed enough power to grant her the strength she craved.
In light of his seemingly boundless strength, she could only imagine that the Empress would be formidable enough to conquer this enigmatic young master, Rui ke, whose identity remained shrouded in mystery.
“Are you alright?”
Ryuk asked, approaching Esme with concern.
He could see her struggling to maintain her composure, the rising cadence of her breaths and the rapid beating of her heart betraying the stress her body was enduring.
She was exerting herself to keep the matriarch of the Celestial Phoenix Order under her illusion for an extended period.
With Regina still absent, he knew that things would become even more difficult if that woman were to break free from her illusion.
Even though the Ryuk appeared calm on the surface, he was secretly battling exhaustion.
Despite having received some healing, he was far from recovered, barely holding himself together due to the strain on his mental fortitude.
His body had reached its limits, and he was no longer able to wield his ability, Shunya, to nullify energies without risking total collapse.
Though he could theoretically keep using his ability, doing so would cost him dearly; it would leave him in such a state of exhaustion that he would lose consciousness.
“My mental state is still intact,” Esme assured him, determined to project confidence even as she battled her own exhaustion.
She was on the verge of her mental limits as well, given that the woman she had ensnared in her illusion possessed remarkable mental resilience.
Even maintaining the illusion for an extended period hadn’t been sufficient to crack that fortitude.
“How is she?” As she glanced at the malnourished woman, Esme couldn’t help but inquire about her well-being.
It seemed that Ryuk had taken a particular interest in her, making Esme wonder what it was about this woman that captured his attention.
“She appears to be alive, at least for the moment. Are you feeling jealous too?”
Ryuk commented, following her gaze before turning back to Esme.
He asked if jealousy was tugging at her emotions.
Of course, he couldn’t quite discern her feelings, as her illusion made things rather complicated.
He was simply curious.
“No, I trust you,” Esme replied, shaking her head.
She was well aware that Ryuk’s intentions were noble; he likely just wanted to assist her.
Given the state of that woman, there was hardly any reason for him to feel attracted to her, though she had confidence that he wouldn’t judge a person solely on their appearance.
It simply seemed too soon for him to develop feelings for a random woman who wasn’t particularly appealing.
Nevertheless, as she nodded, a flicker of doubt lingered in her heart—an unsettling feeling that something was indeed off.
“I see… you’re right,” Ryuk said, not at all surprised by her level of trust in him.
He then shifted his gaze to the matriarch of the Phoenix Order, who appeared to tremble as if attempting to pierce through the illusion casted by Esme.
Following that, he turned his attention toward the capital city.
Though it seemed highly improbable, he, remembering someone whom he met in Middle town, asked, ‘I didn’t see that dark elf around here; where could she be?’
[….men will be men (￣(ｴ)￣)ﾉ ]
