Chapter 25
Ding Sheng never imagined he’d meet someone in the Olay Empire who dared to
compete with him, Princess Kris, for anything! And they were so lavish with
their bids too.
Ding Sheng had a sudden thought—it couldn't be the protagonist, could it?
That thought immediately extinguished all other thoughts.
Sanctus also felt humiliated. It wasn’t often that little Princess Kris
expressed interest in something, and yet he had failed to secure it. It was
downright embarrassing.
But honestly, wasn't the guy who competed with him way too loaded? In the end,
he actually used a ninth-tier potion plus a fifth-tier beast soul to trade for
it. Those were priceless treasures, far exceeding the value of the Five-Petal
Rainbow Ice Lotus.
Who knew where this hillbilly came from; a total sucker.
In order to salvage some pride, Sanctus quickly placated Ding Sheng, "Your
Highness, this Five-Petal Rainbow Ice Lotus is far from top-tier. There’s also
the Seven-Petal Rainbow Ice Lotus and the ultimate, the Nine-Petal Rainbow Ice
Lotus, which only appears once in a millennium. I’ll find you a seven-petal
one next time, alright?"
Ding Sheng hmphed at him.
Yeah, I also know the more petals the better, but the key is, can you find it?
And not to mention, since the protagonist has already returned, do we still
have the life to find it, bro?
After being Kris for so long, Ding Sheng’s own personality had melded with the
princess’. Even his expressions and small gestures were all full of princess
panache.
Seeing that Kris wasn't responding, Sanctus awkwardly clammed up.
Just then, someone appeared in the middle of the road, blocking the carriage’s
path.
The carriage was currently on a narrow alley wide enough for just one carriage
to pass, and with the person standing ahead, there was no way through.
Sanctus, already fuming, grabbed his staff and charged down.
The man had an ordinary face, but he was half a head taller than Sanctus. He
looked down calmly at Sanctus and said in a composed manner[1], "My name is
Dishang Huai, and I’ve come to offer something to the princess."
Sanctus grew even angrier at that. For five years, he hadn’t been able to win
over Kris; she was simply impervious to both sweet talk and tough tactics.
Naturally, he had heard of the story between Kris and her good-for-nothing
ex-fiancé.
To this day, many in the Olay Empire and at Jingde Academy speculated
that Kris still hadn’t moved on from Dishang Huai, which would explain why she
hadn’t accepted anyone else in all these years. Some even wondered what kind
of spell that Dishang had placed on the princess.
The instant Sanctus heard that name, his temper flared even more.
You useless
piece of trash still has the gall to come back? And you even want to give
something to the princess? Over my dead body!
Ding Sheng immediately cowered the moment he saw Dishang Huai's appearance. In
the original story, the protagonist returned after five years, disguised as a
nobody to meet the people from his past. Everyone who treated him with a bit
of kindness was handsomely rewarded or promoted, while those who mocked or
humiliated him met tragic ends. Whenever he met someone under disguise, it was
usually to settle scores.
Seeing Sanctus about to charge at him, Ding Sheng quickly shouted, "Don't you
touch him!"
Dishang Huai’s heart skipped a beat when he heard that familiar voice so
close. He looked up to see, but was only met with thick velvet curtains,
unable to see the person inside.
He couldn't help but take two steps forward, but was stopped by Sanctus, who
was unwillingly made to hold back.
Countless thoughts raced through Ding Sheng’s mind before he finally spoke up,
"Give me the item and let him go."
He still had no idea what the protagonist was thinking about right now so it's
best to take a milder approach and avoid provoking him.
In the original text, the protagonist had become overly sensitive and cautious
due to his experiences growing up which led to low self-esteem. After
awakening his powerful bloodline, his personality became more extreme and
eccentric. Being overly friendly at this point could land him an "ill
intentions" label in the protagonist’s eyes. In that case, it was better
to handle things according to Kris’s original personality—adhering to the
principle of "non-provocation" and dealing with it naturally.
Dishang Huai let Sanctus take the wooden box from his hands and hand it to
Kris inside the carriage, who had yet to show his face. He then silently
stepped to the side, pressing himself against the wall.
The carriage began to move forward with a clattering of wheels. Only after
there was some distance between them, did Dishang Huai shout at the carriage,
as if he couldn't hold back anymore, "An old friend is here to visit and the
princess cannot even spare a glance?"
He missed him and longed to see him, so much that his heart ached.
That final glance when they parted five years ago had become the most enduring
memory of these past five years.
The carriage stopped.
But no one stepped out.
After a long pause, a familiar yet unusually cold voice drifted out from the
carriage, "We’ve parted ways. What’s the point of meeting again?"
The sound of wheels rolling resumed, and the carriage moved forward again.
As if unable to support himself any longer Dishang Huai fell to the ground on
one knee with his head down. He had thought of countless possibilities, but he
never thought that Kris would be unwilling to see him again.
Perhaps he should have guessed it. His little princess was wilful, stubborn,
and proud. For him, he could jump off the thousand-metre platform without any
magic, preferring death to breaking off their engagement. Yet Dishang Huai had
stood before him and so easily said the words that severed their bond.
No matter the reasons or how justified he was, in Kris’s eyes, he had become
an unforgivable traitor. In the princess' heart, it would always be Dishang
Huai who had abandoned him first. And how could Kris, who had always been the
centre of attention, ever forgive someone who abandoned him.
If he could, Dishang Huai would trade everything he had now just to go back to
those peaceful moments drawing magic circles together with Kris in the
library. But he also understood better than anyone that the person he was back
then could not protect his princess.
"But how could we not meet, my royal highness?" Dishang Huai muttered under
his breath as he stood up and he instantly reverted back to his current
appearance. "I've found the way to lift your curse…"
1. Written as "不卑不亢" which literally translates to "neither humble nor arrogant"↩
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You can support me by sending some love in the comments or through the button below
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