Chapter 96: Miche Goes to the City Lord Mansion

Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Miche Goes to the City Lord Mansion

After sealing his heart away from love, Zerev threw himself into a frenzied work mode. In just two days, he thoroughly scoured the nearby trading markets once again.

On this particular day, Zerev arrived at the trading market near Ten Thousand Beasts City. Hoping to avoid bumping into Ophelia again, Miche had chosen to visit this market as well. Since it was quite far from both the Fuzu Tribe and the Golden Dragon Tribe, Ophelia was unlikely to come here to trade.

Although Zerev wore a mask, his inherent noble aura drew everyone’s attention the moment he stepped into the market—including Miche’s. Having seen Zerev’s true face before, Miche vividly remembered his striking figure. She felt incredibly fortunate that Loki had refused to come today because of the distance. Instead, her brother Galen had accompanied her.

Miche clenched her fists, gathering her courage, and stepped forward to strike up a conversation. "What a coincidence. We meet again. I’m Miche."

Zerev’s mask concealed his emotions. He merely shot her an indifferent glance. His gaze remained unchanged as he continued forward at a leisurely, unhurried pace.

A wave of awkwardness washed over Miche, but she bit the bullet and followed him. Noticing her persistent steps, Zerev snapped coldly, "Stop pestering me!"

Miche looked startled, her eyes instantly reddening. "Don’t misunderstand, I’m not trying to bother you. I just can’t bear to see you deceived and used by Ophelia." Her face displayed a mix of timid fear and stubborn resolve.

Moye, walking nearby, piqued his interest upon hearing Ophelia’s name. "Oh? You say Ophelia is deceiving us? What exactly is she lying about?"

Miche bit her lip, feigning hesitation. She stole several glances at Zerev before slowly speaking.

"You know she used to have a mate, right? Well, in order to be with that male from the Golden Dragon Clan, she abandoned her partner and her daughter.

"Even when her daughter fell deathly ill and her former mate knelt on the ground begging for help, she cruelly refused him."

"She’s actually that kind of person? How did I miss that?" Moye exclaimed, unable to believe his ears. "Are you sure you aren’t mistaken?"

"I’m not making this up," Miche said, her eyes shining with earnest sincerity. "If you don’t believe me, you can go ask around the Snow Wolf Clan. Everyone there knows what she did."

Zerev shot her a piercing look and said coldly, "Is that all? What a waste of my time. Get lost!"

Zerev had seen with his own eyes exactly how Loki treated Ophelia during their last encounter. He hardly believed a foolish male like Loki was worthy of her anyway. In fact, he felt nothing but profound relief that Ophelia had severed her bond with him.

Anyone with eyes could see the dreadful state of Loki and Ophelia’s past relationship, yet the narrative twisted completely once it left this little female’s mouth. She was truly sharp-tongued—an expert at twisting facts and calling black white. He had seen enough of these manipulative tricks back in the Holy Capital to last a lifetime.

Moye, however, was a different story. Despite his age, he had very little experience interacting with young females. As a result, he completely failed to see through Miche’s innocent facade, and a seed of doubt regarding Ophelia’s character took root in his heart.

He shot a discreet look to one of his subordinates nearby. The man gave a subtle nod and turned to leave, tasked with verifying the claims.

After scouring the market all day without uncovering a single clue about sugar, Zerev returned to Ten Thousand Beasts City with a dark expression. Meanwhile, the male dispatched to investigate Ophelia had also returned.

He leaned in close to Moye’s ear, delivering a detailed report of his findings. Fury crept onto Moye’s face as he listened. He immediately went to find Zerev and relayed the entire story to him.

Slamming his hand heavily on the table, Moye fumed, "Young Master, I can’t believe Ophelia is actually that kind of person. To think I misjudged her so completely!"

Afterward, he covertly observed his master’s expression, only to find the man’s face as calm and unruffled as a still pond.

"Young Master..."

Zerev slightly lifted his eyelids. "I only believe what I see with my own eyes," he replied flatly.

"But..." Moye wanted to offer a few more words of caution, but Zerev interrupted him sharply.

"Furthermore, who gave you permission to investigate her behind my back?"

Zerev unleashed his Dragon Beast aura, sending an overwhelming, suffocating pressure crashing down onto Moye. His legs buckled instantly, and he dropped to his knees.

"I was wrong. Please punish me, Young Master."

"Go receive fifty strikes with the rod. Let it serve as a reminder."

Moye bowed in profound gratitude. "Thank you for your mercy, Young Master." He backed out of the room, drenched in a cold sweat.

The next day, despite nursing a bruised and swollen backside, Moye sat through reports on city affairs from his subordinates. In the middle of the discussion, a guard arrived at the door.

"City Lord, a young female named Miche is outside requesting an audience with you."

"Miche?" Moye sifted through his memories. It was the young female they had run into at the market yesterday. "Send her in."

A few moments later, Miche was escorted into the hall.

"I hear you were looking for me, little female?"

Miche’s cheeks flushed crimson, adopting the demure and shy demeanor of an innocent girl. "Yes, Lord City Lord. I..."

Just as Moye’s patience began to wear thin, Miche clenched her fists and finally summoned the courage to speak.

"City Lord, I... I’ve taken a liking to the male who was by your side yesterday. I didn’t know where to find him, so I came to you."

After Moye’s group had departed the market the previous day, she had asked around and discovered that the middle-aged male was none other than the City Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts City. Given how respectfully the City Lord had treated the masked male, it was obvious the man possessed an extraordinary status.

"Do you like him? Or do you like his power?" Moye asked bluntly. He had seen plenty of females like her—opportunists seeking to latch onto his master’s prestigious status.

"I... I don’t! I don’t even know who he is," Miche stammered. "My heart simply leaped the moment I saw him.

"I’m not asking for anything. I just want to stay and take care of him, even if I have no official title or status.

"Even if it’s only for a short while, I just want to be near him... just a little closer."

Moye looked at the teary-eyed female before him, a flicker of contemplation passing through his gaze. He wondered, "Wasn’t the whole reason the Young Master liked Ophelia because of her supposed kindness? This young female standing before me seems gentle and kind-hearted as well. Perhaps she might catch the Young Master’s eye."

He absolutely could not stand the thought of his master suffering heartache over a callous woman who would abandon her mate and child. With that in mind, he agreed to Miche’s request.

"Very well. I can let you stay," Moye said. "But be warned: if you do anything to anger him, the City Lord Mansion will not hesitate to throw you out."

He made sure to deliver the necessary warning, adding, "You’d do well to know your place—what you should and shouldn’t do."

Tears of gratitude slid down Miche’s cheeks as she nodded emphatically. "Rest assured, City Lord. I only wish to watch over him in silence."

Moye, unable to bear the sight of a crying female, waved his hand dismissively. "The Young Master hasn’t had his breakfast yet. Go to the kitchen, fetch his meal, and bring it to him."

"Young Master?" Miche thought. She wasn’t entirely familiar with the title, but she knew it signified an existence far more exalted than even a City Lord.

After retrieving a bowl of white porridge from the kitchen, Miche was escorted to Zerev’s quarters. The rich aroma of the porridge wafted up to her along the way, making her mouth water. To be served delicate white porridge first thing in the morning—his status was truly extraordinary.

If she managed to become his mate, she would be able to eat soft rice every single day. She had long since grown utterly sick of chewing on dry, tough roasted meat.

"Young Master Zerev is inside," the escorting male reminded her in a hushed tone. "Keep your footsteps light when you enter. Don’t disturb him. Bring the food in and come straight back out. The Young Master hates having people lingering around him."

Miche offered a bright, grateful smile. "Thank you so much. You’re such a good person."

The guard flushed bright red at the compliment. Scratching his head bashfully, he turned and scurried off.

Left alone, Miche stared at the tightly shut door, a glimmer of unbridled greed flashing in her eyes. Softening her footsteps, she slowly pushed the door open.

"Young Master Zerev, I’ve brought your breakfast."