Chapter 485 - 321: Conversation

’The King just held a grand banquet today, and Princess Ashiru went too. Maybe this person was some dignitary she met at the feast. But Princess Ashiru is just too naive. She might have been tricked by him.’

"Aunt Norma, his name is Liu Zhenhan. I met him at the banquet. He hadn’t had breakfast, so he came here to get a bite to eat." Ashiru came out of the room and quickly explained, straining to drag a heavy stone stove.

This stove was a staple in every commoner household in Debei, made of fired clay on the inside and covered with a thin layer of iron.

It wasn’t very heavy for an adult, but for a malnourished little girl, it was far too much.

"That’s right, that’s exactly what happened." Levi smiled faintly and, with a casual nudge of his foot, slid the stove into place.

Ashiru thanked him.

The woman sighed inwardly. ’I’m just an ordinary washerwoman. The only thing I can do is pray to the Holy Light Goddess that he’ll leave as soon as he’s done eating, for Ashiru’s sake as a Princess. Please, don’t let him cause any trouble.’

The woman joined in to help. With her assistance, a fire was lit in the stove. Once it burned down to charcoal, all the sweet potatoes were tossed in, and the lid was put on.

Before long, a fragrant aroma began to drift out.

The baked sweet potatoes were placed in a basket to cool down a bit before eating. Levi, sitting on a small stool, didn’t care if they were hot or not. He grabbed one and peeled back the skin. A rich, sweet scent rose with the steam. The golden-yellow flesh of the potato gleamed, making one’s mouth water.

A sweet potato only the size of the little girl’s palm was practically bite-sized for the towering Lord. He polished them off one by one with incredible ease. Half the basket of baked sweet potatoes was disappearing at a jaw-dropping speed.

Ashiru’s mouth hung open. She stared at the now-empty basket, then clutched her rumbling stomach as tears welled up in her eyes.

’He had clearly said he’d be full after just a little bit.’ She fought hard to hold back her tears.

Seeing that he was indeed completely focused on eating, the woman actually breathed a sigh of relief.

The baked sweet potatoes were as delicious as ever, though eating too many tended to cause gas and constipation. ’A cup of honey water to soothe my stomach would be perfect right now,’ Levi mused.

"My Lord, you seem to have a lot of free time."

The voice came from behind. Filo plopped down on the stool beside him, a wide smile on his face. "His Majesty thought you’d gotten lost. I never expected to find you here, fighting with Princess Ashiru for food."

"I wasn’t fighting her for food. Her Highness Princess invited me."

The Lord had no intention of taking the blame for this, and he immediately refuted the accusation righteously.

"That’s right, Your Highness the Prince. I did invite Mr. Liu Zhenhan." Ashiru nodded honestly, but she quickly realized something was wrong. "Wait... wait... wait..."

Her slender finger, pointing at Levi, trembled as she looked back and forth between him and Filo, her expression one of utter shock.

She recognized Filo. She had run into the Prince a few times when he visited the Royal Palace in the past.

’But if even this Prince had to address him as "My Lord," then...’

"Her Highness Princess, this is the Lion Hunter Knight, Duke Levi, who was just ennobled by His Majesty." Filo knew full well that this unscrupulous Lord of High Cliff Castle was surely tricking the pure-hearted girl again, so he made the introduction with a straight face.

To think that the Lion Hunter Knight she had been longing to see was right in front of her! She was annoyed with herself for not recognizing him sooner, but at the same time, she felt incredibly lucky today. The little bit of grievance in her heart vanished in a flash.

She excitedly raised her head, wanting to say a few words, but found the two men were already gone. Only two Gold Coins lay on the ground where they had been. Their voices grew fainter and more distant.

"His Majesty was looking for you. We should head back as soon as possible."

"What for?"

Watching the dazed little girl, the woman sighed. ’He is a great figure, famous throughout Debei, while Ashiru is merely an unfavored Princess whose mother was a Maid. The two of them were destined to be in different worlds from the very beginning.’

...

"It’s nothing major. It’s just that you’re the guest of honor at this banquet. If you leave, it would feel a bit incomplete," Filo said as they walked.

"Right, what’s the story with this Princess Ashiru?" the Lord asked, nodding. He then started making small talk to stave off boredom on the way.

"As you know, His Majesty and the Queen have never gotten along." Filo set the stage before calmly recounting the royal scandal. "And a man, being a man, has his needs. One dim night, His Majesty got blind drunk. The Maid serving the King at the time, while not of high status, was handpicked for her beauty. Under the combined influence of alcohol and his own nature, His Majesty made a mistake."

"Unfortunately, Princess Ashiru is the illegitimate child His Majesty had with that Maid."

"Even as an illegitimate child, Princess Ashiru wouldn’t have had it too badly, as His Majesty was fond of the Maid. But unfortunately, when Princess Ashiru was two years old, her mother died of an incurable disease."

"And just like that, with the emotional connection gone, everyone gradually forgot about this Princess. I’m afraid His Majesty probably doesn’t even remember Princess Ashiru’s name anymore."