Chapter 1539: A Moment of Repose

The next few days slipped by with the quiet regularity of habit. Lory rose before sunrise, laced her shoes, and jogged through the neighborhood while the world was still half-asleep. To anyone watching, she was nothing more than another health-conscious resident keeping her routine. But the truth is, her eyes scanned every inch of the area around her.

She meticulously catalogued the activities around her with practiced ease. Two young couples had recently moved into a nearby villa; they looked like professional workers. Unremarkable. Ordinary. Not worth further note.

But Lory immediately recognized them as Noxcra agents. Fredhardt had told her before that he would place two agents in her area to watch her.

When they accidentally exchanged looks, Lory offered a slight nod. It was subtle, clean, and noncommittal. They smile and give the same friendly nod.

Then, farther down the street lived a family she had already memorized long ago, two young parents and their toddler son; they had been living here for nearly a year now.

Beyond them lay a quieter villa, home to two elderly couples who had arrived two months prior, likely settling into retirement, their days marked only by the occasional visits of grown children. Thus, Lory didn’t pay too much attention to them.

Farther still stood another house, occupied by a group of single men who had reshaped it into something closer to a bachelor pad than a home. Loud music leaked through the walls at irregular hours, punctuated by bursts of cheering heard almost every day. Some neighbors had submitted a complaint to property management, and nothing changed, not for now at least.

After two hours, Lory slowed to a stop and bent forward, hands braced on her knees. Her breath came in steady, controlled gasps as she checked the heart-rate monitor on her wrist. Satisfied, she exhaled slowly, letting the tension drain from her shoulders.

Her cheeks were flushed with healthy color, sweat glistening along her temples, when something new caught her attention.

A moving truck was parked in front of one of the most luxurious villas, a three-story structure that had stood empty until now. Workers carried boxes and furniture inside while a middle-aged couple supervised, their voices calm and efficient. Two teenage girls lingered nearby.

One looked to be in her early twenties, the other perhaps eighteen or nineteen, they look like a high school seniors student and the other one looks like a first-year college student.

Youth clinging to them in their face and demeanor. As Lory’s gaze lingered a moment too long, the younger one suddenly noticed. She lifted a hand and waved, open and cheerful.

Lory paused for no more than a heartbeat before returning the gesture. She waved back with a broad, friendly smile, warm enough to pass for simple courtesy.

After that she turned and resumed her jog, heading toward her own villa, her expression settling into something calm, serene, and faintly calculative, like water hiding a steady current beneath its surface.

Back home, Lory stepped into the cool quiet of the villa and went straight to the kitchen. She pulled open the refrigerator and took a long, greedy gulp of cold water, the chill cutting through the heat lingering in her chest. As usual, her eyes searched for Zhao Li Xin.

Almost on cue, the sliding door from the porch slid open, and Zhao Li Xin entered the room at a calm, unhurried pace.

The man wore his customary black robe, the same style he had favored in his old world. The beautiful fabric draped loosely over his tall frame, falling with careless elegance.

Where it parted at the collar, it revealed the sharp line of his clavicle and a teasing hint of his broad chest, as though the robe itself had conspired to be immodest.

His long, dark hair was slightly unruly, yet it only added to his allure, cascading over his back and shoulders in a dark spill. There was a laziness to his expression, an air of unbothered ease, but his eyes were deep, dark, and quietly seductive. The kind that could captivate anyone who sees it, men or women.

He was far too handsome. Dangerously so. Sometimes, Lory has an absurd urge to lock her gorgeous husband inside their house, away from the rest of the world.

’This walking pheromone is far too dangerous for society,’ she sighed inwardly, equal parts resigned and fond.

"You’re finished running around?" Zhao Li Xin asked, his voice low and melodious, laced with faint amusement.

Lory feel he was flirting with her, and she could help to blush, now, her already red cheeks from exertion, only got redder like a boiling crab.

Not wanting to be found out by Zhao Li Xin, she pretends to be upset. "Hey, I’m scanning the area for possible danger," she corrected. "I’m not running around."

Zhao Li Xin smiled, clearly enjoying teasing his wife. He stepped closer, and with a casual flick of his hand, summoned a clean towel from thin air. Gently, he wiped the sweat from her forehead, his touch careful, familiar.

"So," he asked softly, "what did my clever wife see?"

Lory pouted but still answered, "Other than the Noxcra agents, most of the residents around here are new, no longer than a year. That made the possibility of them being enemies in disguise quite high. But nothing is certain until they make a move..."

"Since the stake is high, they wouldn’t make a rash move." He set the towel aside and turned toward the counter, taking down a tall, slender glass.

Soon, ice clinked softly as he began preparing tea. The great Lord, once distant from all mortal indulgences, had learned to accept modern beverages, like ice lychee tea, lemon tea, and lemongrass with honey. Today’s choice was obvious, he will make her favorite drink, Ice lemon tea.

"Yeah, you’re right." Lory blew her cheeks and then slipped off her jacket.

Once the jacket is taken off, she only wears a sports bra, exposing her flat stomach and lean, toned physique. Lory might never realize, but she got a sexy body, with a full chest that is not too small or big, and a thin waist with a perky bottom that gives enough curves, adding to the perfection, she got long, fair legs that drew everyone’s attention.

Of course, her shortcomings left her with a bunch of men who looked at her as a sister and daughter. No one said anything about her looks, and Lory was a very private person, and because of her position as a royal family, when a man praised her looks, she felt they had virtuous motives, that they were not genuine, and so Lory remained oblivious to this day.

To this day, she still thinks she is just a bit above average, and the only thing that make her look good and gain everyone’s praise is because of the army of fashion stylists and makeup artists who prepared her for the occasion.

Climbing onto one of the counter stools, she leaned forward slightly, her upper body resting against the cool surface. The movement drew out the graceful arch of her back, effortless and unintentional. Propping her face in her palms, she grinned at him.

"Is that my lemon tea?"

"Yes..." Zhao Li Xin’s gaze flicked toward her cleavage for a fleeting moment. Just a moment—long enough for desire to stir, familiar and dangerous, before he forced himself to look away. She’s just finished exercising, he reminded himself firmly. She must still be tired.

Lory, blissfully unaware of his internal struggle, continued smiling as she waited. After dropping a thin slice of lemon into the glass, Zhao Li Xin slid it toward her and placed a straw neatly in front.

"Do you think it would be easy for those assassins to target us?" he asked, changing the subject. "Breaking into your kingdom won’t be simple."

Lory took a long sip through the straw, her eyes curving with satisfaction as the cool liquid washed over her tongue. The lemon tea was perfect, neither too sour nor too sweet. She had never imagined iced lemon tea could taste this good. After finishing nearly half the glass, she finally spoke.

"Those registered with large groups, especially underground societies or Luxemborough affiliates, would have a hard time entering without alerting the Noxcra," she said thoughtfully. "But there are also some people, who we call freelancers."

"Free-lancers?" Zhao Li Xin frowned. ⅇℯ𝚕.

"Yes." Lory nodded. People who work alone, not tied to any organization. There are quite a few of them. They often disguise themselves as actors, artists, models, or even brokers and reporters. Jobs that naturally expose them to many people and make constant travel seem normal."

Zhao Li Xin’s interest was clearly piqued. He pinched his chin, eyes narrowing slightly as he considered her words.

"Such people exist?" he murmured.

"Mm." Lory nodded again. "That might be one reason Sean and Andreass chose to disguise themselves as celebrities, though in their case, it was probably more about gaining influence than carrying out covert missions."

She took another sip, relaxed and content, the last traces of chill lingering pleasantly on her tongue. Zhao Li Xin, however, remained deep in thought. After a moment, his gaze returned to her, sharp and probing once more.

"Is there any other type?" he asked quietly.

Lory drained the rest of the lemon tea and smacked her lips lightly, savoring the faint sweetness left behind. She licked her lips absentmindedly, an innocent gesture meant only for the taste, yet in Zhao Li Xin’s eyes, it looked dangerously like an invitation. His focus wavered for a brief, perilous second.

"Yes," Lory said at last, her tone turning measured and serious. "The most dangerous one." She set the empty glass aside before she spoke again, "They are the sleeper agent."

Zhao Li Xin raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"They’re raised here," Lory continued calmly. "They speak the language, understand the culture, and look like any other citizen. They go to school like ordinary children, join social groups, attend parties, fall in love, get married, overall, they live in very normal lives."

Lory sighed softly, her expression solemn, "Until one day, their handler gave them an order." Lory snapped her fingers. "...And just like that, they shed their personas and became active agents."

The kitchen fell into a brief, thoughtful silence. Zhao Li Xin’s eyes dimmed with calculation. For his entire life, he had faced countless schemes and lies, but nothing like this, something that did not come from outside, but had been within all along. Someone who had lived around you for years. Someone you thought you knew. And yet, it had all been a lie.

This kind of scheme was impossible to anticipate, impossible to guard against. Brilliant in its design, but utterly insidious in practice.

_________________

Once upon a time—

Zhao Li Xin stared at the drink before him with the solemn expression of a man contemplating betrayal.

"Lory," he said slowly, "my tea is ice cold."

Lory nodded, calm and sincere. "Uh-huh. It’s an iced tea."

Zhao Li Xin narrowed his eyes and lifted the cup an inch. "Lory. There is a fruit inside my tea."

"Yeah," Lory replied nonchalantly. "That’s a lychee. It’s called iced lychee tea."

A long silence followed.

Zhao Li Xin looked at the tea, the lychee inside floating as if mocking him.

"...Next time," he said at last, "warn me before the tea starts having ingredients."

Lory chuckled. "Noted." Then her eyes glinted mischievously. "Here, try my boba tea?"

Zhao Li Xin squinted, deeply worried. "What is boba?"