Chapter 229 - Su Luxi (19) (1/2)

A minute after the pleasantries and idle talks... When the real reason for the female lead's trip to Jiang Li's house was finally revealed, the man intently looked at her for a while before giving him his honest reply.

”Do you know that the way you ask for bonding between us is making me speechless?”

With the same slight smile put on, Jiang Li spoke unhurriedly to the girl who requested to have a private talk with him. Now, only their personal guards and companions were around, hence he said those words unabashedly.

The two dukes were still inside the receiving room. Those two must have shed already their pretenses since their kids were not around but in an adjacent room with a bigger fireplace.

As the prophet was genuinely in poor health condition, even though the garden at night was also a picturesque sight to see, Duke Wade made sure to remind the valets and maids not to let the chill reach his heir. Only by ensuring his son would not be inconvenienced by the cold did he put his mind at ease and started an unmasked talk with the other duke.

The son worrying his father was near the fireplace, propping his head up using his left hand. Boredom showed on his face that was more mature than the crown prince's.

”Desperation can drive a person to do something even she never thought she would.” Hearing his statement, Rumina resisted the urge to bite her lips and replied with an awkward laugh.

Leaning against the backrest, Jiang Li chuckled at the female lead. ”You are willing to marry a dying man over a man who would lord over a vast empire?”

”You are not dying.”

”Who can tell for sure what fate awaits a person?”

The girl took a deep breath. She answered in a tone full of conviction. ”Of course, it is outside an ordinary person or mortal's ability. But the Goddess can. You, as the prophet, also can. I'm certain of it!”

”Oh, sure.” Even the servants who were pretending they didn't exist momentarily looked up at the young heir. His tone was just that sarcastic. ”What if I tell I saw myself dying in a few months while you won't be able to escape your fate?”

”...” Rumina's mouth fell open. She felt like her ears kept ringing and she was going deaf. There was no way to escape that fate, he said? That she was struggling to no avail?

The female lead couldn't accept those words.

And it was a good thing she didn't because the prophet was merely jesting with her.

Jiang Li only knew the plot. And so far, nothing much had changed on its supposed trajectory. The fate the girl was dreading was different from what was stored for her. The male lead would like her this time around and persecute the Saintess for her. Since she would not truly die and her House would not be implicated in some sort of scheme, why was there a need to change the status quo?

And even if she truly wanted to escape from the male lead this time, was there a need to use Jiang Li for that purpose?

The shell was the same. But a vase was called a vase because the inside was hollow. A flower could be inserted inside to decorate and beautify it, but this flower would someday wilt, leaving only an empty and dark interior.

”... A shame that the faces are alike, but the soul... are not.” The words accidentally spilled out of his mouth.

Naturally, the female lead did not get his meaning so, in confusion, she asked, ”What did you say again?”

Jiang Li shook his head. ”Nothing.”