Chapter 223 - Three - We deal with a bit of nuisance at the front gates (1/2)
A few days later, Leon and Jin Li prepared luggage to take with them to Leon's village. Or rather, Leon folded and packed clothing and checked over the gifts that they had purchased and had prepared to take with them, while Jin Li drank tea and waited for his small alchemist to finish. Following that, the pair made their way to the stables as it was planned that they would take Wu Ye and Li Ming with them.
Li Ming leapt about Leon excitedly, rubbing his whiskered face against Leon's thighs, while Jin Li and Wu Ye looked on with sneers of disdain etched upon their respective faces. Just look at this pair of Master and Pet with their public displays of affection! However, the beast and Martial Artist opinions differed on just who should be the Master and who should be the Pet in the human and coeurl pairing.
Leon scratched beneath Li Ming's chin once more, before the 'family of four' headed towards the front gate of the Ramas Palace to meet with Sun. Older brother Mond was with the round faced youth, but he was not the only one.
”Please do forgive me, third brother, sixth brother,” the girl, whose personal maid had been arguing that the sky was green with the personal servant of her sixth brother over some nonsense or other, suddenly spoke aloud as she noticed them appear in her peripheral vision. The two brothers looked momentarily confused, until they happened to notice Jin Li's approach and eye rolled inwardly. So that was the reason she was dilly-dallying around the front gate instead of instructing her maids to fix the problem that she had mentioned.
”I honestly assumed that the carriage was the one arranged for me by Grandmother!” Carmen added as she continued to glance through shuttered lashes at the dashing man walking her way. His servant was ever present, although of very low birth from what she had discovered, not even born within Jin Li family walls, at least he was attentive. Should he continue to serve her future husband well, she might even find him a good wife so that his sons could take good care of her sons...
Sun's words drew her from her happy thoughts. ”Well, now you know otherwise, eleventh sister,” he told her, referring to her address rather than her name. Their ages might not be so different, but there were far more sisters within the Ramas Palace than brothers. Sun could clearly see that Carmen was not looking at him at all, nor likely paying him any attention, but as his best friend and other friend had reached them, he couldn't not acknowledge their presence and keep closed the opening the girl was obviously waiting for. ”Good morning, Jin Li, Leon!” He looked less enthusiastic than he sounded with his greeting.
Jin Li returned Sun's greeting with a small nod and acknowledged Mond with a slightly more respectful bow. Mond turned to the side as if he was not worthy of such a respectful bow and simply gave the youths warm smiles suggesting that they need not be so formal. ”You are my little brother's good friends,” he reminded them, ”therefore, you can refer to me as older brother as well.”
Both youths then bowed greetings towards Sun's cousin; she was still his family and this place was her home. She curtseyed in return and batted her long lashes towards Jin Li. Her grandmother had always complimented her for them that framed her beautiful eyes, making them stand out that much more.
She glanced over the two Coeurl beasts walking either side of the pair. ”Are these your Coeurl?” Carmen offered a smile of appreciation. ”They are young and this maiden's knowledge is poor, but even I can tell that they will become mighty and fine creatures in the future!”
Little Li Ming proudly glanced up at its human and nudged the youth's legs. Hee hee, I will be grow up to be awesome!
Fool. Wu Ye's eyes might have softened over Li Ming's antics, but it was not so easily tricked by pretty words. It was absolutely obvious that it was a mighty and fine creature and would be more so in the future. Did not need this little two-legged creature to throw meaningless compliments!
Wu Ye's instincts told it that the girl did not like them at all, despite her words. Indeed he was correct. In Carmen's eyes, the two Coeurl were not furry, small and cute, like her own pet, did long have delicate feathers and sing pretty like her Grandmother's caged birds, nor were as noble and useful as her daddy's equines. They were aggressive looking, ugly and vicious with unpleasant scaled skin. These wild things were better off dead and were definitely not suitable for her future husband to keep!
”You over compliment them, there is no need.” Jin Li's words earned him a bitten arm, but the skin was not pierced so the black beast was ignored.