The Little Princess's Secret Guard - Chapter 32
Chapter 32: Your Subordinate Has Returned
Forty-Three paused, cautiously asking: “Princess, which aspect of Dark Nine are you asking about?”
He dared not say too much, or the Leader would punish him if he found out.
Shen Panyan also knew that Secret Guards couldn’t reveal much. She thought for a moment, “Well, just tell me about his usual preferences. You are colleagues, so you must know him well, right?”
“Also, he received thirty strokes of the cane. Are his injuries serious?”
Forty-Three saw that the Princess’s questions were not out of line and replied: “Reporting to the Princess, although we are colleagues, your subordinate is Forty-Three, and he ranks Nine, which is considered your subordinate’s superior. Your subordinate does not have much contact with him.”
“However, it’s widely known that Dark Nine has a bad temper and speaks harshly. The Leader is also very troubled by him.”
“Your subordinate often hears of Dark Nine being punished. For him, thirty strokes are nothing. He will recover after a period of rest.”
Saying this, Forty-Three lowered his voice a little, “Princess, you don’t need to worry. Dark Nine’s strength is the highest among the Secret Guards, second only to the Leader, and he is the most talented in martial arts. Although the Leader often gets angry with him, he won’t genuinely deal him a heavy blow.”
After all, if he were crippled or severely injured, how could he serve His Majesty later?
For minor, harmless matters, Shadow had long been used to turning a blind eye. He would only punish him if he went too far.
Like this time.
Shen Panyan lowered her eyelashes, her fingers twitching unconsciously.
Even if it wasn’t a severe blow, it was still a cane. How could it be “nothing”?
Shen Panyan felt a blockage in her throat and managed a forced smile. “So that’s how it is. Does he have anything he likes?”
Forty-Three shook his head. “Your subordinate wouldn’t know that.”
Shen Panyan lowered her eyes in disappointment. “Alright.”
Knowing the news about Lin Xiao made Shen Panyan feel a little more relieved, but not completely at ease.
Seeing that Forty-Three liked pastries and had a simple personality, Shen Panyan often indulged him with pastries, smiling and asking him to tell her more about Lin Xiao.
Forty-Three was so flattered by the Princess’s coaxing that he spilled everything, except for confidential information.
For example, when the Leader was absent, Dark Nine would sometimes be responsible for training new Secret Guards. He was fierce and had a poisonous tongue, often making some of the children cry loudly, which forced the Leader to spend a long time soothing them.
Some mentally fragile, unqualified children were directly eliminated.
In the Secret Guard Camp, you absolutely couldn’t try to take anything Dark Nine set his eyes on, otherwise, you would be beaten out of bed the next day.
If he had a grudge against you, he settled it on the spot, never letting it linger overnight.
Also, Dark Nine was the best at disguises. No one besides the Leader knew his true face, and so on…
“What else?”
Shen Panyan handed him another pastry, watching him with a beaming smile.
“Thank you, Princess.” Forty-Three took the pastry. Seeing him choking a little, Shen Panyan conveniently poured him a cup of tea, which Forty-Three reached out to take.
Just as he took the teacup, Forty-Three suddenly felt a chill down his spine for some reason.
It was as if he was being watched by some kind of fierce beast…
Forty-Three quickly turned to look but saw that the surroundings were peaceful. Not even the gauze curtain of the waterside pavilion was fluttering.
Did he misread the feeling?
Impossible.
That gaze was sharp and dominating. Although he was a bit of a glutton, he couldn’t possibly be mistaken about such a thing.
Forty-Three immediately stood up. “Princess, your subordinate just sensed something amiss. It seems someone has arrived. Your subordinate will return shortly.”
With that, before Shen Panyan could speak, he leaped on his toes and disappeared from the waterside pavilion.
Shen Panyan blinked blankly. He ran away so fast?
On the other side, as Forty-Three pursued, he saw an unexpected person.
The person was wearing an iron mask, arms crossed, standing on a bamboo branch, looking at him coldly. He instantly widened his eyes, subconsciously took a step back, and his hair stood on end.
“Dark… Dark Nine Lord…”
Heaven knows the shock of having the person you were just gossiping about suddenly appear in front of you.
Lin Xiao dropped from the bamboo branch, his voice faint: “Were the pastries delicious? Was the tea good?”
Forty-Three: “J-Just… just passable?!”
“Passable?” Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow and looked at him, his eyes darkening.
Forty-Three immediately knelt down, on the verge of tears. “Delicious, delicious, Dark Nine Lord, please don’t hit your subordinate…”
Lin Xiao’s voice was even colder. “Did you come to protect the Princess just to sit in front of her, drinking tea and eating pastries?”
“What are the rules of the Secret Guard Camp? Have you forgotten?”
Forty-Three was aggrieved. “It was the Princess who told your subordinate to eat.”
“The Princess told you to eat, and you just eat? Couldn’t you have refused?”
Forty-Three complained, “But aren’t we Secret Guards supposed to follow orders?”
Lin Xiao: “…”
“Idiot.” Lin Xiao gave him a cold look. “Go back. You are not needed here.”
Forty-Three didn’t want to leave. This was the happiest mission he had ever done.
The Princess was not only kind but also gave him pastries.
He tried to argue, “Dark Nine Lord, the Leader said…”
Lin Xiao looked at him. “You want to fight me for the mission? Fine, if you win, you can stay. Make your move.”
He extended his hand, signaling for him to attack.
Forty-Three: …
Apart from the Leader, how could any of them beat him? It was always one-sided beatings, alright?
What was the point of this condition?
“Then… then there’s no need…” Forty-Three took two steps back, feeling wronged but helpless. “Your subordinate takes his leave.”
Just as he was about to turn and leave, Lin Xiao’s voice rang out again. “Wait!”
Forty-Three flinched, turning back, close to tears.
He had already yielded the mission to Dark Nine Lord. Why was he still going to hit him?
“If… if you must hit me, please be g-gentle…”
Lin Xiao scoffed. “Look at you, what a prospect!”
He took off the purse from his waist and threw it to him. “Take it and buy pastries.”
Forty-Three was shocked, clumsily catching the purse.
“R-Really?”
He had no hobbies other than eating. His monthly salary was all spent on food.
Lin Xiao couldn’t be bothered to talk to him anymore and flew away.
Seeing him leave, Forty-Three dared to open the purse. A heavy silver ingot lay obediently inside.
“Ten taels of silver?!”
Forty-Three was stunned and quickly tucked the ten taels into his bosom.
It was truly rare to see Dark Nine Lord be so generous.
Dark Nine Lord was unlike the other Secret Guards. No one had ever seen him spend his monthly allowance. He almost never bought anything for himself, and no one else could ever get a single tael of silver from him. He was a notorious miser.
And yet, he received ten taels of silver from Dark Nine Lord.
He would be able to brag to his colleagues for a long time when he got back.
Forty-Three happily tucked the silver away and left.
In the waterside pavilion, a gentle breeze wafted through, rippling the gauze curtain. The fine rain pattered gently, falling into the lake, tenderly lingering.
Mu Ying stepped forward to remind her, “Princess, the wind has picked up. We should go back.”
Shen Panyan shook her head. “Forty-Three hasn’t returned yet.”
Mu Ying, who was by Shen Panyan’s side, already knew Forty-Three’s true identity and persuaded her, “Guard Forty-Three will know to return later. Princess, your health is poor. Let’s go back first, lest you catch a cold.”
Shen Panyan hesitated. She still wanted to learn more about Lin Xiao from him.
The tea was already cold.
Shen Panyan thought for a moment.
“Mu Ying, go and prepare another pot of hot tea. If he hasn’t returned when you come back, then we will return.”
Helplessly, Mu Ying had to agree. “Yes.”
Mu Ying left with the teapot. Shen Panyan sat in the middle of the waterside pavilion, watching the continuous rain falling outside the gauze curtain, her mind already drifting elsewhere.
She wondered how Lin Xiao was doing now.
Forty-Three said he received thirty strokes of the cane. Were his injuries severe? Did he have a doctor to look at them? Were they getting better?
The gauze curtain moved, swirling like smoke. Amidst the patter of the rain, someone stepped through the rain and approached.
The quiet waterside pavilion suddenly gained an extra person. The figure wore a lean and neat martial robe and stood still.
The gauze curtain was blurry, and her figure was vague, as if she were in the clouds, not in the mortal world.
The air seemed to freeze.
After a moment, the gauze curtain was lifted, and the person knelt on one knee, breaking the silence.
“Princess, your subordinate has returned.”
Shen Panyan’s mind was preoccupied elsewhere. Hearing a familiar voice unexpectedly, she thought she had misheard and quickly turned her head.
Although the mask and the black clothes were the same, she recognized him instantly.
“Lin Xiao?!” Shen Panyan was both surprised and delighted, quickly standing up to help him.
She looked up at him, her almond eyes filled with emotion. “Lin Xiao, it really is you! I thought, I thought it was Forty-Three!!”
Lin Xiao took off his mask. “Reporting to the Princess, it is your subordinate.”
The Princess looked much thinner than before, her face was pointed, her lips pale, and a faint sadness was mixed in her brow. Even the thick cloak could not conceal her slender figure.
“Princess, it’s raining. You should return to the house.”
Seeing that the tie on her cloak was loose, Lin Xiao reached out and retied it for her.
His fingertips were cool. Even without touching her, she felt it.
Shen Panyan took a moment to react. She looked at his face with worry. “Lin Xiao, are your injuries better?”
“I heard Forty-Three say that the Leader punished you with thirty strokes of the cane.”
Lin Xiao: “Princess, you don’t need to worry. Your subordinate is fine.”
Shen Panyan shook her head. “It was thirty strokes. How can it be fine?”
With that, she took hold of his arm without asking and walked toward the West Wing.
On the way, she called a young palace maid and told her to quickly summon Imperial Physician Lin.
“Lin Xiao, after you left, I didn’t let anyone touch your room. It is the same as before. I arranged a separate room for Forty-Three.”
Speaking of Forty-Three, Shen Panyan suddenly realized. “By the way, Lin Xiao, where is Forty-Three?”
She looked behind him, confused. “Did Forty-Three leave?”
Seeing her action, Lin Xiao contracted his fingers and said softly, “Mm.”
“Forty-Three left.”
“Alright.” Shen Panyan was a little disappointed.
Why did he leave without a word? She had wanted to learn more about Lin Xiao from him.
Lin Xiao pursed his lips and suddenly asked: “Does the Princess like Forty-Three very much?”