Chapter 140: I, Long Aotian, Still Have Some Presence After All

The scene in the grand hall that followed felt like something straight out of a romance novel—Helen the "Little Swallow" and Lilith the "maidservant Jin Suo" helped Sister Ziwei up, and the three of them huddled together, sobbing and pouring out their hearts to one another. Kate, the "Princess Qing'er," watched from the side, tears streaming down her face. Even amidst her weeping, she managed to utter a few flowery, poetic lines befitting the occasion.

These young, literary-minded women delivered their lines with such sentimentality that even Louis felt an urge to reach for a handkerchief to dab his own eyes.

Just as Louis was watching with fascination, pondering whether he should step in, offer a polite greeting, provide some comfort, and perhaps help Ossicrys pull up her tights, a furtive sound erupted from behind the sofa. Louis turned to see Yingling, her eyes burning with the fire of gossip. She was covering her mouth with a small fan, peeking over with a foxy, mischievous glint in her eyes—her own eyes were teary, clearly having watched for quite some time.

Louis had noticed her enter earlier, but the live broadcast had been too melodramatic to pay her any mind.

Only now did Louis remember, his expression turning slightly awkward as he scrambled back from the "window" and deactivated the magic array.

"Cough, are you all finished talking?" Louis asked.

"Yes, Mr. Bach and the others still have some questions for you," Yingling said, sitting on Louis’s lap with a beaming smile. "But I guessed you might be occupied with the Princess, so I had them wait in the parlor."

"Oh."

"Master, you seem a bit 'heated' lately," Yingling blinked, affecting an air of total innocence.

"Ahem, it’s just the dry weather." Louis wiped his nose and tossed a tissue into the bin.

"Louis, Louis, why is it so dark over there?"

Yingling quickly hid behind the sofa, choosing an angle where the crystal ball couldn't see her, intending to eavesdrop. Watching this gossiping vixen, Louis shook his head and pulled back the curtain.

Seeing Helen’s appearance on the screen, Louis couldn't help but chuckle—so, you wouldn't listen to your elders and insisted on going out to stir up trouble, and now you’ve been rounded up by your mother and foster sister, haven't you?

Well, he hadn't exactly tried to stop her either.

"Did you have fun playing with your sister today, Helen?"

"It was fun." Helen pouted and rubbed her eyes. "It was fun at first. But my sister got a beating when we got home—Her Majesty Delphinia spanked her."

On the other side of the crystal ball, a faint sound of sobbing could be heard—Ossicrys must have been right there.

After hearing Helen’s subsequent narration, Louis almost laughed out loud—she really was spilling everything. She wasn't sparing her sister’s dignity in the slightest.

Ossicrys had been quite happy when she first returned home, only to be met with a spanking immediately. And it had happened right in front of Kate, Lilith, and a host of palace maids. That was truly humiliating, especially for someone as prideful as Ossicrys.

Francesco was truly wicked. To discipline his disobedient child, he hadn't just made Ossicrys look foolish in front of her friends and sisters, but he had also made her least favorite stepmother do the spanking. Francesco was likely dealing with a headache, and Delphinia was surely quite depressed as well.

It seemed Helen was saying too much, and Ossicrys couldn't take it anymore—what are you saying? Do you have to broadcast all these shameful details?

Helen’s implication was that Louis wasn't an outsider, so what did it matter?

Ossicrys pulled Helen away and stepped in front of the crystal ball.

"Lo-Louis. Can you... can you still come tomorrow?" Ossicrys appeared on the screen. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her small face was deathly pale.

Seeing Louis stroking his chin in silence, Ossicrys couldn't help but bite her lip and say, "I beg you."

Though she didn't want to beg Louis from the bottom of her heart, it wasn't about pride anymore—besides, it was just the three of them, so it was fine.

Yingling blinked, truly shocked that her master held such a position at home!

Perhaps thinking of something painful, Ossicrys began to cry again. Her stepmother and father intended to lock her at home after her birthday tomorrow and forbid her from associating with anyone from the academy.

This was a disaster.

Without her bringing him in, how could Louis, a mere student, get in tomorrow?

Would he force his way in? If he did, what then? Wouldn't Louis be wanted by both the Ministry of Magic and the Muggles? Louis had such a bright future at the Ministry of Magic; wouldn't she be ruining him?

"Louis, let’s run away together," Helen said with a serious expression. "Come to my house; I’ll look after you."

"That won't work, Helen. Your father won't agree," Ossicrys said, wiping her tears.

"It’s fine, you two can secretly live in my bedroom. My bed is huge."

The two sisters began to argue. Louis fell into deep thought.

Watching the sisters bicker in the crystal ball, Yingling nearly laughed out loud—Ossicrys usually acted so serious, constantly putting on airs and lecturing her friends on grand principles. To think she was like this at home? Her status wasn't exactly high, was it?

Yingling couldn't help but cough, sitting gently beside Louis. After watching the crystal ball with a smile for a moment, she leaned in, fanning herself, and asked with a grin, "How big is the bed? Is there room for one more?"

Ossicrys blinked, looked closely at the other side of the crystal ball, and then shivered. Her face flushed red and then paled instantly.

"The bed is really big," Helen gestured.

"What a good sister you are," Yingling beamed. "My affection for you wasn't wasted."

"Ahem, enough," Louis said, unable to watch any longer. "I’m going with Count Yingling, the Mages, Count Crowley, Bishop Alwin, and the Beliffs tomorrow. Ahem, there’s no need to force our way in."

Clearly, no matter what method Louis used—whether as the Sanctuary, a pilot, or a Prince—he could walk through the front door with full authority.

But in her heart, Ossicrys still thought of Louis as her student.

Suddenly, Ossicrys realized she had actually been clinging to her student’s coattails—his reputation in Solondo was far higher than her own. Why would he need to force his way into a banquet or a celebration?

With a rustle, the crystal ball on the other side was covered by a curtain.

The conversation couldn't go on.

Louis and Yingling exchanged glances, shook their heads, and sighed.

Louis called the Mages over and finished the magic lesson he had started. Afterward, the group agreed on the time for tomorrow and departed.

"For your first time breaking into someone’s home, what kind of gift are you planning to bring?" Yingling lay across Louis’s lap, covering her mouth with her fan, blinking as she smiled. "The Nine Dragon Town, Lord of the Sea?"

"Well..." Louis’s eyes narrowed slightly. He reached out and tapped her bottom, giving it a firm pinch.

It seemed Delphinia intended to let Prince Nefar take the spotlight at the daytime celebration tomorrow, eclipse Louis, and then arrange the matchmaking in the evening.

In your dreams!

See if I don't smash your dragon and your fake Gundam into pieces!

[Louis’s Rage +5]

...

Early the next morning, as Yingling was straightening Louis’s shirt collar, Archie brought Arlong over and pounded on the door.

Louis checked the time and saw it was only past seven. He had thought about grabbing breakfast together, but when he opened the door, he found Arlong smiling and holding a small basket filled with items that looked like steamed buns. It seemed Archie had instructed the kitchen to prepare food according to the Cloud Kingdom’s customs.

In the hallway stood a row of burly Dragonkin wearing suits and top hats. The stars staying at the end of the hall, who were planning to attend the film festival, didn't dare walk past and kept casting nervous glances in their direction.

Louis blinked. "Is... is it this early? Are we leaving already?"

"We're already late, let's go." Archie quickly grabbed Louis’s finger and pulled him along.

When they reached the lobby downstairs, a stretched, pitch-black vintage car with enough space for a sofa in the back was parked at the entrance. Ayu and Afei were standing by the car. A variety of other vehicles were lined up from the hotel entrance all the way to the street outside.

These vehicles, besides Stodge’s, included many from the Moon Court. A number of priests and clerics were busy attaching small flags to the car hoods, making it look like they were receiving foreign dignitaries.

The Count and Bishop Alwin seemed to have arrived long ago. Several Sanctuary Knights had also come to join the fun, chatting with the Mages and waiting for Louis to come down. The celebrities and nobles who had come for the film festival had nowhere to park and were stuck at the hotel entrance, craning their necks to look inside. With so many international guests lately, they had no idea who was being picked up.

When Louis walked out of the lobby, the large crowd at the entrance tipped their hats and bowed in unison, leaving Louis momentarily stunned. Yingling, who was clinging to Louis’s arm, had a face flushed bright red, and she felt as if she were walking on air.

"This... this is a bit like the treatment for a 'Dragon King with a crooked mouth,' isn't it?" Louis blinked, looking at Archie.

"As the nephew of the Dragon God, you are representing the Cloud Kingdom’s Dragonkin at a 'foreign' celebration today. You can't do that without a bit of fanfare," Archie said, chomping on his cigar with his hands on his hips. "We Stodges are also Dragonkin; this is quite fitting—hey you, hurry up and put the flags on the car hoods."

After directing the scene, Archie hopped off the steps and opened the back door for Louis and Yingling.

Once inside, Louis and Yingling sat on the sofa. Seeing Louis board the car, the Count, Alwin, and Bishop John approached as well.

After chatting, Louis learned that the opening ceremony of the celebration had started at six in the morning. Since it was now nearly eight, the King was likely already in place.

The Red Queen and the Ministry of Magic must have been in position as well.

...

Requesting some recommendation votes.