Chapter 35: Attacked

Dongfang Jiang followed Bell through the crowd, walked down a short corridor, and arrived at an unremarkable door.

Bell reached out and knocked on the door.

A crisp voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

Bellfast pushed open the door and stepped aside to let Dongfang Jiang enter first.

It was a small study, elegantly and warmly decorated.

Three walls were lined with bookshelves filled with thick tomes and scrolls.

Directly across from the door was a rosewood desk with a magical lamp on it, emitting a soft yellow light.

Behind that desk, the King of the Kingdom of Aiselin sat on a high-backed chair.

That chair was too big for her; her feet couldn’t even reach the ground, and her legs dangled over the edge.

“You’re here? Have a seat.”

The king pointed to the chair across from the desk.

Dongfang Jiang walked over and sat down.

Bell closed the door and stood behind the king.

“Bell, pour him some tea.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Bell took out a tea set from a cabinet beside the desk and gracefully brewed a cup of black tea, placing it in front of Dongfang Jiang.

“Thank you.”

Dongfang Jiang picked up the teacup and took a sip.

The tea was rich in aroma and had a sweet aftertaste.

“Is it good?”

The king propped her hands on the desk, resting her chin on them, and studied Dongfang Jiang before her.

“Very good.”

“Of course, Bell brewed it herself.”

Dongfang Jiang set down the teacup and looked at the king before him.

Up close, the ruler of the Kingdom of Aiselin was younger than he had imagined.

Her face still had the baby fat typical of a young girl, and her skin was pale almost to the point of translucence.

Those sapphire blue eyes were clear and deep, but the occasional glint in them made one realize that their owner was far more profound than her appearance suggested.

“Are you thinking, how did this kid become king?” the king suddenly asked.

Dongfang Jiang was taken aback by her bluntness and coughed twice before recovering.

“Your Majesty is joking.”

“I’m not joking.”

The king leaned back in her chair, and her legs started dangling again.

“I know I don’t look like a king. But there’s no helping it; my father only had me as a child. If I don’t take the throne, who will?”

There was a hint of helplessness in her tone, but more so, acceptance.

“Though Your Majesty is young, you rule the kingdom well.”

“Oh, come off it.”

The king rolled her eyes.

“I hear enough of that from Odrich. Don’t you copy him.”

Dongfang Jiang smiled and didn’t respond.

The king stared at him for a long moment before speaking.

“I called you here because I have a few things to ask you.”

“Please speak, Your Majesty.”

“First thing.”

The king held up one finger.

“What attribute is your ring?”

Dongfang Jiang looked down at the Earth Ring on his right index finger and was silent for a moment.

“Earth.”

“Earth? That’s a very rare attribute. Where did you get that ring?”

“It was on my hand when I came to the Kingdom of Aiselin.”

Dongfang Jiang answered truthfully.

The king’s brow furrowed.

“You’re not from the Kingdom of Aiselin?”

“No. I come from a very distant place.”

Dongfang Jiang wasn’t lying, but he didn’t tell the whole truth.

The king stared into his eyes for a long moment, then looked at Bellfast.

“Bell, do you think what he says is credible?”

“Your Majesty, Mister Dongfang’s eyes are very calm. He doesn’t seem to be lying.”

“Then I’ll trust you this once.”

The king withdrew her gaze and picked up the teacup on the table to take a sip.

“Second thing. What is your relationship with the Badan Family?”

“Yisela is my Guardian.”

“Guardian? Eh, really?”

The king glanced at Dongfang Jiang, let out a long breath, and looked at him.

“Then can you tell me about you and your rings?”

“The one on my hand is the Earth Ring, the one on Yisela’s hand is the Desert Ring, and the one on Pandana’s hand is the Swamp Ring. They are all my Guardians.”

“Desert? Swamp?”

A spark of curiosity flickered in the king’s eyes.

“With such rare attributes, it must be quite difficult to gather six Guardians. Can you tell me about the rings?”

“Of course. My ring is a Gaia Ring. It consists of the Earth Ring as the core, with the Swamp Ring, Glacier Ring, Desert Ring, Stream Ring, Forest Ring, and Lava Ring as the six auxiliary rings.”

“Gaia…”

The king repeated the word, her brow slightly furrowed.

“Then the rings on your Guardians, are they also Gaia Rings?”

“Yes. The Swamp, Desert, and Glacier are all Gaia Rings.”

Dongfang Jiang corrected any possible misunderstanding from before.

“The Valen Rings are a different set. As of now, I only know that the Sun Ring on Kaxiu’s hand is a Valen Ring.”

The king was silent for a moment, tapping her fingers lightly on the desktop twice.

“So, you have a set of Gaia Rings, and the Valen Rings are another set? Then why did Kaxiu attack the Badan Family?”

“I believe there is someone behind Kaxiu. That person wants to control the Badan Family to obtain the secrets they have accumulated over generations.”

“Secrets…”

The king’s gaze turned deep.

She looked directly at Dongfang Jiang.

“The Badan family does indeed know many things they shouldn’t, but that is an open secret. However, I think the person behind Kaxiu’s goal might not be just for that.”

“Does Your Majesty know who is behind Kaxiu?”

Dongfang Jiang asked tentatively.

The king was silent for a long time.

She moved her gaze away from Dongfang Jiang, then spoke slowly.

“I have a guess, but no evidence.”

“…”

“I can’t tell you. It’s not because I don’t trust you, but because this matter involves too much. Before I have conclusive evidence, even the slightest disturbance could alert the enemy.”

Dongfang Jiang nodded to show he understood and didn’t press further.

“Third thing.”

The king held up a third finger and leaned forward slightly.

“Did you notice that at today’s banquet, there was someone who kept looking at you?”

Dongfang Jiang was startled for a moment, then nodded.

“It was the National Preceptor, Ambrose.”

“Why do you think he was looking at you?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps out of curiosity, or perhaps… for some other reason.”

“Ambrose is someone we have employed for many years. To this day, I don’t know when he started serving the royal family. When my great-great-great-grandfather was still alive, I heard he was already serving in the Kingdom of Aiselin. He does have ability, and he has indeed helped me a lot. But sometimes, I can’t see through him.”

“Does Your Majesty suspect him?”

“It’s not suspicion. But a person you can’t see through is always worth keeping an eye on.”

The king jumped off her chair, walked to the bookshelf, took down a palm-sized wooden box from the top shelf, and handed it to Dongfang Jiang.

“What is this?”

“A gift.”

Dongfang Jiang opened the box.

Inside lay a silver badge, engraved with the national emblem of the Kingdom of Aiselin.

“This is a Palace Pass Badge. With it, you can freely enter and leave any non-restricted area of the palace.”

“Your Majesty, this…”

“Don’t refuse.”

The king cut him off.

“You saved Yigenaxiu, which means you helped me. This small token of thanks is nothing.”

Dongfang Jiang looked at the silver badge in his hand, was silent for a moment, then put it into his pocket.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Alright, you can go back now.”

The king walked back behind the desk and sat back down on the high-backed chair that was too big for her.

“Bell, see him out. Be careful not to let anyone see.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Bell walked over to Dongfang Jiang and made a “please” gesture.

The two left the study.

Bellfast took Dongfang Jiang down a secluded passage, avoiding the crowd in the banquet hall, and returned to the garden through a side door.

“Mister Dongfang, if you go around to the main gate from here, no one will notice you.”

“Thank you.”

Dongfang Jiang nodded to her and was about to leave when Bellfast called out to him.

“Mister Dongfang.”

“Hmm?”

The silver-haired maid was silent for a moment, then said something that surprised Dongfang Jiang.

“Be careful of Ambrose.”

With that, she turned and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.

Dongfang Jiang stood there, watching the direction Bell had gone, his brow slightly furrowed.