Chapter 23: Revealed Fangs
“Lord Shelley!”
Upon discovering Shelley’s figure appearing at the door, Lydia stumbled over and threw herself into his arms.
“It’s so good that you are safe and sound!”
“Thank you for your concern, Lydia.”
Rubbing Lydia’s head, which was mixed with feelings of fear and excitement, a gentle look appeared on Shelley’s face as he helped her up with a firm arm.
“Shelley, who is this?”
A calm and gentle voice sounded in his ear. Shelley’s expression stiffened, and his pupils began to quake.
It was clearly a very gentle voice, yet Shelley seemed to see Elena grinding her teeth and lifting her sword.
[Clang clang clang! A fatal question!]
[Tell the truth? Or lie?]
[Oh my, I suggest you lie here~]
[The result? Not responsible for it!]
Calmly steadying Lydia, Shelley turned his head and elegantly introduced her to the Princess, who appeared normal on the surface:
“Lady Elena, this is Lydia, a half-elf. She was originally the illegitimate daughter of a Duke from another country.”
“Later, she unfortunately became a half-elf slave and was bought by Congreve as a birthday gift for me.”
[You seem as filthy as other nobles]
[Elena’s impression of you is declining!]
[Told you to lie!]
Looking at Elena, whose expression changed slightly, Shelley’s expression remained unchanged as he continued to explain:
“I couldn’t bear to let her suffer such a tragic fate anymore, so I requested my father, Lord Duke Bell, to adopt her as his foster daughter.”
“Thanks to his benevolence, he agreed to my request, and now Lydia has become my sister.”
[Hmm? Suppressing first to raise later?]
[Despicable behavior! You are more like a devil than a demon!]
[Elena greatly appreciates your kind act!]
[Elena Conquest Progress: 35%]
“Mm, hello, Miss Lydia.”
Lydia lowered her head and bowed to Elena in a panic:
“He-hello! Your Highness.”
Nodding to Shelley, Elena said as she walked:
“May justice always protect you.”
Then she walked towards Lady Audrey, the only sober person in charge of the manor right now.
Looking at Elena’s valiant figure with complex eyes, Lydia thought silently in her heart:
“Justice? Belated justice… is that still justice?”
“It wasn’t some illusory deity who saved me, it was Lord Shelley!”
As if remembering something, Lydia looked nervously at Shelley and asked quietly:
“Lord Shelley, may I ask a… rude question?”
“Hmm? Sure, go ahead.” Tilting his head and twitching his nose, Shelley withdrew his gaze from the venue.
“If… if possible, do you want to… leave here?”
Leave here? Did Nadia say something?
Looking at the expressions of everyone in the venue—panic, nervousness, uneasiness…
There must be believers of the Evil God here, but among these expressions, there was no guilt or shame for their own depravity.
“Heh.”
Letting out an ambiguous laugh, Shelley lowered his head, brought his lips close to Lydia’s ear, and whispered:
“Lydia, let me tell you a secret…”
“I have never liked this kind of place.”
“I have always wanted to leave here.”
Like a docile cat suddenly revealing sharp fangs, Lydia felt a chill in her body.
Although there was still a faint smile on his profile, she could feel his intense, undisguised disgust for this place.
Lydia pursed her lips and asked in confusion:
“Then, then why not leave…”
“When I was young, I didn’t have power, and my mentor was too rigid and wouldn’t agree to run away with me.”
“Now I have power, but I’m unwilling!”
“Leaving just like this feels like escaping!”
“The sweat I’ve shed all these years wasn’t for running away like this.”
“I will definitely leave here, very soon! But, not now.”
Taking Lydia’s small hand and gently squeezing it in his palm, Shelley looked ahead and said:
“As long as you can ensure your own safety, I will let you leave.”
“However… don’t follow strange people casually.”
Yes! I’m talking about you, the little kid still eavesdropping and peeping right now!
“…Yes.”
Quietly leaning her body tentatively on Shelley’s shoulder, finding that he didn’t dodge, Lydia slowly closed her eyes and gradually lost consciousness.
“It is my luck to meet you.”
“Thank you for your benevolence, Lord Shelley.”
[You really are a benevolent master!]
[Don’t want to say this, but!]
[You are like a mind-stealing demon… Mind Flayer?]
[Lydia Conquest Progress: 35%]
“You’re the monster with tentacles all over your head!”
Gently picking up the sleeping Lydia, Shelley got into the carriage returning to the city with the others.
“You are the strange person!”
“Strange man…”
“Truly a person who makes one…”
Standing in place without following back, Nadia laughed as she spoke, reached out to open a teleportation portal, and stepped in.
Elena withdrew her gaze from Shelley and said to the Knights Order:
“Take these people back to the temple! Prepare to clear out the Thieves’ Guild tomorrow!”
“Yes!!!”
Putting on her helmet to hide her expression under the visor, Elena’s face was slightly red, and she murmured somewhat bashfully:
“He called me Elena, and even held my hand…”
“Cough, cough, have to take it slow, can’t be too hasty!”
Riding on her white horse, Elena galloped on the way back, suddenly feeling like she forgot something…
“Paladin… Noble… Illegitimate son?”
“…Lunt’s… Canary!!!”
“Ah!?”
…
If Shelley checked Elena’s status bar at this time, he would definitely find big question marks in her mood section.
But he didn’t. He was standing outside Duke Bell’s room, calmly recounting everything that happened today:
“Buck and his four subordinates were judged by me and have been handed over to the Church of the God of Justice.”
“Congreve’s hair turned red after encountering red wine; perhaps it was dyed.”
“Oh right, on his back, there was also the Holy Symbol of the Maiden of Pain formed by whip marks.”
“He and Earl Rupert were sent to the church together. Don’t worry, maybe he was forced.”
“I will participate in the siege of the Thieves’ Guild tomorrow, to give an explanation to Congreve who was unfortunately captured.”
Shelley talked eloquently to the closed door with an expressionless face, not minding the disregard from inside at all.
Just as he turned to leave, a weak voice came from inside:
“Shelley, is this… your revenge on me?”
Pausing his steps, Shelley looked back with a brilliant smile and said:
“Revenge? You must be joking, how could I take revenge?”
“Believe me, I won’t lie. I am someone who is going to become a Paladin.”
“The night is deep. Please take care of your health and rest early.”
After speaking, without waiting for an answer from inside, he strode towards his birdcage.
In the quiet and dark room, only the sound of the pendulum clock’s gears turning could be faintly heard.
Red eyes lit up in the darkness, followed by a hoarse voice:
“…Even the canary wants to reveal its fangs?”
“Sigh…”
