Chapter 204: Casual Conversations (1)

"How was it Viel, did you convince him!?"

Viel just came back from the dining room after acting as a fine lord, still strutting confidently towards Diao Mei, Violet, and Lu Xun as if he was really the son of a King.

"Fufu", Viel slightly chuckled as he spun in place, "You should have seen the look on his face", he said.

"I went like… Greetings", Viel said in a very deep and cool voice as he smiled, imitating what he did earlier in the dining room as he joined the group at the table.

Violet could not help but let out a chuckle as she imagined Viel doing that in front of the visitor, it really was out of place for him to act all cool and such. The truth is, it was her party and her that blocked Lord Bran's caravan.

They put on masks and pretended to be bandits… Although they did take the caravan's supplies, it was going to this city, anyhow.

Diao Mei also could not help but chuckle as she looked at Viel re-enacting what happened in the dining room. Lu Xun, who saw the Diao Mei's joyful expression, could not help but let out a small sigh.

Again, she was laughing whenever she was with Viel. Lu Xun knows that he didn't really need to be jealous since Viel seems to have no interest in Diao Mei, and was also already engaged with Sofia. Not to mention the fact that he was too young, he knew there was nothing to worry about.

But still, to see Diao Mei always have a smile on her face whenever Viel was there, he could not help but feel inadequate. He was supposed to be her fiance, he is the one that's supposed to make her smile.

But alas, he could only wish that he could make Diao Mei laugh like that.

Diao Mei, who noticed Lu Xun staring at her, slightly smiled and nodded.

"..."

An awkward smile and a nod, that is what you do when you greet strangers, Lu Xun thought. And so, he could only let out a wry smile of his own as he nodded to Diao Mei. He then walked away, looking dejected.

"...", Diao Mei could not help but blink a couple of times as she watched as Lu Xun suddenly walked away.

Violet, who noticed the delicate exchange between the two, let out a sigh. "You know…", she said as she gestured to Diao Mei, "You should just tell him clearly what you feel about him"

"Hm?", Diao Mei tilted her head.

"Granted, I have only met him days ago… but even I could see that he seems to really like you", Violet looked directly at Diao Mei's eyes.

"That…", Diao Mei could not help but widen her eyes with Violet's blunt words that came out of nowhere, "I… Wait! Why are you giving me advice about this even though you're younger than me!?", she then blurted out as she pointed at Violet.

"Could it be you actually like him?", Violet said, her words unfettered.

"W… what!?", Diao Mei could not help but slightly step back.

"You're reacting violently"

"That…"

"...What are you guys talking about?"

Viel could not help but squint his eyes as he watched as the two suddenly left him out of the conversation.

"I… it's nothing", Diao Mei stuttered as she sat back down. Although she was taken by surprise by Violet's sudden questions, she had a point. She knows she doesn't have feelings for him, that much is true. But if he likes her… then won't it be unfair for him if she doesn't tell him?

Diao mei could not help but let out a sigh as she looked at Violet and Viel. Life… really is more complicated as you step into adulthood, he thought.

The real adults, Sofia, Charlotte, Diao Chan, and Yinji were at a different table having their drinks.

Diao Chan could not help but let out a sigh as she looked at her daughter's complicated expression.

The truth is, it was General Diao's idea to set up a marriage for Diao Mei back when Taizhou was still recovering. They needed an ally, he said.

But the city boomed drastically. With the appearance of Charlotte, who could detect the dungeons before they could even appear, their city was always the first to clear out a dungeon. They were also the ones who helped the Imperial palace set up the Explorer's Association, boosting their city even further.

In short, they no longer needed the alliance. Diao Mei no longer needed to be married to Lu Xun.

But they couldn't just cancel the marriage between the two just like that. And the boy, Lu Xun, seems to have already developed feelings for her daughter.

Diao Chan wanted what's best for her daughter. But since Diao Mei was already getting older and was on her way to becoming an adult herself, she wanted her to deal with this by herself, she thought as she once again let out a sigh.

"Is it complicated?"

"Hm?", Diao Chan looked at Yinji, who was currently looking at her.

"Is it complicated to have a child?", Yinji repeated her question.

"Oh���", Diao Chan could not help but chuckle awkwardly. It would seem that Yinji noticed her thoughts. "You don't have children, Matriarch?", Diao Chan then asked.

"...No", Yinji said as she sipped her tea, "I keep my chastity to discipline myself and not stray from the path of cultivation"

"Eh?", Charlotte could not help but let out a hum as she heard Yinji's words, "So… you've never had a lover before or anything like that?", she then asked.

"I have", Yinji quickly replied.

"W… what!?", Charlotte and Diao Chan could not help but perk their ears. Sofia, on the other hand, only adjusted her spectacles as she listened quietly to the conversation.

"W… who?", Diao Chan gulped as she asked nervously.

"Cha In-ha"

"Cha…", Diao Chan muttered, but after a few seconds, her eyes widened in shock, "The Emperor!?", she could not help but stand up from her seat.

"Hm…", Yinji nodded, "But that was hundreds of years ago. We separated because… he was too weak"

"That…", Diao Chan once again gulped. This was quite the revelation, she thought.

Sofia let out a tiny hum as she looked at Yinji. She still couldn't comprehend the fact that this woman in front of her was almost a millennium old. She wondered how much experience she had and what kind of knowledge she was hiding in her mind.

"Since your grandfather was the one who arranged your daughter's marriage…", Charlotte looked at Diao Mei, "...I take it that his father is no longer around?"

"Hm", Diao Mei quickly nodded her head, "He died when Diao Mei was still a baby"

"I guess that makes us both widows, then?", Charlotte raised her cup.

"I suppose", Diao Mei chuckled as she also raised her cup, toasting it as if it were liquor.

"And you!", Charlotte then pointed towards Sofia.

"What's the deal between you and Viel?", she said as she placed her cup on the table.

Sofia was slightly taken by surprise as she was suddenly included in the conversation. But after a few seconds, she shook her head. "It's nothing", she said, "Our engagement is just for theatrics to avoid the annoying suitors that were trying to approach me"

"Hm…", Charlotte squinted her eyes. "The boy seems to be attached to you, though", she said, "I won't be surprised if the two of you really do get married in the future"

Sofia could not help but cough as she almost choked on her coffee. She then shook her head a couple of times, "No… Viel is too young"

"Eh, since when has that been an issue?", Diao Chan tilted her head, "He won't be forever"

"...", Sofia could not help but blink her eyes a couple of times at Diao Chan's statement. Does age not matter in this world? She thought. But considering there were people like Yinji who could live hundreds and hundreds of years... maybe it really didn't?

"So--"

Before anyone could say anything more, Sofia cleared her throat and looked at Charlotte.

"They said you can detect where the dungeons will appear?"

"Eh… why are you changing the topic?", Charlotte let out a small chuckle. "But yes, I can"

"...How?"

"Hmm…", Charlotte slightly tilted her head, "I honestly do not know. It started when a dungeon first appeared in Taizhou", she said.

"I sensed the portal before it appeared", she said before letting out a sigh, "I urged my late husband that we should hide… That was the only reason a woman like me who couldn't walk was able to survive when many others couldn't"

Diao Chan also let out a sorrowful sigh as she recalled what happened to the city back then. It truly was a dreaded event. Even Yinji could relate as her sect was wiped out almost instantly by the sudden appearance of the dungeon.

"You… couldn't walk?", Sofia fixed her spectacles.

"Hm…", Charlotte nodded, "The physician said I wouldn't be able to anymore, but after a few years, here I am", she said proudly.

"Do you know that Viel could also detect the dungeons?", Sofia then quickly said.

"W… What!?", Charlotte blinked her eyes a couple of times.

"Oh!", Diao Chan, on the other hand, lightly clapped her hands. "I think I remember father mentioning that in the past"

"R… really?"

"Huh…", Diao Chan could not help but look at Charlotte with her eyebrow raised,

"...Maybe you two really are related?"