The Princess And The Lord-Chapter 1425: Heartfelt Reunion II

It was Lory who first noticed Zhao Li Xin’s presence . The moment her eyes fell on him, her entire face lit up like the sun breaking through storm clouds. Without a second thought, she shoved the spoon into Jay’s mouth, almost choking him, then ran toward Zhao Li Xin with unrestrained joy.

[Husband, you’re back!] she called out in a language unfamiliar to the others. Then, as she reached him, she pouted adorably, her lips pursed in a coquettish way. [You said you were only going to be gone for a few hours.]

Though none of them understood her words, the tone alone sent a shiver down their spines. They weren’t used to seeing Lory acting coy and cute, especially not in front of a man.

Lucas, who hadn’t witnessed their dynamic before, blinked in disbelief. His eyes trailed over Zhao Li Xin’s face carefully, then he muttered under his breath, "He’s... Lory’s husband?"

Jay, still chewing from the spoon Lory had left him with, nodded. "Uh-huh."

"He’s very strong, though," Fargo chimed with an approving nod.

"He’s the one who saved you,you wouldn’t wake up with lory’s gift alone" Fredhardt added, patting Lucas’s shoulder.

"Is that so?!" Lucas’s eyes widened in astonishment.

"Yeah," Clift said matter-of-factly. "But most likely because of Lory. He doesn’t seem like the type to care about other people, he looks apathetic and reserved, but blunt and straightforward."

"I think he’s too lazy to lie or anything," Fredhardt smirked.

Jay leaned closer to Lucas and whispered with a sly grin, "So... what do you think?"

As a Lucient, Lucas had an innate gift for reading people’s character. His golden eyes assessed Zhao Li Xin carefully, studying his calm demeanor, his unreadable expression, and the subtle protectiveness in his stance. Finally, Lucas murmured, "He looks like... a tamed beast."

At that, everyone turned their gaze toward Zhao Li Xin. In that moment, they silently agreed, he really did look like a tamed beast.

Meanwhile, Lory lightly pinched Zhao Li Xin’s cheek, pretending to scold him. [What took you so long? You’ve been lying to me more and more lately, Milord,] she said, feigning anger.

Zhao Li Xin chuckled softly, a rare warmth flickering in his cold, dark eyes. He took her hands in his and held them tightly. [I’m sorry,] he said gently. [I needed to release the restraints in the Mystique Realm after your brother left. Then I spent time examining the creature they call Scion and locking it away somewhere safe. My guess is the enemy will come looking for it soon.]

He spoke with quiet patience, not a trace of boredom or irritation in his voice. If anything, there was a subtle glow of affection in his gaze as he looked at her.

[Oh, that’s right!] Lory suddenly gasped. [Wait, you kept that thing? You didn’t kill it? Isn’t it dangerous to keep something like that?] Lory looked at Zhao Li Xin worriedly.

Amusement flickered in Zhao Li Xin’s eyes. He gently brushed her cheek with his thumb, his voice low and reassuring. "It’s me you’re talking about, my love. What danger could possibly befall me?"

Lory pouted. No matter how strong he was, he was still human. What if something unexpected happened? Where else in the world could she find a husband this gentle, kind, loving, and most of all, ridiculously gorgeous?

[Just... be careful, okay? We don’t know what else that thing might do besides sucking people’s lives away,] she murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist. For a moment, she completely forgot about the others watching, her attention solely fixed on him.

"Ahem!" Lucas cleared his throat loudly. "Sister, aren’t you going to introduce us?"

"Oh?" Lory quickly let go of Zhao Li Xin’s waist, suddenly remembering they weren’t alone. Her cheeks flushed as she turned toward Lucas, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She took Zhao Li Xin’s arm and pulled him gently forward.

"Lucas, this is my husband, Zhao Li Xin. And Li Xin, this is my brother."

Zhao Li Xin gave a deep, elegant bow. "My name is Zhao Li Xin. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you."

Even as Zhao Li Xin bowed, Lucas could sense the noble air that clung to him—an effortless, commanding presence that spoke of high status. It wouldn’t surprise him if this man were a king or something of the sort. Still, as a king himself, Lucas didn’t feel the least bit intimidated.

"It’s nice to meet you. I hope my sister only spoke good things about me," Lucas said with a pointed glance at Lory.

"You can be assured, she spoke highly of you, Your Majesty," Zhao Li Xin said respectfully, his tone even more sincere than when addressing his own stepfather, the Emperor, or his biological father. Nope, they never get the pleasure.

"Please," Lucas chuckled softly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "When it’s just us, call me Luc. It feels strange to have my brother-in-law addressing me as ’Your Majesty.’" His violet eyes were strikingly similar to Lory’s.

It was clear and pure without a hint of impurity. Soon after, Zhao Li Xin felt an unexpected surge of warmth creeping into his own heart.

As expected of twins, it wasn’t just their features they shared, but also gave of the same serene and gentle aura that could draw anyone. In that moment, Zhao Li Xin felt as if he’d gained a new member of the family, like a younger brother. This feeling is very novel for him. frёeωebɳovel.com

"Then, you may call me Li Xin," Zhao Li Xin replied with a rare, warm gaze. "Just like Lory does."

Lory watched the warm exchange between Zhao Li Xin and Lucas, pleasantly surprised. She honestly hadn’t known how Lucas would take the sudden news of her marriage. As for Zhao Li Xin, due to the environment he grew up in, Zhao Li Xin’s nature is cold and distant.

Even with those who had known him for years, like the Four Place’s kings, and the Mong brothers, he still kept his distance. Only later did that distance shrink considerably, and that was entirely because of Lory.

Therefore, Lory hadn’t expected Zhao Li Xin to warm up to Lucas so readily. Yet here they were, sharing a moment of mutual respect and friendly exchange.

Lory subconsciously blurted out her thought. "How did you two become friends so quickly?"

Lucas and Zhao Li Xin turned to her at the same time, equally confused.

"He’s your husband."

"He’s your brother."

They spoke in unison, their voices overlapping.

Lory narrowed her eyes, amused. How could it be that simple? But then again, real relationships didn’t always need to be complicated. Sometimes, all it took was a few words for two people to find common ground. Zhao Li Xin and Lucas were exactly like that.

"Li Xin," Lucas said, his tone soft but earnest, "I heard you’re the one who saved me. For that, allow me to say... thank you. Thank you for giving me the chance to reunite with my sister."

His expression was filled with genuine gratitude, and the sincerity was clearly shown in his violet eyes.

Although he was a king, he never hesitated to humble himself. He was honest, kind, and carried himself with quiet dignity. Zhao Li Xin had never met a king whose eyes weren’t clouded with suspicion, greed, or arrogance.

Was this what King Lucient was truly like? No wonder his subordinates were so loyal and trusted him completely. If Zhao Li Xin had encountered a king like Lucas in the past, he might not have minded serving him.

But now, it wasn’t too late—especially since this man was Lory’s beloved brother. Serving him felt... natural.

"Don’t mention it... Um, Luc," Zhao Li Xin said awkwardly. He wasn’t used to calling people by nicknames, having never been close enough to anyone for such familiarity.

Lory found his slightly stiff expression adorable and couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.

"What I’m about to tell you is that the creature is in my possession now. I was told to keep a creature alive, saying it might be useful someday," Zhao Li Xin’s brow furrowed with uncertainty.

"Who?" Lory frowned.

"Emperor Lei Yu left a message to the Fire Spirit," Zhao Li Xin explained.

"Why do they keep leaving messages with the Fire Spirit? What is he, a sword or an answering machine?" Lory muttered, scrunching up her face in mild exasperation.

Zhao Li Xin let out a resigned sigh. "That’s what I thought, too."

"Uh... sorry, you lost me there." Jay raised his hands in confusion. "Who’s this Emperor, what sword, and what Spirit? Don’t tell me we’ve moved into the realm of ghosts and spirits now." His face paled slightly at the thought.

Lory suddenly remembered how traumatized Jay was by ghost stories—thanks to Fredhardt, of course. Just like her, Jay had also become one of Fredhardt’s victims.’

She crossed her arms and looked at Jay a little regretfully. "Yeah... we kind of are."

"Oh maaan..." Jay groaned helplessly. "Just tell me it’s not like the ghosts in movies—y’know, with broken necks, twisted limbs, and all that creepy stuff."

"Why are you scared of disabled ghosts? You should feel pity for them," Clift said with genuine concern, it’s not clear if he’s joking or not.

"You—" Jay started to protest, but Fredhardt cut him off.

"Alright, back to the topic!" Fredhardt interjected sharply. He turned to Zhao Li Xin. "Can you explain more? Honestly, Lory’s not a great storyteller."

"Heeyyy!" Lory exclaimed indignantly.

An amused smile curled on Zhao Li Xin’s lips. He drew a deep breath, his eyes difted to the past as he began, "Well, let’s start the story from when Lory first found me..."

Zhao Li Xin began recounting how Lory had found him in the forest and, for whatever reasons, Lory decided to help him, even though doing so placed a heavy burden on her body because of Lazarus’s curse. Lory also coincidentally cured him from the deadly poison that had been weighing him down since he was a child.

Unfortunately, Lory hadn’t stayed. By the time Zhao Li Xin regained consciousness, she was already gone. But he hadn’t forgotten—he could still recall her voice and her scent.

"Just like a dog..." Jay said in amazement, then quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, he didn’t mean to be rude.

Zhao Li Xin chuckled, didn’t feel offended at all, "Indeed. A relentless dog, to be precise. It took me two years, and I used every resource at my disposal just to find her again. And even then, it happened by sheer coincidence."

He went on to describe how he discovered Lory working as a maid in the Lao Manor, the residence of the Prime Minister of the Jiang Wei kingdom, where he had been acting as the sickly Prince. He continued with how Lory had encountered Lao Min Na, her entanglement with Lazarus, and the countless times Lao Min Na tried to harm her.

As Zhao Li Xin spoke, the expressions of Lucas and the others grew increasingly grim, their anger and sorrow barely contained as they listened to what Lory had endured. But Lory quickly reached out to comfort them, assuring them that Zhao Li Xin had protected her all that time. She smiled as she told them how he had spoiled her endlessly, never letting anyone wrong her, and how anyone foolish enough to try had paid a terrible price at his hands.

Only then did the tension in their faces ease slightly. Their opinion of Zhao Li Xin seemed to rise several notches, which made him shift uncomfortably under their glittering eyes full of admiration and approval.

The story continued with how Lory set out to search for the Trinity Fragments and how she met her friends Yang Xi Ying and Ming Yue Yin. Lory then shared about Arthea, Cavio, and her father. Tears welled in their eyes, but this time it was mixed with relief.

By the time the story ended, none of them had realized how late it had gotten until Lucas’s stomach growled loudly, breaking the moment. Lory laughed, gently teasing him later on, Lory suggested they prepare dinner right there in Lucas’s room. Lucas agreed at once; he wasn’t ready to be apart from her yet and wanted to talk more.

Soon, Fargo, Fredhardt, and the others bustled about, setting up a table and chairs while summoning their subordinates to bring food. Within half an hour, everything was ready. They gathered around the table, while Clift fussed over Lucas’s hospital gown, worried he might accidentally reveal his ’crown jewels.’

Not long after, the room filled with chatter and laughter as they shared the meal. Meanwhile, on the outside, Stephan approached, intending to check on Lucas, but paused when he heard the commotion.

Peeking through the slightly ajar door, he saw Lucas, Lory, Zhao Li Xin, and the four troublemakers crowded around the small dining table, joking and laughing.

His expression softened. It felt like he had been transported back to the past. Only at that time, Marcus, Zargan, Dorian,and Reynald were there as well. Time had gone so fast, and he missed them so dearly, still and all...this is enough.

Stephan quietly closed the door, a faint smile curving his lips. He turned and walked away, unwilling to disturb their long-awaited reunion.

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