Chapter 157: Playing Hard to Get
At 10:00 AM the next day, Kailun finished washing up with the help of his maid, Carol.
At 11:00 AM, after a hearty meal, he asked Carol about the recent events.
Indeed, many things had happened in the Xiya Kingdom during his absence, but most of them had been perfectly resolved by Afra. Only the matter of the two elf slaves remained unresolved.
They had scheduled the auction for tomorrow afternoon, and Kailun would add the bird-transformed Henry to the auction to attract attention.
He was a green-feathered bird with ninth-rank strength. Kailun believed that many people would be interested.
However, before selling him, Kailun would have people spread the news, making sure that Paul heard about it.
Although Paul didn’t have much money himself, the Temple of the Celestial God behind him was certainly not short of funds.
After all, Henry was a ninth-rank mage. It would be easy to sell him for a good price.
Later, after Paul devoured Henry, he would gain a large number of attribute points.
“I understand the recent situation. Later, you find someone to coordinate with Fox and make sure to clear out everything in the tomb. I’m not demanding, just dig three feet deep. The most important thing is the jade coffin. I want to modify it personally after you bring it back. Also, copy the magic circles. This must be done with the utmost care…”
Kailun sat comfortably on a stone chair in the courtyard.
“I understand. I’ll make the arrangements later. By the way, how do you plan to deal with Queen Rose and Duke Pit, Master?”
Carol recorded Kailun’s instructions in her notebook.
“I’ll contact Father personally and ask him to prepare to invade the Rose Kingdom. I’ll send him some people later. Oh, right, let’s send Rose’s grandfather, Bruce. I think he’ll be very happy to do it.”
Kailun smiled mischievously. Having a grandfather lead an army to attack his granddaughter’s kingdom was an amusing thought.
Besides, Phils had suggested annexing the Rose Kingdom and fining Edlin. This approach aligned perfectly with his plan.
Kailun would grant Rose’s grandfather, Bruce, a temporary position, meaning that during this time, Bruce would be considered an outsider.
This was also a test of loyalty for Bruce. If he performed well, he would have the opportunity to become a part of the Xiya Kingdom. If he didn’t, he might be “promoted” to a more “important” role.
Although the Xiya Kingdom had become much stronger, the power of an eighth-rank mage was still considerable.
“You’re really wicked.” Carol chuckled.
Kailun suddenly thought of Hilna and asked, “Where are we now with this? The difficulties Rose is facing aren’t even half of what the First Princess went through. By the way, where is that girl? I haven’t seen her.”
“The First Princess occasionally helps Anna and Phils with some minor tasks, but most of the time, she’s studying in the library with Winnie, as if she’s determined to improve herself.”
Carol pondered. The current First Princess was completely different from the past.
Kailun had smoothed out her rough edges and made her re-evaluate herself.
The current Hilna was much more humble. She spent more time reading and studying, strengthening her own abilities. In her spare time, she would occasionally go out with them to inspect the changes in the Royal City.
Carol knew that Hilna was seeking change.
“Not bad. Give her time to grow. I’m curious how far the First Princess and Winnie can go.”
Kailun smiled and shook his head. Hilna and Winnie had already brought him enough joy.
“By the way, Bella has been begging to see you this morning.”
Seeing Kailun in a good mood, Carol mentioned Bella’s request.
Bella had known that Kailun was back last night, but Carol had advised her to postpone their meeting.
“Bella is our important guest… friend. So bring her over.”
Kailun originally wanted to say “guest,” but after thinking about it, he felt that “friend” was a more appropriate term.
In his past life, Bella had been a close friend of Carol and Fox, playing an important role.
In a way, if she hadn’t been assassinated, Fox wouldn’t have left his side in such a hurry.
If Fox’s departure hadn’t been so abrupt, the story might have unfolded differently.
So, their connection wasn’t shallow.
After receiving Kailun’s reply, Carol left the courtyard with a skip in her step.
Deep down, she hoped that their relationship would become better and better.
Soon, Carol returned with Bella, who was wearing a blue dress. Her gaze had been fixed on Kailun since she entered the courtyard.
“Lord Kailun, I hope I’m not disturbing you.” Bella walked towards Kailun cheerfully, stopping a meter away from him.
This was an ambiguous distance. If they weren’t close, people of the opposite sex wouldn’t stand so close to each other.
Seeing her friendly attitude, Kailun didn’t put on any airs. He stood up and patted Bella’s head. “Don’t call me ‘Lord.’ It sounds too distant. Just call me by my name.”
The “freebie” dragon girl was very endearing, especially her newly grown teeth, which were hard to resist smiling at.
“That’s not very appropriate.” Bella wagged her tail even harder.
Kailun patted her head again and said helplessly, “Let’s sit down and talk.”
If only Fox were as well-behaved as Bella.
With Bella’s arrival, the courtyard became livelier. The three of them sat together and chatted.
But this peace only lasted for a moment. Soon, they heard a commotion. Looking towards the source of the sound, they saw Phils walking in.
She was holding a whip with thorns, her entire being radiating an air of arrogance. Rose and Edlin were being driven in front of her, their expressions tense.
Rose and Edlin weren’t afraid of Phils. They were afraid of Afra, who was following behind her.
Afra’s cold aura made them feel like they were in an ice cellar, as if they would die the next moment.
Because of the arrival of Phils and the others, the courtyard became quiet again.
Seeing Kailun in the courtyard, Edlin quickly lowered her head.
Rose’s performance was slightly better, but she didn’t dare to meet Kailun’s gaze either.
“Yo, so these are the traitors Phils mentioned. Long time no see.” Kailun played along.
“We’re not traitors! We’re not traitors! We never betrayed you!”
Edlin reacted very strongly to Kailun’s words. She quickly ran to Kailun and hugged his leg, crying, “Lord Kailun, you must see through this! I didn’t do it on purpose! Don’t be fooled by the scheming Phils. She just wants to use your hand to eliminate her rivals!”
Facing her creditor, Edlin chose to surrender immediately.
Before seeing Kailun, she could still hold onto a glimmer of hope, but seeing his playful eyes, she realized that she had messed up.
Her prepared excuses probably wouldn’t work. Phils was more important to Kailun than she had anticipated.
“Oh, so you were just tricked by Phils? But in my opinion, your actions are no different from treason. Well, considering that you’ve been working hard for so many days, I won’t kill you. Just compensate for the lost magic crystals at the original price of 2.5 million gold coins.”
Kailun kindly helped Edlin up from the ground.
Although Edlin was very petite in her loli form, she possessed a “grandness” that Vivian and Isabella lacked. Kailun could clearly feel it when she rubbed against his leg.
Her true form could rival Fox’s. She was truly “grand.”
“Thud!”
However, as soon as Kailun helped her up, Edlin heard the astronomical sum of 2.5 million gold coins and knelt down again.
“Don’t worry, it’s just 2.5 million. Your monthly salary isn’t low. If you earn one or two hundred thousand gold coins a month, you’ll be able to pay it off in just over one or maybe “ten” years. Of course, this is assuming that you don’t incur any other debts during this period.”
The kind-hearted Kailun helped Dean Edlin up again. This time, to prevent her from kneeling again, he thoughtfully put his arm around her petite shoulders.
“You might as well kill me. I don’t want to live anymore.”
Tears welled up in Edlin’s eyes. Unable to resist Kailun, she didn’t even have the right to negotiate.
“I think you’re obsessed with money. Alright, I’ll give you another chance.”
Kailun made Edlin look up at him. “Sell me the shape-shifting magic you developed. I’ll give you two million gold coins.”
Edlin’s eyes were only filled with money. Her mentality had become completely distorted.
Kailun couldn’t push her too hard. He had to keep giving her hope.
If she hadn’t gone against him this time, Kailun wouldn’t have punished her. There was no inherent animosity between them.
“Really?!”
Edlin’s eyes lit up. Selling the magic she had developed to offset two million of her debt was like getting two million gold coins for free. She was making a huge profit, wasn’t she?
Seeing her innocent smile, Kailun suddenly felt a pang of guilt for deceiving a child.
“Really, I won’t lie to you. As long as you don’t have any more unnecessary thoughts, I’ll even give you a raise. I’ve said it before, there are many ways to make money. There’s no need to be limited by the small profits in front of you. Besides, your ultimate goal is the same as mine, so why not look further ahead?”
Kailun said sincerely, stroking her golden hair.
To alleviate his guilt, Kailun said a few more words.
He wasn’t lying. This was his true thought.
[Edlin’s Goodwill +2, Total Goodwill 72]
Looking at the increase in goodwill, Kailun sighed helplessly. “So you’ll be happy if I give you money?”
Although her goodwill came cheaply, Kailun still chose a more lenient approach.
Different people required different handling methods. The stubborn Hilna needed to be bullied, while the money-obsessed Edlin needed to be lured with gold coins.
But this process of enticement needed to gradually replace gold coins with other things.
Kailun believed that it wouldn’t be long before something more important than gold coins appeared in Edlin’s heart. For him, who was skilled at manipulating people, Edlin was just an appetizer.
“I’m a little bit happy.” Edlin smiled happily. She had noticed the change in Kailun’s attitude.
Punishing her was to give Phils an explanation, and comforting her was because they were on the same side.
From this perspective, Kailun’s behavior pattern was quite simple.
However, she didn’t think she would receive the same favorable treatment next time. Even she could tell that Kailun was in a good mood today.
“So, Miss Rose, do you have anything to say?”
After dealing with Edlin, Kailun looked at Rose in the distance.
Seeing Kailun’s gaze, Rose trembled. “I was the one who made the deal with Edlin. I don’t know anything else.”
To protect herself, Rose chose to betray Edlin.
For her, the Rose Kingdom had already solved its immediate crisis. She might be bullied by Kailun, but the worst that could happen was losing her body.
As a so-called escort, she was already prepared for this.
“Is that so? Then go back and come find me this afternoon. We’ll see what Duke Pit looks like together.”
However, the expected reprimand didn’t come. Kailun casually brushed the matter aside.
Not only Rose, but even Phils looked at Kailun with confusion. They didn’t understand his intentions.
Afra was already used to this. She could guess that he was setting a trap for Rose.
If Rose really thought this matter was over, she would most likely pay a heavy price for it.
Bella, as an outsider, was enjoying the drama. She wasn’t a righteous hero, so she wouldn’t criticize Kailun from the perspective of the weak.
On the contrary, knowing the cause, she thought Edlin was blinded by greed and Rose was scheming.
They both knew that their actions might displease Kailun, but they still took the risk, hoping to get away with it.
So, in this matter, Bella sided with Phils. She felt that Phils’s choice was the right one.
“Can I really leave?”
Rose pointed at herself.
When did Kailun become so easy to talk to?
First, he symbolically punished Edlin and then let her go. This didn’t seem like something Kailun would do.
She couldn’t help but wonder if Kailun had been replaced. Otherwise, why would his personality change so drastically after returning?
“Do you want to stay for lunch?” Kailun raised an eyebrow, his gaze unkind.
Under Kailun’s pressure, Rose turned and left without hesitation.
Seeing her leave the courtyard, Kailun instructed Phils, “Have someone keep an eye on her. Don’t let her run away, at least not today.”
“Are you really just going to let her go?” Phils ran to Kailun. She wanted to punch his chest but restrained herself.
Kailun leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. “Who said I’m letting her go? I’m just letting her rest so she can perform for me in her best condition this afternoon. I hope Duke Pit will be happy to see his queen become my escort.”
“Is that all?”
Phils felt that this wasn’t enough, too merciful for Queen Rose.
“Not just that. I’ll also let her leave the Xiya Kingdom after this afternoon.”
Kailun picked up a cherry from the fruit plate on the table and popped it into his mouth, his gaze sweeping over the girls.
Phils snatched the fruit plate, her voice insistent. “No, you can’t just let her go! You should lock her up in the dungeon and whip her hard! And whip me too!”
Kailun: “…”
“Do you think everyone enjoys physical punishment like you? Don’t worry, my plan for Queen Rose has just begun. In a few days, a group of vicious bandits will cross the border and reach the capital of the Rose Kingdom. There’s even an eighth-rank mage among them. Coincidentally, this eighth-rank mage is Rose’s grandfather. Isn’t that a coincidence?”
Kailun revealed his plan to Phils.
Understanding Kailun’s sinister intentions, Phils’s eyes lit up frighteningly.
This was pure mischief on Kailun’s part. Anyone with eyes could see that this was a blatant scheme. Rose would have no choice but to ask Kailun for help.
Once she asked for help, she would have to pay a higher price. Even her beloved kingdom might not be spared.
For a woman like Rose, the greatest torment was to watch her most cherished possession be given away.
Phils understood.
But she still felt it was a pity that she couldn’t whip Rose. Otherwise, she might have had the chance to get a few lashes herself.
So Phils turned her gaze to Edlin. Her punishment seemed very light. Should she try harder?
Edlin: “!!!”
Sensing Phils’s increasingly dangerous gaze, Edlin quickly hid behind Kailun’s chair.
To prove her worth, she quickly said, “Lord Kailun, I’ll draw the magic circle right away. Please wait a moment.”
Hearing about Kailun’s plan for Rose, she once again saw the true face of this demon.
He was never truly kind-hearted. What he wanted was far more than they imagined. His only merit was that he was generous with money.
So had he also set up a trap for her?
Thinking of this, Edlin almost went to hug Kailun’s leg again.
“Tsk, you coward. It’s just a whipping. What’s there to be afraid of?” Phils clicked her tongue, feeling a bit disappointed.
“By the way, Phils, can you call Anna for me? I need her to be present this afternoon.”
Kailun stood up and picked up a cherry from the plate, feeding it to Phils.
The opportunity had arrived. It was time to max out Anna’s goodwill.
……
“That’s the Royal City of the Xiya Kingdom up ahead…”
Duke Pit muttered to himself, looking at the giant city in the distance.
“Yes, that’s the Royal City of the Xiya Kingdom. After this transaction, Queen Rose will definitely reward you handsomely.”
The speaker was Philip, who was responsible for receiving Duke Pit.
Besides reception, he was also responsible for monitoring Duke Pit’s movements and preventing him from escaping.
As long as he handled this matter well, he would have the opportunity to rise to a high position.
The Xiya Kingdom had undergone tremendous changes in just one month, and it was all related to Young Master Kailun.
Now, he was once again convinced of his judgment. Young Master Kailun was a divine being who could predict the future.
“Heh, I don’t care about any reward. I just want to enter the Queen’s bedchamber as soon as possible. It would be even better if I could do it in front of the King. It might be even more exciting.”
A sick smile appeared on Duke Pit’s face when he mentioned Queen Rose. He couldn’t wait any longer. He wanted to complete the transaction immediately and fly back to the Rose Kingdom.
Queen Rose was his dream, his ultimate goal.
He had worked hard for ten years, all for the most noble married woman!
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