Jian Qiao left in a hurry, but Rege was still staring directly at his back, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Prince Andrew took a slow sip of wine and gave advice in the tone of a man whoâd been there before. âMy dear, you were too straightforward just now. Youâll scare the prey away.â
Rege was well-acquainted with the âheroic deedsâ of Prince Andrew. This man had used despicable means to force a lord then ruthlessly abandoned him. He could only maintain three minutes of heat, but it took his targets a lifetime to heal their inner wounds.
Relying on the fact his brother was King, he was used to doing whatever he wanted. Once he became king himself heâd grow even more unscrupulous.
It was obvious he had his eye on Jian Qiao.
Rege closed his eyes and couldnât stop thinking about how Jian Qiao had looked just now.
Because of the high fever, the manâs skin and hair were damp with sweat, and under the illumination of the lamps, they revealed a glossy sheen that begged one to touch it. There was a crimson blush on his cheeks and the corners of his eyes, like the most beautiful rosy clouds on the horizon. His eyes were full of dewy tears and when he looked at others it seemed as if he was in love, but also as if he was confused.
He was as fragile as a child, like a fairy whoâd strayed into the world.
When Rege had licked the back of his hand, his hot body heat was like a prairie fire, spreading along the tip of Regeâs tongue to the bottom of his heart.
If I really were a lion, I might have eaten him then.
This rather baffling thought came to Rege, and he licked his sharp tiger teeth as if enjoying an endless aftertaste.
âHeâs my prey, do you agree?â he asked in a serious tone, looking at Prince Andrew.
Since heâd already helped Jian Qiao once, he didnât mind helping him to the end. Otherwise these people would cling to him like leeches.
Prince Andrew, whoâd already enjoyed Jian Qiao countless times in his mind, couldnât help but freeze. This was the most delicious prey heâd found in quite a while, and he really didnât want to let it go. But Queen Moen and Rege were his strongest and most powerful supporters. Without these two to help him maneuver inside and outside the palace, he simply wouldnât win the crown at all.
In an instant, Prince Andrew weighed up his options. âOf course, heâs yours.â
With this he raised his glass and laughed loudly. âMy dear, I congratulate you in advance!â
âThank you.â Rege raised his glass and clinked it with him, his eyes filled with the light of ambition.
Everyone roared with laughter. They knew that as long as Rege didnât tire of playing, the Earl of Flowervale wasnât someone they could touch. Originally theyâd planned to force the person to stay and send him to Prince Andrewâs bed after getting him drunk, then when Prince Andrew got tired of him, they could take turns spending the night with the beauty.
They did this all the time. The small lords who came to Polsa from remote places to pursue fame and fortune simply didnât dare to resist.
Some sank into a life of dissipation, some were destroyed by humiliation, some ran away never to reappear. But what did that have to do with them?
It was enough for them to move on to the next prey and indulge in the next round of bliss.
Rege, who thoroughly understood the nature of these people, knew all too well what Jian Qiao would face, so he stepped in, though he was still confused as to why he did it.
Earlier, when Jian Qiao and Duke Lewis were wandering all over the hall, Rege couldnât help but follow the other man with his eyes.
Because of his high fever, the person would quietly walk to a secluded place every now and then, and gently shake his head to try to wake himself up. If that didnât work he took out a bottle of smelling salts and smelled it, or even pinched himself severely.
After doing all this surreptitiously, he returned to the glittering swirl of society with the most elegant manner, complimenting others with warm but decorous words.
No one could resist his charm.
His melancholy face couldnât even pull off a decent smile, yet he could make others break out into sincere laughter.
Rege felt endless enjoyment just from watching his actions, although Rege had long been tired of fancy clothes, fine wine, beautiful women, and feasts. Compared to the floating world of fame and wealth he preferred the bloody battlefield.
Now that the man was gone, Rege lost interest again. He beckoned an attendant and said in a deep voice, âBring over a case of the strongest wine.â
The attendant did as he was told.
Half an hour later, Rege strode out of the hall accompanied by a strong scent of alcohol. Behind him, Prince Andrew and a number of other nobles were lying all over the ground. They always liked to get others drunk, but when they met with Rege, they were the ones who were drunk into a stupor.
â
Jian Qiao lay in the hotel for five days. The illness completely disrupted his plans.
Five days later, he finally regained some strength and decided to stay in Grande for another two months. One, because his weak body simply couldnât withstand the torture of a long journey; and two, he still had a lot of things to do.
During this period of recuperation he took two manservants to inspect his shop.
At the same time, Rege was visiting another store on the same street. Lord Duncan was the owner of the shop.
âDo you like this set of jewelry? Shall I deliver it to Miss Lilithâs home for you?â Lord Duncan asked, pointing to a ruby necklace.
âI lost interest in Lilith a long time ago.â Rege waved his hand boredly and swept his eyes aimlessly towards the street.
Just then, a carriage with an anemone family crest carved on the door slowly passed by.
Rege, who was slouching on the sofa, suddenly sat up straight, realized his actions were too abrupt, and lay back lazily. However the gleam of light in his eyes couldnât be concealed.
He crossed his legs one moment, and then sat forward in a wider stance, and the restlessness of his body completely laid bare the agitation in his heart. For some reason he couldnât sit still when he learned the man wasnât far away.
He cleared his throat and pretended to be serious, asking, âHowâs business in the shop these days? Have your stolen customers come back?â
âNo! In fact the customer churn is worse. You have to think of a way to help me get rid of the competition.â The competition Lord Duncan was referring to naturally meant Jian Qiaoâs shop.
âThen Iâll visit their side firstââ
Rege didnât finish his sentence. A madam dragged her âdaughterâ into the store. She slammed the jewelry box she was holding onto the counter, pointing to Lord Duncanâs nose as she cursed. It turned out that Lord Duncan had actually sold zircon stones as diamonds to her daughter, cheating her of a large sum of money.
Fortunately, the old madam was a connoisseur of jewelry, so she brought her daughter here in a hurry to find the shopâs owner. The girls under her hand maintained close relationships with many great noblemen. Naturally she wasnât afraid of offending a petty lord.
After scolding inside the store, she withdrew to the storeâs entrance and scolded some more, causing passersby to stop and watch.
The storeâs reputation was completely destroyed, and the customers who were already lost were even less likely to come back.
Lord Duncan paid out a set of diamond jewelry and a lot of flattering words before he was able to send this mother and daughter away.
He said indignantly, âWhen you meet a customer who knows the goods, you sell the real thing, and when you meet a customer who doesnât know the goods, you sell fakes. Every store does it, why single me out? Iâll never believe Jian Qiaoâs shop does anything different. No, since my reputation is damaged Iâll make sure his reputation isnât good either. I have to find someone to buy fake goods from him and make a big fuss about it!â
Lord Duncan, who was full of bad blood, immediately found a courtesan to help him go fishing for trouble.
This woman was also the âdaughterâ of the madam just now. The madam had a lot of knowledge in addition to a hot temper, so sheâd certainly make trouble for Jian Qiao as well.
âIâll accompany you.â Rege stood up and stretched.
The courtesan, who felt flattered, agreed, but Lord Duncan was adamantly opposed. âNo, you canât! You canât go with her! If youâre around, who would dare to sell her fake goods? Have you forgotten? You said you wanted to catch Jian Qiao in the act. This is a rare opportunity!â
Rege snorted coldly and walked out on his own.
He wasnât in the mood to take care of this fool who mistakenly thought he was shrewd.
The social flower hurriedly chased after him with her skirts flying, then extended her hand and tried to take Regeâs arm. When her sisters had nothing to do they liked to hire a luxury carriage to swagger through the streets. Theyâd definitely discover she was walking around with the most powerful nobleman in Gloria.
What a great honor!
If you can climb up this big tree, youâll have endless glory and wealthâŠ.
The courtesanâs unrestrained imagination was completely destroyed by Regeâs curt behavior.
âMiss, please donât touch me without my permission.â He avoided the womanâs arm, his face filled with disgust.
He wasnât sure when it started, but he couldnât raise the slightest interest in women. This phenomenon was so abnormal it was a little scary.
Thinking of this, Regeâs handsome face suddenly froze. After a moment of silence he licked his sharp tiger teeth and reluctantly changed his mind. âFine, be my guest, but itâs best not to hold on too tight.â
One second the social flower was frightened, the next she was smiling. She joyfully took Regeâs arm and swung her slender hips from side to side as she walked, making her fluffy petticoat sway like a peacockâs tail as they slowly strolled towards Jian Qiaoâs shop.
Several blue veins burst in Regeâs forehead.
God knew, when he saw the gentleman Earlâs carriage passing through the street, he could hardly stop himself from chasing after it in leaps and bounds. He couldnât stand the tortoise speed of this woman at all.
When they finally reached the door of Jian Qiaoâs shop, Regeâs patience was completely exhausted, but strangely enough, his irritable mood changed to excitement and anticipation.
He pushed open the door of the shop and strode in.
The woman, whose arm was wrapped around his, was dragged forward by his eager pace. She tripped over her enormous petticoat, almost falling over. Caught off guard, she let out a high-pitched scream.
Everyone in the store stared at the source of the noise, including Jian Qiao, who was seated on the red velvet sofa. He was holding two egg-sized crystal balls in his hand, and his long, thin fingertips nimbly fiddled with the pair of spheres, rotating them in his palm.
His relaxed body was sunk in the soft cushions, his eyelids were slightly lowered, and his eyes were calm, as tranquil as if he were about to fall asleep. The sudden scream interrupted his repose, and now his eyes flew open revealing a rare expression of fright.
When he saw Jian Qiao like this, Regeâs face turned green.