Jian Qiao had never felt so powerless. A person was about to die, but he could only wait in silence, unable to do anything.
When Rege said what he wanted to but couldnât, he snapped his eyes to the other man and his dark eyes suddenly lit up with a shimmer.
Cassia also stared at Rege with amazement, raising her delicate eyebrows. In the entire audience of nobles, this man was the only one to show mercy.
Rege didnât care whether this matchless beauty was paying attention to him, he only had eyes for Jian Qiao.
When Jian Qiao looked at him sharply, revealing his nervousness, Rege gently patted the back of his pale hand to comfort him.
He seemed to be saying: Donât worry, Iâll handle everything.
With this, Jian Qiao really let go of his distress. He picked up the glass, moistened his overly constricted throat with the slightly sour lemon water, leaned back against the sofa and gradually relaxed.
Only after he made sure Jian Qiao was no longer tense did Rege lift his chin and speak to Prince Andrew, who was wearing a gloomy expression. âI really enjoyed her performance. To be honest, I havenât had so much fun in a long time. So Iâm willing to trade Apollo for her, what do you say?â
Apollo was a spirited horse that had been tamed by Rege. It was powerful, well-built, and fierce, and of a purebred lineage, with a smooth, glossy, satin-like chestnut coat. When it galloped in the sunlight, its coat glowed with a brilliant red-copper light like a small sun.
That was why Rege had named it Apollo.
Compared to all other horses, its extreme speed and handsome appearance made it fully worthy of the title.
Many great lords, Prince Andrew among them, had previously expressed the desire to buy Apollo, each offering a higher price than the other, but Rege refused them all.
This was his treasure, he would never trade it to anyone.
But now he wanted to exchange this noble-blooded horse for a dwarf of such lowly status, was he out of his mind?
Prince Andrew couldnât believe his ears. When Rege first interrupted heâd felt upset, but now he was excited.
âWhat did you just say? What do you want to exchange for this little monster?â He pointed his long whip at the female dwarf who was limp on the ground.
âIâll trade Apollo,â Rege repeated calmly.
Hearing the exclamations and whispers of the people around him, Jian Qiao realized the importance of âApolloâ to Rege. He immediately wanted to raise his hand to stop the deal between Rege and Prince Andrew. If valuables could persuade the Prince, he was willing to exchange diamonds for a life.
But Rege firmly pressed the back of his hand, signaling him not to speak.
âYou can take Apollo away right now if you want,â Rege said boldly. He stroked the blue veins on the back of Jian Qiaoâs slightly curved hand, encouraging him to calm down.
Prince Andrew immediately threw away his long whip, laughing loudly. âHahaha, my dear, then I wonât be polite! Whereâs Apollo? I want to see him right now!â
The butler of the ducal palace immediately stepped forward to guide His Royal Highness the Prince.
When Andrew left, many of the noblemen followed him.
After the men left one after another, the women, who were frightened and pale, returned to their usual state. They continued to laugh, drink wine, dance and indulge themselves without restraint.
The female dwarf was paralyzed on the ground for a long time before she realized she was saved! She quickly got up and kept bowing to Rege, bending her waist forty-five degrees until her head couldnât lower any further.
No words could express the gratitude she felt.
âYour Lordship, may you be well rewarded! May all your wishes for the rest of your life come true. May you always be happy and joyful, and may your beloved one deeply love you in return for ever and ever.â The female dwarf gushed out endless blessings.
Rege was quite pleased with her clever mouth. He waved his hand and said, âLet the servants take you down to rest. I think you need a quiet space to be alone for a while.â
âThank you! Thank you!â The female dwarf bowed again before following the servant.
As he watched her stagger away, Jian Qiao let out a sigh of relief.
Rege said in his ear, âNow do you feel at ease? I wonât let blood pollute your eyes, let alone make you faint like a weakling in public, clutching your dizzy head in front of everyone. I saved your face, so be grateful.â
This was one of the reasons he saved the female dwarfâbecause Jian Qiao swooned at the sight of blood. Furthermore, that performer was able to make Jian Qiao actually reveal a smile. In Regeâs opinion, this was the most valuable thing about her, far more precious than Apollo.
He didnât feel like heâd suffered a loss.
Only then did Jian Qiao realize the reason Rege had saved the female dwarf was not because of any compassionate sentiment, but to protect him.
How narrow and selfish a reason, but it really happened, and Jian Qiao keenly felt its weight.
Regeâs heart would always burn hot with sincerity for his friends. He would give everything to maintain this friendship.
The back of Jian Qiaoâs hand, which was still pressed by Rege, was slightly sweating. But he didnât break free. Instead he squeezed the other manâs hand and interlaced their fingers. He didnât realize how ambiguous this gesture was, he just acted in accordance with his feelings.
Rege realized it, but he didnât struggle to free his hand. Instead he tightened his grip on the gentleman Earlâs fingers. With his other hand he rubbed the tip of his nose, then turned his head towards a deserted corner and secretly beamed a smile.
Very good, he liked this reaction very much.
âYou know what?â Jian Qiao whispered in the ear of his only friend and pointed to his chest. âMy heart is filled with so much gratitude for you itâs beating wildly. Itâs dancing for you. You saved me and you saved an innocent person. You are my knight.â
He pursed his lips and said seriously, âI donât know how to express how much I like you anymore. If no one else were here, Iâd really want to give you a huge hug. In fact, I wanted to do that the night you rescued me from Prince Andrew.
âI really wanted to hug you. For a moment I even felt like you were my god, the god of the sun! Youâre the one who brings me warmth and light. By your side Iâm always safe. I hate to part with you for even a single second. I could sit on the sofa beside you chatting all night long and never feel bored. I really like you so much!â
Jian Qiao repeated âlikeâ several times. Heâd never made friends with anyone before and didnât know how to deepen this friendship. He only felt awkward.
However, what he thought was âawkwardâ was a smashing success in Regeâs eyes.
Was it possible to use sweet words to capture someoneâs heart? The gentleman Earl knew exactly how to do it!
Regeâs heart had been shot again and again by sharp arrows made of honey. He covered his chest and gritted his teeth so he wouldnât let out a low laugh full of pleasure.
âIâll let you have a good hug when I send you to the carriage later. If you want to chat, Iâm always available, no matter how long.â Rege softly rubbed the gentleman Earlâs head.
Jian Qiao gave a cheerful nod.
The two looked at each other, and their eyes were filled with stars.
Just at that moment, Cassia walked over with a graceful gait, dragging her gorgeous skirt.
âGood evening, Lord Rege.â She curtsied slightly and said in a low voice, âI came to tell you I was impressed by your kind act. Although it was quite unnecessary, you saved my gown from getting stained with blood, so I must thank you. Good night then, Iâll leave first. Certain people make me feel rather uncomfortable.â
She glanced meaningfully in the direction of the horse stables and curtsied again to depart on her own.
She seemed well-accustomed to her own way of doing things, not worried at all that her willfulness would offend these powerful people. When she came, she was deliberately late, and when she left, she was deliberately early, and never followed any rules.
A sufficiently beautiful appearance and too much tolerance and infatuation had given her the illusion she could act recklessly in front of all men.
In her opinion, Rege had saved the female dwarf just to get her attention, so she walked over and graciously informed the other partyâYou succeeded.
In reality, however, Rege was extremely annoyed by the sudden interruption.
Did this woman have no eyes? Other people were having a good conversation, why did she barge in?
âYou can go.â Rege jerked his chin toward the door, his face full of impatience.
Cassia, however, thought this was another of his little ploys. Someone was always pretending to hate her to get her attention.
âGoodbye then, my lord.â Cassia nodded slightly, turned around and walked away, as if she had no yearning whatsoever for this gathering of fashionable society.
She knew the moment she lowered herself to flatter, curry favor, or fawn, these superior nobles would trample on her with impunity.
She wouldnât let herself become such a pathetic little creature.
Jian Qiao, who had never liked talking to strangers, suddenly called out, âIn your opinion, the dress youâre wearing is more valuable than a personâs life, is that right?â
Cassia looked back and replied with certainty, âYes.â
Her gown was adorned with jewels and embroidered with gold thread, it was certainly worth more than a dwarf. Make no mistake, it cost just five silver coins to buy a dwarf from the market, while her dress cost a hundred gold. There was a world of difference in price.
She would have been livid if her dress were ruined by the blood of that dwarf.
Jian Qiao gently tapped the table with his fingertips and said in a cold voice, âThen Iâm going to tell you a hard truth. Do you know why Prince Andrew and others left so joyfully?
âEven with such a stunning beauty as yourself in front of them, the view couldnât keep them here at all, because for them, admiring a horse in a stable is no different than admiring a beautiful woman at a banquet. The pleasure they gain is the same.
âYouâre the worldâs most famous courtesan, but in their eyes, youâre just a more expensive horse. You think youâre far above, but in reality youâre no different from that dwarf woman. If her life isnât even worth a dress, how does your value compare to a horse?â
These words were really too cruel. They were like a sharp claw, mercilessly tearing off the fashionable wrapping Cassia draped herself in to emulate the nobility, exposing the low status she couldnât change in any way.
To make matters worse, almost all the men had gone to the stables, and most of the people who remained in the banquet hall were women. Out of jealousy they paid much attention to Cassia, and when they heard these words they laughed without politeness.
âMy God, the Earl of Flowervale is right! This woman is just a horse thatâs been ridden by a thousand men, how noble does she think she is?â Similar taunts were constantly made.
Other vicious words poured into Cassiaâs ears in a steady stream.
In the past, if such a thing happened, she wouldnât have to lift a finger. There would be many men whoâd step forward to defend her. Therefore, she automatically looked at Rege, hoping the other party would demonstrate his love for her with practical actions.
It would be best if he could gag the mouths of all these women in addition to this Earl.
But Rege just impatiently waved his hand, with two words written on his faceâGet moving!
The arrogant mask Cassia wore over her face finally opened a crack. Her pink lips turned pale in an instant. She glanced sharply at Jian Qiao and turned to leave. Her gait was no longer so graceful, but took on a bit of haste.
Jian Qiao lifted his chin and said seriously, âLearn to respect everyone, no matter whether theyâre high-born or low. Only then will the road under your feet be stable and firm.â
Cassia pretended not to hear anything. At the moment, she was completely unable to understand the meaning of those words.
TL Notes:
čŞä˝ĺ¤ć â flattering yourself â to be under the delusion that another person is interested in you; to shower affection on an uninterested party; to imagine that oneâs love is reciprocated
Transliterated names, titles, and placesânew in this chapter:
éżćł˘ç˝ â ÄBĹLuĂł â Apollo
亲çćŽżä¸ â QÄŤnWĂĄng DiĂ nXiĂ â His Royal Highness the Prince
čżä˝ĺ¤§äşş â Zhè Wèi DĂ RĂŠn â Your Lordship. Alternatively: this lord