Kingdom
Linley clearly could sense how, when he held Alice in his arms when they were young, he had felt happy. But now, when he held Delia in his arms, Linley felt, in the deepest part of his heart, a sort of contentment, a spiritual fulfillment!
This…was true happiness!
The ice covering Linley’s heart had totally melted.
Delia’s face was covered with smiles. She had never been so happy before.
“Linley. I’m so happy.” Delia gently whispered into Linley’s arms.
“Me too.” Linley gently stroked Delia’s fragrant hair and touched her sleek shoulders.
Delia obediently rested herself against Linley’s chest. She murmured, “Linley, I feel as though I’m in a dream…tell me, is this real?” That tough woman who could make even an Emperor feel nervous was now as obedient as a child.
“It’s real, it’s real.” Linley could feel the warmth from Delia’s body, and a warm, protective feeling arose in his heart.
Delia suddenly raised her head and looked at Linley haltingly. “Linley, if one day, Alice comes to find you, what would you do?” Delia was truly afraid, afraid that Linley would be taken away by someone else.
“Alice?”
Linley’s hand paused, but then he continued to stroke Delia’s hair. He said comfortingly, “The affection between the two of us ended long ago. I feel neither love nor hatred to her. After all, she can choose who she likes…” Linley stroked Delia’s face and chuckled, “Delia, don’t overthink things. I’ll never leave you. If I abandon you…then I would truly be an utter fool.”
“Delia, am I an utter fool?” Linley looked at Delia.
Delia laughed, laughed very happily.
“You are a genius. You are the greatest genius in the Yulan continent.” Delia harrumped ‘coldly’.
Seeing Delia’s full, bewitching lips, Linley suddenly had an urge…without hesitating at all, Linley lowered his head and planted a kiss on Delia’s lips. Delia seemed to have been struck by lightning, and her body quivered. But then, she sank into the kiss….
This was the second kiss Linley and Delia had shared.
The first was that night at Wushan township.
After that, they were a long time apart.
Delia didn’t say anything, just staying in Linley’s embrace. A hint of shyness was still on her face. To Linley, Delia was so utterly mesmerizing right now.
“Ah, hell, I can’t watch any more, I can’t watch any more, I can’t watch any more!!!!” Suddenly, Bebe burst out from underneath the lake water.
Linley and Delia both were startled.
Bebe, in mid-air, laughed openly and honestly. “Uh, sorry, Boss! Sorry, Boss’ Wife! You two can continue.”
“Boss’ Wife?” Linley and Delia couldn’t help but begin to laugh.
“So you were peeking the entire time, Bebe. Tell me, how should I punish you?” Linley guessed by now that Bebe was peeking the entire time, and actually, Bebe had utilized the Shadowshape technique and been hiding within the shadows of the lake.
Linley hadn’t been searching for Bebe with his spiritual energy, so naturally he hadnt noticed.
“Punish me?” Bebe pondered for a moment. “Oh. Punish me with a lady mouse, one as powerful as me. I’m very lonely right now.” Bebe put on a very pitiable look.
Linley and Delia couldn’t help but both begin to laugh.
“Unfortunately, I am an extremely, unnaturally gifted mouse that might appear once in a thousand years.” Bebe sighed, then tittered. “Boss, Boss’ Wife…when are you getting married? I’m getting impatient for you.”
“Get married?”
Linley looked at Delia. It was indeed time to discuss this issue.
….
The governor’s manor. Blackdirt City.
When Barker and the others saw Linley and Delia holding hands and walk in together in such an intimate manner, all of them were stunned. Zassler was the first to recover and intentionally said in a loud voice, “Lord Linley, what’s going on between you and Ms. Delia?”
Because of Linley’s status, when they were in front of other people, Zassler addressed Linley as ‘Lord’ Linley.
“Delia and I are getting married.” Linley smiled.
This news had the effect of a forbidden-level magical spell, instead causing everyone present to explode with sound.
“Wow! Getting married?” Gates was the first to shout.
“Whoaaah! Ms. Delia, you and Lord Linley are getting married? Wonderful!” Rebecca jumped up in excitement as well. The entire hall instantly became a pandemonium of excitement. There was only a single person whose smile was rather forced. Jenne. In recent days, Jenne had immersed herself in managing the affairs of the Duchy.
She hadn’t expected to suddenly receive this sort of news.
But of course…Jenne had expected that this day would come, long ago.
There was nothing which Linley kept from Delia, and she knew of the history between Jenne and Linley. Smiling, Delia walked over to Jenne, then took Jenne’s hands in her own in an extremely warm manner. “Jenne, when Linley and I are getting married, you come be my bridesmaid, alright?”
Looking at the smile on Delia’s face, Jenne nodded.
Delia immediately pulled Jenne into a friendly manner off to one side and began chatting with her.
Linley walked towards Barker, Zassler, and the others. “Delia and I have already come to a decision. We will directly host a wedding ceremony. The day of the wedding will be three months later, on July 2nd.” Linley laughed as he looked at Barker. “Barker, I think…in the next three months, it would be good if we can take over the nearby Duchies and found a Kingdom before three months are up. Can you do this?”
Linley wanted his wedding with Delia to be an exciting affair.
But three months, in Linley’s opinion, seemed to be rather short.
“Three months? No need.” Barker was extremely confident. “One month is enough.”
“A month?” Linley was puzzled. “It would be hard to just organize and drill the troops in a month, and we’d have to also reorganize the conquered Duchies. That’s all rather troublesome. How can you take them over in a month?”
Gates laughed loudly. “Lord, there’s something you aren’t aware of. Please take a look.” Gates walked to a military map that had been hung up on a wall. “Lord, take a good look at the current disposition of forces in the Anarchic Lands. These twenty-plus Duchies all belong to the Radiant Church, while these all belong to the Cult of Shadows. But these…these are unaligned.”
Linley immediately understood