Chapter 112: The Unfunny Joke and a Secret Mission

The fleeting amusement she had just found vanished in an instant, leaving Luluti to flop back onto her bed, overcome by boredom once more. Her delicate white gauze dress lay crumpled against her petite figure, only serving to emphasize her air of languid indolence.

“Hey, can’t you manage to say something? Don’t you have any interesting topics at all?”

Yalin shook his head. “No. I am a rather uninteresting person.”

“You always answer without a hint of hesitation, don’t you?” Luluti bristled, clearly unhappy with Yalin’s dismissive response. Her emerald eyes darted playfully, and a sly smile began to curve her lips as a brilliant idea struck her.

“Very well, then I command you: tell me a joke right now!”

“Even if you, Young Lady, insist… I truly don’t have anything to tell, do I?”

“If you can’t come up with one, I’ll deduct your wages.”

As anticipated, the threat struck a powerful blow, causing Yalin’s face to crumple instantly. ‘Anything else, but please, don’t touch my pitiful earnings!’

“Ah, young ladies from wealthy families are truly a challenge to please…” Yalin grumbled, his brow furrowed in exasperation. Seeing his disgruntled expression, Luluti couldn’t help but let out a soft, secret laugh, her small tail swaying gently on the bed.

“You greedy wretch! Very well, if the joke you tell truly pleases me, I’ll add a little extra to your pay at the end of the month.”

“Oh? That’s quite generous! Then I’ll have to put some serious thought into this.”

Hearing this, Yalin’s spirits lifted considerably. After pondering for a good while, he finally hit upon an excellent idea.

“In that case, allow me to present a riddle to test you, Young Lady.”

“What does that have to do with a joke?”

“Just listen to the riddle first, Young Lady.”

Yalin paused, then continued, “As is widely known, various animals possess their own unique abilities. For instance, cows can plow fields, and dogs are capable of guarding gates. So, tell me, what can a chicken do?”

“A chicken? What can a chicken do besides being eaten?”

“No, that’s not quite it. Please, Young Lady, exercise your imagination and think a little more deeply.”

Luluti sat up from the mattress, hugging a pillow to her chest, and pondered intently for a moment. “What else? Does laying eggs count?”

“Perhaps your thoughts could be a bit more… unconventional, Young Lady?”

“Erm… I’ve got it! Chickens crow, so they can serve as alarm clocks!”

Yalin, however, continued to shake his head. Luluti racked her brain for a long time, but truly couldn’t conjure up another answer. She finally threw up her hands in surrender. “I can’t guess! Just tell me, what can a chicken do?”

“A chicken can…” Yalin drew out the word, feigning an air of profound mystery, “—opportunity always favors the prepared.”

A heavy silence descended. Luluti stared at Yalin, utterly dumbfounded, the corner of her eye twitching uncontrollably.

“You don’t… you don’t actually think that was funny, do you?”

“It wasn’t funny?” Yalin touched his nose, a hint of confusion in his voice. “I was certain you, Young Lady, would be rolling on the bed with laughter!”

“Are you trying to provoke me?” Luluti snapped, so exasperated she nearly laughed, her voice laced with fury as she glared at Yalin.

“Well, I truly thought you, Young Lady, would appreciate that kind of humor,” Yalin said, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness. “But you *did* laugh just now, didn’t you? So, I wonder if you’re satisfied.”

“That was a laugh of sheer exasperation!”

“A laugh, even one of exasperation, is still a laugh, isn’t it? So, can my wages go up a little?!”

“You’re dreaming! You’re lucky I haven’t docked your entire salary!”

Luluti sighed, a weariness settling over her. “Never mind. It’s my fault for actually holding a shred of hope for you just now… Bards truly are the ones who can spin a tale, after all.”

Luluti’s gaze drifted, lost in the memory of the day she had visited the market with Yalin. The bustling crowd, the interwoven scents of spices and sweet pastries, hung heavy in the air. On the stone steps in the heart of the square, a bard had plucked at a harp, his voice weaving a beautiful fairy tale.

It was one of the most cherished memories she held.

Luluti had witnessed countless plays throughout her life—magnificent stages, exquisite costumes, actors with exaggerated expressions delivering lines rehearsed to perfection. They extolled courage, friendship, and love, singing praises to all the beautiful things in the world with eloquent, moving phrases that brought tears to the eyes of countless spectators.

Yet, despite the grandeur, she had never truly been captivated. Such overly flawless performances were, to her, nothing more than fleeting illusions. It was the simple story the bard had spun so casually that day that had left an indelible mark. Though brief, and clearly an impromptu fairy tale, the bard’s lively narration, accompanied by the gentle strumming of his harp, made it feel as though such a beautiful legend had once genuinely unfolded, its echoes lingering long in Luluti’s heart.

“Well, they are professionals, after all… But if you’re so eager to hear stories, couldn’t you just go back to the market?”

“Do you truly believe I *want* to stay cooped up at home all the time? But I can’t go out lately.”

“Why not?” Yalin asked, perplexed. Luluti pursed her lips.

“Considering you’re an academy student, I’m surprised you don’t know the Academy Festival is about to begin?”

“I’m aware of it, yes… but what does that have to do with you being unable to leave? If anything, there will be more people, and surely more interesting activities on the streets, won’t there?”

“You idiot! It’s precisely *because* there will be so many people that I can’t go out!”

Luluti cast Yalin an exasperated look before continuing, “During this period, people from all over have flocked to Ailanmia. It’s a complete hodgepodge of individuals; who knows what sort of characters might have slipped in?”

“Furthermore, the Merchant Guild hasn’t been very peaceful lately. So, as a precaution, I’m confined to this house until the Academy Festival concludes.”

“I see,” Yalin mused. Her words jogged his memory; indeed, security on the streets had been noticeably heightened recently, with guards frequently seen patrolling various districts. As for Luluti’s villa, numerous guards had been dispatched from the royal capital, filling the courtyard with unfamiliar faces. Many of these newcomers, he noted, regarded him with an unsettling wariness. It was quite eerie.

“If that’s the case, couldn’t you simply invite those bards to your home?”

“No, let’s not bother,” Luluti scoffed, her voice laced with dissatisfaction. “It’s not as if I haven’t tried before. But those fellows either get so intimidated by the guards that they can’t even string a coherent sentence together, or they spend the entire time showering me with endless flattery. Not a single one of them has ever just come to tell a proper story.”

“Well, there’s no helping it then. You’ll just have to patiently wait until the Academy Festival concludes before you can venture out,” Yalin said with a smile.

“Yes, I suppose so,” Luluti replied, a hint of nonchalance in her tone.

Autumn was swiftly drawing to a close. In merely six months, on the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, she would officially assume the mantle of her family’s heir. At that point, she would be compelled to shoulder the weighty responsibilities of her lineage, shedding the carefree innocence of her childhood forever. How many more days of such unbridled willfulness remained for her? Luluti pushed these thoughts away, refusing to dwell on them any longer.

“Hey, Yalin, do you still want that raise?”

Yalin’s eyes gleamed with renewed interest. “Do I still have a chance?”

“I’ve already told you, your joke was utterly unfunny!” Luluti retorted, her tone sharp.

She sprang from the bed, scribbled a few lines on a piece of paper, and pressed it into Yalin’s hand. “However, this is your very last chance. Tomorrow night at ten o’clock, be at the location written on this paper, waiting for me. I have an important task for you.”

“Uh, may I inquire about the nature of this task?”

“You’ll find out when you get there, won’t you? And if you fail to show up…” Luluti lifted her chin, drawing a finger across her neck in a chilling gesture, her gaze both sly and subtly menacing. “You understand the implications, don’t you?”