Chapter 33: A Name and a Secret Kept

Please, rise. Kneeling like that must be tiring.

Although she hadn’t yet grasped the current situation, judging by the other party’s demeanor and address towards her, she presumed he would obey the present Liu Xingluo’s commands.

“Understood. I am grateful for Your Royal Highness’s permission. May I inquire what commands Your Royal Highness has for me, having summoned me forth?”

At Liu Xingluo’s bidding, the person rose to their feet. However, as for why she had summoned him, Liu Xingluo had not yet decided. She still hadn’t fully comprehended her current circumstances. It occurred to her, though, that this individual might possess a wealth of information, which she could leverage to clarify the situation.

First and foremost, she decided to ascertain his name. With so many questions she intended to ask, it would be impractical not to know how to address him.

“What is your name?”

“A name? I possess no such significant thing. I am merely a humble vassal, unworthy of bearing a name.”

“Ah? No name? How can that be? If you have no name, then I shall bestow one upon you. Let me ponder what kind of name would suit you…”

The reply caught Liu Xingluo completely off guard; she had braced herself for a convoluted and unpronounceable name. To discover he had no name at all would make addressing him utterly inconvenient. No, she absolutely had to devise a name for him.

Observing the individual, who was shrouded head-to-toe in a black, suit-like garment, even wearing a black hat that inexplicably concealed their face, Liu Xingluo initially considered naming him ‘Little Black’. Yet, upon second thought, ‘Little Black’ was far too common and utterly perfunctory. If she were given such a name, she would undoubtedly be displeased, so a different one was necessary.

Given his Western-style attire, a more Western-sounding name seemed appropriate.

“Is it truly permissible, Your Royal Highness? Are you truly going to bestow a name upon me personally?”

Upon hearing Liu Xingluo’s intention to name him, the individual trembled visibly, their voice quivering with emotion. It was as if receiving a name was an extraordinary, monumental event for him.

“Of course. It will be much more convenient to address you if you have a name. As for a name… very well, I have decided. I shall call you Lain.”

After much deliberation, Liu Xingluo ultimately chose a name inspired by a favorite character from a game.

“My deepest gratitude! This benevolence, I shall never forget! From this day forward, I pledge my all to Your Royal Highness, even if it means sacrificing my very life.”

“No, no, no, you’re being far too dramatic. It’s merely a name; there’s no need for such an extreme reaction.”

Seeing Lain react so intensely to merely being given a name, Liu Xingluo felt a pang of guilt. After all, it was just a name she had casually thought up, devoid of any profound meaning.

“No, Your Royal Highness, you have bestowed upon me the gift of a name, an unparalleled boon. I, on the contrary, feel that merely this meager repayment is insufficient to reciprocate Your Royal Highness’s boundless grace.”

Though she couldn’t fathom the intricacies of this fellow’s thought process, Liu Xingluo had no desire to dwell further on the matter of the name. It was time to move on to the next question.

“Very well, have it your way. Now then, Lain, have you been residing within my shadow all this time?”

If he had indeed been continuously present within her shadow, then he ought to be privy to her true identity.

“No. I only began awaiting Your Royal Highness’s command within your shadow starting yesterday.”

“Yesterday? When did that happen? I didn’t notice it at all.”

Could it have been while she was unconscious? After all, she had slept for nearly an entire day yesterday; if he had entered her shadow during that time, she truly would have been oblivious.

“It was after Your Royal Highness concluded your battle with those beasts yesterday. As I dispatched the beasts’ leader, you were on your way back to the surface. I then seized the opportunity to slip into your shadow, covertly protecting you.”

So that’s how it was, during that time. She had been busy digging a tunnel then, so she hadn’t noticed his entry into her shadow. Still, it would inherently be difficult to detect someone entering one’s shadow, given how silently it would occur.

“Then you must have also witnessed what transpired afterward, didn’t you? My transformation back…”

Since he had entered her shadow at that precise moment, he undoubtedly observed the subsequent events, including her reverting to her original form.

“Indeed, I saw everything clearly. Your Royal Highness reverted to your human guise, the form you use for disguise, and your subsequent cohabitation with that human.”

Lain admitted without reservation that all of Liu Xingluo’s actions over the past two days had been within his sight.

“Ahhh… Ahhh!!!”

Liu Xingluo immediately clutched her head, letting out a wail of despair. While she was somewhat bothered by his referring to her original self as a ‘disguise’, what truly mortified her was the realization that he had also witnessed her naked apron this morning, an outfit she had intended solely for her sister’s eyes! She had explicitly not meant for anyone else to see it!

“Wh-what is the matter, Your Royal Highness?”

Seeing Liu Xingluo in such a state, Lain felt a surge of bewilderment. Had he inadvertently uttered something he shouldn’t have? Was it his fault that Your Royal Highness had become so distressed?

“Lain, I have a request for you. Please, you must promise to fulfill it. Otherwise, I fear I would be too shamed to continue living.”

“Wh-what is it?”

To be entrusted with a request by Your Royal Highness, and for its refusal to carry such grave consequences, Lain’s demeanor immediately grew serious.

“Forget everything you witnessed of me this morning. After all, that was something I truly wished you hadn’t seen.”

“This morning… I understand. Please rest assured, I shall endeavor to forget everything from that moment.”

Lain instantly grasped Liu Xingluo’s meaning. Indeed, such an immodest sight was something no one, especially a princess who valued her dignity above all else, would ever wish to be seen in. For them, being exposed in such a manner would be worse than death itself.

“Good. Even if you can’t forget, you must never, ever mention it to anyone, understood?”

“Please rest assured. Even if my mouth were to be torn asunder, I would never utter a word of this matter. I shall guard this secret within my heart until my dying breath.”

Given his fervent vows, she decided to trust him.

Now, it was time to proceed to the main topic.