Chapter 55: A Stern Lesson and a New Ally

As my vision refocused, a remarkably beautiful woman appeared before me.

Her flaxen hair was not long, but cut short and sharp, almost like a man’s.

Her face featured a prominent nose bridge and delicate brows. While each facial feature individually possessed a feminine refinement, together they exuded a crisp, heroic aura.

“Are you unharmed?” she inquired, her voice a gentle, magnetic tone, like that of a courteous knight.

Despite her undeniable femininity, as our blue eyes met, my heart involuntarily quickened, a wave of nervousness washing over me, and a peculiar maidenly blush crept across my cheeks.

‘Hold on, something isn’t right!’

“Th-thank you,” I stammered, swallowing nervously as I softly expressed my gratitude.

Once she confirmed I was uninjured, the gentle expression on her face vanished. She turned to confront the man who had nearly caused my harm.

With her back to me, I couldn’t discern her expression, but the Third Brother, now under her gaze, looked utterly miserable, his hand gripping the wooden club trembling visibly.

She advanced steadily, step by step, until she stood directly before him. The Third Brother, who had moments ago seemed so nonchalant, was now pale, sweat pouring down his face.

“Malro.”

The woman called out the Third Brother’s given name, forsaking their usual familiar address, clearly indicating the gravity of the situation.

“What promises did you make to me and the Lord earlier? Have you forgotten them already?”

“Second Sister, I…”

Malro, or rather, the Third Brother, tried to explain, but a sharp slap cut him off, twisting his mouth to the side. A fiery red palm print bloomed vividly on his face, forcing any further explanations back down his throat.

The woman, addressed as Second Sister, withdrew her hand, her eyes now fixed on him with cold scrutiny.

“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen you use your skills to harass women. If you still can’t control that thing between your legs, I won’t hesitate to chop it off for you! Once and for all!”

“Uh…”

Faced with the woman’s harsh reprimand, Malro merely lowered his head, gritting his teeth and enduring, seemingly lacking even the courage to meet her gaze.

This scene genuinely surprised me.

It appeared this Second Sister held a significant position among them, perhaps second only to Rodd himself!

“Do you remember the task the Lord assigned you today?” the woman asked Malro, her voice imbued with an undeniable authority.

“The Boss, he, uh…”

Malro paused noticeably, likely reconsidering his words, then corrected himself. “The Lord asked me to assist the Fourth and Fifth Brothers today. It’s something about reorganizing the soldier ranks, I believe.”

“Then what are you still doing here?” The woman’s voice was as cold as ice, each word seemingly squeezed through gritted teeth. “Do I need to personally escort you?”

“I… I understand…” Malro nervously nodded at her, about to leave, when he heard the woman say, “Wait.”

He hesitated for a moment, then she punched him hard in the stomach. The force of the blow was so immense that he immediately bent double as if an invisible hand had violently twisted him, leaving him writhing in painful spasms.

“Ugh… Ugh-ah…”

“Just a small lesson. Stop your wailing. If you don’t remember today’s pain, I’d bet you’ll eventually die at a woman’s hands!”

Upon hearing this, he quickly stopped groaning. He uttered several hurried “Okay”s, then clutched his abdomen, scrambled up from the ground with an embarrassed grin, and hobbled away.

Perhaps it was just my imagination, but as Malro departed, his expression seemed subtly unwilling, his teeth chattering as if he was desperately suppressing something.

His figure receded into the distance, yet the more I watched, the more he resembled a wounded lone wolf—solitary and stubborn.

Especially in that fleeting moment when he glanced back, his eyes revealed a complex and profound light, which suddenly brought to mind a Chinese idiom: ‘The gaze of a hawk, the cunning of a wolf!’

Just as I was still caught in a lingering sense of awe, the woman returned to stand before me.

She glanced at the weapon in my hand, her eyes narrowing slightly, revealing a complex expression.

“Aqi, were you just teaching this child how to use a sword?”

“Indeed!” Aqi nodded, his tone tinged with helplessness. “Miss Lilian was using a sword for the first time today, and she was learning quite well. But then the Third Brother suddenly appeared from nowhere and provoked her, forcing Miss Lilian to seek his guidance.”

Aqi’s words carried a hint of self-reproach, clearly indicating his dissatisfaction with his own hesitation. “Alas… I wasn’t good enough. At the time, I even thought that the Third Brother’s swordsmanship was indeed formidable, and letting Miss Lilian experience it wouldn’t be a bad thing, so I didn’t intervene promptly…”

The woman fell silent for a moment, then slowly turned her gaze to me, seemingly lost in thought.

Although this woman had just saved my life, being stared at by her like this made me feel a considerable amount of pressure.

Just then, a stinging sensation spread through my hand, prompting me to look down at my palm. To my surprise, the skin where I had gripped the sword had broken slightly from the friction when I released it.

It was clear just how fragile this body was.

My mood suddenly turned somber. I didn’t feel any relief from the Third Brother being driven away.

I knew I was a woman now—short, weak, and slow to react, much like a fledgling that could be easily toyed with.

Yet, the deep-seated masculine instinct within me still sparked a desire to grow stronger. It was this very longing that compelled me to confront Malro’s provocation.

I truly didn’t harbor any exaggerated ambitions; I simply wished to prove that I possessed some power to resist, even if just a little.

But I never imagined that the world’s ‘strict hierarchy’ encompassed not only birthright and power but also strength.

Against a truly powerful enemy, even if I exerted all my might, I would still be toyed with to such a laughable extent…

Under this somber mood, a twisted sense of unwillingness even began to stir within me.

‘If only I could also acquire that kind of strength…’

“Um… you’re Lilian, the one who saved Aqi, right?”

My wandering thoughts were pulled back by the woman’s voice. Snapping back to reality, I nodded at her somewhat frantically, like a chick pecking at rice—clumsy and rapid.

“Y-yes, yes, Second Sister!” My voice trembled slightly, betraying my inner nervousness and respect.

“Ha? Uh… hahahahahahaha—”

The woman before me was amused by my address, her laughter clear and hearty.

“Please don’t call me that like they do. It sounds like a term used among bandits, it’s so strange!” She gently patted my head, a hint of affection in her gesture. “You can call me Big Sister Sharon, or just Sharon, either is fine.

“However, something just occurred to me. While Malro’s character is indeed deplorable, there’s one thing he actually said correctly…

“Do you know what it is?”