Chapter 9: An Unexpected Guest and a Terrifying Aldoran

By the time Qing Yu finally stirred from his slumber, the sun had long dipped below the horizon, its lingering embers casting a silent, golden blanket across his quilt through the window.

Aldoran had slipped out at some point, leaving the spacious room to Qing Yu alone, who, still heavy with sleep, lay on the vast bed, replaying the fragments of his recent, beautiful dream.

“Mmm…” Only after relishing the last vestiges of his dream did Qing Yu finally prop himself up, his gaze sweeping across the room.

“Aldoran?”

He called out, but only silence echoed back to him.

‘She probably went to the celebration, didn’t she?’

Leaping from the bed, Qing Yu peered out the window, resting his forearms on the sill. The street below teemed with a vibrant crowd, yet, to his surprise, he couldn’t discern even a whisper of their commotion.

‘Strange.’

Qing Yu clapped his hands together; the sharp report instantly reached his ears. He then leaned out the window once more, yet the sounds from beyond remained stubbornly out of reach.

“What could be happening?” Qing Yu mused aloud, scratching his head in bewilderment as he opened the door. He had barely taken a few steps when he collided squarely with a maid who was approaching from the other end of the corridor.

“Whoa!”

Qing Yu tumbled to the floor, while the maid opposite him instinctively clutched at her chest.

“My apologies, miss maid.”

“No, no, no, the fault is entirely mine,” the maid insisted, forgetting her own discomfort as she swiftly rose and helped Qing Yu to his feet.

“Ah, I’m truly sorry for having disrupted your work,” Qing Yu mumbled, still rubbing his head.

“Oh, it’s quite alright, really. It’s I who am always so scatterbrained, I can’t even manage to fetch water for a guest properly.”

“A gue—guest?”

The mention of a guest immediately piqued Qing Yu’s interest; with Aldoran absent, he felt compelled to make a good impression. Perhaps, upon her return, he might even receive commendation.

‘No, given Aldoran’s nature, he was certain to be praised.’

“May I ask who the guest is?”

“The guest’s name, if I recall correctly, is Lance, and they have both red hair and red eyes,” the maid mused, pressing a finger to her chin, taking a moment before the name finally surfaced.

“Lance?”

“Yes, I believe it was Lance. Is something amiss? Do you know Miss Lance, Master?”

“Yes, she’s Aldoran’s friend. Where is she now?”

“Miss Lance is currently in the reception room.”

“And where is the reception room?”

“Proceed to the end of this corridor, turn right, then left, and the first room on your left will be the reception room,” the maid instructed, gesturing with a finger. She then watched, somewhat bewildered, as Qing Yu dashed off towards the reception room, utterly oblivious to his disheveled attire.

“Ah, Lord Frigga appears to be just as scatterbrained as I am,” the maid chuckled, scratching her head and rumpling her beautiful golden hair as she watched Qing Yu’s eager departure.

“My apologies, my apologies,” Qing Yu muttered, though he was already far away. While the maid was still scratching her head, he had burst into the reception room, his hair a wild mess, and clad only in his pajamas, appearing before Lance.

“My dear Qing Yu! What on earth is that outfit?! Is this some new fashion trend in Alampa?!”

The moment their eyes met, Lance enveloped Qing Yu in a fervent embrace, leaving him utterly flustered.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, don’t get the wrong idea! I harbor no inappropriate intentions towards you, my dear Qing Yu!” Seeing his flustered expression, Lance winked mischievously, her eyes glinting with the triumph of a successful prank.

“As the old adage wisely states, ‘A friend’s spouse is not to be trifled with!’ This is merely my unique way of saying hello!”

“Oh, I see.”

‘What an enthusiastic way to greet someone.’

Qing Yu waved a dismissive hand, gesturing for Lance to take a seat before they continued their conversation.

“Um, may I ask how long you’ve been here, Lance, dear?”

‘Blast, Lance’s effusive manner was proving infectious; I, too, had unconsciously begun appending “dear” to names.’

“Oh, it’s quite alright, really! I haven’t been here for very long myself, perhaps only since noon!” Lance replied with a carefree laugh.

“Ah, I understand. My sincerest apologies, Lance, dear! I truly overslept!”

“It’s perfectly fine, perfectly fine!” Lance waved her hand dismissively, her tone utterly unconcerned. “I instructed the maids not to disturb your slumber! After all, Mother told me your wedding celebration stretched on for quite some time, didn’t it? And frankly, I grew terribly bored cooped up in the inn all day, so I simply decided to come and amuse myself.”

“Heard? Oh? Did you not attend the wedding yesterday, Lance, dear?” Qing Yu asked, a note of curiosity in his voice after hearing her words.

“Indeed! The mark—” Just as the word escaped her lips, Lance abruptly caught herself, swallowing the remainder of her sentence with visible effort.

“Oh! I just wasn’t feeling well!”

“Are you feeling better now, Lance, dear?!”

“Much, much better,” Lance swiftly assured him, eager to steer the conversation away. She couldn’t risk revealing anything about the crest simply because of a momentary lapse in caution.

Indeed, it seemed some inexplicable force perpetually prevented Lance from divulging details about the crest emblazoned upon her chest.

‘This must all be fate’s arrangement.’

“Hahaha, much, much better. Healing magic, you see, is truly a wondrous thing!” Lance declared, leaning slightly forward to pat Qing Yu’s arm.

“My dear Qing Yu, you must study hard!”

“Mm-hmm!” Qing Yu nodded.

“Excellent, excellent. For if you neglect your studies, my dear, Aldoran can be truly terrifying.”

As she spoke, Lance began to gesticulate wildly, clawing at the air and emitting a series of playful “awoo awoo” growls.

“Honestly, Lance, dear, isn’t Aldoran generally quite good-tempered?” Qing Yu chuckled, thoroughly amused by Lance’s theatrical display.

“Lance, dear, you’re quite the joker.”

“Not at all,” Lance corrected, her expression suddenly serious as she lightly pressed a finger to her chest.

“My dear Aldoran, when she’s instructing others, she can be absolutely terrifying. Should you even slightly fall short of her expectations, her gaze turns incredibly menacing, and she might even use a small whip on you~”

“Eh?”

Witnessing Lance’s utterly serious recounting of Aldoran’s terrifying sternness, a subtle unease began to creep into Qing Yu’s heart.

After all, Lance had known Aldoran for what seemed an eternity, whereas he had only been acquainted with her for a mere few days.

“Is a serious Aldoran really that scary?” Qing Yu lowered his voice.

“Indeed, a serious Aldoran, dear, is an entirely different entity from the everyday Aldoran,” Lance whispered back, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “A serious Aldoran, dear, is practically demonic~”

“…”

Qing Yu’s eyes unmistakably betrayed a growing sense of apprehension.

A subtle chill seemed to permeate the air, slowly lowering the room’s temperature.

“Oh, come now! My dear Qing Yu, don’t be so frightened! Those were just jests, mere jokes! Aldoran, dear, only *appears* formidable on the surface!” Lance exclaimed, suddenly pressing a hand to her chest as she burst into cheerful laughter.

“Honestly, Lance, dear! Don’t terrify me so!” Qing Yu finally exhaled, a profound sense of relief washing over him as if he had been granted a reprieve.

Lance, still pressing a hand tightly to her chest, seemed to gasp between fits of laughter. “My dear Qing Yu, you are far too timid! Rest easy, rest easy! Aldoran, dear, absolutely dotes on you!”

“Everyone in this world strongly believes in the guidance of fate!”

“Is… is that truly so?” Qing Yu murmured, nodding in understanding.

That Aldoran could, based on a mere whisper of so-called fate’s guidance, observe his life for years, then treat him with such lavish care upon his summoning to this world, and finally marry him without a single murmur of complaint—Qing Yu found himself compelled to believe Lance’s assertions.

‘The guidance of fate and such notions—this world truly takes abstraction to another level!’

Still rubbing her chest, Lance flashed Qing Yu a triumphant “V” sign.

“My dear Qing Yu, having come to this world, perhaps one day you, too, will receive the guidance of fate!”

“But I’m not from this world!” Qing Yu exclaimed.

“I’m not entirely clear on the precise mechanics myself! However, according to the legends of our world, even those who hail from other realms will eventually receive the guidance of fate within this one~”

“Everyone in this world believes in legends and fate.”

Lance continued to smile brightly, yet the hand pressed against her chest was exerting an increasing, almost desperate, pressure.

“Is that so? This world is truly fascinating! Do all people here know their own destinies?”

“Not quite. Most people in this world don’t know their destiny, but some will receive the guidance of fate.” Lance stood, waving goodbye to Qing Yu with a smile. “You can look up more information on that, my dear Qing Yu! I’ve just remembered I have some matters to attend to!”

“Are you leaving already, Lance, dear? Would you care to stay for a meal or something?” Qing Yu tried to persuade her; Lance’s departure felt too abrupt.

“It’s quite alright, quite alright, my dear Lance, I must be going now~” Without waiting for Qing Yu to try and hold her back again, Lance smiled and walked out of the reception room.

“No need to see me off, my dear Qing Yu!”

****

“Haaah, haaah.”

It wasn’t until she was several hundred meters away from Aldoran’s mansion that Lance finally darted into a secluded corner, clutching her chest, drenched in sweat, and gasping for breath.

‘What in the world does this wretched crest want from me?!’

‘Its commands are always so utterly unreasonable!’

‘To actually tell me to harm Qing Yu!’

Lance began to wonder if the crest was merely someone’s cruel jest.

Yet, upon reflection, if even her own mother hadn’t noticed anything amiss with it, then it was almost certainly authentic.

“You are truly infuriating. What exactly do you want?”