The Princess And The Lord

"My wife is amazing! You can even push the information further without me and better than me," The familiar baritone voice startled everyone in the basement.

"Milord!" Mong Gui and Yu Rui abruptly knelt on the floor.

Lory beamed with excitement, "You're home!"

Zhao Li Xin covered the distance between Lory and him and gently patted her head, "I'm home…but keep it a secret. They shouldn't know I return too early as I may raise some suspicion." 

"Oh right, your disguise has worn off too," Lory said when she looked at Zhao Li Xin's face. The spell had worn off as she had last activated it three days before.

"Where's the tiger cub?" Lory tilted her head with curiosity.

"Inside my ring. I'm letting him stay there until I give it to that woman," Zhao Li Xin answered.

"Should you give the cub to Nan Yu Qi? She will use the cub as a weapon," Lory was disheartened when she thought of giving the small cub to a woman like Nan Yu Qi.

"Don't worry… When have I ever given my enemy an advantage?" Zhao Li Xin's asked with a devilishly smile which gave his subordinates goosebumps. There was never a good outcome whenever the Lord smiled like that.

"As long as the innocent cub is unharmed…" Lory sighed with relief. She loved small and furry animals, even a baby tiger. Cute was cute to her and Zhao Li Xin was a great example.

Mong Gui pulled out the stool next to Lory for his Lord, while Yu Rui stood in a corner and didn't lift her head. There were too many scary rumors about Zhao Li Xin circling around the Hei Shen Sect. Bei Li Yan, her King Palace, always reminded them to not betray their Lord or cross his boundaries. Everyone who understood this has a great time living under the Hei Shen Sect.

Unfortunately, there were some women who didn't listen to Bei Li Yan's warnings. They thought they were beautiful enough to seduce their Lord, or smart enough to gain the Lord's interest. None of those who crossed the line ever returned to the sect. This was the reason Yu Rui was shocked to see Zhao Li Xin pamper his wife. She had heard the rumor about how he treated his wife but hearing and seeing it for yourself were two different matters.

"So… Tell me what you know!" Zhao Li Xin said with an amused smile.

"Here! Look at Jin Hao's report. I think you will easily understand after you read it since you are the one who initially sent Jin Hao the message. You must have suspected something, didn't you?" Lory handed Zhao Li Xin the open envelope with a grimace. She hoped Zhao Li Xin would not be offended for her opening it before him. "I read it first… I hope you don't mind."

"Silly… Everything I have is yours. You don't need my permission for doing such a simple matter," Zhao Li Xin chuckled as he opened the letter.

Mong Gui and Yu Rui's mouths hang open as they were struck dumb by Zhao Li Xin's gentle voice. They blinked a few times to make sure they were not dreaming. It was unbelievable to see their Lord talk like a normal human being.

Lory didn't see their reaction since she was waiting for Zhao Li Xin to finish reading the letter. He folded the letter after a minute and looked at Lory with a meaningful smile, "Tell me what you think. I want to see if we are thinking the same."

Lory raised her eyebrows with a 'are you testing me?' expression, but she did not mind humoring him, "Mo Xin Gi was poisoned by a certain drug called Xan Bu Wan. According to Jin Hao, Xan Bu Wan is not really a poison but a tonic to strengthen one's body. However, it is still a potent drug with dreadful results if consumed too much or too often."

Lory sighed and crossed her arms, "The drug is tasteless and colorless but it has a distinctive odor. Mo Xin Gi should have been able to tell what it was from its strange smell since I think he was a cautious person. He sounded the type to be careful about consuming food or beverages from outside. This is why I am certain the perpetrator of this crime was someone within the Mo family. Someone he trusts and who he did not question."

"Mo Ning Yuan!" Mong Gui and Yu Rui shrieked at the same time at the discovery.

"It would explain her sudden hobby of cooking soup for her brother. Mo Xin Gi might have thought it smelled weird, but he might have also thought his sister was still learning to cook and may have mixed up the recipes," Lory propped her chin on the table.

"Oh, I haven't heard about this," Zhao Li Xin sounded amused.

"You should praise Yu Rui for picking up this valuable information or else I wouldn't have known it was Mo Ning Yuan," Lory smiled and earnestly praised Yu Rui. Lory was never cheap when it came to complimenting subordinates. She would give praise if they did a great job but she would also punish them if they did something wrong. It was a habit she picked from observing her father as he managed the Kingdom.

"I–I do not...! This is old information. I should have reported this a long time ago but I thought it was insignificant at the time," Yu Rui's face turned as red as a boiling crab as she gave a ninety degrees bow. She stuttered from embarrassment and shame. She did not think she was worthy of the praise yet she felt honored.

"Don't say that as you earned it. Both of you have done a great job so far," Lory laughed softly as she thought Yu Rui's behavior was cute. She then clapped her hands, "Let's continue… Mon Gui, we need to rearrange the wall once again!"

"Understood, young madam!" Mong Gui courteously cupped his fists. It was clear he respected Lory's words.

Lory pointed her finger at Mo Ning Yuan's painting, "Place her picture at the top and put up all the pictures of the men she has slept with her… At least the ones we know of…so far." 

Lory brewed herself some warm tea while she instructed Mong Gui as he rearranged the paintings on the wall, "Okay! Put Mong Xin Gi's picture beside Xie Hua Ling and Yu Rui write the word 'frenemies' between them."

"Yes, young madam!" Yu Rui did as Lory instructed. She quickly understood what to do as she had worked with Lory for a few days.

"Write 'Dead by poison' under Mo Xin Gi's painting," Lory instructed as she continued to brew her tea. Lory watched the subordinates with a satisfied expression, "That's good!"

Zhao Li Xin easily understood what had happened when he's gone as he looked at the information on the wall. He thought the investigation would stall with him gone. The most he hoped for was for them to gather a few more news as he did not expect anything major while he was away for three days. However, what he saw on the wall astonished him.

Zhao Li Xin would never have guessed that Mo Ning Yuan had an illicit relationship with the elder of the Xie family and Xie Hua Ling too. He knew Mo Ning Yuan was a promiscuous woman but he never thought she would do what she did to gain power. The information was too shocking for him.

He was also aware Lory was the one who directed the flow of the investigation. He could also tell his subordinates had gained a lot under her direction judging from how obedient and respectful they were towards her. He couldn't help by stare at Lory with shock and deep admiration. His Princess never failed to amaze him.

He wished the naysayers who thought his princess was a useless waste of a woman who chose to hide under his wings could see her now. They did not know how special, smart, and strong his Princess was. Lory didn't need to rely on him as she could accomplish a lot of great things on her own if she chose to. He was fortunately Lory reciprocated his love and graced him by choosing to stay by his side. He was indeed a very lucky man.