Did these guys really kill the foreign minister, the one person who knew about and could verify Lingsha’s refugee status, so they could twist the truth to their own ends?
Liu grinned like a cat while Tailong’s expression remained the same. They were equally terrifying.
“Why do you gotta be like this, Dale? Linny is my sweet baby sister. If you don’t admit it was a kidnapping and return her to me soon…I can’t guarantee bad things won’t happen.”
In an instant, the room was icy cold. It was little wonder—interpreted in a certain way, he just threatened military intervention. Naturally, we all knew that it was nothing more than an idle threat but his aura of absolute authority made us lose our nerve.
Oh, Eric…what are you going to do about this?
I looked over at Eric. His arms were crossed as he appraised Liu.
“Prince Liu, I don’t care what you say, Lingsha is a citizen of my kingdom now. I won’t let your threats push me into giving her up.”
“Ooh, look who’s playing tough.”
“I’m not playing tough. There is nothing I hate more than injustice. If anyone tries to unjustly force my citizens to emigrate, then it is my moral imperative to protect them.”
Eric’s proclamation was firm. In it resided an unshakable conviction. Eric was a man who fended off endless assassins without ever compromising his moral compass. He wasn’t about to fold now. Eric’s convictions would never allow that.
“So the rumors were true. You have a stubborn obsession with justice. Damn, talk about a killjoy… Y’know, if ya don’t loosen up, you’ll never be able to run your kingdom.” Sarcasm dripped from Liu’s voice; his smile was confident.
This guy really was inscrutable…
“I don’t have the right to criticize your methods,” Eric said. “Your ideals and my ideals are simply at odds.”
“Got a point there—we see things differently, Crown Prince Eric. But I’m not backing down with Lingsha. I’ve got people in my own empire to consider. I can’t come home to them empty-handed.”
“Your problems are of no concern to us. And let’s not forget, you have yet to apologize for trespassing on palace grounds.”
He strayed off the topic of Lingsha, but it was warranted after the terrible commotion Liu had caused.
But no matter what he does, he can’t erase the truth.
It baffled me that Liu assumed he could just pretend it never happened. Eric would never accept that sort of excuse.
“I don’t care what you say—Leia witnessed it. She is a saint of Elshaid. She cannot tell a lie.” Eric glared sharply at Liu.
“Ooh, a saint, eh?” Liu leaned forward and stared hard at my face.
“I-is something funny?”
“Well, I was just thinking that I’d never forget a pretty face like yours. But this is definitely my first time meeting you. Didn’t know you were a saint.”
“What?!”
He was just being so crass that I couldn’t find the right words, which amused him even more. The way he talked and acted was calculated to push people’s buttons. He probably did so to deliberately agitate people and make them vulnerable.
Jill had used such tactics unconsciously, but Liu was far more wicked because he did so intentionally.
I just can’t… This jerk throws me off.
I forced myself to look away from Liu and looked at Eric instead, but he was faring no better. His expression had the same scowl that it had when we sat down at the table. And although his face wasn’t red, I could tell he was boiling up inside.
I knew Eric and this was the sort of personality that aggravated him most.
“Is it just me, or is it really stifling in here? I don’t like it when it’s stifling.”
Liu had the audacity to mock us openly. He had already done his fair share of mocking before, but now the air in the room turned to ice. We were utterly disgusted by his attitude, but the first to speak up was an irate Tailong, his brow furrowed.
He said, “Master Liu, get a hold of yourself! We are here to negotiate peacefully. This is no time to pick a petty fight with the Elshaid Kingdom!” His voice was raised in anger.
And that anger was justified. His liege was talking trash this entire meeting.
But Liu looked neither affected nor remorseful. “Once more, I don’t want to fight. I was just trying to lighten the mood with a joke.”
“This is neither the time nor the place for levity. If this doesn’t go well, the prime minister will scold me, not you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know… Okay, Elshaid friends, why don’t we cut the crap and get to business.” Liu paused, his gaze sharpening again. Not a hint of his flippant attitude remained; he looked like a different person.
His gaze was war hungry, just like the night I met him. Instinctively, I knew he was dangerous. I braced myself for whatever crazy demand he would make.
“If Eric Elshaid makes Princess Xu Lingsha his wife, then we will drop the matter.”
There was a collective muffled gasp from our end of the table.
“In other words…if Crown Prince Eric marries Linny, problem solved.”
What’s he playing at…?
It didn’t make sense. Liu’s demand was so out there that it was impossible to comprehend.
Why does Lingsha have to marry Eric? Didn’t this guy come here to attend our wedding? No, wait, maybe that’s why he came here so far ahead of schedule…
With all these thoughts, I was too confused to even speak…
“Prince Liu, do you realize what you’re saying? I find it hard to believe your little jest has a point.”
Nevertheless, Eric remained calm. If he got emotional, he would play into Liu’s hand. So he chose his words carefully, but Liu brushed past it and said, “How can a crown prince be such a dumbass? Of course I have a point. If Linny marries you, the future king, her social standing will rise. It’s clear that just having her here in Elshaid would sweeten the deal for the Ren Empire.”