Chapter 534: However, the good show had only just begun

The mist in Luo Lan City always carried a damp, coal-ash scent; Luo Ke was sensitive to this smell, as his hometown also carried it.

The carriage wheels rolled over the slippery stone road, emitting a rhythmic rumbling sound.

Sitting opposite him, Miss Ma Rui Langbane was chattering away, complaining about the indecency of the men of Lei En, reminiscing about the good old days in Lei Ming City and the elegance of Councilor Dibike, while incidentally expressing jealousy toward his lucky wife.

Yet, Luo Ke wanted to say that mentioning another man's name during a date was actually quite rude in Lei Ming City... even if a man like him didn't really care about purity.

Whether it was of the soul or of the flesh.

"I think you are quite right; the girls of Lei Ming City are indeed too lucky... They are actually unworthy of the gentlemen of Wang Zuo, and conversely, the ladies of Lei En and the gentlemen of Wang Zuo are a match made in heaven."

Luo Ke carefully weighed his words, trying his best to make that illogical monologue sound somewhat convincing to himself.

After all, while people with legs of different lengths were rare, they weren't impossible... were they? Rationally speaking, with a sufficiently precise ruler, one could always measure that hair's-breadth difference.

Luo Ke didn't even realize he was studying science.

"Giggle, you really know how to talk, sir from Wang Zuo."

Watching Miss Ma Rui cover her mouth and giggle behind her folding fan, Luo Ke wore a gentle smile, displaying his handsome side as much as possible.

The velvet curtains shut out the indecent world outside the window, leaving only the ambiguous and warm candlelight in this cramped space.

The two soon moved on to their "shared" interests.

Looking at the blushing daughter of the baron opposite him, Luo Ke wore an expression of perfectly measured affection and admiration.

He actually knew nothing about art and had no interest in it; he had even heard of *Zhong Sheng*, the hit in Lei Ming City, from Miss Ma Rui herself.

But none of this hindered him from becoming a "seasoned" art connoisseur; after all, for a man like him, making up stories was second nature.

If the Grand Duke were sitting opposite him, he would be a master architect, and that Lei Ming City would be flowing with sweet honey and milk. If a drooling goblin were sitting opposite him, he would be the Duke's head chef, and that Lei Ming City would be a mountain of corpses and a sea of bones.

What was difficult about that?

Moreover, Miss Ma Rui had already revealed her favorite menu; he only needed to extract the viewpoints from her letters, dip them in a bit of honey called "empathy," and serve them up with more elegant phrasing.

Luo Ke felt he was a natural-born chef—oh no, a councilor. He could make correct but useless nonsense sound like heavenly music.

Luo Ke only regretted that the letter Miss Ma Rui sent him wasn't written in her own hand; it was likely ghostwritten by her personal maid.

After all, he had been holding forth for so long, yet Miss Ma Rui, who had actually cried in the theater, still looked at him with adoration.

"... The most moving part about Miss Eloise is not who she resisted, but that she still guarded that unyielding love in the midst of despair. That kind of beauty is fragile, yet it appears all the more breathtaking because of its fragility. Just as you mentioned in your letter, it is a rose blooming on the edge of a cliff."

"Oh... Mr. Luo Ke, I didn't expect you to be such a sensitive person."

"I am not sensitive; on the contrary, I am a bit thick-skinned—"

"No, no, no, I think you are truly too sensitive, giggle, and also very humble; I truly admire you so much!"

"Thank you, your admiration..."

Fine.

Looking at those eyes that were practically melting, Luo Ke had to admit that chatting with Miss Ma Rui was indeed a technical job.

Her unique ability for empathy seemed limited only to her own emotions; she hadn't noticed the stiffness at the corners of others' mouths at all.

It was hard to say which was ruder, this or blowing one's nose loudly; one could only say that each had its own barbarism, and... Saint Xisi hadn't created two different legs for the same person.

However, for the sake of his jazz title and the opportunity to prove that he was definitely not "thin" tonight, he decided to remain a gentleman.

Completely failing to see the "naked" desire in Luo Ke's eyes, Miss Ma Rui was currently immersed in pink honey wine.

She clasped her hands over her chest, and in those eyes that hadn't yet been polluted by the secular world, there flickered the ecstasy of meeting a kindred spirit.

In this cultural desert of Luo Lan City, those rude nobles only talked about hunting dogs and women; only Mr. Luo Ke understood what resonance of the soul was.

"Oh, Mr. Luo Ke... you truly understand so well."

Ma Rui shyly lowered her head, her gaze inadvertently falling on Luo Ke's chest.

There, unlike other Lei En men, he didn't wear useless medals; instead, he had ingeniously folded a clean white silk handkerchief, revealing only an elegant triangular tip.

"You are simply more of a gentleman than the gentlemen of Wang Zuo; this is the first time I've seen someone place a handkerchief in that position... Is it for decoration?"

Luo Ke lowered his head, glanced at the handkerchief on his chest, and the corners of his mouth curled into a witty and charming smile.

"Not entirely, Miss. Placing it here is because it is closest to the heart, and more importantly..."

He gazed into Ma Rui's moving eyes.

"If a beautiful lady sheds tears because of that poignant love, the distance it takes to reach your eyes from here is a fraction shorter than pulling it out of a pocket."

Just as he struggled to suppress his goosebumps, Miss Ma Rui felt her heartbeat skip a beat, trembling slightly along with the folding fan at the corner of her mouth.

The air in the carriage became thick and sultry, and an ambiguous atmosphere fermented in the candlelight.

"Are we... talking about the play?"

"Of course, I hope the bells of the Saint Luo Lan Grand Theater won't disappoint us. But I think that might be a bit difficult, since you just returned from Miss Qiqi's theater."

Luo Ke retreated with ease; he didn't intend to take any further action here, after all, he wasn't coveting a night of pleasure.

His goal was clear—

That was the jazz title!

Watching the temperature gradually recede, just as Ma Rui was preparing to say something to retain this intoxicating gentleness, the moving carriage suddenly came to a sharp halt.

The massive inertia almost sent Luo Ke tumbling into Miss Ma Rui's arms; the neighing of the horses and the coachman's exclamation tore through the romance in the carriage.

"What's going on?" Luo Ke pulled back the curtain and glared at the coachman in front, cursing, "You rude fellow, you've frightened our lady!"

"Sir! It's not my fault, the road ahead is blocked!" The coachman explained nervously, pulling on the reins as he prepared to turn around.

"Road blocked? Here?"

"It seems to be... the Royal Guard."

The Royal Guard?

Luo Ke's heart skipped a beat; weren't those the men of his good buddy, Sir Si Gaidejin? Why were they here enforcing the law?

Thinking they were his own people, he breathed a sigh of relief, then gave the bewildered Miss Ma Rui a reassuring look, providing both a sense of security and emotional value.

"Leave it to me, I'll resolve it."

Having dropped this line, Luo Ke jumped out of the carriage.

His leather boots stepped onto the damp stone road, he elegantly straightened his collar, and then, under the respectful gaze of the coachman, walked toward the blockaded theater.

The entrance to the Saint Luo Lan Grand Theater was still brightly lit, but there was now a group of soldiers who shouldn't have been there.

They wore scarlet uniforms, guarding this castle like lobsters, the sharp edges of their bayonets intimidating the dissatisfied citizens.

Sir Si Gaidejin was standing at the front.

By the light of the torches, Luo Ke recognized that familiar face at a glance.

And at that very moment, his deep and affectionate gentlemanly facade was like mist blown away by the wind, instantly sliding into a slick and worldly face.

He wrapped his coat tighter and walked faster and faster, until Sir Si Gaidejin noticed him too.

He said nothing, first skillfully sliding a top-shelf cigar out of his sleeve and unobtrusively tucking it into Sir Si Gaidejin's leather glove.

"Hey, old friend, what's this all about?"

Sir Si Gaidejin looked down at the excellent-quality cigar, and seeing it was the type he liked, his fingers hooked it into his palm.

However, although he accepted the gift, his expression didn't soften, remaining as cold as a winter wind.

"As you can see, I'm on official business."

"Official business? Why suddenly today..." Luo Ke was a bit anxious, giving him a look requesting accommodation, "Please, brother, I've already bought the tickets, and it's to accompany an important lady; can you give me some face and make it convenient?"

"Face? Luo Ke, this isn't a question of face."

Si Gaidejin said in a mocking tone, then the whip in his hand pointed toward the tightly closed gate to the side, striking a posture of official business.

"The 'Zhong Sheng' of Lei Ming City is suspected of attacking our castle; our Majesty doesn't like it, and Lord Bishop likes it even less. We believe there is chaos corruption involved, and we must conduct a 'theological investigation' immediately; please go back."

The hell?

The King watched it too?

Who performed it for him?

Luo Ke was anxious.

He didn't care at all what the play was about, even if it was a monkey doing somersaults on stage, it didn't matter; what mattered was Miss Ma Rui sitting in the carriage.

That was a connection he had painstakingly made; if he were driven back just as they arrived at the door, the image he had painstakingly built in front of the lady would be completely ruined!

"Don't be like this, Si Gaidejin."

Luo Ke's tone carried a bit of anxious pleading, even bringing up their past friendship.

"We've both slept at the same wine table; even if we don't watch the play, just let us go in and sit for a while, have a cup of tea, and I'll explain to her that the cast members all fell ill today, and we can curse the theater owner together for being blind. That lady is of noble status; I can't just let her turn back in the cold wind, can I?"

Seeing this Wang Zuo man still being relentless, the official business in Sir Si Gaidejin's eyes finally turned into impatience.

I'm on duty in the cold wind, and you're out here picking up a Luo Lan City girl. What does sleeping at the same wine table mean? Drinking your wine makes you my buddy?

Look at the clothes on yourself.

"Noble status?"

Si Gaidejin sneered, the whip in his hand tapping Luo Ke's shoulder lightly, like driving away a fly that didn't know what was good for it.

"Luo Ke, don't take yourself too seriously; I'm telling you, you're just a merchant selling water sprayers!"

"Even if you've mixed into the Third Estate, don't really think you can sit on equal footing with us. My advice is, don't wade into this muddy water, get as far away as you can; I don't want to visit your house wearing this uniform next time!"

There was seventy percent disdain in this sentence, and thirty percent face. If it weren't for the fact that they had drunk together, the butt of a rifle would have already greeted him.

Luo Ke's smile froze on his face.

Actually, he didn't care about his own face, nor did he think Sir Si Gaidejin would really come to visit his house; after all, his business also had shares from Baron Weiketon.

It was just that now he was caught between the jazz and the baron's daughter, which made him feel the pressure on his head was like a mountain.

How about...

You guys fight?

I'll wait for you to decide the winner, and then apologize to the one who wins?

Just as they were deadlocked here, the carriage door behind him suddenly opened again.

Miss Ma Rui Langbane in the carriage was clearly tired of waiting.

She lifted her complex skirt, stepped off the carriage in exquisite high heels, the cold wind blowing her carefully styled curls into a mess, but it couldn't blow away the anger on her face.

She didn't say a word of nonsense, even braver than Princess Ailin, the lace folding fan in her hand like a short sword, slamming fiercely onto Sir Si Gaidejin's chest.

Her actions frightened Luo Ke; the fighting he understood was a game of chess behind the scenes, he hadn't expected this young lady to be so savage.

Before either man could recover, a well-maintained jade hand drew a sharp arc in the air, landing solidly on the face of this Royal Guard captain.

"Slap!"

A crisp sound of a slap, appearing exceptionally loud in the silent cold night.

All the Royal Guards were stunned.

However, they were experienced guards, and with great tacit understanding, they all lowered their heads in unison, or turned around to study the texture of the smooth stone pillar at the theater entrance.

The citizens standing around were also stunned; they hadn't expected this lady to dare slap the face of a Royal Guard captain.

In their shallow cognition, Sir Si Gaidejin's face was equal to the Majesty's face; after all, the Majesty had just issued a medal to this firefighter captain.

This was truly... a great storm flooding the Saint Kelai Cathedral!

It was truly blasphemous!

Having missed one good show, they hadn't expected to see another, and one after another, they looked forward to the subsequent development.

However, the development of the plot exceeded their expectations.

Sir Si Gaidejin, who could send them flying with a stick, didn't even dare to move, his knees even swaying a bit.

"You uneducated watchdog!"

Miss Ma Rui retracted her aching palm, pointing at the man who had been slapped silly, cursing loudly without any lady-like image.

"Didn't your father teach you what politeness is? You dare to let a lady wait in the cold wind for your so-called investigation? Saint Xisi is above, I don't care what you want to do, but can you wait until I finish watching the play?"

Sir Si Gaidejin broke out in a cold sweat.

Others might not recognize Miss Langbane's face, but he was the captain of the Royal Guard; he recognized the face of every noble and their family members who entered the palace.

There were still many people like him in the palace; the Royal Guard didn't have only one captain, he was just one of them.

"It's Lord Bishop's order..."

Miss Ma Rui cursed even harder.

"Ha! Bishop? That Keluo is it? A thing without even a surname, don't think that just because he became a bishop, I don't remember what he used to do! That palace clown, I threw an apple at his head when I was six, and he still had to smile and pick it up for me! He understands art my ass! Has he even read the Holy Word Book clearly?"

Sir Si Gaidejin didn't dare to respond.

Because he knew Miss Langbane wasn't bragging; if she said she had thrown an apple at Keluo's head, then she really had.

Although they were all barons, barons were also different. Among them were supporters of great nobles, supporters of the King, and those fence-sitters caught in the middle.

For example, the backer shared by him and Luo Ke, Baron Weiketon; although this gentleman was a high-ranking minister, his status was the same as Bishop Keluo, belonging to the King's rag.

Use them to wipe shoes when needed, and throw them into the fireplace to burn when not needed.

He hadn't expected Luo Ke to find an even bigger backer; Sir Si Gaidejin glanced at him quietly, his majestic expression having completely turned into a fawning face.

Brother... help your brother out.

Luo Ke gave him a look of being between laughter and tears, not counting the offense of the previous few sentences, but the situation before him had already exceeded his ability.

Brother, your brother wants to help you too, but do you think I can hold her back?

Moreover, I warned you...

Finally recalling the "noble status" in Luo Ke's previous sentence, Sir Si Gaidejin closed his eyes in pain, completely despairing.

The insidious and cunning Wang Zuo man had tricked the honest Lei En man again, and now it was his turn to be caught between the baron and the bishop...

Miss Ma Rui was firing on all cylinders, cursing for a full minute in the cold wind, practically rubbing the face of this firefighter captain on the ground twice.

Clearly, she wasn't just venting the anger of waiting, but also dumping all her dissatisfaction with the rude men here after returning to Luo Lan City onto this poor jazz.

Taking anger out on others.

This was the most indecent behavior.

And bullying the weak was the most despicable behavior.

It was said that hell was like this, with high-tier demons playing hotpot with goblins every day; how had Luo Lan City become so blasphemous?

Sir Luo Ke sighed silently in his heart, while also repeatedly struggling with heaven and man, whether it was worth it to sacrifice a holy marriage and a beautiful future for such a jazz title.

However, it had to be said, he felt he wasn't worthy of the hot-tempered Miss Ma Rui, but Sir Si Gaidejin and she were such a perfect match.

This further verified his "one person, two legs" theory; how could a gourd grow on a watermelon vine?

They were a match made in heaven.

Seeing Sir Si Gaidejin, who had been scolded, respectfully bend down, pick up the folding fan that had fallen to the ground, and offer it with both hands.

"Misunderstanding! This is all a misunderstanding! Beautiful Miss Ma Rui!"

That face full of fat bloomed into a fawning chrysanthemum, the speed of his face-changing so fast that even Luo Ke, who sold fire extinguishers, was amazed; this speed was simply faster than a Luo Ke rifle.

"... We were investigating those mud-legged people who don't know the rules, worried that those vulgar contents would stain your eyes. But elegant ladies and gentlemen like you certainly possess the ability to distinguish right from wrong... You two will certainly be able to understand the elegance behind the art."

He turned around and roared at the group of guards who were still pretending to be blind.

"What are you all standing there for? Why don't you clear the road!"

These dog things, usually drinking, eating meat, and sleeping with girls with him, all looking around when something happens!

The guards immediately cleared a wide path.

Si Gaidejin turned back to Miss Ma Rui, whose eyes were wide as goldfish, straightened his back loyally, and made a gesture of invitation.

"Please enter, it's windy outside. As for those actors... don't worry, I'll have them caught right away! It won't be too late to let our Lord Bishop appreciate it after you've finished appreciating it."

The citizens standing outside the isolation line all widened their eyes, feeling that this stage hadn't performed according to the script they imagined.

What about the King's face?

This...

That's not right, is it?

Unfortunately, Sir Si Gaidejin didn't know what they were thinking, otherwise he would definitely have repaired their blasphemous brains again.

Saint Xisi is above, poor Mr. Si Gaidejin was just a small commoner who luckily picked up a jazz title because of a fire.

How could he be the face of the King? At most, he could use the fists commoners were best at to make another group of commoners forget this blasphemous night.

As if dealing with a trivial household matter, Miss Ma Rui Langbane slowly closed the folding fan. ===== CHAPTER 535 =====