His Majesty And I ✔️

Greener Grass

"Snooping around is against the rules of the academy, should you not be taking a bath and retiring for bed right now?"

Li Lian did not know which side of him she was facing at the moment. The master, or the nice Oren who wasn't the master? He was nice as Oren but very strict as their master. Aiyah, couldn't he be nice at all times?

"You see, Master Oren. I ate too much and therefore could not walk for the rest of the way, so I decided to just sit and wait for my full stomach to lighten up." She inflated her stomach and pointed to it.

"Really now?" he smirked.

"Yes, yes," she stood up, ready to leave as soon as she got the chance.

"Since you are no longer wounded as before, I shall not hold back on punishing you today."

"Ah, why? I have not done anything wrong since I arrived." She made her best adorable face.

"You keep skipping your lessons, you have a huge bad record concerning this."

"Why does that matter? I am not here as your student." She had no desire to be one either. "And I don't like fighting, it does not hold my interest."

Surprisingly he was smiling, as if she was interesting. "Then what does?"

"Anything that is artistic. Singing, sewing, dancing... Stuff like that."

"Fighting is art."

She wheezed. "Fighting is boring. If it was art, it wouldn't be as boring."

He laughed. "The reason you survived at that cliff is because of Lance and I. If we were not there to play our parts, those men would have done you under."

"I would hold my own even without you." She rolled her eyes.

"Your skills are not up to par. Besides, you can not live here for free. Remember that you are not paying for anything here, the least you could do is train with the others."

She did not like people forcing her to do things, especially now that she was free. "Then I will just leave. I can walk now, remember?" She could walk almost fine, the only thing left was the slight limp due to the slight pain on her knee joint.

"Stop the nonsense," he dismissed, suddenly displeased. "Who said fighting can't be fun? Have you done the sword dance before?"

Li Lian shook her head. "I have only heard of it."

"I can teach you that one, it will be like dancing but with swords involved."

"That wouldn't be so bad..." She held her chin in contemplation.

"Good. Follow me," he instructed.

"To where?"

"For your punishment. You are washing my feet tonight." He began to walk.

"What?" She giggled as she followed. This Oren was a character. She had only talked to him in the midst of group conversation but not really one-on-one ever since at the cliff. Though she had to admit, her view on him had constantly changed ever since. He was actually an all right person.

On the way to his quarters, he stopped to instruct one of his servants to make sure the woman he was with departed well.

Li Lian wouldn't say it, but she had a hunch that was her mother. If the woman had a cloak on, that meant she was trying to hide something, her wings. At the same time it could be any other ordinary woman, and she should stop having wishful thoughts.

Oren's place had a simplistic design she didn't expect. What it did for her was to emphasise his mysterious character as she observed the black undertones spread out in his welcoming room.