The Princess And The Lord-Chapter 1417: Anger and Regret

"It’s Lazarus."

The heavy doors swung open with a soft creak, and Zhao Li Xin stepped in with quiet elegance, his black robes trailing like shadows behind him.

Leon followed close behind, his presence less graceful but just as commanding.

"Li Xin!" Lory shot up from her chair, her composure shattering in an instant. She rushed toward Zhao Li Xin and threw her arms around him. The dignified noblewoman vanished, replaced by a tender, radiant woman who had waited too long for her beloved.

"You’re back..." she whispered, clinging to him.

The tension that had gripped the room moments ago dissipated like morning mist. Faces softened unconsciously. The weight everyone carried eased, even if just a little.

Ethan, sitting stiffly with a document in hand, lowered his gaze and massaged his forehead, feigning focus.

"She’s out of your league," Lilly murmured, patting his shoulder with mock sympathy.

"Way out of it," Marsha let out a mocking chuckle as she mercilessly twisted the knife in her son’s wound.

"Really? Both of you?" Ethan groaned, wounded more by the betrayal than the truth. Desperate, he turned to Edmund—his last hope—for some form of support.

The ever composed Edmund simply lifted his teacup, he took a slow sip, then glanced at his son with a sigh. "Son," he said with the gravity of a man offering ancient wisdom, "You have a problem." His brow creased slightly as he expressed genuine concern for his son, who was strangely always attracted to a married woman.

"....." Ethan opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out. He shut it again. Silence was his only defense.

Marsha rolled her eyes. Lilly only shrugged, entirely unapologetic. Ethan was left blinking in disbelief, wondering for the hundredth time if these two were truly his flesh and blood.

Meanwhile, Zhao Li Xin’s usually cold expression melted as he wrapped his arms around Lory’s waist.

"I’m sorry," he murmured, his voice low and filled with warmth. "I made you wait too long."

Lory cupped his face gently, her fingers gently tracing the lines she missed so dearly. "As long as you’re safe and well," she smiled, her eyes shining with relief.

"Yo, Old Man! You’re back!" Fargo greeted with his cheeky grin.

"Thank you for the treasures," Fredhardt added gratefully. "They came just in time—we’ll finally have the funds to begin rebuilding the eastern villages."

The eastern region, once lush with fields of corn, soybeans, and sweet potatoes, had been left in ruins by the war. Recovery had been slow, stifled by a lack of resources. Now, with the financial support from Zhao Li Xin’s dowry and the treasure Leon uncovered, the tides were turning. Fredhardt, who’d been drowning in economic worries, finally showed his rare, wide smile.

"Glad I could help," Leon said with a casual salute and a crooked grin. "Now, where were we?"

"Here," Stephan stepped forward, handing Leon a thick stack of documents. "The report I mentioned."

Leon flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning rapidly. His brow furrowed, and then—

"Holy mother fu—"

"Language," Stephan cut in sharply.

Leon clenched his jaw, his lips tightening into a hard line as fury surged in his chest. His face flushed deep crimson, and the documents in his hand trembled as his grip tightened. A storm was building within him, barely contained.

"I don’t know about you," he said, voice low and sharp, "but I’m ready. Anytime." The unspoken promise hung heavy in the air as he was prepared to strike.

"Hold your horses, old man," Fargo interjected, raising a hand with a smirk before turning to Zhao Li Xin. "Why’d you bring up Lazarus?"

"Um...Who’s Lazarus?" Serena asked, blinking in confusion.

It was then that something shifted in the air. Lory’s gaze snapped back to Zhao Li Xin, her expression tightening with sudden realization. "Lazarus?" she echoed, eyes wide with disbelief.

Zhao Li Xin gently stroked the top of her head and nodded. "Yes. I came here to tell you about him, but first..." His dark eyes swept slowly across the room, sharp as a blade. "Can you trust them?"

He motioned subtly toward the Hamiltons, Garrof, Lloyd, and the others.

Lory was silent. The weight of the question pressed down on her. Then, after a moment, she met Zhao Li Xin’s gaze and gave a slow, firm nod. "Yes. I trust them."

The tension that had coiled in the air began to ease. One by one, their expressions softened as they were touched by Lory’s words.

Zhao Li Xin gave a brief nod, then gestured for Lory to sit. His eyes turned to the others, calm but commanding.

"This will take time, so get comfortable."

Zhao Li Xin clasped his hands behind his back, spine straight as a blade. His cold gaze swept across the room, and in its wake, a silent chill settled over everyone, as if the temperature had dropped by degrees.

"I’ll kindly remind you—" he began, his voice smooth but laced with steel, "—whatever is said here must stay here. Not your spouse, your family, or your dearest friends should ever hear a word of it."

His eyes narrowed slightly, a silent warning flickering beneath their calm surface.

A shiver passed through the room. Everyone could feel it—Zhao Li Xin was more intimidating than usual. Whatever he was about to share wasn’t just serious, it was dangerous.

"Don’t worry about that, Mr. Zhao," Hugo said firmly. "Our family owes a debt to Her Highness and to you. You have my word."

"Same here," Garrof chimed in with a nod, and Lloyd nodded in agreement.

"Me too," Lydia added.

Owen raised his hand like a diligent student. "Don’t worry about us. Without Her Highness saved Daniel would have died, so I will never betray her higness, no matter what."

Daniel gave a quiet, affirmative nod.

"Of course. You don’t have to worry about me," Maddy said calmly.

Then, all eyes turned to the last person in the room, Samuel Albrecht. The sudden attention made him straighten up like a startled cat.

Samuel raised both hands in mock surrender. "Hey, Dragxtarn and the S.A.I.N.T. already want my head. The last thing I need is Harland coming after me, too. I’ve got a daughter, you know!"

The tension cracked slightly as a few people nodded—he had a point.

But Zhao Li Xin didn’t smile. He didn’t even blink. Whether they promised loyalty or not, he had already made up his mind on what he would do if anyone dared to harm Lory.

"Let’s begin then..."Zhao Li Xin speaks in a low voice, "This world that you live in is just one of the millions of worlds out there. Some might have better conditions, but some don’t. Some worlds failed, so those worlds were abandoned and left to the dust. And I...I came from one of those million worlds. Our technology in some parts might not be as advanced as yours, though we do have some technology that you have never had. Overall, it is a world with different civilizations, different people, and different societies. Our people possesd a different type of power from Gifted people here, though we share some similarity that just like in your world, not all people blessed with this power, if there any stark difference, people in my world got all derogatory name to called those kind of people; a cripple, a waste, a trash...you name it"

Zhao Li Xin’s voice was blunt and cold, as if it were nothing. "Unfortunately, my wife, Lory, was sent to my world. A place where the disparity between the rich and the poor was vast, and people who are unable to cultivate their power are treated like second-class citizens. And she had neither family nor power to protect her, so you can imagine what she must have gone through to survive."Only then did a flicker of emotion surface in his dark eyes.

Lory tightened her grip on Zhao Li Xin’s hand, her voice soft but steady. "It wasn’t unfortunate. It was only a few years before I met you. And after that, you took care of me... didn’t you?"

"That’s true," he said, his smile faint and bitter. "But I also know you also endured corporal punishment on some occasion in that wretched noble house, because you want to protect the young maid who works there. Not to mention the suffering you had been through because of Lazarus’s scheming."

Zhao Li Xin’s expression darkened, shadows crossing his face.

Fredhardt, Stephan, and the others turned sharply toward Lory, eyes wide with disbelief. She had never spoken of this. They had seen her injured from brutal training before, but never had she experienced this type of humiliation and abuse... how powerless she must have felt, how lonely she was.

Jay clenched his jaw, and his voice was restrained. "Lory, you..."

She gave him a gentle smile, for she already knew what Jay was thinking. This is why she never gives details to her stories, so it will not make Fargo nd the other sad.

"It’s fine," she said quietly. "It’s all in the past. And everyone who caused it... has paid the price. Not from me, not necessarily Li Xin." Lory gave a brief pause before continuing, "...Well, it was a Karma." That karma was called Lao Min Na.

Knowing that, Fredhardt and the other feel a bit better.

Zho Li Xin turn his gaze back to the shocked audience in the room his previous gentle expression wiped away and replace by the same cold expression as before, "Lazarus had been harbored deep resentment to your world and specially to lucient’s family because the one he loved the younger sister of the first Lucient decide to stay in this world and protect her family and people"

"WHAT!" everyone instantly screams in tune.

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