The Princess And The Lord-Chapter 1430: A Chat at the Café

Zhao Li Xin felt drained, funny, that even when he was clashing with Lazarus, he didn’t feel this tired. Back then, even though he feel his power drained and his whole body ached with excruciating pain, he felt thrilled and fulfilled, satisfied. But now, after enduring that absurd movie, he felt only fatigue and irritation.

At the café, he wordlessly pulled a wine cup from his spatial ring and set it on the table, completely ignoring the waiter’s sharp gasp and disapproving glare. Lory, sitting across from him, couldn’t help feeling both pity and amusement at his unbothered demeanor.

’Milord seems angry.’ Lory pressed her thin together, battling the urge not to tease her adorable, angry husband.

When the flustered waiter hurried off to fetch the manager—clearly intent on reprimanding them for bringing outside drinks—Lory calmly rolled up her sleeve, revealing a silver bracelet engraved with the royal crest, meaning she was someone very important in Cestine palace. The manager, upon arriving and seeing the emblem, froze. His face stiffened, then drained of color.

Lory offered him a mild, polite smile. "I hope this won’t be an issue?"

The manager immediately bowed his head, his voice trembling. "N-Not at all, Ma’am. Please enjoy your time here. Please call if you need anything."

Not wanting to inconvenience the staff any further, after all, they not not wrong about the no outside food rule; therefore, Lory ordered a premium floral tea and an assortment of cakes, both for dining in and takeaway, that quite expensive, as a gesture of appreciation.

The manager’s face lit up, perfectly understanding her intention. Of course, anyone granted the royal crest couldn’t possibly be a bad person. Surely, she must have a valid reason for behaving this way.

If Lory had heard his thoughts, she would’ve said she did have a good reason; she was trying to coax her sulking husband.

Soon, a delicate floral fragrance drifted from the steaming tea set before her. Lory added a spoonful of honey, stirred it gently, and took a slow sip, savoring the flavor.

After a moment, she cast an amused glance at Zhao Li Xin, who was nursing his third cup of wine with a lazy air. "Was it really that bad?" she asked, trying to suppress a laugh.

Zhao Li Xin let out a long sigh, resting his chin on the back of his hand. "I don’t even know how to describe it..." he muttered flatly. "It was excessive. And utterly defiant of all logic. I feel so stupid."

Lory laughed. "That’s exactly why people watch stuff like that."

"To feel stupid?" Zhao Li Xin frowned, his tone tinged with indignation.

"No." She grinned, scooping up a bite of cake. "To shut off your brain for a while and just...dive into an absurd story." Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she savored the sweetness.

"I don’t understand." Zhao Li Xin looked genuinely puzzled.

"I know you don’t." Lory’s voice softened. "I just wanted you to try new things. You never know, you might end up finding new things to like."

"Well...as long as I’m doing it with you, I don’t mind." He spoke with quiet sincerity.

"Aww, you’re so sweet." Lory leaned forward and pinched his cheek playfully. "But you don’t have to do it if you really don’t enjoy it. It’s normal for husbands and wives to have different interests, you know."

Zhao Li Xin caught her hand gently and wrapped it in his. "I know. But I like spending time with you, no matter what we’re doing."

"Really?" Lory’s eyes glinted mischievously. "Then...wanna watch another movie? This one’s called ’The Blanket of Lies.’"

’Another Brazen Tittles’

Zhao Li Xin’s face stiffened. He hesitated, then nodded with a resigned plea. "Umm...spare me, please."

Lory burst out laughing so hard she nearly knocked over her teacup. Zhao Li Xin’s cheeks flushed faintly. He had never been one to complain, not even as a child; therefore, he found himself marveling at his own behavior. Seeing Lory laughing at him left him feeling both embarrassed and strangely content.

A moment later, Lory heard grumbling from the seats nearby.

"Seriously, what else does this Saintess want?!" a young woman huffed in annoyance.

The man sitting with her pulled out his phone and scrolled through the trending topic she was complaining about. He let out a low chuckle. "Well... she’s pretty. Maybe that’s why people keep giving her attention."

His girlfriend shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass. "You mean pretty privilege."

Realizing his blunder, the man scrambled to recover. "B-But she’s still not as beautiful as our Princess Lorient!"

At that, Zhao Li Xin and Lory, seated a few tables away, both perked up slightly.

The woman pouted, unimpressed. "Nice save."

Her boyfriend laughed awkwardly and took a hasty sip of his coffee, grateful for his quick thinking.

Not long after, another girl from a nearby table scoffed loudly. "Ugh, it’s so annoying how she tries to dress like Princess Lorient.

At first, I thought she was going for the sweet, innocent vibe with all those flowy dresses, but now she’s switched to these formal, business-like outfits—still trying to copy our Princess. But she doesn’t have the charisma or elegance. She just looks like a kid playing dress-up in her mother’s clothes."

The corner of Zhao Li Xin’s lips curled into a faint, amused smile. Lory, on the other hand, quickly lowered her fork, pretending to focus on her cake, though her flushed cheeks betrayed her calm act.

"I so agree with you, girl," a young woman at another table chimed in, flipping her hair. "It’s irritating how everyone compares the Saintess to Princess Lorient. Please. While she’s safely protected by a group of Paladins, our Princess was out there commanding an army on the front lines!"

Her friend nodded vigorously. "Exactly! And people keep bringing up why Princess Lorient suddenly disappeared from L’Markieth. So what? There must’ve been a good reason. Actually, if she hadn’t left, my uncle and his family would’ve been killed. They were lost in the wilderness until Princess Lorient found them."

"Yeah, I heard about that too," another man added from across the room. "My friend’s camp was raided by demon beasts. Thanks to Princess Lorient, most of them survived. She gave them protective charms, healing potions, and even drew them a map to L’Markieth."

The first girl nodded in agreement. "I hate how people insinuate that our Princess ran away to hide. Like, seriously? Who in their right mind would leave L’Markieth—the safest place in the world—and wander outside alone?"

"I know, right?!" a middle-aged man at the corner table suddenly joined in. His deep voice carried easily across the cafe. "She acts like a savior, saving people here and there, but it’s all very showy and too much fanfare. You want to hear about a real savior? Let me tell you, I’m a retired King’s Men, and I’ve seen her with my own eyes when I was in L’markiet. Princess Lorient healed so many soldiers and common folk, it doesn’t matter if they are Harland citizens or refugees from other countries, Her Highness still treated them the same. There were even times she exhausted herself so badly from using her healing magic that she fell into a coma for days. But the moment she woke up, the first thing she did was grab her weapon and charge back into battle alongside us. No cameras, no reporters, no praise, and when everything is done, she would sit next to us sipping cold tea quietly..."

The entire cafe fell silent, all attention shifting to the middle-aged man. Eyes glinted with awe and admiration.

"Whoa... Sir, you were King’s Men?!" the young man with his girlfriend said excitedly. He sat up straighter and gave the man a respectful salute. "Thank you for your service, Sir!"

The veteran waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, I was just a foot soldier. But I’m proud I had the honor of fighting beside Princess Lorient."

"Sir, please tell us more!" one of the girls begged, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Even the waiters had stopped moving, hanging onto his every word.

Meanwhile, Lory’s face had turned bright red, redder than a boiled crab. She had no idea how the casual grumbling of a few people had spiraled into a full-blown Princess Lorient Appreciation Club.

She buried her face in her teacup, thankful she was wearing a disguise so no one recognized her. But still... this was too much.

Zhao Li Xin, on the other hand, looked perfectly at ease. He crossed one leg over the other and rested his chin against his fist, a faint smile playing on his lips as he listened intently.

It was fascinating, hearing stories about Lory from strangers, seeing how much they admired her without even realizing she was sitting right there.

Lory, meanwhile, was sinking further into her seat. Her mortification grew as the middle-aged man continued recounting her past deeds with growing grandeur. He’s exaggerating everything... I didn’t do all that... did I? She couldn’t take it anymore.

Peeking up at Zhao Li Xin from under her lashes, she whispered desperately, "Li Xin... let’s go somewhere else—"

But before she could finish, Zhao Li Xin raised a finger without looking at her, his eyes still fixed on the veteran.

"Shh...Just a moment... I’m still listening."

"..."

Lory stared at him, struck silent. A mix of horror and betrayal flashed across her blushing face as Zhao Li Xin continued to look utterly engrossed, completely ignoring her plea.

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