Published: March 12, 2025
Chapter 342: Guessing the Identity
Ryan frowned and murmured, "Dark magic, Wells, the prairie, do you think there's any connection between them?"
Jili's heart stirred as he looked at Ryan and said, "Your highness the princess, if there is indeed a connection, then it can only be one person - Zhao Hai!"
Ryan was taken aback, then looked at Jili with a shocked expression and asked, "Are you talking about that Zhao Hai from Rubble Mountain? I heard he’s a dark mage and has a penchant for turning people into undead beings."
Jili nodded and replied, "Yes, your highness. Think about it: Wells can use dark magic but has never done so. He hails from the prairie, and it's said that when Zhao Hai and Laura retreated, they bought a lot of supplies needed by the orcs, apparently planning to trade in the prairie. After the conflict with us, the Duke invited them to his mansion and then granted Zhao Hai the title meant for someone from the mansion. This indicates that the Duke had known him before. When we put all these clues together, don't you think it resembles Zhao Hai?"
Upon hearing Jili's words, Ryan felt it did resemble him somewhat. Her face paled slightly. The key was that Zhao Hai had a notorious reputation in the Versailles Principality. From what Ryan knew, Zhao Hai had killed no less than a thousand people, all of whom had ended up as undead beings. How could she not be afraid?
Suddenly, Ryan recalled the tall woman who accompanied Zhao Hai; she always gave her a sense of familiarity. Moreover, Zhao Hai's attitude toward those women was not like that of a typical noble young man toward his maids and concubines. After Jili’s reminder, Ryan was almost certain that the tall maid was Laura.
Ryan abruptly stood up, murmuring, "So it’s them! No wonder they weren’t afraid in the face of five thousand cavalry. This Zhao Hai is truly formidable! Why did Father let us travel with him?"
Jili looked at Ryan and calmly said, "Your highness, I believe the Duke knows that Zhao Hai wants to do business in the Roson Empire, so he asked him to take care of us during the journey. You need not worry."
Jili was not like Ryan, the young lady; his perspective on the situation was different. He had no fear of Zhao Hai because he had heard that Zhao Hai never killed without cause; he only targeted those who wanted him dead. Moreover, when famine struck the Versailles Principality, he was the one who offered assistance. Such a person was unlikely to be a bad person.
He also understood that Ryan's fear stemmed from her past schemes against Zhao Hai; she was afraid he would seek revenge. However, Jili was not overly worried; Zhao Hai would likely overlook past grievances for Duke Ivan's sake. But if Ryan were to offend Zhao Hai in the future, it would be another story. Dark mages were notoriously capricious. It seemed that moving forward, Ryan would likely not dare to offend Zhao Hai again.
Ryan halted her footsteps, saying, "It seems so. Goodness, my father is truly something, insisting I travel with this demon. Let’s hurry to Karsen City; I don’t want to become an undead being! Alright, you two go back; we need to get moving tomorrow." Jili and Gangsar nodded in acknowledgment and turned to leave.
However, Ryan lay in bed for a long time without falling asleep. To be honest, she was genuinely afraid of Zhao Hai. Although she didn’t believe the rumors from the Versailles Principality, the Versailles Family had indeed dealt with Zhao Hai before. Back then, her grandfather was in power and clearly understood the situation with Zhao Hai. Not a single one of those who had gone after Zhao Hai had returned alive. She was well aware of how Zhao Hai dealt with his enemies.
Just as Jili had thought, Ryan's fear was not unfounded; she was afraid Zhao Hai would retaliate against her, considering that she had caused him quite a bit of trouble recently.
Originally, Ryan planned to wait until they arrived at Karsen City and settled in before properly dealing with Zhao Hai. She wasn’t foolish and understood that being out for the first time necessitated someone looking out for her. That was why she had cooperated with Zhao Hai and behaved herself lately, not causing him any trouble. But now that she knew Zhao Hai’s identity, she found herself too intimidated to act.