Chapter 32: Do You Enjoy War? (The Next Chapter Is a Major One)

The curly-haired girl stared at the silver giant bear, which stood several times her height. Her expression was completely frozen, her pupils trembling violently.

She tried to scramble to her feet to flee several times, but her legs refused to obey her. She could only watch helplessly as the silver beast drew closer, her body shaking like a sieve.

At this moment, Luo Xiu spoke again with a smile:
"May I ask if you accept the duel?"

Laila had already opened her gaping maw, her snout only a breath away from the girl’s neck. It was clear that if the girl did not agree, the beast would snap her jaws shut.

The scent of the wild beast flooded into her nose. The girl opened her mouth, nearly ready to agree in her panic and terror.
"I... I..."

But at the very last moment, her survival instinct seemed to clear her mind. She realized her situation, looked at Laila, and stammered out:
"I... do not accept!"

As the words fell, the terrifying pressure vanished. The girl gasped for air as if she had just been pulled from drowning. She looked at Luo Xiu and Laila, who had shifted back into human form, knowing she had made the right gamble.

Commoners could challenge nobles to a duel, but if the noble refused, any subsequent aggressive behavior would be judged as an unprovoked attack. The man before her was clearly afraid! The thrill of escaping death made her burst into frantic laughter:
"As long as I don't accept your challenge, what can a damned commoner like you do to me?!"

Her eyes caught the wet patch on the ground, and shame and fury welled up in her heart; she wanted to kill everyone who had witnessed her humiliation. Her expression twisted into a perverse sneer:
"Not only do I refuse your duel, but I also do not acknowledge the one you just had with Cyril!"

"Without a witness, who can prove that fight ever happened?!! I will return to the Noble Council and file a formal complaint, claiming that you attacked Cyril!"

As the girl ranted, she failed to notice the corners of Luo Xiu’s mouth curling upward, his smile becoming increasingly radiant.

As expected, there was no point in reasoning with people like this. His gaze drifted to a small path behind the girl. A familiar figure had been hiding there, peeking out. Luo Xiu had noticed them the moment he arrived; after all, that person’s build made them difficult to hide. Since someone was watching, Luo Xiu had initially chosen a relatively gentle approach to deal with the girl, considering the need for damage control. But now that she refused to show any restraint, he would have to take the more troublesome route.

***

Just as Luo Xiu made up his mind, a voice spoke up:
"Who says there is no witness? I am the witness."

Luo Xiu was stunned. He looked toward the voice and saw it was old Mrs. Olais. The girl’s laughter cut off abruptly. She stared at the old woman with pure disdain:
"Ha? What nonsense are you spouting, you old hag?! Is a commoner like you qualified to be a witness? Don't you know the Noble Council only accepts nobles as witnesses?!"

The old woman ignored the mockery. She slowly reached into her bodice and tremblingly withdrew a green cloth bundle. Under the puzzled gazes of Luo Xiu and the girl, she carefully and deliberately unwrapped the layers. Finally, a golden badge was revealed. It was tiny, no larger than a fingernail. The surface was bright, as if it had been polished frequently. On the front was an emblem of a six-pointed star.

The girl’s face changed the moment she saw the design.

Olais picked up the badge with great care, held it aloft, looked the girl straight in the eyes, and spoke slowly:
"Twenty-six years ago, my late husband displayed exceptional bravery during the siege against the goblins. This is the First-Class Six-Pointed Citizen Badge, posthumously awarded by the Kingdom."

"This badge is to commemorate every soldier who gave their life selflessly for the Kingdom."

"Holders of this badge and their direct descendants are entitled to the status of lower nobility, including the right to litigation, medical care, and acting as a witness."

As Olais held the badge, her entire demeanor seemed to transform. If she had been a stubborn little old woman before, she now radiated a sense of unwavering resolve. The pride in her voice was enough to make anyone with a guilty conscience feel ashamed.

Luo Xiu had never seen the old woman like this, nor had she ever mentioned a husband who died in battle. Even when the girl had bullied her, she had never brought it out. Whether she thought it was useless, didn't want to use it, or felt the girl wasn't worth it, Luo Xiu didn't know. But he did know that she had brought it out now, at this very moment, for his sake.

The girl’s face was deathly pale. She stared at the badge in Olais's hand, unable to speak. Finally, she gritted her teeth and spat:
"Even if you acknowledge that fight, I still do not accept this duel!"

"You have no choice but to accept."

A gentle, soft voice echoed from behind them. Luo Xiu smiled. *Finally, are you coming out?*

The girl turned, ready to curse at whoever had dared to contradict her again. But the next words from the figure before her made the insults choke in her throat.

***

"Clause, the sixth child of Viscount Roll, and one of his three least-favored children. Am I correct?" Madame Chelsea said with a smile.

She was wearing an oversized white gown today, looking much like a baggy bathrobe. Her forehead was beaded with sweat; given her physique, she had never traveled without a carriage until today. But for the sake of her mission, she had walked, not even bringing a servant. Her breathing was uneven from the exertion, yet she continued, looking at the curly-haired girl:

"I imagine that even for Viscount Roll, it took some effort to find you a second-tier swordsman as an attendant. You must have begged him for a long time, didn't you?"

"If Viscount Roll were to find out that the attendant he worked so hard to find for you has ended up like this, he would surely dislike you even more."

"Besides, I hear you have two sisters who find you quite detestable."

Madame Chelsea smiled as she laid out all of Clause’s secrets. With every word, Clause’s face grew more ghastly. When Chelsea delivered the final blow, Clause looked as if she had been struck by lightning:

"I am told that Viscount Roll prides himself on gentlemanly conduct. You wouldn't want him to know that you not only refused a commoner’s challenge but were so frightened that you lost control of your bladder, would you?"

Clause looked at Chelsea in despair. She didn't know who this woman was, or how she could be so well-informed. Chelsea seemed to read her thoughts and smiled slightly:
"My name is Chelsea. I am the wife of the Lord of Wheel Town."

Clause felt a chill seep into her bones. She didn't understand how things had come to this. It was supposed to be simple—she had only intended to seize a commoner’s house.

Finally, as if she had completely resigned herself to her fate, she spoke to Luo Xiu in a hollow voice:
"I accept the duel."

"But I require time to prepare. The noble code is very clear on this."

Luo Xiu nodded. Clause turned and walked away, her hair disheveled.

Chelsea watched her retreating figure and remarked:
"She won't come for you again. Her attendant is finished. Having lost such a valuable resource, she has no capital to make a comeback. Her life as a noble is over."

"All that awaits her is the bullying and cold mockery of her siblings. She might even be killed one day. That is the nature of war among nobles."

Chelsea finished, then looked at Luo Xiu with a smile:
"Do you like war, Luo Xiu?"