The Favored Heiress-Chapter 758: Are You That Afraid of Something Happening to Me?

Chapter 758: Chapter 758: Are You That Afraid of Something Happening to Me?

After a long while, Yun Lih collected himself, feigned ease, and joked, "Are you that afraid I’ll get into trouble?"

"Yes, I’m afraid."

Li Qiao’s forthrightness brought an indescribable sourness to his throat.

Three years ago, if not for Xiao Yehui, she wouldn’t have disappeared from the border.

If she hadn’t left, there might have been endless possibilities for them.

But now, he no longer had any chance to fight side by side with Li Qiao, inseparable as shadows.

What he could do for her was to try his best in her confrontation with Xiao Yehui!

Yun Lih turned his head away, his eyes tinged with bloodshot, "Kid, do you know how much insider information I can provide you by staying here? The cause of death of Xiao Yehui’s mother, the relationship between the Xiao brothers, and I even found out that this manor dismissed all its servants decades ago, you..."

"I don’t need it." Li Qiao gave her answer calmly, looking steadily at Yun Lih’s whitening hair, emphasizing each word, "Your safety is more important."

Yun Lih ultimately couldn’t formulate a word of refusal in front of such a Li Qiao.

He took a deep breath, and laughed at himself mockingly, "You really aren’t afraid of hurting my pride, so sure that I will be exposed?"

Li Qiao caught the compromise in Yun Lih’s words, her expression softened slightly, "I just don’t trust the Xiao family."

Yun Lih lowered his head to light a cigarette, took a fierce couple of drags, and asked, "Leaving with you works too, but how did you get in?"

"Invited to attend." Li Qiao slowly stood up, "Change into a set of clothes and go to the front of the castle, look for Marquis Lawrence’s entourage."

Yun Lih paused in his smoking, nodding in understanding, "No wonder I didn’t see your names on the guest list, it was Marquis Lawrence."

Li Qiao didn’t linger, handing over the brooch and communicator hidden in her shoulder strap to Yun Lih, and after giving a few more instructions, she left the stone cottage in the stables.

Yun Lih stood near the gridded window, watching her figure disappear into the night, then looking down at the items in his palm, shook his head and chuckled.

His stubbornness and persistence were so easily shattered in front of her.

...

Li Qiao retraced her steps back to the ancient castle’s courtyard. It took her less than twenty minutes, smoother than she had expected, even giving her a false impression of it being too easy.

She suppressed the doubts in her heart, reappeared in the courtyard, and with a casual glance, she saw Shang Yu sitting upright.

Li Qiao lifted her dress and walked over. Under the dim lamplight, the man’s stern expression gradually softened. He pulled her arm and leaned back slightly, "Did you find him?"

Oh, he had noticed.

Li Qiao calmly nodded, "He will leave with us tonight."

Shang Yu touched her wrist, chilled to the touch, stood up, removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, "Let’s go."

The banquet was about to start in five minutes. Li Qiao returned to the great hall of the castle, instinctively feeling that the atmosphere was amiss.

All the way there, she had not seen any bodyguards or the Knight Squad, and even the guests who were networking seemed to have decreased in number.

Only upon entering the banquet hall did Li Qiao understand what had happened, from the conversations around her.

It turned out that half an hour before, someone had lost valuable jewelry, and the manor’s bodyguards and Knight Squad had all been called to the front courtyard to help search. frёewebnoѵēl.com

The person who had lost the jewelry was a civil servant, Xi Luo.

In the banquet hall, five long tables were set up inside, a standard aristocratic high table dinner arrangement, with servants lined up on both sides.

According to the hierarchy of nobility, Li Qiao and Shang Yu’s Marquis seats were in the first row, opposite Xi Luo.

Gu Chenn, as an accompanying person, was not allowed to enter the castle and was now squatting by the fountain lake in the front courtyard, cursing his misfortune.

As for Xia Siyu and the others, their seats were at the fifth long table. Due to their lack of nobility status, they could only sit at the guest table.

The dinner went on smoothly, observing all the proper etiquettes.

Apart from the occasional toasting and drinking together, the atmosphere was quite serene.

After the Western desserts ended, the dinner was also nearing its conclusion.

The dividing screens in the middle of the banquet hall were removed, a sign that no European noble social ball was complete without a ballroom dance.

As the melodious opening music started, Xiao Yehui, as the dance-opening guest, led a foreign lady in a starlight gossamer dress into the dance floor.

In Li Qiao’s eyes, what had been a rather boring noble banquet finally began to show some unexpected developments.

Shen Qingye had said that Xiao Yehui would announce his betrothed tonight.

And the woman he held was none other than the daughter of the Second Crown Prince, Princess Margaret.

In the center of the dance floor, surrounded by observers, Xiao Yehui gazed affectionately at Princess Margaret, and together with the music, they danced gracefully.

At that moment, Xi Luo skillfully came to Li Qiao’s side, smiling and nodding towards the dance floor, "My best friend, Princess Margaret."

Li Qiao was slightly taken aback, truly... it was unexpected.

Once the dance ended, Xiao Yehui and his partner bowed in thanks, but they did not leave the dance floor.

Princess Margaret naturally took his arm, and facing everyone’s gazes, Xiao Yehui spoke warmly, "Allow me to introduce the beautiful lady beside me. She is the daughter of Weston the Second Prince and the future Duchess of Charlman, Her Highness Princess Margaret."

The entire room was astounded.

A marriage between the dukedom and the Royal Family was indeed a powerful alliance.

No wonder the Charlman Ducal Mansion had invited so many guests this year, it was to announce the engagement.

This news wouldn’t last the night, and it would surely be on the front page headline of the British Imperial Times Newspaper by tomorrow.

There were plenty of people conveying their congratulations on-site. Xiao Yehui and Princess Margaret seemed to be a match made in heaven, quickly becoming the focus of the evening.

Before long, other nobles also entered the dance floor. Xiao Yeyan’s dance partner, incidentally, was Ye Jing.

The dance floor was lively for over an hour. As it approached eight o’clock, everyone was invited to the terrace of the Ducal Residence’s castle to watch the fireworks display of the Fireworks Festival.

The night sky was dense. Li Qiao and Shang Yu ascended the spiraling staircase calmly and at the turn, a figure appeared slowly with the Knight Squad in tow.

Li Qiao had anticipated this encounter and watched Xiao Yehui with little expression. In less than a second, she looked away.

Xiao Yehui’s demeanor was as gentle and refined as ever. He approached slowly, still smiling, "Marquis Lawrence."

Shang Yu’s suit was still draped over Li Qiao’s shoulders, and the Windsor knot had already been removed. Even dressed in a simple black shirt, his silent presence was still formidable.

The man curled his thin lips slightly, his eyes deep like the ocean, "Young Master Xiao."

Expecting Shang Yu to call him Duke and give him a gentleman’s salute was probably out of the question.

Xiao Yehui was not concerned with such formalities. He stood with his hands behind his back, smiling in response, "I heard that before Old Marquis passed away, the marquisate was bequeathed to an outside nephew. It turns out to be Mr. Shang. However... the Old Marquis was a pure Westerner, and the family records seem to have no history of marriage with those from our country. So, for Mr. Shang to become the succeeding Marquis, it truly is a surprise to me."

Shang Yu put one hand in his pocket, lifting his deep eyes slightly, a cool, thin smile on his lips, "I’m flattered. If Duke Xiao is surprised, the Old Marquis would indeed be honored."

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