Lancaster, perhaps still haunted by the events in the dining room or just naturally loyal, had become a very faithful subject.
“I will be away from the castle for a while.”
“For how long, if I may ask?”
“I leave in five days. Hm, I can’t say for sure when I’ll return.”
Hearing the unexpectedly long schedule, Lancaster’s voice was filled with concern.
“In five days? But you’ve only recently succeeded the title, and you haven’t fully recovered.”
“I’m aware of the chaos inside and outside the castle. That’s why I need someone trustworthy.”
“There’s no one who can compare to you, even if they are reliable.”
Lancaster had a talent for flattering without sounding like it. From the corner of her eye, Cordelia saw that Leonard was quite pleased.
“I know that. But it’s an urgent matter, so I can’t delay. I’ll return as soon as I can, so I’d like you to act as Count in my absence.”
“Me? But the Countess is right here, how can I dare…”
“Ah, the Countess will be accompanying me.”
“Really? The Countess too? Where are you going?”
“It doesn’t seem like this meeting is for me to report my every move to you, Baron.”
Lancaster quickly bowed his head at Leonard’s gentle warning.
“Sorry, I overstepped.”
“I’m appointing you as acting Count because I trust your loyalty and capability.”
“Count.”
“I hope you won’t betray that trust.”
Leonard, showing Cordelia a soft smile she had never seen before, patted Lancaster’s shoulder.
“Of course. I’ll guard the Count’s house faithfully until your safe return.”
Lancaster, buoyed by the young Count’s trust, left the room more disciplined than when he entered.
As Cordelia watched his retreating figure, her mind grew uneasy again.
“Why are you looking at him with such a distant expression? Got a thing for him?”
“Such words from a married woman.”
“What married woman? Her husband’s dead, what does it matter?”
“Never mind. It’s not that. Just… seeing you appoint an acting Count, it seems you’re really going.”
“Really, what have you been listening to all this time?”
“I didn’t want to believe it, so I just let it go in one ear and out the other.”
“Not listening to me is a first, and it’ll be the last.”
Leonard let out a laugh of disbelief. Anyone from the martial fraternity hearing this would have fainted.
“Master.”
“What?”
“Could you please explain in detail how precious your only disciple is?”
“What?”
“Hurry up. It’ll reassure me. I’m anxious that I might just be used and discarded for breaking the barrier.”
Her bold request made him unable to laugh anymore. However, Leonard, somewhat understanding Cordelia’s anxiety, begrudgingly answered as seriously as he could.
“Don’t you trust me? I could even give you my heart.”
“No, I don’t need your organs, Master. Just tell me how precious I am.”
“My heart, really… Do you even know what a heart means to a magician? No, never mind. Yes, you’re my disciple. You’re as precious as my heart, okay?”
“Why are you so obsessed with the heart? I don’t need it. What if some villain kidnaps me and wants to exchange me for all your wealth?”
“What? You think my mere wealth is more precious than my heart?”
“Mere wealth? Did you just say ‘mere wealth’? So, you’d happily exchange me, right? Since I’m more valuable than your so-called mere wealth?”
“How are you interpreting my words?”
“I interpret them in a way that’s most advantageous to me.”
Somehow finding solace in this chaotic conversation, Cordelia looked somewhat better than before.
“I’m glad you realize how precious your only disciple in the world is.”
“Yes, precious, very precious.”
“So, when we go to Dilona’s territory, please ensure my safety. I really do want to live a long, slender life.”
“If you mention ‘precious’ or anything like that one more time, I’ll double your homework.”
The threat of extra homework worked wonders. Cordelia immediately closed her mouth and focused intently on drawing the magic circle.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
