Louis was full of question marks.
What does "can only be a partner" mean?
Louis looked at her, and she was smiling at him with a somewhat perplexed look.
"Weird, huh? You are my choice.
Even if I want to get rid of those clingy nuisances, it wouldn’t be just anyone I pick to shield me.
The premise of the choice should at least meet my basic criteria for a mate, it seems I have a good eye for picking people."
Suddenly, Louis seemed to understand something and subconsciously gulped.
It turns out the original owner always had a merely cooperative and shield relationship with Beatrice in the diary, purely because he was unqualified and got eliminated right from the start?
No wonder he was always stuck in the collaborator role until the princess died.
No wonder the diary always used "Lady Beatrice" instead of calling her wife.
Louis thought it was because the original owner was really that honest, but the truth is, he was rejected from the start.
Even when given the chance, you couldn’t make it!
But Louis quickly regained his composure, looked at Beatrice, and said somewhat bitterly:
"Don’t overthink it, I can restrain myself. I just wish to live peacefully."
—Meaning he wouldn’t end up at the guillotine again.
His gaze seemed a bit unfocused, and Beatrice seemed to see some emotion in his eyes, maybe... fear.
Her gaze turned even softer:
"Relax, even if the White Tower finds issues, they can’t touch you now."
—She mistakenly thought Louis’s fear was due to the aftereffects of the White Tower experiments.
Louis came back to his senses and nodded subconsciously, only then realizing she mentioned "White Tower" instead of the guillotine.
They were talking past each other.
But amusingly, they still connected.
Thinking about it, Louis realized that the White Tower was also a threat.
"Is there any way to raise my professional level?"
Beatrice nodded: "A level 1 warrior, in the empire, even ordinary adventurers your age are around level 3...
But I understand, you lived in the White Tower for years and had no chance to level up.
I’ve arranged for royal instruction. He’ll help you practice, let’s see if you can learn the Nine Swords of the Ense Royal Family."
Unexpectedly, there was an extra delight: "That’s even better."
Beatrice thought of something, suddenly stood up, and leaned closer to Louis with her slender figure.
Louis instinctively backed away slightly.
She had an amused expression, lifted his face, and said:
"In exchange, I hope you’ll agree to one condition of mine."
"Call me Beatrice, not Lady... Louis, do you want people to discover the transaction between us?"
With a hint of threat in her voice, Beatrice’s breath tickled his face.
Louis held his breath and nodded: "Be-Beatrice..."
Her mood suddenly improved.
That’s right, this is how it should be.
Just then, there were three knocks on the Minister of the Seal’s door, and it was pushed open.
The lady official who had just left entered, her foot hovering in mid-air as she saw the princess cornering Prince Louis.
She instinctively retracted her foot outside the door:
"Sorry, I came at a bad time."
The door closed again.
A moment later, the door opened again.
The lady official entered angrily, pulling Beatrice back a step.
"Your Highness, as your assistant officer and etiquette manager, I must remind you, you and His Highness Louis are not officially engaged yet, please maintain the royal etiquette you should."
Beatrice grinned awkwardly as she was pulled back.
The lady official solemnly glanced at Louis, who looked a bit confused.
It was clear, this must be something Lady Beatrice did.
She gently guided Louis to sit beside her, and then handed a bag of gold coins to Beatrice.
"Your Highness, I brought it."
Beatrice took it, turned to Louis, and said:
"I heard from the maids that you seem to dislike others touching your tail?"
He’s not a natural-born succubus, so having an extra limb felt a bit awkward to begin with.
"It’s good not to let people touch it."
Beatrice smiled, her gaze following the constant swaying of Louis’s small tail, and after a moment, she said:
"For your prince’s trial, I’ll have Olivia add the Nine Swords training for you. Also, since you want to check out the second-hand market, don’t hesitate to spend."
Beatrice separated 100 gold coins from the bag, placed them in a pouch, and handed it over, saying: "Take it and spend."
"30 silver coins will suffice."
Louis said, then found his hand unconsciously accepting the gold coins, and his mouth twitched slightly.
Also, wasn’t it 30 gold coins? Why is there more?
Bad woman, are you trying to get me executed!
"This is pocket money from your adorable and beautiful fiancée, I’m happy today, just take it and spend it obediently."
gold coin = 100 silver coins = 10,000 copper coins
silver coin’s purchasing power is roughly equivalent to a hundred-yuan bill in Great Xia from his past life.
This bag from Beatrice... a million-yuan pocket money.
In his mind, he couldn’t help but think of a meme picture.
Louis’s mouth twitched slightly, he opened his mouth and struggled to refuse. The source of this content ɪs Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
But just the thought of returning the money made a heart-wrenching pain spread.
His hand clutched the money pouch tighter.
The power of greed was rebelling against his will.
This thing is a bit too terrifying!
Seeing Beatrice smiling at him, not intending to take the money back, he could only sigh and say:
"I’ll take the money and save it for you, I won’t spend recklessly."
Beatrice’s smile grew brighter:
"Take a personal guard with you when you go out, let him carry it for you."
But as he stepped out, seeing that personal guard, his right foot seized up, and the little tail behind him suddenly shivered.
Memories seemed to surge from his mind.
"Hey, country charmer, stop moving!"
"Did you ever think this day would come when you kicked me out of the personal guard troupe with your right foot stepping through the door?"
He instinctively took a step back.
It’s the same soldier who escorted him to the guillotine.
"Your Highness Louis, this is William Sean, a loyal and brave Iron Guard, level 11, he will accompany you to town."
How could Louis not know?
Back then, he hurt a lot while escorting him.
The diary mentioned that this person was initially assigned to the original owner’s side as a personal guard.
When the original owner was still a prince, just out of the White Tower for a few years, he often had nightmares, resulting in severe waking temper.
Once during a tour with Beatrice, one early morning this personal guard was tasked to call him for a report.
At that time, Louis’s mood was awful from the waking temper, so using the guard’s right foot stepping through the door as a reason, he humiliated him and discharged him from duty.
When reading the diary, Louis was shocked.
What a baseless accusation.