Beauty And Strength

Right after Damien left the room, Nestor Rong asked as his expressions seemed as if he was the one who had been wronged, "Your Highness, why did you put up with such an outrageous request? He is without power and status but is not even putting you in his eyes, and his last condition was basically making you undermine your own dignity."

Oswin Rong also chimed in, "Your Highness, I know you don't do anything without reason and also told us not to behave disrespectfully to him, but I still don't understand why you are so nice to him? Is there something we have missed?"

Lily sighed, "Court Masters, I understand that what I am doing might seem nonsensical, even going as far as to accept his final condition. But trust me when I say that it's not without reason. I have my own reasons. Hope the Court Masters understand."

Nestor Rong shook his head slightly while Oswin Rong sighed, "Sure, Your Highness. We will definitely respect and follow your wishes. After all, it's the least we should do for you."

Lily smiled, "Thank you, Court Masters. I will never forget the support you two have given me."

The two Court Masters instantly gave a light bow as they said, "It's our duty, Your Highness. There is no need for words of gratitude."

Lily's gaze fell towards the direction where Damien had left, 'Damien, what exactly happened to you? How did you change so much?' Lily was getting lost in her own thoughts.

—

In his room, Damien was contemplating on the things that had just taken place.

He was trying to analyze Lily's behavior in his mind because he expected Lily to be angered when she heard his final condition. But other than being flustered, she didn't show any other reaction, nor was she angered in the least.

But it only puzzled him more, and Damien didn't like uncertainties like these where he wasn't able to find out what the other person was thinking.

So he decided to ask the one person who seemed to know something, "Luna, do you know why the princess is so friendly with me?"

Luna appeared before him, "Well, isn't it natural to be nice to someone when that person needs something from you? That girl wants to learn swordsmanship from you. But I still didn't expect you to put forth those conditions, especially the last one. As expected of someone I chose." Luna said as her lips curved up.

Damien ignored the last part of her sentence as he said, "Oh, come on. You know that's not what I meant. Even if she desperately wants to learn something from me, why would she even want to negotiate with a supposed cripple like me? It would have made more sense if she had threatened me or something. I mean, nothing is stopping her from doing that, nor does she have to face any consequences. Nobody would care what a person with high status does to someone with low or no status at all."

Luna gave a light scoff as she said, "Can't you just be happy with the fact that she is at least treating you well? Otherwise, even if she was scheming something, what could she possibly want from a cripple? Maybe she just fell in love, at first sight, seeing your annoying little pretty face."

Damien rolled his eyes as he said, "Don't give me that reason. I already know it's not because she is in love with me or something. She doesn't seem to be a superficial person who gets smitten by one's face no matter how handsome, nor is she giving me that feeling either. But I also feel that she does not possess any ill intentions towards me."

Damien narrowed his eyes as he said, "You are still hiding something about her from me, aren't you?"

Luna just gave a tight-lipped smile as she said, "I don't know what you are talking about. Anyway, why care about it when you know she does not bear any ill-feelings towards you."

'Aha...so she does know something. But why is she hiding it from me? Just to have fun? Argh...this imp is so frustrating.'

Damien moved those thoughts to the back of his mind deciding to find things out by himself.

"By the way, what is Lily's cultivation level? I didn't dare to probe her not only because I didn't want to expose myself but also because I don't think an imperial princess would be weak enough for me to see through her now."

Luna said with a mocking smile, "Do you really want to know her cultivation level? It would be best if you didn't get depressed after knowing her cultivation level hehe.... After all, she is just two years older than you."

Damien crinkled his eyes, "Oh, just say it, will you? I know I am definitely lagging behind her due to my situation. So no matter how powerful she is, it won't be much of a surprise to me."

"Ninth level of the Spirit Ethereal Realm!" Luna had a pitying expression on her face pretending to be worried for Damien's mental health.

"What the…." Damien's mouth was agape as he couldn't believe what he just heard.

Lily was not even at the Spirit Ethereal Realm's early levels but almost at the peak level.

Since every major ethereal cultivation realm goes from level one to ten, these levels can be categorized into four categories.

The Early levels would mean that one was in between the first and third levels of a cultivation realm; the Middle levels would mean that one was between the fourth and seventh levels; the High levels would mean that one was in between the eighth and ninth levels.

And the Peak level would mean that one was in the tenth level of a cultivation realm.

Even his late adopted father was only at the fourth level of the Spirit Ethereal Realm.

And now Damien heard that Lily was at the ninth level of the Spirit Ethereal Realm with just one level less from reaching the peak level!

"I guess she is not simple as she seems. She has beauty and strength...what a combination...a celestial princess indeed. Then what about those two bodyguards at her side?" Damien asked as he was preparing himself from receiving another shock.

"The one known as Nestor is at the fifth level of the Earth Ethereal Realm while the other old man is at the fifth level of the Sky Ethereal Realm," Luna replied as if she was stating something completely normal.

Damien's eyes widened, "Earth and...Sky Ethereal Realm?... I was in the presence of such two powerhouses?" Damien was mumbling to himself as he didn't expect to meet such powerhouses right after transmigrating.

Sky Ethereal Realm was just one major realm below the whole continent's extraordinary realm; the Heaven Ethereal Realm!

Damien acted brazenly before them, even after knowing that the princess herself was powerful enough to swat him to death as he knew Luna would have warned him if there was any potential danger at all.

Otherwise, Luna wouldn't have been too laid back, letting Damien alone with three strangers who could decide his life and death in an instant.

Damien felt that Luna somehow was somehow able to discern other people's motives.

But he knew if he asked Luna to verify his guess, she would remain tight-lipped as ever.

Forget about the two protectors...when he realized the power difference between him and a girl just two years older than him, his urge to increase his power increased more than ever.

He didn't want to remain in a pitiful state for long or be at the mercy of other people. That was also one reason he acted a bit arrogantly in front of Lily and her protectors.

Since he didn't want to look weak before them even though his strength was virtually nothing before them. If he did, it would only make him seem like a real slave, which was the last thing he wanted to happen.

"What's there to be so surprised about? This is the Imperial Family, after all, ruling one of the empires out of the four. Surely, there would be powerhouses which you wouldn't casually meet on the road."

Damien softly shook his head, "No, it's just that nothing makes sense."

"Well, if you are talking about that princess, then you should just take advantage of her kindness while you can...well, as long as you don't go overboard," Luna said as her lips closed into a firm line.

Damien narrowed his eyes, "You...haaa...forget it. I would anyway try to get on her good side by teaching her properly, just as a real master would. And then demand the favors I am due from her. Well, it would be a win-win situation for both of us."

"Teaching her as a real master?" Luna rolled her eyes, "We will see how good of a teacher you are."