Hearing Mo Han's words, Rou Xue spoke with a sigh of resignation, "Forget it, I have no interest in that. You should spend more time letting Miss Daili and the others get to know you better, preferably seeing your treacherous true colors clearly. That would be for the best, so they don't end up deceived by you." Upon hearing this, Mo Han quickly put on an air of stern righteousness and stated, "Your Highness, please don't misunderstand.

Everything I do is for your own good. It's just that you don't trust me. I'm sacrificing my precious time just to satisfy your curiosity.

Daili and the others already understand my character perfectly, so there’s no need for Your Highness to worry about me." He was clearly being shameless yet managed to sound aggrieved, as if he were making a huge sacrifice. Besides Mo Han, no one else could pull this off. Hearing this, Rou Xue could only pretend not to have heard Mo Han's indecent remarks.

She knew that arguing further would be a waste of breath, and conserving it was the wiser choice. With that thought, Rou Xue merely shot Mo Han a fierce glare before ignoring him. At that moment, Ruhu also trotted curiously over to Daili and Murong Feixue, sniffing them incessantly and occasionally letting out soft whimpers while sticking out its small tongue, which delighted Daili and the others into giggling fits.

Daili bent down, picked up Ruhu, and gently stroked its fine fur, saying with a smile, "Wasn't Your Highness coming because of Ruhu? Would you like to try holding Ruhu?" After saying this, Daili started to hand Ruhu over to Rou Xue. However, Ruhu seemed terrified of Rou Xue.

Upon seeing her, the little creature let out a frightened, low cry and trembled uncontrollably, baffling everyone in the hall. They couldn't understand what was happening; the little thing had been fine moments ago, so why was it so scared and fearful upon seeing Rou Xue? Only Mo Han and Rou Xue herself knew the reason.

Rou Xue was, after all, a Dragon Clan member. Even though she had completely suppressed her aura after transforming into human form, the innate monarchical presence of the Dragon Clan, the King of Kings, was not something Rou Xue could completely conceal. While Daili and the others couldn't sense it, Ruhu, being an animal, was highly sensitive to such things.

It had smelled that kingly aura emanating from Rou Xue, which caused its terror and unease. Seeing this, Mo Han quickly tried to smooth things over, saying to Daili, "Heh heh. Let's forget it.

Perhaps Ruhu and Rou Xue just don't get along; that's why Ruhu dislikes her. Let me hold him instead." Mo Han certainly didn't want this adorable little thing to be frightened further. If it got scared to death, that would be a huge loss.

Rou Xue surely wouldn't keep him company over just one Ruhu, and he couldn't beat her in a fight anyway. That would be a losing proposition. The others in the hall couldn't help but laugh at Mo Han's words.

Daili immediately chided him, "Princess Rou Xue is a guest, after all. How could you speak of her like that? Who compares people to animals based on compatibility?

You just love talking nonsense." Seeing Daili speak up, Mo Han could only manage an awkward chuckle and replied, "Heh heh. I just noticed Princess Rou Xue seemed bored, so I said that to lighten the mood. Come here, good Ruhu.

Let me hold you." With that, he reached out to take Ruhu. But upon seeing Mo Han, Ruhu, which had been gentle towards Daili and Murong Feixue, turned wary and hostile, growling low at Mo Han. This left Mo Han greatly embarrassed, his hand suspended mid-air—he couldn't take it, nor could he put it down.

If the little guy got annoyed and bit him, who knew if Ruhu had rabies? There was no place here to get a rabies vaccine, and who knew if those healing magics would even work on rabies? If they didn't, wouldn't Mo Han be finished?

In truth, Mo Han knew that with his current strength, even if Ruhu did bite him, it absolutely couldn't break his skin or harm him. His protective battle qi was no joke. However, as a modern man, he was naturally quite concerned about rabies and unwilling to test fate.

As the saying goes, caution ensures a thousand voyages; safety first, safety first. Mo Han cursed Ruhu inwardly, thinking it must be female, otherwise why the species discrimination? Damn it, deliberately making a fool of him!

He'd deal with this fellow later, slowly. The people in the living room were utterly confused by Mo Han's actions, unable to fathom what he was thinking. It was just a little dog; its capacity to inflict harm was practically nil.

Why was Mo Han so cautious? He hadn't even been this careful when facing a level ten magical beast. They couldn't know the real reason for Mo Han's apprehension.

On the side, Rou Xue, seeing Mo Han making a fool of himself, was certainly not going to pass up this rare opportunity. She couldn't help but mock him, "What's wrong, Your Grace? Didn't you say this Ruhu was very close to you?

But now, Ruhu acts like it doesn't even know you. Could it be that Your Grace was lying to me?" Rou Xue’s words carried a faint edge of anger. She had suffered enough from Mo Han because of this little dog.

If Mo Han was truly deceiving her, she wouldn't care who was present; she would first roast him with fire. Mo Han inwardly thought, This is bad. He had calculated everything but forgot about the dog's sentience.

Dogs are naturally hostile toward unfamiliar strangers. Since he had instructed Marco to buy Ruhu yesterday, Mo Han hadn't even interacted with it himself—no wonder it was behaving this way. What should he do now?

If this tigress got angry, given her strength, his newly built Ducal Mansion would surely suffer; at least this living room would be in trouble. With that in mind, Mo Han's brain spun rapidly, trying to find an excuse to cover the flaw. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he quickly replied, "That's because Your Highness has never raised a puppy, so you don't know that these little dogs sometimes get into bad moods and throw tantrums." Rou Xue was secretly impressed by how quickly Mo Han could conjure an excuse.

She wanted to see how he would spin the lie, so she smiled and said, "Oh, well, that truly is a new theory to me. I’d love to hear Your Grace's profound insight." She then fixed her gaze on Mo Han with the expression of someone waiting for a good show. Mo Han spoke unhurriedly, "It must be because I went out today without taking this little guy along, so it's unhappy and throwing a fit.

That’s understandable. For instance, imagine I have a very close and intimate relationship with Your Highness—hehe, I mean as an example, Your Highness, please don't get agitated." Mo Han didn't forget to tease the princess a bit. Since she was trying to embarrass him, he had to strike back.

Otherwise, this girl would really think he was easy to bully. Rou Xue certainly understood Mo Han's intention. Out of everyone in the hall, he had to choose her—it was clearly a deliberate provocation.

But she couldn't find a flaw in his words, so she chose to ignore him. Then Mo Han continued, "If I were that familiar with Your Highness and suddenly ran off without a word, coming back after playing all day without taking you along, I imagine Your Highness would certainly be displeased too. This is human nature, Your Highness should be able to understand.

So, Ruhu is the same way; it's sulking now, and it will be fine in a few days." After saying all that, even Mo Han had to admire his own adaptability. Heh heh, finding such a perfect excuse in such a short time made him quite satisfied with himself. When Rou Xue heard Mo Han comparing her to a dog, she became secretly furious.

Yet, unable to find a retort, she just sat there in annoyance. She knew she couldn't win an argument with Mo Han. This damned scoundrel, comparing our noble Dragon Clan to a dog—what an absolute bastard!

When I get the chance, I will definitely find a way to teach him a lesson, Rou Xue fumed inwardly. Daili, seeing the tension, quickly stepped in to mediate, "It’s getting late, and it isn't safe for the Princess to be alone. Why don't you stay here tonight, Your Highness?

If you don't mind, you can share a room with me, and we can chat more." Hearing this, Mo Han quickly interjected, "I don't think that's necessary. The house where the Princess is staying isn't far from here; it should be fine. Your Highness should return early to prevent your family from worrying." Mo Han forced a look of concern onto his face, trying hard to persuade her.

In my dreams! Letting this tigress stay here would be asking for trouble! If she gets moody for even a moment and throws an eighth-level spell, my Ducal Mansion will be ruined!

Besides, who knows if this princess sleepwalks? If she accidentally casts a spell in her sleep, I’ll be the one suffering! Mo Han thought to himself, She surely won't stay here, right?

Rou Xue had originally intended to refuse, but seeing Mo Han so eager for her to leave, she suddenly became reluctant. This bad guy wanted to kick her out, so she would stay precisely to anger him! Moreover, staying meant more time to interact with him, and she was determined to find an opportunity to deal with this scoundrel.

Rou Xue schemed inwardly. With that thought, Rou Xue smiled sweetly at Daili, "Yes, I actually am a little scared being alone. Tianlong City seems particularly unsafe lately, with so many ruffians and bad people around.

In that case, thank you very much, Miss Daili. Oh, and I wonder if Your Grace minds?" After saying this, Rou Xue gave Mo Han a smiling, provocative look. Hearing Rou Xue’s words, Mo Han instantly felt the urge to faint.

This girl could spin lies too well! She was the princess of the Dragon Clan! Setting aside her power level, the moment she transformed, every demon and monster would probably flee miles away—who would dare harm her?

It was pure fantasy that she would be afraid! Damn it, that made him seem like a coward! This girl was clearly determined to oppose him.

But since Daili had already agreed, Mo Han couldn't say much more. He could only suppress the urge to beat someone and smile, replying, "Since Your Highness is so frightened, of course, I wouldn't mind. It's just that I worry Your Highness is accustomed to the grandeur of the Golden Palace and might not be comfortable with the simplicity here." Mo Han made one last attempt to get Rou Xue to leave voluntarily, but he was disappointed.

Rou Xue smiled and replied, "Not at all. I find the environment here at Your Grace's residence far superior to my own. I will certainly get used to it.

Your Grace doesn't need to worry about me." After saying that, she looked proudly at Mo Han. Seeing Mo Han in a bind was a rare sight, which naturally pleased Rou Xue. The next morning, in the large courtyard of the Ducal Mansion, Mo Han was busy drilling Latin and the others in martial arts.

Ever since Rou Xue arrived yesterday, Mo Han had been exiled from the inner court reserved for the ladies and could only hang out with Latin and the others, which left him thoroughly displeased. Naturally, this earned him ridicule from Latin and the rest—adding fuel to the fire. Mo Han hadn't settled accounts with them for yesterday's teasing, yet these boys dared to provoke him further.

So, Mo Han used the pretext of "inspecting their martial cultivation" and "offering guidance" to see if they had improved recently. The result, of course, was predictable. With Mo Han's current cultivation, dispatching Latin and the other two was as easy as pie.

Although Latin and the others trained diligently every day, they were still leagues away from Mo Han. Latin and Yanshi were at most Intermediate Swordsmen, and Jack was only an Intermediate Magus. For Mo Han's current strength, dealing with them was like eating vegetables.

As a result, early that morning, screams of agony from Latin and the others frequently echoed across the Ducal Mansion courtyard, interspersed with Mo Han’s triumphant instruction—one moment complaining about slowness, the next about errors. The poor trio knew that while their boss claimed this was training to improve their strength, a large part of it was simply settling scores for making fun of him. They suffered in silence, wishing their master would end this hellish training soon so they could escape the misery.

The screams of Latin and the others naturally attracted the attention of many guards and servants of the Ducal Mansion, who gathered in the distance to watch. Seeing the three being so easily subdued by Mo Han, they were greatly astonished. Latin and the others were already quite strong, and the servants often saw them sparring, envying their skills.

Yet, the Duke could defeat the three of them so effortlessly, making them yell in agony, which implied a terrifying level of power. Rumors of the Duke's formidable strength were everywhere, and Ruhu’s prowess was spoken of highly, but the servants had never witnessed it firsthand, so they hadn't fully believed it. Now that they had seen the Duke's strength with their own eyes, they were inwardly grateful that they weren't the ones receiving the training in the courtyard.

Seeing Latin's pathetic state, they understood how terrifying this training must be. Just as Mo Han was enjoying himself, a clear voice sounded from behind him, "Your Grace has such high spirits, training your subordinates so early. Truly diligent." Mo Han recognized the speaker’s identity the moment he heard the voice.

He languidly replied without turning around, "Doesn't the same apply to Your Highness? Coming here to watch me train so early. Shouldn't you rest a bit longer?" Upon hearing Mo Han’s words, Rou Xue’s temper flared instantly, and she retorted ungraciously, "I would love to rest more, but the screaming coming from Your Grace's training area is far too loud—like pigs being slaughtered!

I can't sleep even if I want to. Doesn't Your Grace think so?" Mo Han quickly turned around, feigning innocence, and said, "Ah, so Your Highness was awakened by the sound of my training? My sincere apologies.

However, our Ducal Mansion trains subordinates like this every day. Wouldn't Your Highness staying here interfere with your rest? How about this: while it's still daytime, I'll have some guards escort Your Highness back.

That way, Your Highness won't have to fear encountering any bad people on the road." Mo Han deliberately emphasized the words "bad people," clearly mocking Rou Xue's remarks from the night before. But Rou Xue seemed entirely unaffected, smiling and replying, "Not at all. I find Your Grace's mansion truly filled with the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers—the scenery is delightful and makes one feel very comfortable.

I hardly want to leave. I already agreed with Sister Daili last night that I can stay as long as I like, so I’ve decided to stay for a while longer." Hearing this, Mo Han inwardly groaned. This annoying girl wanted to stay longer?

That meant for the next stretch of time, he would be stuck here in the outer courtyard squeezing in with Latin and the others! That wouldn't do. Although he couldn't sleep with Daili and the others in the back courtyard, at least that area was quiet and comfortable, and waking up to see the beautiful Daili and the others made his mood unbeatable—the saying 'beauty is a feast for the eyes' meant exactly that.

If this girl kept lingering, would he ever get his peace back? "Oh dear, Your Grace, why does your face look so terrible? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?

I am quite adept at healing matters; would you like me to take a look?" Seeing Mo Han's long, sour face, Rou Xue felt a surge of joy. Seeing this scoundrel flustered was rare, which only confirmed to Rou Xue that staying here was the right decision. As long as she could annoy Mo Han, she felt content.

Mo Han quickly forced a smile and replied, "Thank you for Your Highness's kindness, but I am fine, so Your Highness need not worry about me. It's just that if Your Highness continues to stay here, I fear my daily training will affect Your Highness's rest, and that would be unfortunate." Mo Han persisted in his persuasion, hoping to sway Rou Xue. Rou Xue, however, responded with a display of magnanimity, "It doesn't matter.

I haven't woken up early in a long time anyway. I'll consider this period as my own exercise, and since Your Grace and the others provide free wake-up calls, I will reluctantly stay here." Hearing Rou Xue’s words, Mo Han nearly lost control. When did this girl become so quick-witted?

He had no idea before! It was just... Mo Han found the tone of her speech strangely familiar but couldn't place it immediately.

Just then, Yanshi, standing nearby, shouted in his booming voice, "Boss, I notice Princess Rou Xue's tone is starting to sound more and more like yours! Boss, you really are amazing!" "Amazing my foot!" Mo Han cursed, swatting Yanshi on the head. The others burst into laughter.

At this moment, Daili and Murong Feixue, having finished washing up, walked out. Seeing everyone laughing, they asked curiously, "What's going on? Why are you all laughing so happily?" Rou Xue quickly smiled and replied, "Sister Daili, it’s nothing.

Someone just commented that Your Grace is an excellent teacher, and Your Grace has also agreed to let me bother you all here for a while longer. This way, I can chat with you all more. I was just preparing to thank Your Highness properly." Hearing this, Daili smiled and said, "Oh, that's wonderful!

Then you can stay in our quarters from now on, as long as you don't mind." "How could I? Sister's place is much more comfortable than my own home. Thank you, Sister," Rou Xue replied with a smile.

Murong Feixue also chimed in with a laugh, "Heh heh, that’s great! Our courtyard will be much livelier from now on!" Only Mo Han stood there with a pained, miserable expression. This girl was learning too fast; she had picked up his signature move in an instant!

When had he ever agreed to let her stay here? No, I must find a way to kick her out! Mo Han thought to himself.

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