"Sophimiaong Yarttis." Blade repeated the name under his breath, a slow savoring of the syllables. "A fine name, indeed."

Lord Landon tilted his chin high, his pride evident. "Naturally. It is infinitely superior to whatever you call your own, something like 'Baibai'—the two cannot even be compared!"

Blade chuckled, his tone shifting abruptly. "You say Baibai is a Princess, meaning royalty. Yet, even someone from the Imperial line is being hunted? Is the True Human Empire truly so unstable? Or is she merely given the title of Princess, with no actual blood relation to the throne?"

"Nonsense! Her Highness is a direct descendant of the Imperial line, the Emperor's own daughter!" Master Landon was visibly incensed. If the lightsaber hadn't already been surrendered, he might have threatened to draw it. However, as he finished, his voice softened, betraying a distinct lack of certainty.

"It's just that the glory of the Imperial family is not what it was ten thousand years ago. Today, the aristocratic powers have grown too large and unwieldy. Several great houses have fully feathered their wings, becoming petty fiefdoms unto themselves. They maintain formidable private armies, and the Imperial House can only rely on balancing tactics to restrain them. And the noble seeking to kill Her Highness, Duke Sandower, is preeminent among them—his power is immense, capable even of instigating a civil war," Master Landon gasped out.

Blade frowned. A Duke daring to pursue the Emperor's daughter? This clearly showed how the Imperial authority had waned; it was a sign of the Empire slipping toward its twilight years.

"This Duke Sandower, is he someone like Wang Mang or Dong Zhuo?" Blade paused, choosing examples from ancient Chinese history, hoping to draw a clearer parallel.

"He probably hasn't reached the level of Wang Mang or Dong Zhuo yet." Master Landon clearly knew those names. Although not a native of Earth, she had lived there for nearly eight years, and coupled with her extraordinary memory, she was better versed in Earth's history than many native inhabitants.

However, Blade noticed the hesitation in her voice when she spoke, a lack of firm conviction. He inwardly noted: It seems that even if Duke Sandower hasn't reached that stage, he isn't far off.

Blade turned to look at Baibai, sensing that being a Princess might not bring her happiness. After a quick glance, he turned back to Landon. "Does the Emperor of the Empire know that Duke Sandower is hunting his daughter?"

"No." Master Landon's reply was swift this time. "I fled with Her Highness eight years ago and have had no contact with the Empire since. I know nothing of what has transpired there in these past eight years."

"Is that so?" Blade fell silent. He had no further questions for the moment.

A silence stretched between them for about ten seconds. "Will you allow me to serve Her Highness?" Her face was etched with supplication. "Her Highness has suffered so much these past years; it is all my fault. Now that we have finally met again, I implore you, please do not refuse my request. I beg you."

Blade frowned. "You are a peak Master. If I let you stay with Baibai, what if you spirit her away?"

"I swear I will never do such a thing." Her most important concern now was simply never being separated from Her Highness again; other considerations had become secondary.

Blade shook his head. "When the nobles of the True Human Empire begin to rebel against their sovereign, where is the honor of the nobility left?"

"That is them, not me! Just because some nobles have abandoned their honor does not mean all of them have! There are still many nobles in the Empire who support the Imperial House! The Crown possesses things that ordinary nobles can never replace!" Master Landon cried out emotionally. Her eyes fixed intently on Blade; she was deeply offended by his questioning of her honor.

Blade scoffed. "I am not from the True Human Empire and do not understand your sense of honor. If you wish to stay, you must at least give me a convincing reason."

Master Landon tightly clenched her fists, then sighed after a moment. "I cannot move you with words. Why don't you tell me directly what it will take for me to remain by Her Highness's side."

Her expression was unusually grave and serious. Blade met her gaze, seeing in her eyes a resolve that suggested she would not let this opportunity slip away again, no matter what.

Seeing this, a flicker of an idea crossed Blade's mind, and the corner of his mouth curved upward. He raised his right hand, an orange-yellow light emanating from his palm. "Relax your mind!"

"You!" Master Landon cried out in alarm. "You intend to influence my mind!"

"Precisely," Blade adopted an expression of cold indifference. "How about it? Do you accept? If you accept, I will allow you to stay."

Upon hearing this, Master Landon's fists clenched even tighter; were it not for her transcendently robust physique, she might have drawn blood.

Seeing her internal struggle, Blade added, "Do you need a few days to consider?"

Master Landon glared fiercely at Blade, a trace of hatred in her eyes. A moment later, her gaze shifted toward Baibai, and seeing her Highness watching with wide, crystalline eyes, the hatred in her look softened.

"Very well." A slight wetness appeared at the corner of her eye, but her response was decisive. "This is what I owe Her Highness. I will repay the suffering of these eight years to her." She closed her eyes.

Blade stepped forward and pressed his glowing right hand against her forehead, channeling his spiritual power into her mind. The passage was incredibly smooth, without the slightest resistance, flowing directly into the deepest recesses of her consciousness, touching her very soul. It felt as if her entire mental world had opened to him, allowing him to observe and alter its depths at will.

Meanwhile, Cissely Landon felt an immensely powerful mental force invade her spiritual domain. She instinctively trembled, wanting to summon her own mental power to fight back, but she immediately suppressed the impulse. She felt the foreign energy patrolling her mental landscape, an invasion that caused her profound discomfort.

Just as she endured this ordeal, the invading power abruptly receded like a tide, leaving no discernible impact on her spiritual world.

Landon, feeling as if she had just escaped death, let out a sudden breath, opened her eyes, and asked, "Why didn't you act?"

Blade withdrew his hand, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "There was nothing to act upon. This was merely an experiment, a test of your reaction. Having witnessed your determination, I find you qualified. I believe I have begun to understand your sense of honor."

Blade had never intended to actually use mind control. If he had, he would have instantly become the villain, and villains rarely meet good ends.

Through this high-wire act of testing, he had achieved his goal. Master Landon’s sincerity was absolute and fully trustworthy. It was incredibly fortunate for the child Baibai to have someone who cared for her so devotedly, irrespective of the cost.

"You mean I can follow Her Highness from now on? Is that it?" Master Landon sought confirmation once more.

Blade nodded decisively. "That is what I mean."

Master Landon felt a surge of joy; her suffering had finally ended. To be able to guard Her Highness again, even if it meant accepting the possibility of mental manipulation, was worth it. A mere fright was nothing in comparison.

She shifted her stance slightly, intending to move toward Baibai.

"Hold on," Blade called out, stopping her movement. "One more thing. That name—Sophimiaong Yarttis—you are never to mention it again, nor are you to reveal her true identity to her. She is our Baibai now. You can only call her Baibai. She insisted on that name herself. If you must use her real name, keep it only in your heart."

Master Landon turned back, her expression sharp. "Fine! But you must allow me to instruct her in Imperial etiquette, and the complete curriculum of aristocratic Imperial education. I will not let Her Highness grow up with an empty mind."

"Agreed!" Blade responded. "Shall I introduce you? Baibai doesn't recognize you yet."

"Hmph!" Master Landon turned away without another word, covering the distance to Baibai in two quick steps.

Blade smiled faintly. It seemed that while she accepted the terms, she had not forgiven him for the fright he had just given her. Thinking this, Blade shifted his own stance and followed after her.

The other doppelgangers had vanished without a trace. Master Landon stood before Baibai, her voice thick with emotion. "Your Highness... Baibai, do you still remember me?"

Baibai had witnessed the entire confrontation from the side, but since she couldn't hear the conversation, it was like watching a silent film—she only grasped bits and pieces. Although she felt a vague sense of familiarity and closeness toward this peak Master who had just been fighting Blade, she didn't immediately recognize her as one of 'them.' She turned to Blade with a look of appeal, which caused Master Landon no small measure of inner imbalance.

Blade smiled at Baibai. "This is Master Cissely Landon. She is very fond of you. You must get along well with her."

"Mm!" Baibai nodded firmly.

"And in the future, Master Landon will teach you some things." Blade glanced towards Master Landon. "Try your best to learn them."

"Okay." Baibai nodded again, then turned to Cissely. "Hello, Master Landon. My name is Baibai."

"Hello, Baibai." Although she disliked the name, joy shone through Master Landon's eyes as she extended her hand to stroke Baibai's cheek, grounding herself in the reality before her. Suddenly, her expression hardened, her gaze becoming piercing. "In the last ten seconds, you exhibited one hundred and forty-two distinct physical errors in your movements. Since this is the first day, I can forgive it. But when my etiquette lessons formally begin, you must correct every single one of these bad habits."

Baibai shuddered. Though she didn't know what 'etiquette training' entailed, her sharp instincts told her she had just stumbled into a tiger's lair, and the road ahead looked bleak.