NoGift

ARGENT stared at the man who immediately looked sideways after saying that he was lost. He said it with such a serious expression as if he was not talking about being lost but about a very important matter instead. Then she noticed how red his ear tips were. Like he was embarrassed. Argent just doesn't know if he's embarrassed that he was lost or that he gave such a lame excuse to talk to them.

Even though this place was near the capital, it was far from the main road. Normally, a lost person wouldn't wander off far from the main road so as not to get more lost. Except, of course, if that person was really directionally challenged. But looking at this man, Argent couldn't really relate the word 'directionally challenged' to him. Then again, you couldn't really judge a book by its cover. So this man could really be lost just as he claimed to be.

But Argent's gut feel was telling her otherwise. It's telling her that this man probably came here on purpose. The only question was why would he pretend to be lost? But the weird thing was, Argent doesn't really feel any ill-intent from him. She's sensitive towards that particular type of emotion. The place where she grew up in her original world forced her to be. If she didn't learn to separate the people who had bad intentions from those who don't, then she would have probably died much, much earlier. She probably wouldn't even survive from childhood.

Since she already classified the man as 'suspicious but doesn't plan to do bad things at the moment', Argent decided to play along with him. It's better to find out herself what this guy was really playing at than to wonder later and make wrong conclusions.

"And where is this place you're supposed to go to?" she said in perfect Xing language. Argent smiled to herself. She hasn't spoken this language since she came to this world. But it seemed she hasn't forgotten how to. Not really surprising, since she lived in country C for 25 years. Speaking that country's language was not something she could easily forget.

Ruby was quite surprised hearing Argent speak the Xing language. She didn't know he could speak it. And in such perfect manner too! As if he's lived his whole life in Xing. But the again, Argent was a genius. Learning another language for him wouldn't really be that hard.

The man, on the other hand, didn't seem surprised at all. As if he already expected that Argent could speak the Xing language.

"The royal palace," the man answered.

Now that wasn't an answer Argent expected. "May I ask why you have to go there?"

"The prince of Xing arrived here today for a diplomatic visit. I'm a member of his entourage. But I got lost along the way. Good thing I came upon you. There isn't a lot of people who could speak our language so perfectly," he said, glancing sideways. Then he looked up and stared straight at Argent. His obsidian black eyes showed no other image than hers. "I'm really happy to have met you."

Then he immediately looked away, cutting off that intense gaze.

Argent was a bit confused by his gaze. She doesn't like it. Not because it disgusted her, but because she doesn't understand why he would look at her that way. As if she was someone very important.

She just shook her head and ignored that feeling. It was probably just her imagination anyway. Argent just focused on a much more important thing. Like how he was a member of the prince of Xing's entourage. Of course, she heard about that diplomatic visit. That was a huge step for the two countries. If the prince's visit here was successful, then a stable trade would be established between the two countries. Which, in turn, could result in a much better economy.

With such an important visit, how could a member of the prince's entourage be lost here? Argent thought that there's really only one way to find out. "Alright, I'll guide you to the palace."

"Thank you."

Argent turned to the coachman. "Separate two of the horses from the carriage. Then return to Hanover manor with the lady."

"Yes, milord." Although the coachman was still confused by what was happening, he didn't ask any questions and just followed the order of the young lord.

"Wait- why would I have to return to the manor alone? And what exactly did you talk about with that Xing foreigner?" Ruby asked.

"He's lost. I'm just going to help him find his way back."

Ruby looked at Argent suspiciously. "Since when did you become such a good samaritan?"

"I'm always kind, didn't you know?"

"Yeah, right. If you're kind, then I'm a saint," Ruby snorted. "Besides, are you really fine being alone with such a suspicious stranger?"

Ruby glanced at the man from Xing. He was looking at them as if observing their interaction. He was handsome, alright. But he also has that kind of special presence as well. That kind that when he entered a room full of people, the first person anyone would notice was him. But that doesn't mean he's not a bad guy.

"It's fine, I could just kick his ass if he ever tried something," Argent said, looking at the man. That's why she immediately noticed his mouth twitching when she said that, as if he was preventing himself from smiling.

"Milord, here are the horses," the coachman said, bringing the two horses in front of Argent.

"Good." She took hold of the reins of the two horses. Then she turned to Ruby. "Tell my sister I'm going home later."

Ruby sighed. Aurum would surely throw a fit when she learned her beloved brother went off with a stranger. "Fine."

She went inside the carriage and the coachman drove it towards the direction of the manor.

Argent looked at the man and gave him the rein of one of the horses. "We'll ride towards the capital."

"Yes." He took the reins and swiftly rode on the horse's back, as if he had done it a thousands of times.

Before riding the horse, Argent didn't forget to put on a cloak. Some of the people in Londinium might recognized her. And she doesn't really want people taking pictures of her using their sPhones, then later on posting in on their [Jiffy] accounts.

"Follow me," she said once she was on the horse's back. Then she made the horse run forward towards the direction of the capital.

The man immediately followed and rode beside her. "Why did you wear a cloak?" he asked.

"Why do you think people wear cloaks?" Argent asked back instead of answering him.

"Because they don't want people to recognize them."

"Or maybe they're just cold," Argent said in return.

"It's such a shame though."

"Hmm?"

"To hide such a beautiful face," the man said with that serious expression on his face.

Argent was slightly startled. This was the first time that someone called her beautiful to her face. She couldn't help but feel annoyed. Then she noticed the man's ear tip was glowing red. Her annoyance slowly turned to amusement. Especially after seeing the man's ever serious face. "A man wouldn't be happy being told that he's beautiful."

"I guess they won't," he just said but never took back what he said earlier about her being beautiful.

Soon, they entered the capital. Argent navigated the horse towards the direction of the royal palace.

She glanced to the stoic man riding beside her. "You're one of the prince's guards, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Based on his bearings, Argent already guessed as much. "Then why would a royal guard be lost on his first day in a foreign country?"

"The prince ordered me to buy some snacks popular here in Albion. But I got lost along the way," he answered, glancing sideways.

Argent looked at him and couldn't help but smirk. "I see. You must really have a poor sense of direction."

"Yes, I do."

An Si, whose conciousness was now inside the falcon flying above the two, was now already numbed from the general's shamelessness. He's been listening to the conversation of the two since earlier and it's like his three views was being attacked everytime the general opened his mouth. What couldn't speak the common tongue? What the prince ordered him to buy snack? what poor sense of direction? Was this man still their honorable general?

While An Si was having an existential crisis, the two below were already slowly making their way towards the royal palace.

Argent stopped the horse she was riding when the palace was already in view. "We're here. You just have to go straight from here and you'll arrive at the royal palace."

The man also stopped his horse. "Thank you, for guiding me here."

"Oh, I think you'd arrive here safely even without my help." The man only gave him a questioning look. "Come on, are we still playing this game? I know you're not lost. Your prince probably didn't even order you to buy snacks. And if you're able to go off on your own as soon as you arrived here, then either you have a special position or the prince asked you to scout the area. I leaned more on the former. You're probably some Xing aristocrat accompanying the prince. Am I right or not?"

There was a gratified look on the man's face, as if he was proud of her for figuring all that. "I'm not an aristocrat. I'm a general tasked to protect the prince."

Argent raised her brow, not expecting him to admit to anything. "Then you're not doing you're job. Leaving the prince alone on your first day of arrival at a foreign country."

"He's not alone. And I left my personal guards to protect him," he simply said. "How did you know I was lying."

"You have a tell. Everytime you lie, you look sideways."

That's the reason why Argent slightly put down her guard. A person who couldn't even properly lie would not be good at scheming. Add that to the fact that she didn't really feel any ill-intent from him, made her feel that whatever his reasons for lying were didn't necessarily mean that he was planning some nefarious plot against her.

Once again, Argent saw his ear tip turning red. "I see."

"And I also know you can speak the common tongue. So, why pretend to be lost? Better yet, why ask me for help?"

"As you said, I have a tell. If I answer your question, you would immediately know that I'm lying. But know this, I meant no harm. If you don't believe me, I can make a vow here and now," he said, staring straight at her eyes.

"No need. I already know you meant no harm. But next time, try not to lie. Since you're not very good at it." Although Argent was curious about his motives, she wouldn't force someone to tell her something. Especially if it probably doesn't even have anything to do with her. He would probably ask help from anyone who was in that area. She just happened to be there. "But I'm curious, how did you know that I could speak your language?"

"Because you're Argent Blackbourne," he simply said, as if that already answered everything.

Argent was surprised. Because the man was acting so normal, she didn't even realized that he might have recognized her. "You know me?"

"I've seen your interview."

Well, now that changed a lot. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You didn't purposedly go in that place because you know I would be there, didn't you?"

"No," he answered, not moving his gaze from her face.

"Good. Because I don't like it when someone is spying on me without my knowledge," she said, a hint of warning in her voice.

"I told you, I meant you no harm. That wouldn't change even if this world ended." Argent didn't answer. Because he was looking at her in that way again, as if he was trying hard to embed her image in his mind. "My name, it's Zhang Lei Feng. I hope we could talk more next time, Argent."

"We'll see, General." Then Argent drove the horse away from there.

Lei Feng stayed there until he couldn't see Argent's silhouette anymore. His usual serious expression showed a small smile. Just as he expected from Xia Yin, she immediately noticed his tell whenever he was lying. He wasn't even aware that he has that tell. He never noticed things like that, because he rarely lied. That's why it took a lot of effort for him not to glance sideways when she asked if he went to that place specifically for her.

It wouldn't be good if he made her angry this early. Not when they only just met in this world.

A falcon flew down and landed on his shoulder. "Master, do I need to follow the duke?" asked An Si's voice.

"No, you don't have to do that anymore."

Xia Yin would surely not like it if she found out that he asked one of his dark guards to gather information about her.

Lei Feng glanced back at the direction where Xia Yin went. No, he probably should start referring to her now as 'Argent'. Because just as he became Zhang Lei Feng in this world, she also became Argent Blackbourne.

And this time, this time for sure, he would do everything to protect her.

Just like he promised on that one cold night.