Chapter 136: Lifier's Father

"Gray, how did you get your hair to turn blonde?" Upon waking up, Liefiel was immensely surprised to find that Ye Tian’s hair had become a very common shade of blonde, and his eyes had turned blue as well.

"The hair is dyed with a potion that won't fade for a month, and the eyes are covered by crystal lenses," Ye Tian said with a smile. "By the way, does the eyewear look like this?" To be safe, he had added a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, the kind often worn by butlers. Although it was only a half-rim on the right side, it felt quite heavy.

"Yes, you look like a standard butler now," Liefiel whispered, looking through the carriage window. "Turn left, go straight to my house!"

"You got it!" Ye Tian pulled the reins. "Old Black, to the left!"

The imperial capital remained the same; beneath its prosperous facade, an inexplicable atmosphere lingered, creating a sense of oppression. "The young lady is back!" Seeing the carriage driven by Ye Tian, the guards at the gate shouted with joy, and immediately, several male servants ran out.

"Respected Miss Liefiel, please disembark!" Ye Tian reached out his hand respectfully. Liefiel elegantly leaned on him as she stepped down. Behind them, servants rushed forward to pick up the luggage, including Ye Tian's large trunk.

"Miss!" At that moment, a pretty maid ran out. "It really is the young lady, you’re back!"

"Jenny, I missed you so much!" Liefiel hugged the maid, their close relationship evident. "By the way, this is my butler, Gray."

"How do you do, Miss Jenny," Ye Tian said, bowing elegantly.

"Miss, didn't you say you hated male servants?" Jenny whispered.

"He cooks very well," Liefiel replied softly.

"I understand." Jenny smiled. "Welcome to the Roxanu family!"

"Thank you, Miss Jenny. I will be sure to serve Miss Liefiel well," Ye Tian said earnestly.

"This way, please!" Jenny gestured, and a male servant ran over. "This is Locke. Let him take you to put your things away first. I'll handle things for the young lady."

"Very well, thank you for your trouble, Miss Jenny," Ye Tian said with a bow.

"Mr. Gray, please come this way," Locke said.

"Thank you, Mr. Locke."

"You’re too polite," Locke said, taking the trunk from the other servant. "This is so heavy!"

"Let me handle it," Ye Tian laughed, reaching over to take the trunk back.

"Mr. Gray must have trained, right?" Locke said with envy.

"I have, just a mid-level swordsman," Ye Tian said, pointing to the badge tucked within the folds of his clothes.

"That's still remarkable. I couldn't even pass the swordsman exam," Locke said, looking dejected.

"As long as you work hard, anyone can succeed. Don’t be discouraged. Besides, what does passing matter? Right now, I’m just a mid-level swordsman, lost in a crowd," Ye Tian said with a sigh.

"That’s still amazing. By the way, Mr. Gray, can you use battle aura?"

"A little."

"No wonder! A mid-level battle aura swordsman—people really are different from one another," Locke said sadly.

"Let me tell you a secret: I haven't advanced in years. Sigh!" Ye Tian said mournfully.

"Don't lose heart. It’s not easy for people like us to climb to a higher level; we just have to endure bit by bit. Don't be discouraged, you're still young, you have a chance!" Locke patted Ye Tian on the shoulder.

"I appreciate your kind words," Ye Tian laughed.

"This is it," Locke said, pointing to a room. "Do you think this will do?"

"It’s great." Ye Tian looked around; it was much larger than his dormitory. "Thank you."

"No problem, just ask me if you need anything." Locke smiled and left. Ye Tian looked around, pushed the trunk under the bed, and lay down comfortably. "Right, I should go check on Old Black." He jumped up.

After asking for directions, Ye Tian found the stables. Old Black was tethered to a trough. "Are you uncomfortable?" Ye Tian stroked the horse's muzzle. The horse nudged his hand and then lowered its head to eat. "As long as you're okay!" Ye Tian stroked Old Black’s mane and began to groom it gently.

"Hehehe." A laugh sounded in Ye Tian’s ears. He turned to see an old man holding a round bucket filled with feed. "Young man, is this your companion?"

"Yes, old timer," Ye Tian bowed. "I'm the new guy, Gray."

"Hehe." The old man looked at Ye Tian with a smile. "Your friend seems to have been ill, but he looks fine now."

"Yes," Ye Tian nodded.

"I like this horse; he’s very intelligent." The old man reached out. Old Black glanced at Ye Tian, licked the old man’s hand, and went back to his meal.

"Hehehe, I didn't think I’d ever be ignored by a horse!" the old man laughed. "Young man, don't worry about the horse here; I’ll take good care of him, just like the others," he said, gesturing to the steeds nearby.

"Then thank you, old timer!" Ye Tian bowed again. "This is a little something for drinks, I hope you don't mind." Ye Tian pulled out a small pouch and pressed it into the old man’s hand.

"Hehehehe!" The old man laughed, tucking the money into his pocket. "Young man, I still have other horses to tend to. Why don't you keep me company?"

"Sure." Ye Tian nodded, took the bucket from the old man, poured the feed into Old Black’s trough, and then followed the old man to the other stables.

"Young man, what do you think of this horse?" the old man asked suddenly.

"Lacks stamina," Ye Tian said after a careful look. "He looks sturdy, but his legs are short and weak. Within a hundred miles, he’d be fine, but after that, he’d surely run out of steam."

"I didn't realize you had a knack for evaluating horses," the old man said, stroking his beard.

"Just a little. I saw a lot of them growing up," Ye Tian laughed.

"And this one?" The old man pointed to a horse with a large frame but a thin, gaunt appearance.

"This one won't do either. His legs are too long; if he runs too fast, they’ll easily snap," Ye Tian said, looking at the thin legs. "Besides, this horse has been injured."

"Impressive!" the old man exclaimed. "Then tell me, which horse here is the best?"

"The best?" Ye Tian looked around and suddenly pointed to a thin, black horse. Its eyes were large, appearing somewhat strange.

"This horse is the best." Ye Tian touched the horse's body, and the thin horse suddenly became agitated. "Don't move!" Ye Tian touched the horse's ears, then its neck.

The thin horse struggled violently. "Young man, come away!" the old man shouted urgently.

"Wait a moment," Ye Tian said. "Don't panic, don't panic!" Ye Tian stroked the horse's neck to calm it. Seeing the horse scratching at its front hoof, he knelt down and pried it open to find a sharp thorn embedded inside.

"There we go, it's alright!" Ye Tian pulled the thorn out, and the horse immediately calmed down. "All better now!" Ye Tian gently stroked the horse's neck.

"Young man, how did you know there was a thorn in its hoof?" the old man asked in surprise.

"Just a feeling. It felt unnatural," Ye Tian said, tossing the thorn away.

"Young man, why don't you come work with me to raise horses?" the old man said happily. "You really know horses so well!"

"No, thank you!" Ye Tian flatly refused.

"What a pity," the old man sighed. "Your intuition for horses is better than mine, even after I've spent decades raising them. I feel ashamed!" The old man sighed, put his hands behind his back, and walked away.

"Uh!" Ye Tian watched the old man leave, scratched his cheek, played with Old Black for a while, and then headed back the way he came. Surprisingly, no one came looking for him. Ye Tian didn't mind; he flopped onto his bed and fell asleep, as he was truly exhausted.

"Father!" Liefiel said respectfully to a tall, middle-aged man.

"You finally decided to come back. Have you made up your mind?" Prince Field asked coldly without turning around.

"I’ve decided not to marry," Liefiel said firmly.

"Nonsense!" *Clatter.* The object in Prince Field’s hand shattered. Liefiel watched quietly without a word.

"You've changed." Prince Field threw away the shards and looked at his daughter. "You must marry."

"Why? For the sake of the family?" Liefiel looked up, staring at her father—a man both familiar and strange. "Didn't you abandon everything to be with Mother? Why are you forcing me now?"

"Because you are a daughter, and you cannot inherit my position!" Prince Field said, enunciating every word. "Even if you are a Magic Scholar now, you cannot protect the family. Do you have the confidence to become a Grand Magic Scholar?"

Liefiel lowered her head. It was her gender again. Because she was a girl, she had never been favored by her father since childhood. She hadn't expected it to still be the same. A look of disappointment appeared on her face.

"Prepare yourself. The capital is about to undergo a change," Prince Field said flatly. "From now on, put away the attitude you had at the academy. Do not disgrace the Roxanu family."

"I will not marry, never!" Liefiel looked up at her father for a moment, then turned and left.

"Hmph!" Prince Field watched his daughter leave and asked, "What is it?"

"My Lord, Prince Gistark invites you to attend his banquet." In the shadows, a respectful butler placed a golden invitation in front of Field.

"Carnier, do you think I should go?" Prince Field rested his chin on his hand, contemplating.

"That depends on your decision, My Lord," the butler replied respectfully.

"It's fine, speak your mind," Field said, sitting up straight.

"In my opinion, do not go."

"The reason?" Field asked, surprised.

"Prince Gistark looks powerful right now, but his power is built on others. If that person abandons him, Prince Gistark will fall into irredeemable ruin," the old butler said respectfully.

"Do you think that person will abandon him?" Prince Field tapped his temple.

"Speak, we aren't strangers here."

"Yes," the butler said.

"There's no reason to." Prince Field rubbed his temples. "There is no reason."

"There is. If it were you, what would you do?" the butler said respectfully.

"So that's how it is. It seems I oversimplified things, hehe."

"Then what should I do?" Field asked.

"You already have the answer, My Lord!" the butler replied.

"When will you stop being so clever, old man!" Prince Field said with a shrug. "Tell the young lady to go tonight; I will not be going."

"Understood." The butler bowed and retreated. "By the way, I heard Liefiel brought back a male butler. What do you think?"

"It’s hard to say," the butler replied. "On the surface, he still seems like a wet-behind-the-ears boy."

"And in reality?"

"I don't know. I haven't been able to tell yet," the butler said. "Shall I dismiss him?"

"Forget it, let her do as she pleases," Prince Field said flatly.

"Yes!" The butler bowed and withdrew.

"Mr. Gray, Mr. Gray!" Ye Tian was sleeping groggily when a voice sounded in his ear. He opened his eyes to see a cute maid gently shaking him. "Mr. Gray, the young lady wants to see you."