Arrogance is Not Advisable

‘This guy, he really has ill intentions!’

Xie Shenhong noticed the shift in Lyte’s demeanor, and his previous gratitude swiftly vanished into thin air.

How terrifying; he had almost been deceived by this fellow.

From now on, he vowed to be even more careful and vigilant.

Xie Shenhong repeatedly admonished himself in his heart.

“My apologies.”

Lyte remained stunned for quite some time before finally reacting.

“It’s fine. Shall we head to the training grounds now?”

Xie Shenhong offered a practiced, insincere smile.

Lyte recognized the facade, but having never expected Xie Shenhong to change his opinion so readily, he immediately replied:

“Indeed. Let’s begin with shooting practice today.”

Lyte’s plan was to spend a month teaching Xie Shenhong how to use firearms, then take him on simple missions to gradually accumulate experience.

However, twenty minutes later, his meticulously laid plan lay in ruins.

“Shenhong, have you used a gun before?”

Lyte gazed in astonishment at the electronic scoreboard.

Whether it was a stationary or moving target, Xie Shenhong consistently hit the bullseye with unerring precision.

He even shattered the fastest record in the simulated test for designated shooting areas.

“Of course. Did you truly believe I would give up without even trying anything?”

Upon realizing that Lyte was, after all, that heinous imperial prince, Xie Shenhong’s resolve solidified, and he began seizing every opportunity to subtly undermine him.

“My apologies, I underestimated you.”

Yet, Lyte seemed genuinely delighted by Xie Shenhong’s spirited display, showing no awareness of being subtly disparaged.

‘This guy… why is he so difficult to deal with!’

Xie Shenhong, frustrated, channeled his anger into the shooting practice, and five minutes later, another perfect score flashed on the board.

Naturally, Xie Shenhong’s revelation of his firearm proficiency wasn’t merely a moment of pique; after Lyte’s prompt, he also wished to prove himself to Duanmu Yun and the others as soon as possible.

After all, once the Hai Zhu automaton recovered its energy—or at least until its power was depleted once more—he would become largely invaluable, perhaps even requiring protection.

This was an outcome he could not accept.

Moreover, with the possibility of finding crucial evidence to expel Lyte in a week, he had to seize this moment to demonstrate his capability to participate in missions as a retainer at any time.

As it turned out, Xie Shenhong succeeded—

“Tomorrow, after optional classes, we’ll embark on some simple missions.”

Witnessing Xie Shenhong’s flawless five shots with the Crimson Twin Pistols, Lyte decided to accelerate their progress.

“It’s a deal!” Xie Shenhong exclaimed, a hint of excitement in his voice.

“Don’t celebrate too soon. There are countless individuals who cannot even perform at half their training level in actual combat. Should your performance tomorrow be unsatisfactory, I will immediately send you back to the training grounds, and your next mission opportunity will be postponed for at least a month.”

“You can rest assured, then.”

Xie Shenhong, after all, had been to battlefields, witnessed mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and had even died once himself.

The notion of him faltering in combat and failing to unleash his full potential was simply nonexistent.

As for whether his current unexercised, delicate body could keep pace with his mind… having completed the recent training, he had discovered that he had weakened by less than ten percent.

In other words, he had barely grown stronger over the past three years; only his combat experience had deepened.

‘I truly am useless…’

Xie Shenhong sighed imperceptibly.

He remained unaware, however, that his moment of despondency had been observed by the blond, blue-eyed youth and etched firmly into his memory.

****

The following day, upon opening his eyes to the familiar ceiling and confirming that nothing had been a dream, Xie Shenhong let out a profound sigh of relief before rising to prepare breakfast.

After seeing his sister off to school, he returned to his room to change.

While it was unlikely Lyte would assign him difficult tasks at first, wearing clothes unsuitable for action, as he had yesterday, was naturally out of the question.

Thus, his solution was to prepare two sets of attire: a complete black Gothic Lolita outfit for school.

This was intended to highlight his nobility through lavish clothing, and to keep others at a distance.

“Miss Shenhong, shall I prepare the carriage today?”

Noticing his elaborate attire and the precious summer-cooling necklace he wore, Sebastian, the butler dispatched by the Duanmu family, promptly stepped forward and respectfully inquired.

“Yes.”

“As you command.”

With a wave of Sebastian’s hand, three black sedans, long in waiting, swiftly pulled up.

In truth, whenever Xie Shenhong attended school previously, the Duanmu family always provided such an arrangement.

Duanmu Yun’s reasoning was that the more seriously the Duanmu family treated him, the more cautious people at school would be towards him.

However, such an explanation could no longer deceive Xie Shenhong.

Yesterday, Xie Shenhong hadn’t called for them to come to school, but today… the situation was somewhat unique.

If he only attended school for a single day, people would merely consider it a whim, but if he appeared for two consecutive days…

“Wow, it’s Princess Shenhong!”

“Heavens, why is he at school again today? What’s going on?”

“I heard Lord Lyte invited him back. Does anyone know more details?”

Xie Shenhong’s grand return to school finally sparked a commotion no less significant than Lyte’s own.

Up to this point, things were manageable. After settling into his classroom for a while, he indeed saw some individuals pluck up the courage to approach and speak with him.

“What is it?”

Xie Shenhong offered a gentle smile.

Given his indistinct Adam’s apple, his voice carried a clear, youthful timbre, which, if not intentionally lowered, inexplicably conveyed a sense of gentleness.

A cute appearance, an approachable demeanor, and a readiness to help others—these were the reasons he had initially won everyone’s favor.

Yet, this was merely a facade.

And today, he had resolved to shed that disguise.

“I apologize, but I have no interest in what you’re discussing.”

After hearing their intentions, Xie Shenhong stated coldly.

“But…”

Zhang Lili, who led the group, attempted to say more, but Xie Shenhong’s sharp gaze silenced her, and she could only leave with her friends, tears welling in her eyes.

That was for the best.

‘Don’t get involved with him…’

“Why did you chase away the classmates who came to thank you?” Lyte asked, approaching him.

Xie Shenhong remained silent, unwilling to discuss such matters in public.

Lyte did not even take out his phone; he simply sat beside him, looking as if he intended to pester him until the very end.

Sifang Academy did not assign fixed seats to students, allowing those serious about their studies to sit in the front rows. Seeing Lyte’s persistence, Xie Shenhong had no choice but to whisper:

“I don’t wish for her to be affected by my poor reputation.”

Xie Shenhong was acutely aware of his reputation as a useless, cross-dressing pervert. Unable and unwilling to offer a defense, he could only be cautious in forming acquaintances.

Had Lyte been an ordinary student like Zhang Lili, he would have acted similarly.

“Then are you aware that she has been harassed?”

“What?”

Xie Shenhong couldn’t help but gasp. Noticing many people turning to look at him, he immediately suppressed the urgency and outrage in his heart, lowering his voice to ask:

“What exactly happened?”

This time, however, Lyte remained silent.

Instead, he pulled out his phone and sent Xie Shenhong a message.

[I believe that if you don’t wish to affect others, then you shouldn’t rashly concern yourself with them.]

‘This guy!’

Xie Shenhong’s anger flared instantly.

But he quickly regained his composure.

He could, in fact, deduce the reason why Zhang Lili was being harassed.

Not everyone at school despised him; a significant portion either didn’t care or verbally expressed dislike without taking any actual action. The remaining individuals were those who steadfastly stood by him.

Some were followers of the Duanmu and Dongfang families, while others adored him with an almost fanatical fervor. From the current circumstances, the latter group were the most likely suspects.

This was because Xie Shenhong had only exposed his identity at the time to protect Zhang Lili.

In his previous life, Xie Shenhong would have feigned ignorance.

But now… he simply wanted to shout at these people, telling them how childish they were, engaging in such antics when the Empire was due to fall in just three months!

“So, shall we go?”

Perceiving Xie Shenhong’s firm resolve, Lyte placed an emblem on the desk.

It was proof of membership in the Crimson Knights.

Xie Shenhong froze.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t guess who the culprits were, but rather—

“Your Royal Highness, I am a newly appointed Royal Guard Knight… Please guide me in the future.” Lyte chuckled.