The Letter of Allegiance

“我？”

Shen’ai paused, then shook her head. “No, I can’t. My cooking isn’t delicious at all.”

Lyte also looked at Xie Shenhong with a hint of surprise.

Indeed, asking someone with mobility issues to cook would, to an outsider, seem like bullying.

However, as someone devoid of magic, Xie Shenhong understood perfectly that he didn’t seek anyone’s pity, care, or assistance.

What he yearned for was the ability to do things just like an ordinary person.

Shen’ai, he was certain, felt the same way.

Her refusal, based not on inability but on the poor taste of her cooking, revealed that she must have been practicing in secret.

She had kept it hidden, fearing that revealing it would only add to Xie Shenhong’s and Duanmu Yun’s worries.

“It’s alright,” Xie Shenhong said with a faint smile. “No one is good at it from the start. Just be bold and try. If you don’t understand something, you can ask me. After all, your brother can’t cook for you your entire life, and sometimes, I want to be a little lazy too…”

By then, Xie Shenhong had come to a profound realization: the best way to bring happiness to those being helped was to enable them to demonstrate their own worth, no matter how seemingly insignificant that worth might be.

“Since Brother has put it that way… I will try my best.”

A flicker of barely perceptible joy crossed Shen’ai’s face as she accepted with newfound vigor.

Xie Shenhong, too, couldn’t help but smile happily.

In this manner, the three of them spent a rather pleasant dinner together.

****

After dinner, having seen Lyte off, Xie Shenhong returned to the hall, intending to discuss Lyte with Shen’ai.

Unexpectedly, she had already figured it out.

“Brother, is your relationship with Brother Lyte not very good?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because your attitude towards Brother Lyte seemed very friendly at first glance, but in reality, it was very distant, as if…”

Shen’ai weighed her words carefully, unsure how to phrase them to satisfy her brother.

However, her initial premise was fundamentally flawed, and Xie Shenhong chuckled softly:

“That’s right, I was faking my smile.”

As he spoke, he gently covered his heart, and seeing no adverse reaction, he continued, “He and I are actually adversaries.”

“How is that possible!” Shen’ai gasped in alarm. “Brother Lyte doesn’t seem like a bad person at all.”

“Nothing is impossible. Shen’ai, remember, you can’t judge people solely by their appearance, because humans are creatures of disguise, especially Lyte. You’d best not believe a single word he says.”

“But I don’t think Brother Lyte is as bad as you say… Brother, what exactly did he do? Can you tell me?” Shen’ai was clearly still swayed by Lyte’s performance and remained unconvinced.

Xie Shenhong wanted to elaborate, but his heart immediately reacted. In the end, he could only settle for a secondary approach, continuing to answer vaguely and without any concrete evidence:

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you, but it’s definitely not wrong to be wary of him.”

“Alright.”

With her closest brother on one side, Shen’ai weighed her options and chose to accept his words.

The fact that his own sister had to ‘weigh’ her options before accepting still left Xie Shenhong feeling a little hurt, though he didn’t voice it.

At the same time, he further understood just how esteemed Lyte’s image was in the eyes of others, and how difficult it would be to bring about his downfall.

“Brother, I have another question.”

“What is it?”

“If Brother Lyte is a bad person, why don’t you seem to dislike him very much? And… Brother, you’ve never associated with bad people, have you?”

“…”

Xie Shenhong finally understood why Shen’ai had been so surprised when she first learned the truth.

However, at that moment, he was even more surprised by his own behavior.

To say he didn’t hate Lyte would certainly be a lie.

Yet, at least tonight, in front of Shen’ai, he hadn’t once thought of hatred…

“Perhaps so. I don’t dislike the persona he puts on, but ultimately, it’s just a disguise…”

Xie Shenhong answered as best he could without triggering the reincarnation’s restrictions.

“One day, I will tear off his disguise.”

****

“This is great.”

After leaving, Lyte gazed at the Xie family’s villa, exclaiming happily.

If, at first, his actions were to uphold his promise to Lady Hai Zhu,

then as he came to understand Shenhong more deeply, Lyte could now say he was helping Shenhong for his own sake.

For a long time, he had merely been speaking pretty words.

He claimed to want to protect the kingdom, yet could only perform trivial tasks in the capital, jostling for work with the guards.

Even then, he hadn’t done well enough.

At the very least, he couldn’t resolve the difficulties of so many people as Shenhong could.

His only forte was combat.

To arrive at the scene as quickly as possible.

To eliminate enemies as swiftly as possible.

He diligently practiced light-attribute magic, continuously refining his speed.

Yet, he still discovered that his strength had its limits.

No matter how strong he was alone, there were always places he couldn’t reach.

But Shenhong had achieved it.

His research into weaponry had greatly enhanced the capabilities of soldiers, bolstering national defense and public security.

His inventions in civil welfare, meanwhile, had brought greater convenience and wealth to the kingdom’s populace.

Lyte truly admired Shenhong.

Unfortunately, just like himself, Shenhong yearned for things he did not possess.

The difference, however, was that Shenhong didn’t just talk the talk.

Devoid of magic, he devised ways to invent weapons that even those without magic could use to defeat powerful foes.

Yesterday, at the training grounds, Lyte had been utterly stunned by Shenhong’s miraculous shooting technique.

How much training, and with what kind of goal, must it have taken to achieve that?

Consequently, when Dongfang Qinglong later told him that Shenhong was the Crimson Hawk, he wasn’t surprised in the least.

Only such a person could become a hero of the kingdom at merely twelve years old, right?

Regrettably, a hero, in the end, was still just an ordinary person.

And they could also get hurt.

Even if the hero continued striving in another direction.

The fact of their injury would not change, and indeed, it was worsening.

Lyte did not want to allow the hero to continue getting hurt.

He wanted to help the hero achieve their wishes.

But ironically—

Perhaps discerning his self-satisfaction, Shenhong’s attitude towards him had never been particularly good.

He had even used a professional, fake smile to brush him off.

To be treated this way by the hero he admired, it was impossible not to feel dejected.

Yet, he had brought this upon himself; his motives were far from pure.

Fortunately, Shenhong had heeded some of his advice.

In bringing smiles and happiness to those around him, Shenhong had indeed improved.

But it wasn’t enough.

Shenhong himself remained in pain.

Just as Lyte once had been.

But Lyte was now immensely happy.

Because many people were helping him.

Even the few despairs and worries he couldn’t confide in his family had, fortunately, received Lady Hai Zhu’s assistance.

He was truly fortunate.

He wanted to share some of this good fortune.

He also wanted to make others happy.

****

*Plink.*

The sound of a dewdrop falling broke Lyte’s train of thought.

“…”

He halted, gazing at the pitch-black street before him, and anger began to surge within him, bit by bit.

It was killing intent.

A familiar killing intent.

The killing intent emanating from those despicable individuals who claimed to be his compatriots.

Drawing the rapier from his waist, Lyte charged towards them.

Then—

“You bastards!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he thrust out the sword in his hand.