"Thud..." Claire Yi suddenly knelt straight down before Morgan Shangguan.
Morgan Shangguan raised an eyebrow but did not step aside, waiting for her to speak.
With tears in her eyes and a face full of pleading, Claire Yi said, "Please leave Damien, won't you? I truly love him. Without him, I can't go on. You still have Master Liam!" She could see that Master Liam liked Morgan Shangguan, so why did Morgan insist on fighting her for Damien?
Morgan Shangguan looked at her with a calm gaze. What did this have to do with Master Liam? And did she really seem so kind—would begging make her obey?
Claire Yi looked at Morgan Shangguan with hope, but only heard her cold reply: "Whether you can go on has nothing to do with me, and I doubt he cares either! If Damien truly cared about you, he wouldn't ignore you after all that's happened. Does she really not understand such a simple truth, thinking that if she steps aside, Damien will notice her? Such childish naivety!"
Claire Yi froze for a moment, never expecting her to respond so coldly. Regaining her senses, she clenched her fists and said through gritted teeth, "You said you wouldn't fight me for him!"
Morgan Shangguan seemed not to notice the hatred in her eyes and replied calmly, "I never fought you for him. He was never yours to begin with, and now he is mine. How can you say I'm fighting you for him?" As she spoke, a faint smile appeared in her eyes.
Morgan Shangguan smiled unconsciously only because she thought of Damien, but to Claire Yi, that smile felt like mockery—sharp and unbearable.
Morgan Shangguan paid Claire Yi no further attention; she had no time to waste on her. She lifted her foot and walked toward the manor gate, with Susie Yun quietly following behind. In her heart, Susie felt nothing but disdain for Claire Yi—she'd never seen such an annoying woman, daring to compete with Miss for the Ghost King, so hopelessly overconfident!
Watching Morgan Shangguan walk away, Claire Yi gripped her sleeve tightly and said hatefully, "Morgan Shangguan, you forced me!"
At Prince Julian's Manor, Prince Julian sat at the head seat, silent for a long time. Morgan Shangguan was equally quiet—she had already explained what needed explaining, and saying more would only make things seem suspicious.
After a long pause, Prince Julian finally spoke, "Since that's the case, why not use this opportunity to get rid of him? Wouldn't that be better?" Since Damien Gray already suspected her, wouldn't it be safer for Morgan to eliminate him now, rather than trying so hard to earn his trust?
If Morgan hadn't intervened at the last moment, Damien Gray might not have escaped this time. With her skills—even when she broke into the manor before, Prince Julian had some idea of her strength, but she still surprised him. Morgan Shangguan could now be considered a master. If she had attacked, combined with the hidden and unpredictable assassins, Damien Gray would have had no chance. But in the end, she acted to save him. How was Prince Julian supposed to trust her?
Morgan Shangguan smiled lightly. "Damien Gray isn't so easily dealt with. I dare say I know him better than you do, Prince Julian." Her expression was calm and breezy, as if they were just chatting. No one would suspect her words were false, but Prince Julian was different. Royals were always suspicious, and Prince Julian was especially cautious. He would never judge based on appearances alone—especially since Morgan Shangguan herself was far too suspicious.
Prince Julian gave a refined smile and asked, "If he already suspects you, why would he still show up?" Why would Damien Gray care about the fate of a woman with questionable loyalty? Wasn't he afraid she would betray him and set him up?
Morgan Shangguan is, after all, the Princess of Azure Kingdom. Unless absolutely necessary, Damien Gray would never harm her, let alone use her as a sacrifice. Damien Gray couldn't possibly overlook this. Prince Julian had delivered such news only to confuse Damien Gray, making it impossible for him to guess Julian's intentions, thus ensuring the trap would work perfectly. Yet, unexpectedly, Damien Gray came willingly, and Julian's elaborate setup was never needed!
Morgan Shangguan's lips curled slightly as she softly uttered a single word, "Feelings." She lifted her gaze and smiled at him. "Otherwise, why does Prince Julian think Damien Gray has let me live this long?"
Prince Julian narrowed his eyes, silently staring at the marks on her neck. Indeed! Both were sent by Emperor Alexander—so why was Morgan Shangguan the only one still alive? Was it because she was more capable? He didn't deny her abilities, but the other women had been specially trained and carefully selected—none of them were useless!
"Then how will you explain the matter of being a sacrifice to him?" After all, she had come to Prince Julian's Manor on her own, and Damien Gray already suspected her. Wouldn't he think she was involved? Especially since she had spoken up for Julian in front of Emperor Alexander. Even if Damien Gray had feelings for her, Prince Julian couldn't believe he would lose his head over a woman!
His gaze remained fixed on the marks on her neck—the flawless skin now dotted with crimson traces—which made him somewhat displeased, though he didn't stop to consider why he felt that way.
Morgan Shangguan paid no mind to his gaze and simply smiled, "There's no need for Prince Julian to worry about that—I have my own way. It was my fault for not discussing things with you beforehand. Whether we continue to work together is entirely up to you." In truth, the decision was always Prince Julian's to make, and her willingness to yield would never cost her anything.
After leaving Prince Julian's Manor, Susie Yun couldn't help but ask, "Miss, do you think Prince Julian will believe you?"
Morgan Shangguan replied carelessly, "Maybe." Prince Julian hadn't given a clear answer, but she was certain that if he ever needed her, he'd come looking for her.
Seeing how unconcerned she seemed, Susie Yun was puzzled. If she didn't care, why bother coming to explain at all?
Just as Morgan Shangguan was about to board the carriage, two men dressed as guards strode over and said expressionlessly, "Consort of the Ghost King, His Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence!"
Morgan Shangguan raised an eyebrow. Judging by their posture, if she refused, they would surely use force. She glanced at Susie Yun and instructed, "You return to the manor first!"