Maxwell Jing was beside himself with worry. If the prince found out that Princess Morgan went out and brought a man back with her, who knew what would happen?
He wanted to speak up, but was silenced by Morgan Shangguan's gaze.
Left with no choice, he said helplessly, "Princess Morgan, you should hurry back to the manor! Damien Gray... is dying!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Liam Duanmu frowned, while Prince Ethan's eyes filled with contemplation.
Morgan Shangguan narrowed her eyes at Maxwell Jing. Damien Gray is dying? What kind of trick is this? That palm strike she gave him shouldn't have been fatal!
Suddenly, Prince Ethan stepped forward, leaned close to her ear, and whispered so only the two of them could hear, "There is something I must remind Princess Morgan: don't let the Third Prince's affection cloud your judgment. Don't trust him—he's not as simple as he seems!"
Morgan Shangguan nodded. Of course she knew Damien Gray was far from simple—she had sensed it from the very first moment she saw him.
After speaking, Prince Ethan straightened up and said, "In that case, Princess Morgan should return to the manor first! If the Third Prince truly feels unwell, remember to summon an imperial physician from the palace."
Maxwell Jing wailed inwardly—he was doomed. Not only had he failed to stop Princess Morgan from bringing a man back, he’d let Prince Jin get so close to her. He could only hope Damien Gray wouldn’t skin him alive!
In the end, Morgan Shangguan had left alone, but returned with two companions.
Someone was sent to escort Liam Duanmu to rest, while Morgan Shangguan and Maxwell Jing headed toward the Shadow Court. Morgan's face was grim as she asked, "What is he up to now?"
Maxwell Jing couldn't help but admire her—Princess Morgan truly understood Damien Gray!
Morgan Shangguan wasn't expecting an answer from him, and asked again, "Are the Ghost Guild's assassins always so useless?"
"Ahem..." Maxwell Jing choked a little and explained, "Those were the lowest rank assassins of the Ghost Guild. Their motto is: if you can't win, run! No need to die for nothing, right? It's not like Crown Prince Adrian paid enough anyway!"
Most of Crown Prince Adrian's money probably ended up in Quentin Hua the demon's pocket. Honestly, he should've given all the money to Damien Gray and hired elite assassins to kill Prince Ethan instead!
But if he really did that, Damien Gray probably wouldn't have accepted the job! Without Prince Ethan, what fun would there be left to watch?
Morgan Shangguan paused for a moment, then continued forward, asking, "How many ranks are there among the Ghost Guild's assassins?"
Maxwell Jing debated whether he should tell her, but decided that since Damien Gray had already been so open, he wouldn't mind. So he answered honestly, "Three ranks! The lowest assassins run if they can't win, the middle rank doesn't necessarily have to kill, but must make the target suffer, and the elite assassins never fail to meet any requirement."
Morgan Shangguan suddenly let out a soft laugh, leaving Maxwell Jing puzzled. Morgan shook her head with a smile—should she say she and Damien Gray were truly kindred spirits? The Cloud Guild's assassins also had three ranks!
If they were only elite assassins, few people could afford the price; if only the lowest rank, no one with money would come. Paying but not achieving the goal—what's the point?
So she did it purely for profit, but who knew what Damien Gray's motives were.
Morgan Shangguan pushed open the door and entered the room. Maxwell Jing, knowing better, didn't follow; he considerately closed the door for them and left. His task was done—though Damien Gray had told him to follow Princess Morgan, he knew when to stay out of the way.
Damien Gray lay on the bed with his eyes closed, his face flushed and brows furrowed, clearly uncomfortable. Morgan Shangguan frowned, reached out to feel his forehead—the heat under her palm made her expression darken. She glanced at the untouched bowl of medicine on the cabinet and felt a surge of anger. "Damien Gray, get up!"
Damien Gray opened his eyes and looked at her, a little dazed. "Morgan..." His voice was hoarse from the fever.
Morgan Shangguan asked coldly, "Why didn't you take your medicine?"
Damien Gray replied weakly, "I'm afraid it's bitter..." Still the same excuse.
Seeing Morgan Shangguan's dark expression, Damien Gray managed a feeble smile and tried to reassure her: "Don't worry, I'll be fine after a nap." With that, he closed his eyes, making it clear he had no intention of taking the medicine.
Watching him close his eyes, acting as if he were ready to die, Morgan Shangguan was exasperated. She'd never seen a man so stubborn and unreasonable!
Taking deep breaths to calm her anger, Morgan Shangguan picked up the bowl of medicine. Without any extra motions, soon steam began to rise from the bowl.
Setting the bowl on the cabinet, Morgan Shangguan said irritably, "Get up!"
Damien Gray opened his eyes and looked at her. Morgan Shangguan snorted, sat on the edge of the bed, helped him sit up, and turned to fetch the medicine bowl—missing the fleeting look of triumph on Damien Gray's face.
Morgan Shangguan glanced at the medicine, took a sip, then leaned in and pressed her lips to Damien Gray's, passing the medicine into his mouth. This time, Damien Gray cooperated and swallowed it, but not before pulling her close and kissing her deeply before letting go.
Morgan Shangguan was too tired to be angry anymore and continued to feed him the medicine, though each time she did, Damien Gray managed to steal another kiss.
After the last mouthful was swallowed, Damien Gray refused to let her go, kissing her deeper and deeper. Their breaths mingled, and it felt as though their hearts drew closer too.
In truth, Morgan Shangguan liked the chilly aura that surrounded Damien Gray. Though it was intimidating and could send shivers down one's spine, she was the exception. Perhaps because she had long lived among ghosts, that cold aura gave her a sense of security, and she gradually let down her guard.
What she didn't know was that Damien Gray was also enchanted by her subtle fragrance. It was unique—gentle as water, different from the scent of the Blue Mist Blossoms blooming in the courtyard. Hers was cool and serene, drifting softly on the breeze, soothing any restless heart with its magical calm.
Morgan Shangguan let him kiss her, sighing inwardly, her eyes complicated. She'd actually compromised with mouth-to-mouth medicine feeding. It seemed that with Damien Gray, she always lost control; things she'd never have done before now happened so naturally.