Liam Duanmu suddenly clenched his fists, his expression darkening. "Prince Ethan agreed?" He looked up at Morgan Shangguan, wanting to say something, but in the end, his lips moved without a word escaping.
Morgan Shangguan nodded lightly and replied with indifference, "My identity brings me no real benefit, so it's better not to want anything at all." Sometimes, asking for nothing only invites suspicion; asking for a lot, on the other hand, can put people at ease. Clearly, this was such a situation—her agreement with Prince Ethan was now established.
However, if Prince Ethan were to go back on his word, she would be powerless to stop him. To show her concern, she could only ask Liam Duanmu to bear witness. Although Liam Duanmu now counted as one of Prince Ethan's people, everyone knew the Martial Alliance Leader's reputation for keeping his promises.
Prince Ethan asked with curiosity, "How do you two know each other?" Given Morgan Shangguan's status, they shouldn't have crossed paths.
Morgan Shangguan didn't answer immediately. There was no point in hiding it, and no need to fabricate a lie. It was better to let Liam Duanmu speak first, and then she could offer a reasonable explanation.
But in front of Lady Sapphire, she had claimed to be praying all along. If Prince Ethan found out she wasn't truly loyal to Prince Damien, her credibility would suffer, and Prince Ethan would surely begin to doubt her.
Although Liam Duanmu didn't know why Morgan Shangguan would go to Blue Lake City, he guessed it was something she couldn't disclose. He glanced at Morgan Shangguan before speaking, "My mother once went to Serenity Temple to pray and brought back a portrait. It was of Princess Morgan." Prince Ethan had told him about Morgan's prayers.
His words were half true. His mother really had been at Serenity Temple during that time, and as the wife of the Master of the First Manor, she was known for her painting skills. This wasn't a secret, and he wasn't afraid of Prince Ethan investigating.
Morgan Shangguan couldn't help but glance at Liam Duanmu, surprised inwardly but showing nothing on her face. She merely smiled and said, "The Manor Master's wife is quite interesting. She kept talking about the Alliance Leader and even showed me his portrait. She truly captured his spirit! She even joked that the Alliance Leader should marry me..." At this, she paused awkwardly before changing the topic. "But I was focused on praying at the time, and she wanted to barge in to see me. I almost hurt her by mistake—how embarrassing!"
Now it made sense—Liam Duanmu had only seen her portrait, which explained how she recognized him.
Since the Manor Master's wife wanted Morgan Shangguan as her daughter-in-law, she naturally told her many things about Liam Duanmu. Morgan thus gained a certain understanding of him. It was common knowledge that the Manor Master's wife's paintings captured true spirit; even if Liam Duanmu changed his appearance, his aura remained unchanged. After that commotion, Morgan remembered Liam's name clearly. The incident was recent, and with Prince Ethan's reminder about the name 'Liam,' it was only natural that he was the first person she thought of.
As for why, during her prayers, even the Crown Princess and Lady Julia couldn't see her, yet she spoke so much with the Manor Master's wife? It was because the Manor Master's wife barged in, and Morgan's moment of softness allowed the meeting.
With her explanation, the lie was wrapped up perfectly—there was not a single flaw to be found.
Prince Ethan laughed, "What a shame—Princess Morgan is already the consort of the Third Prince!"
Liam Duanmu tugged at the corner of his mouth and replied with a bitter voice, "Yes. Ever since my mother returned a few days ago, she has been sighing nonstop."
Prince Ethan glanced at him—surely it wasn't just the Manor Master's wife who was disappointed, but the Martial Alliance Leader as well.
Suddenly, Liam Duanmu sat up straight, his body tense. A cold glint flashed in Prince Ethan's eyes, but Morgan Shangguan remained calm and serene as ever.
Although she had sensed a hint of murderous intent long ago, wasn't she a weak woman? Naturally, it was for others to protect her!
"Splash..."
With a sudden splash, a group of black-clad figures appeared on the pleasure boat. Half of them rushed inside instantly, while the other half remained outside, standing guard.
As the Martial Alliance Leader, Liam Duanmu's martial arts were extraordinary, and Prince Ethan was no slouch either. Only Morgan Shangguan, the 'weak woman,' knew no martial arts, but with Liam Duanmu protecting her, she remained unharmed.
Prince Ethan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Seeing her still so calm and composed, his gaze held a hint of admiration. Such composure was rare even among men—fortunately, she was only a woman!
Morgan Shangguan looked at the group of people wearing ghost masks, a faint smile appearing in her eyes. There was no need to ask—these were clearly members of the Ghost Sect!
"Princess Consort..." Just then, Jing Moxhen rushed in. "Princess Consort, are you alright?" He had just learned that the Ghost Sect had accepted the Crown Prince's order, and unexpectedly, Princess Consort was present too. Behind Prince Ethan and Liam Duanmu, he secretly signaled to the black-clad men. They merely pretended to attack Morgan Shangguan, focusing their efforts on Prince Ethan. Their true target was Prince Ethan, but Morgan's composure made them wary of her.
Prince Ethan was already struggling to keep up. Seeing that Morgan Shangguan had Jing Moxhen's protection, Liam Duanmu quickly moved to help Prince Ethan fend off the attackers.
These attackers were skilled, but with Liam Duanmu, the Martial Alliance Leader, present, it was hard for them to gain the upper hand. After a while, their strength began to wane.
Suddenly, one of the black-clad men made a gesture, and in the blink of an eye, the whole group vanished without a trace. Their speed was truly remarkable!
Morgan Shangguan twitched the corner of her mouth. So these were Prince Adrian's people?
Prince Ethan snorted coldly. Seeing Jing Moxhen present, he said nothing more.
After a moment of silence, Prince Ethan looked at Morgan Shangguan and, feigning concern, said, "Princess Morgan, you'd better let Liam accompany you. I'm afraid those assassins will target you next!"
Jing Moxhen silently grumbled to himself—such a thing was impossible, and even if Princess Consort were in danger, it wasn't Prince Ethan's place to worry!
Morgan Shangguan understood that Prince Ethan wanted to plant Liam Duanmu in the Ghost King's Manor. Clearly, his greatest concern was Prince Adrian.
Although Liam Duanmu had helped her, letting him enter the Ghost King's Manor would surely bring trouble. Still, she needed to show some sincerity in cooperation now, so Morgan nodded in agreement, and Liam Duanmu did not object.
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