Chapter 138: The Prince’s Banquet

"You little minx!" Ye Tian felt something surging in his nose again and quickly covered it. "Hehe, do you like what you see?" Julie let go of her collar and then released Ye Tian. "I do!" Ye Tian replied in a muffled voice.

Although not as large as Lifier's, they were by no means small—at least the size of a steamed bun. For a man, this was exactly the kind of figure one desired most. "Gray, Lifier heard you!" With that, she darted away. Ye Tian suddenly felt the temperature around him drop by over ten degrees!

"My dear Miss Lifier, are you finished changing?" Ye Tian turned his head mechanically to see a frosty-faced Lifier. "Yes, I am. And in doing so, I also caught a glimpse of your shameless side. Gray, what were you trying to do to my friend?" Lifier's voice was like ice, incredibly cold.

"I—I'm the victim here!" Ye Tian touched his nose helplessly. "Don't be impulsive; we're in a clothing store, and there are others around!" Seeing Lifier's expression darkening by the second, Ye Tian sensed trouble. He glanced to the side and saw that Julie and the others had already fled to a safe distance.

"Fine!" With a swift movement, Ye Tian scooped up the about-to-erupt Lifier and ducked into the changing room. The freezing air vanished instantly, and the surrounding temperature returned to normal. "Oh!" Julie and Komannia both gasped, then tiptoed over cautiously.

Whoosh! Before they could reach the door, a wave of frost spread across the floor. The two were startled and scrambled back to avoid collateral damage, which also stopped the nearby shop assistants from approaching.

"Let me go!" Lifier struggled, her body pressed tightly against Ye Tian's, making her feel extremely uneasy. She fought desperately to break free. "I'll let you go, but only if you promise not to lose your temper again!" No sooner had Ye Tian released her than a crackling sound echoed, and the freezing aura surged back.

Ye Tian was startled and quickly covered Lifier's mouth to prevent her from chanting a spell, causing the frost to vanish once more. "Mmph! Mmph!" Lifier struggled violently. Annoyed, Ye Tian leaned close to her ear and hissed, "If you act up again, I'll eat you!"

Lifier froze, suddenly snapping back to reality. "Are you still going to throw a tantrum?" Ye Tian asked. Lifier shook her head. "Alright, I'm letting you go now. Don't forget that Julie is still outside!" Ye Tian whispered.

Lifier nodded. Ye Tian carefully released her hands, and she glared at him viciously. "Gray, just you wait!" Ye Tian reached out and pressed forward, their noses nearly touching. Lifier recoiled in panic, but her back hit the wall, leaving her nowhere to retreat. "I'm very angry, so I'm going to collect some interest!" With that, he leaned his face in closer.

"No, Gray, don't!" Lifier’s heart raced with tension. She reached out to push him away, but Ye Tian’s body felt like steel, immovable by a weak girl like her. "Don't, Gray!" Lifier suddenly burst into tears.

Ye Tian stopped and gently pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. "I'll let you off this time, but next time... hmph, I'll double it!" He tucked the handkerchief away, turned, and walked out. Lifier let out a long sigh of relief, her heart still pounding wildly.

"Hey, finished so soon?" Julie asked with a mischievous grin, looking at Ye Tian. Her clothes were perfectly intact, suggesting nothing untoward had happened. "Want to try it yourself?" Ye Tian bared his teeth at her. "Wow, I'm so scared!" Julie feigned fear.

"Respected Miss Julie, that’s not a funny joke." Ye Tian sighed. "Want to know why? Tell me what happened inside, and I’ll tell you!" Julie giggled.

"Nothing happened. And let me tell you, if you cause a scene here and we can't leave later, don't blame me!" Ye Tian pouted. "I see." Julie nodded. "Fine, I'll tell you what I meant." She beckoned him over with her finger. Ye Tian hesitated but leaned his head in.

"I was testing how Lifier feels about you, because she has never been close to a man—never!" Julie whispered softly. "You are the first and only man to ever get this close to her, so I was just curious." With that, Julie bit Ye Tian's ear. "You!" Ye Tian jumped in surprise and covered his ear; the bite wasn't hard, so it didn't hurt.

"Hehe, you two really are a pair!" Julie said, walking away with her hands behind her back. "That was a thank-you gift for earlier, don't think too much of it!"

"What could I possibly think?" Ye Tian muttered, rubbing his ear. Julie entered the changing room, and immediately, shrieks echoed from within: "Lifier, Lifier, no! It tickles, it tickles!" The sound was quite loud; fortunately, because of the earlier incident, there were no other customers in the shop, or it would have been quite a spectacle.

"What were you two doing in there?" On the way back, Ye Tian whispered to the flushed Lifier. "Hmph, why do you ask so much!" Lifier's face turned even redder. She replied coldly, "Are you complaining that there isn't enough stuff to carry?"

"Enough, it's quite enough!" Ye Tian said with a wry smile. "By the way, I still haven't seen the clothes you picked out!" "Hmph!" Lifier turned her face away. "Hehe." Ye Tian breathed a sigh of relief, gathered up the bags, and followed Lifier back.

"Miss!" An old butler was waiting respectfully at the entrance. "Father Karnier!" Lifier greeted him happily. "You just got back, why are you out shopping? Aren't you tired?" Karnier asked, his wrinkled face creasing into a smile of concern.

"I'm not tired. How is your health?" Lifier asked. "Don't you worry about me, Miss. This old man is doing just fine!" Karnier smiled at her. "Hurry inside, please. Even if you'd rather not, there are some things that must be done."

"Oh!" Lifier’s mood instantly dampened. "By the way, Miss, the Master is not returning this time." Karnier added suddenly. "What?" Lifier froze. "Alas, Miss, the Master is not coming," Karnier sighed.

"Why?" Lifier asked, puzzled. Behind her, Ye Tian poked her, but she shook her head at him and turned back to Karnier. "Thank you, Father. I'll head in now."

"Very well!" Karnier watched Lifier walk away, then turned to Ye Tian, who was putting down the bags and tidying his clothes. "Young man, I am Karnier, the butler of the Roxanu family. I hope you will serve the Miss well."

"I will, Father Karnier," Ye Tian replied earnestly. "I will fulfill the Miss's wishes." "Then I thank you. Come to think of it, you are the first manservant the Miss has ever truly accepted," Karnier remarked thoughtfully.

"It is my honor. As a butler, I am actually a novice; it is only through the Miss's tolerance that I have remained here this long. I will put my heart into this job," Ye Tian continued. "Good, I believe you will," Karnier laughed. "Go on, the Miss needs you now."

"What did you two talk about?" In Lifier's room, Ye Tian set down the bags and began hanging the clothes one by one. "Nothing much, just that I should do my duty as a butler," Ye Tian laughed.

"Aren't you going to have dinner? Should I start preparing it?" Ye Tian asked. "Don't put that box away!" Lifier suddenly interjected. "Is this what you just bought? Understood." Ye Tian set it aside and continued with his work.

"I have no appetite," Lifier said faintly. "I need to change; help me." She stood up. "Understood, I will go fetch a maid," Ye Tian said and walked out. "Idiot!" Lifier muttered angrily and sat back down.

After changing, the maid came out and said to Ye Tian, who was waiting outside, with a giggle, "It's all up to you now! You must make the Miss the most dazzling star of all!" With that, the maid skipped away.

"The most dazzling, huh? Okay!" Ye Tian loosened his wrists. "Today, I will make you the brightest star!" Entering the room, he saw Lifier sitting by the mirror brushing her hair. From a distance, she looked like a quiet girl next door, yet she appeared so profoundly lonely.

"Close your eyes," Ye Tian said, taking the brush from Lifier’s hand. "Today, I'm going to make you the most dazzling star." "Just don't braid it into a huge ponytail again!" Lifier pouted. Although it looked nice, it felt too rustic and lacked class.

"What's wrong with a braid? Today, I'll show you what a beautiful braid looks like!" Ye Tian gently stroked Lifier's icy-colored long hair. "Close your eyes," he repeated, and Lifier obediently complied.

"Is it done yet?" Lifier had lost count of how many times she had asked, even though it hadn't been long; she simply couldn't calm her heart. "Don't be impatient, it will take a moment. How about this? I'll teach you a method to calm your mind, how about that?"

"Really?" Lifier asked with her eyes closed. "Really. Would I lie to you and risk getting into trouble?" After saying this, Ye Tian gently began to whisper a passage of text to her. "What a strange feeling," Lifier remarked. "Just follow along!" Ye Tian chuckled. "It's not like you have anything else to do, right?"

Lifier followed his instructions. Suddenly, she felt a small, warm pulse dancing in her abdomen, which began to wander to various parts of her body. As Ye Tian’s murmurs continued in her ear, Lifier felt her eyelids grow heavy, and she slowly drifted into a strange, new world.

Suddenly, everything around her became crystal clear. She could see Ye Tian tidying her hair, hear the distant chirping of birds outside, and she even knew that a maid had just passed by the door!

All of this shocked Lifier. Was she dead? No, that couldn't be it; she was still there, as if she were sleeping, still breathing. What was happening? "All done!" Ye Tian said with a grin, patting Lifier on the shoulder.

Lifier woke up with a start, looking at Ye Tian in a daze. "Are you alright?" Ye Tian asked. "I just... I just..." Lifier's voice trailed off. "Just what? Oh, the maid came by to hurry us along earlier. Let's go."

Everything just now had been real! Lifier was certain of it! "Let's go, let's go!" Ye Tian playfully nudged her. "Check if there's anything else you need to take." "Gloves! My gloves!" Lifier said.

Throughout the journey, Lifier kept reflecting on what had happened, while Ye Tian sat beside her, smiling as he watched the scenery go by. "Gray!" Lifier called out suddenly. "Shh!" Ye Tian gently raised a finger to his lips, smiled, and returned to watching the world outside.

Seeing Ye Tian's smug expression, Lifier felt her anger rise. She lifted her foot and tried to stomp on him, but Ye Tian shifted slightly, and *thud!* Lifier only ended up stubbing her own foot. "You!" Lifier grew more frustrated and tried again!

To her dismay, no matter how she tried to stomp in the cramped space, Ye Tian's feet seemed to have eyes of their own. She looked at him, but he never even turned his head, his gaze fixed on the outside world!

"I don't believe this!" Lifier brought both feet together and stomped down with all her might. Ye Tian pulled his feet back, she missed, and her body lurched forward, falling toward him. "Honestly! You're acting like a child!" Ye Tian gently caught her, and her face turned bright red.

"We've arrived," Ye Tian said softly. He helped Lifier up just as the carriage came to a stop. He stepped out first and extended his hand elegantly: "Please step out, my Lady!"