Watching Henwell stir up so much trouble, Lucy feels a bit baffled, unsure what exactly he’s aiming to accomplish.

  She can only instruct the butler, Number Eight, to keep a closer eye on Henwell.

  On a summer night, Henwell sits under a tree, enjoying the cool breeze, and signals to the butler standing nearby, ready to refill his tea.

  “Sit down! It’s been almost a year, and we’ve never really had a proper conversation!”

  After a moment’s hesitation, Number Eight takes a seat at the stone table.

  Henwell spills the tea on the flowers beside the table, then picks up a wine jug from the ground and fills two cups to the brim.

  He pushes one cup toward the butler and says, “My name’s Henwell! What about you?”

  The butler remains silent for a long moment before finishing his cup of wine.

  “My name is Lu Bajin.”

  Henwell smiles, drains his own cup, then pours two more gsses.

  “I’m a helper hired by Lucy, not her subordinate! You can feel that we’re equals, right?”

  Lu Bajin drinks his cup dry again.

  “I’m the dy’s retainer, not her servant! How did you figure that out?”

  Henwell points to his eyes.

  “Of course I noticed! Your gaze isn’t what a servant’s should be.”

  Lu Bajin lets out a bitter ugh.

  “Heh… To this day, we don’t understand where the dy finds such formidable people like you. Aside from Young Master Henwell, we’ve tried every means to find the others, but there’s no trace. “

  ”If the dy weren’t so certain, we’d think they’d left for good. Yet Henwell has become a rising star in the capital within less than a year. Those other young masters must be no ordinary figures.”

  Henwell smiles.

  “Are you asking me questions? If I answer, you have to answer one for me.”

  Lu Bajin hesitates for a long time before speaking.

  “What exactly are your goals? Why do you help the dy?”

  Henwell thinks for a moment.

  “Because we’re among the few friends and family she has in this world.”

  Lu Bajin suddenly stands up, staring at Henwell.

  “You’re lying! If the dy really had friends or family, we would definitely know!”

  Henwell tilts his head and looks at him.

  “So, she’s an orphan. That’s why we’re sure we’re not her retives.”

  Then Henwell taps lightly on the stone table.

  “Sit down and talk.”

  No sooner does he say this than Lu Bajin abruptly sits back down, disbelief written all over his face.

  “You… you… you’re a Fifth Rank Martial Warrior!”

  At that moment, unseen to Lu Bajin, several illusory chains emerge from the ground, pulling him back and restraining him to the stone bench.

  Facing Lu Bajin’s accusation, Henwell counters,

  “Is that your second question?”

  Without hesitation, Lu Bajin replies,

  “Yes!”

  Henwell shakes his head.

  “I’m not exactly a Fifth Rank Martial Warrior, but I’m barely capable enough to handle things.”

  Before Lu Bajin can speak, Henwell taps the table.

  “My first reply wasn’t a lie, we truly are Lucy’s friends. Now it’s my turn to ask you two questions. First: who exactly is Lucy?”

  Lu Bajin’s voice turns grave.

  “She’s our mistress! Young Master Henwell, you can kill me if you want, but I will never reveal her identity!”

  Henwell waves a hand.

  “Don’t be so sure. Listen to what we’re preparing for Lucy first, then you can make your judgment.”

  He pours two more cups of wine.

  “In two years, she’ll have a hundred thousand elite soldiers, two rge territories, and a complete, effective administrative system. That’s what we’re leaving for Lucy. Given the current situation, that’s the least we can guarantee. “

  ”Before we leave, we’ll also remove some obstacles, whether it’s Fifth Rank Martial Warriors, troublesome officials, or reckless noble families. Even the emperor himself, we have ways to eliminate him.”

  This revetion leaves Lu Bajin stunned for a long moment. Then he looks at Henwell in shock.

  “You’re spies sent by enemy nations!”

  Henwell rolls his eyes.

  “What country could possibly produce people like us? Enough said. This is the gift we’re giving Lucy. She’s destined to rebel. If you have anything valuable, why not talk to us now? With your help, maybe we can build an even greater foundation for Lucy. “

  ”So, I need to know Lucy’s true identity. Otherwise, our pns might unintentionally harm her.”

  Lu Bajin’s expression wrestles with conflict before he finally sighs.

  “Ah… Actually, the man you think is her father isn’t her biological father…”

  After listening to Lu Bajin’s story, Henwell furrows his brow, deep in thought.

  He finally understands why Lucy is so special and why higher-ups sent people like him to assist her.

  Seeing that Henwell doesn’t look overly shocked, Lu Bajin asks in confusion, “You already knew the dy’s identity?”

  Henwell replies, “Not exactly. More like some guesses. What you said fits within those guesses.”

  Lu Bajin pleads with Henwell, “Young Master Henwell, please don’t tell the dy about this. She still doesn’t know her own origins. The time isn’t right yet, and we don’t know if she’ll even get the chance to act in this life. If not, it’s best for her to live a peaceful life.”

  Henwell agrees outwardly but doesn’t really buy it in his heart.

  If Lucy were a native of this world, maybe Lu Bajin is right.

  But Lucy is a reborn soul, carrying an adult’s memories and consciousness from childhood—she definitely knows her true background.

  Henwell keeps this to himself, not sharing it with Lu Bajin.

  After organizing his thoughts, Henwell says, “You arrange contact with your people, and I’ll do the same. Let’s set a time for our outsiders to meet. Our team is about to take action soon. You’ll need to tell us which areas and forces belong to you. Otherwise, if we accidentally smash your turf, don’t bme us.”

  Lu Bajin nods, “I will.”

  Henwell snaps his fingers, breaking the restraints formed by Will Lock.

  Finally, Henwell adds, “I think it’s necessary to keep this from Lucy. She’s focused on love right now, which isn’t a good sign. Neither you nor we friends want her to fall into the pit of love. So together, we’ll pull her back from the edge. She needs to stay clear-headed and understand her destiny.”

  Lu Bajin looks troubled but knows Henwell speaks the truth, so he nods in agreement.

  A few days ter, William arrives after receiving Henwell’s message.

  After hearing the intelligence Henwell id out, William pauses, then ughs aloud. It’s a rare moment.

  “That girl really has a lucky life! The things we risked our lives to seize are things she doesn’t even want to pick up.”

  Henwell shrugs, “Can’t help it. We’re just unlucky. You go protect Fang Yuan and Nathan, and have them talk to Lucy’s people behind the scenes.”

  William understands Henwell’s meaning.

  “Got it. I’ll be careful. If anyone’s hiding in the shadows, waiting to make a move, I’ll make sure they hide even deeper, so deep they’ll never show their face!”