9. You still think you can use beauty tricks?

Just like the judgments I’ve made during these days spent with Kefier and Nilu, regarding Lin Ke’s actions, this lady commander hopes that we will stay in her castle and fully experience the customs of the Merli United Kingdom. It’s not simply a desire for us to stay and wait for the right moment to take us to the “ruins” for an “inspection”!

Lin Ke is stalling for time! It seems she can’t provide us with any information about the “ruins” right now, and she also has some “request” aimed at me.

Dragging this out any longer is just a waste of time and does nothing to benefit the main storyline that has already emerged. So, sensing what Lin Ke intends to do, I’ve decided to personally go find her and “apply some pressure.”

Then, one day.

Taking advantage of Lin Ke’s position as the commander of the kingdom, after finishing her work, she would inevitably return to this ancient castle. That evening, I found the opportunity to meet her alone. On one hand, I benefited from the script’s reminder, but on the other hand, I must also thank the strange situation at Lin Ke’s home: there are pitifully few servants.

Thanks to this blessing, I had been searching all the way and was just about to knock on the door when I encountered no other passersby.

At this moment, the door was slightly ajar, with a beam of light spilling out, indicating that Lin Ke had not retired early for the night but was still working in her home office. As for what she was doing, I could glean a bit from the anxious reprimands that occasionally drifted from the room.

“People! People! People! Am I not being clear enough with you bunch of useless fools!? I need a lot of people right now! Just get me anyone you can find in the Federation! Otherwise, the recent orders will fall through, and with the penalties, we’ll all end up bankrupt, washing dishes at a fast-food joint!”

It seemed there was no need for me to speculate further.

“Sorry to interrupt, Miss Lin Ke.”

I pushed the door open without knocking, watching as the girl in front of me, who had nearly smashed a magic stone in her fluster, slowly calmed down, then hurriedly put on her usual exaggerated smile.

“W… wow! It’s Mr. Oujilide! Ha, haha! Don’t you folks from the Great Ying Empire have a habit of knocking?”

As she spoke, Lin Ke stacked a large pile of paper documents on her desk and hid them behind her, spreading her arms as if to welcome me, but in reality, blocking my way.

“People from the Great Ying Empire only knock on closed doors. Miss Lin Ke, you might want to develop the habit of closing the door behind you.”

Otherwise, anyone could see at a glance that you have something on your mind, especially when you’re so flustered that you forget to close the door.

Though the girl before me was troubled, she was still the Supreme Leader of the Meri United Kingdom and a “businesswoman” at that. I couldn’t afford to be careless and went straight to the point.

“Miss Lin Ke, I came to visit late at night to ask when we can go to the ‘relics’ site you mentioned to check the goods? You shouldn’t be unaware, right? The value of relics decreases the longer they are unearthed. If you keep dragging this out, and something happens at the site—like damage or loss—you’ll have to give us a discount for the Rodma Empire.”

There was definitely something wrong with the relics excavated by the Meri United Kingdom. Lin Ke’s previous evasive attitude was proof enough, and her response now only confirmed my suspicions!

“Ah… ahaha~ this, it’s going smoothly~”

She had lost all information about the relics and was now trying to fool me with vague terms like “smoothly”! Then…

“Speaking of which, Mr. Oujilide, you seemed quite busy with the ladies you brought along before, so I didn’t want to interrupt. But today, you finally have some time, right?”

As she spoke, Lin Ke walked past me toward what was likely a wardrobe in the room.

“So, this is a rare opportunity, and you are an important buyer for me. I recently discovered a nice place nearby. Would you do me the honor of joining me for a candlelit dinner?”

“…”

I remained silent in response. After all, what was the point of a candlelit dinner at this late hour? I didn’t even want to dwell on it, but Lin Ke’s next move made me frown even more.

“Ah, right! Since we’re going out, I naturally need to change into something else~ Which of these dresses do you think suits me best?”

Turning around, with her back to the many beautiful and extravagant outfits, Lin Ke…

Threw me a flirtatious glance.

“Tonight, what kind of me you want is up to you to decide~”

“……”

Sigh… how should I put this.

It’s a bit hard to explain. The Lin Ke before me is indeed a beautiful girl, but… over the past couple of days, I’ve basically been thoroughly “drained” both physically and mentally by Ke Fei Er and Ni Lu. In this sage-like state I’m in right now, I have absolutely no extra wicked thoughts about the temptation brought by the girl in front of me.

To put it another way… compared to Ke Fei Er and Ni Lu, Miss Lin Ke, you really need to step back a bit when it comes to “temptation.”

The “main storyline” can’t be delayed any longer. Knowing it’s about time, I sighed and then… spoke coldly.

“Miss Lin Ke, let’s drop the act of being a lady at this point.”

“Ugh…”

“Now, tell me, what exactly happened at the ‘ruins’ you found?”

What happened at the “ruins” is precisely the reason Lin Ke has been getting closer to me recently! If I could barely consider Lin Ke’s first appearance during that night with Ke Fei Er as a “coincidence,” then her coming over again while I was with Ni Lu was clearly intentional on her part.

She’s looking for a chance to get close to me, but unfortunately… both times she ran into Ke Fei Er and Ni Lu while they were “doing something” with me, which annoyed the two big shots. It seems she had no choice but to make a quick exit, which is quite the maybe.

As for her intentions, they are evidently similar to the not-so-skillful “seduction” she just attempted on me. She wants to “buy me off” in this way, and if she succeeds, Ke Fei Er and Ni Lu wouldn’t have any complaints under my command. From this perspective, Lin Ke truly is a businesswoman, accurately assessing the dynamics between the three of us.

And now that I have evidence, time doesn’t allow me to continue dragging this out. Lin Ke has also shown signs of weakness, seeking my help, so I naturally won’t keep playing dumb.

“I understand your previous ‘coincidences,’ so there’s no need for any ‘seduction techniques.’ By the way, Miss Lin Ke, you really don’t meet the standards for ‘seduction,’ do you? You think just by letting me choose a dress, I would take the bait? Do you think too highly of my innocence?”

“Shut up… If it weren’t for the circumstances, don’t think I’d want to do something so disgusting.”

Lin Ke put on an awkward expression, letting out a bitter laugh, at least returning to her original demeanor.

“Ahaha~ But now it’s over, calculating the breach of contract, it feels like my capital is going to be lost… Do you guys from the Rodema Empire or the Great Ying Empire still hire secretaries, accountants, or something?”

“Don’t rush, I haven’t mentioned canceling the order yet.”

I rubbed my forehead. “First, tell me what’s wrong with those things you dug up?”

For Lin Ke, someone who’s all about business, to directly mention “losing money” must mean it’s no small matter.