The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 153

The vast room felt especially empty, everything was quiet, so quiet that the sound of the cold wind outside the window could be heard clearly, the wood in the fireplace crackling as it burned and collapsed, and the clock slowly ticking away.

It was a scene of comfort and tranquility, nestled by the fireplace in the winter, with someone keeping you company, even time seemed to slow down.

In the end, it was like an undisturbed sea of silence. Lloyd curled up on the sofa, gazing at the girl by the window.

The sky was nearing darkness, but the room was not illuminated. The dim light from outside made it difficult for Lloyd to see her clearly.

"It's been a long time since we've done this," Seiru suddenly sighed, with a faint smile. "Ever since I became the heir, we haven't had such moments together."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Are you referring to the time we were cooped up in the cargo hold, puking our guts out?"

The journey of bringing Seiru back to Inverg was full of hardships. Lloyd had gone to great lengths to secure two tickets back to Inverg. They had shared a similar quiet time then, but that silence was due to seasickness.

Hearing this, Seiru couldn't help but laugh. For her, it was a rare, beautiful memory, although for Lloyd, he did not wish to experience it again.

"What kind of guest will it be?" Breaking the peaceful silence, Lloyd asked.

"A guest... that will surprise you," Seiru replied. She seemed to enjoy troubling Lloyd.

"Aren't you a detective? Use your amazing deductive skills," she teased, watching the lazy dog curled up on the sofa. This person was like a mist; you never knew from which angle he would surprise you.

"That's not deduction, Seiru. It's just cunning deceit," Lloyd shook his head. He was far from a great detective, just a master of deception, enough to make everyone believe he was a "detective."

"Then why not keep using your deceit? You always find a way to get what you want," Seiru looked back at him. Though there was no extra light, those deep blue eyes seemed to glow slightly, like the eyes of a beast reflecting light in the dark.

"Just like you tricked me, claiming you were my cousin, here to take me home..."

Many winters ago, Lloyd had said this to Seiru, causing the girl to lower her guard and follow him back to Inverg.

It was a fateful meeting. You thought you were alone, only to find a hand reaching out to you through the grayness.

"Deceit must be used flexibly, at different times, from different angles," Lloyd responded calmly.

"I taught you that."

During that not-so-long journey, to make things easier for himself, to kill time, or to give Seiru some self-protection skills, Lloyd had taught her many strange things.

"Yes, convincing deceit," Seiru said slowly. She was good at it, even better than Lloyd with her talent for seeing through hearts.

"So, back then... you were deceiving me too, right?" Her voice sounded like a stone thrown into a silent pond, causing slight ripples.

"Often, deceit is not just the trickster's skill but requires the cooperation of the deceived. But getting a wary person to cooperate is not easy..."

"Unless you know what she wants..."

Lloyd finished Seiru's sentence. Like a weeping woman whose husband went to the front lines, whose life or death was unknown, the best way to deceive her was to hide his fate in words because that was what she wanted to know.