As for Emilia, her cheeks were slightly flushed, clearly not used to Subaru being so close to her.
"Good morning!"
Parker's sudden appearance broke the silence.
"486 is very energetic today too!"
“Parker! Don’t be so rude. How can you call Subaru Natsuki that?”
Emilia rolled her eyes. The nickname "486" originated from Hao Yun, and she hadn't expected Parker to be influenced by it.
"It's okay, Parker can call you whatever you want."
Subaru and Puck exchanged a fist bump, which can be considered as reaching an agreement.
"Are we going to the royal selection? Time flies!"
Parker couldn't help but sigh, then flew out of the car window to find Hao Yun.
"Good morning!"
Good morning, Parker.
Hao Yun looked up and greeted her, then continued to tease Rem.
"My friend is actually flirting with the maid! Do you have a taste for that? I'm so sorry for my daughter!"
Parker made a heartbroken gesture and slowly rested his head on Hao Yun's shoulder.
Rem's face flushed red instantly. Because she was distracted, the carriage drove into a puddle, causing it to lurch violently.
"Subaru Natsuki, are you alright?"
Because of the jolting of the carriage, Subaru Natsuki fell inside, and Emilia quickly helped him up.
"It's alright, it's alright!"
Subaru Natsuki smiled and brushed the dust off his clothes.
"I'm sorry, Lady Emilia."
Rem quickly apologized, but Emilia, who was always kind, didn't take it to heart at all.
"It's okay, Rem."
Parker stuck out his tongue, leaned on Hao Yun's shoulder, and looked at the wine jug.
"It smells so good! Let me have a taste."
"You can drink?"
"Of course! I'm an elf!"
Parker patted his chest, put his head close to the bottle opening, and took a sip.
"Ah! Fine wine!"
Hao Yun smiled. It had to be good wine; he had brewed it himself.
"Here, have a bottle."
The two of them each had a bottle of wine and started gulping it down.
Rem wanted to stop it, but in the end she held back.
Soon, a drunken Parker returned to the carriage and lay down on Emilia's lap to sober up.
"Parker, why are you drinking?"
Emilia frowned slightly upon smelling the alcohol.
"It's okay, it's okay, I only drank a little bit, let me rest for a bit."
After letting out a burp, Parker fell fast asleep.
"I just can't do anything with you."
Emilia carefully placed Puck in the middle of her lap to prevent her from falling.
"I remember Parker is an elf, right? Elves get drunk too?"
Subaru looked at Puck with a puzzled expression and couldn't help but reach out and poke him twice.
"Shh, don't disturb him, let Parker rest for a while."
After a morning's journey, the dragon carriage finally arrived in the capital.
Roswaal also had a house in the royal capital, so Rem went straight back to her residence after entering the city.
"Lady Emilia, please get out of the carriage and rest. The royal selection will begin in two hours."
"OK."
Emilia stepped off the carriage, feeling somewhat uneasy. She wondered if others would accept her half-elf identity.
I'm going out for a walk.
After saying hello, Hao Yun walked out of the house.
"Take care on your journey and come back soon. We'll be heading back to the manor tonight."
Emilia did not stop him, because Hao Yun was not her knight, and he could not go to the palace with her when the royal selection began.
"Okay."
Hao Yun waved goodbye and walked away into the distance, onto an unfamiliar street. After wandering around, Hao Yun arrived at a fruit stand.
"Boss, it's been a long time."
The fruit stall owner, who had nothing to do, saw that Hao Yun was another big customer and came out to greet him with a smile.
"Hello, young master! Here to buy fruit again?"
Hao Yun hummed in agreement and tossed a gold coin to the fruit stand owner.
"Wrap these up for me. By the way, has anything happened in Wangdu lately?"
Without hesitation, the fruit stall owner replied, "Yes! The royal selection has begun, and I heard there's a half-demon involved. I really don't know what the wise man is thinking, how could he let a half-demon participate?"
Hao Yun stroked his chin. Emilia's identity as a half-elf was indeed an obstacle; it was basically difficult for her to gain the recognition of others.
"Hand over all your valuables, or I'll slash your face!"
The familiar voice caught Hao Yun's attention.
Whoa! It's those three thugs again. Is this area their territory? Why do I always run into them?
"Boss, you pack the fruit first, I'll go take a look."
As Hao Yun walked into the alley, he coughed.
"Hey, is this area your territory?"
The silver-haired youth brandished the dagger in his hand, his face filled with a fierce glint.
"You brat, mind your own business! Go back to where you came from!"
"A bunch of utterly boring people, they really disappoint me."
The woman, who was stuck in the alley, spoke up at this moment.
Hao Yun stepped past the thugs and looked at the woman. She wore a fiery red dress and held a lady's fan. What interested Hao Yun the most was the protective power that filled her body.
"You stinking woman, if you keep making noise, I'll smash your face!"
The short, thug angrily yelled at the woman.
"What a bunch of idiots, yelling and shouting without even understanding the situation."
"I think you're absolutely right. If they understood the situation, they would have already run away by now and wouldn't have bothered with you either."
Hao Yun took a bite of the apple in his hand and nodded in agreement.
"Go! Kill him!"
The three thugs rushed forward, wanting to deal with Hao Yun, who was meddling in their business, first.
"I was originally going to let you off the hook because you looked familiar, but since you insist on coming closer, then I have no choice..."
He swiftly kicked out, and the three thugs fell to the ground.
"I'll have to teach you a lesson. Next time you're out robbing, keep your eyes open. That guy over there is not someone you can mess with. Why don't you run away?"
Chapter 255 Subaru Natsuki, the Troublemaker
"I really didn't expect Your Excellency to let them go. I was originally planning to punish them properly, but it seems I won't have the chance now."
The woman's gaze lingered on Hao Yun, clearly showing interest in him.
"I can't help it, I'm a soft-hearted person and can't bear to see them suffer. Goodbye."
From her attire, Hao Yun guessed the woman's identity: Priscilla, one of the Wang selections, an extremely arrogant woman.
She also had a nickname, the Blood Bride, because all the men who married her would die suddenly on their wedding night.
"Does Your Excellency consider me a cruel person?"
Priscilla slowly walked up to Hao Yun and looked him straight in the eye.
Isn't that so?
Hao Yun took a bite of the apple and asked with a smile.
"You are the first person to dare call me cruel to my face, so shall I show you my cruelty?"
"Brother, I didn't expect to see you here."
The alleyway grew dark, and a tall giant walked in.
"It's me again, Mr. Rom!"
Hao Yun turned around and greeted him with a smile.
Would you like some fruit?