The next day, Louis cornered Beatrice in a corner.

"Beatrice, don't move."

Soon, a cry of sadness came from the room.

Louis looked at her, cornered and unable to escape, her clothes disheveled, leaning weakly against the corner of the wall. He smiled and said:

"Before a fiancé goes into battle, he surely needs to draw some courage from his beautiful fiancée."

Beatrice's face was flushed, looking at the faint red marks left on her body in the mirror, she said:

"You call this courage?"

Louis straightened up and said:

"Of course, just thinking about having a beautiful fiancée waiting for me to return makes me fight even more bravely."

A night had already passed since meeting the Black Swan last night.

Late at night, Louis had to ask the hotel staff to help change his room and compensate for the damages to the bed.

The situation last night was very awkward.

The female service attendant who came to help change the room looked at the bed broken into two pieces in the room and fell into contemplation.

She had heard that some powerful close-combat professionals sometimes trained together in the room at night and could break the bed board due to excessive action.

But with her limited wisdom, she found it difficult to understand just how extreme it must be to directly damage an entire bed like this.

She didn't dare ask more.

Professionals with such abilities were too terrifying for her.

What if she accidentally caught their attention and got hurt?

She was just an ordinary girl and couldn't assume her body was much harder than a bed board.

After taking one look at Louis, she suddenly thought trying might not be so bad.

Unfortunately, even after changing the room, Louis gave no indication.

Realizing the attendant didn't leave right away after tidying up and was looking at him curiously, Louis could only remind her:

"Miss, I can handle the rest myself."

After the female attendant left the room filled with regret, Louis took a long time to fall asleep.

The next morning, he couldn't wait to find Beatrice.

No choice!

After encountering the Black Swan last night, he couldn't speak about it.

Though he did threaten the Black Swan, Louis was sure the Black Swan would be absolutely decisive if he ever tried to disclose their encounter.

Little Swan and Black Swan had distinctly different personalities:

The Black Swan advanced to legendary status so quickly because she is ruthless to herself.

He had no intention to cause trouble.

Of course, mainly because their interests were aligned.

Leaving the Ense Empire was impossible.

The others could be disregarded, but Louis was certain that if he dared to leave, forces from all sides would demonstrate to him "The Great Sin: A Hundred Ways to Die from Greed".

For example, the Church of Glory and Justice.

Earlier, when he encountered Pope Calio, he practically wrote "If you dare let The Great Sin: Greed run rampant, I'll dare kill you" on his face.

Louis didn't dare ensure Calio wouldn't actually take action once he left Ense.

He suspected the only reason he wasn't dealt with immediately was because of Ense's regard.

Moreover, even if Pope Calio didn't strike at him, who could guarantee other priests from the Church of the God of Glory wouldn't consider eradicating evil?

Even if the entire Church of Glory didn't attack him, given Emperor Lao Deng's situation, it's clear the Abyss wants to recall the Seven Sins to Hell as their minions.

He had no habit of descending into the Abyss.

Ordinary people didn't pose much danger.

But he, who bore the Great Sin before his rebirth, had no choice.

It's like those who previously said "avoid big power rise, seek people's happiness".

But thinking critically, for big powers, there's no option besides rising.

Small countries could consider playing both sides.

At most, be someone's minion, with the dubious benefit of becoming moldy cheese.

Yet, if big countries abandon struggle, what awaits is dismemberment.

Even excluding human value, the vast land alone is worthy of war.

Hence, only two paths can be picked:

Try hard to ascend or accept dismemberment.

For him, it's the same.

Either give up and flee, ready to fall into the Abyss or be eliminated;

or stay and find ways to control power, leveraging future diaries to build the empire into an impenetrable fortress.

Louis clearly chose the latter.

Though not fond of disputes, it's clear saving Emperor Lao Deng costs mere brainpower.

But leaving Ense, the cost could well be his life.

"Beatrice, I will quickly take care of Jade Phoenix Mage's matters."

"When we return, accompany me to see the flowers."

Beatrice glanced at him and said, "Alright."

After a moment, she added:

"If you encounter an unbeatable danger, surrender immediately and find a way to stall until I arrive."

Louis: "..."

Beatrice seriously said:

"Obey, don't try to be strong, I don't want anything to happen to you."

Her face flushed, she leaned closer to whisper:

"If you obey, there will be a reward when you return."

Louis' eyes slightly brightened:

"Is it the reward I'm thinking of?"

—At this moment of greed, Louis instantly interpreted the reward as Gold Coins.

For The Great Sin: Greed, nothing was more exhilarating than Gold Coins.

Beatrice's cheeks turned red, but she still reached out to embrace him, willingly offering a fragrant kiss.

Louis responded directly.

Amidst he hearing a sound of trickling water within the room.

Perhaps it was the sound of the creek rushing outside?

For a long time.

The two gently parted, only then did Beatrice say quietly:

"When you return from this journey, let's take a further step, don't tell anyone, or else~ I'll hide away."

Louis' eyes lit up, fully understanding what Beatrice implied.

He leaned lightly against Beatrice, gazing alight:

"What kind of further step?"

Beatrice looked at him with shame and annoyance before closing her eyes, her long eyelashes slightly trembling:

"Aside from what's saved for marriage, everything else is up to you."

Suddenly, Louis' heart raced.

He vividly experienced what it means for a beauty to be like a painting at that moment.

Beatrice, in her sweetly shy pose with closed eyes, utterly overshadowed his desire for Gold Coins.

Gold Coins?

What Gold Coins?

We ain't acquainted!

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