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"Rustle… Rustle…"
Amid the sound of grass and leaves rubbing against each other, Fang Li walked down the mountain path.
"Chirp… chirp…"
Along the way, dark figures occasionally blocked the path or darted out from the forest on either side, but before they could launch an attack, they were frightened away by a trace of murderous aura, not even revealing their full forms. They seemed to be some low-tier monsters.
Basically, Fang Li was walking along the edge of the forest, so the monsters he encountered were indeed low-tier. The truly powerful monsters were likely hidden deep within the forest and wouldn't linger in such peripheral areas.
Originally, Fang Li wanted to see the monsters of this world, which was why he didn't choose to fly away directly. However, the young girl following him once again disrupted his plans.
"Rip…"
The sound of fabric tearing echoed.
"Iya!" Iris's exclamation followed.
Fang Li stopped and turned around helplessly, looking behind him. There, Iris was holding her Holy Sword like a pillow, trembling with fear as she followed Fang Li.
The sound of fabric tearing was the sound of Iris's clothes being ripped. The clothes Iris wore were not convenient attire but rather a light and luxurious dress. And this was not some dance party venue but an unknown wilderness.
Thus, walking through the densely forested area, Iris's dress was naturally inconvenient, with the hem of the skirt getting caught on branches and the fabric being torn, leaving her clothes tattered and full of holes.
"Mmm…" Iris could only hold the Holy Sword, which seemed like a struggle to carry, with tears in the corners of her eyes, looking up at Fang Li.
Perhaps, for Iris, this was a very natural action. However, Fang Li really wanted to say that a young girl who was cute in every way, and a princess at that, looking up at someone with tears in her eyes, would likely awaken some extraordinary attributes in many otherwise normal people.
After all, even Fang Li couldn't help but feel a bit soft-hearted.
"I shouldn't have impulsively kidnapped you." Fang Li truly sighed.
Kidnapping this princess was really just an impulse on Fang Li's part. It was all because that noble girl named Claire spoke so arrogantly, constantly mentioning death sentences and unforgivable crimes. With Fang Li's personality, he naturally retaliated a hundredfold, making the other party as anxious as possible.
Now, it seemed the anger had been vented, but it had also brought him quite a bit of trouble. However, the trouble of infiltrating the Royal Castle was already significant, right?
So, it didn't matter much.
Only, Iris mistakenly thought Fang Li was angry. Holding the Holy Sword, her petite body shrank slightly, as if trying to hide behind the sword, and she timidly spoke.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble…" It seemed this princess was the introverted type.
Seeing this, Fang Li sighed again, knelt on one knee, and opened his arms to Iris, saying,
"Come here, I'll take you back."
Hearing this, Iris was slightly stunned.
"Take me back?" Iris hesitated. "But, Claire…"
What Iris wanted to express, Fang Li wasn't unaware.
"You're saying that since I've just committed the serious crime of infiltrating the Royal Castle and kidnapping the princess, going back now would be like walking into a trap, right?" Fang Li said with a self-deprecating laugh. "You don't need to worry about that. Those people can't do anything to me anyway."
Regarding Fang Li's statement, Iris was still hesitant.
"B-but…"
Seeing that Iris still wanted to say something, Fang Li directly interrupted.
"Alright, no more 'buts.' Come here quickly."
The impolite scolding should have frightened Iris, given her introverted nature.
At least, that's what Fang Li thought.
However, to Fang Li's surprise, Iris not only wasn't frightened but instead seemed somewhat happy, nodding repeatedly and walking toward Fang Li.
In one version, there's no mistake!
However, Iris soon stopped again, looking at Fang Li's open arms, her face slightly red.
"Um… that…" Iris raised her eyelids, stealing glances at Fang Li while cautiously saying, "Can we not hold each other?"
It seemed this girl, probably not even thirteen yet, was quite mature for her age, actually feeling shy about this.
Fang Li gave Iris a somewhat exasperated look, turned around, and exposed his back to her, saying, "Then is carrying you on my back okay?"
"…Mmm… Un!" Iris immediately nodded vigorously, with a somewhat eager expression, and carefully leaned onto Fang Li 's back.
Fang Li felt the almost weightless petite body press against him, and then he lifted the princess onto his back.
"...Is this what it feels like to be carried by someone?" Iris murmured to herself, "It feels so warm…"
Hearing these words, Fang Li raised an eyebrow slightly.
"What's wrong?" Fang Li asked. "Have you never been carried by anyone before?"
"I think I might have when I was little," Iris replied honestly. "But I've forgotten."
Her light voice carried a hint of loneliness. Clearly, as a princess of a country, Iris had not enjoyed the privileges of childhood once she became a bit more aware.
As a descendant of a Hero with immense potential, she must have started receiving various forms of education and training at a very young age to not waste her talents, which likely contributed to her current Fourth Rank strength.
Moreover, as a princess of the Royal Family, Iris must have been doted upon and never treated roughly. Thus, being scolded by Fang Li without reservation or experiencing being carried like this would make the princess feel happy.
"Um…" Iris said somewhat embarrassedly, "Can we not fly back?"
Implying that she wanted Fang Li to carry her all the way back, this somewhat spoiled request didn't even allow Fang Li to respond before Iris seemed to realize it and quickly corrected herself.
"Uh… I'm sorry, just pretend I didn't say that."
Unfortunately, it was too late for that.
"Isn't this a kind of fate?" Fang Li smirked and said, "The princess's rare moment of willfulness, let this reckless thief fulfill it; it seems quite interesting."
Saying this, Fang Li began to walk slowly toward Yamashita, carrying the little princess on his back. Unbeknownst to him, behind him, the princess named Iris wore a smile that had never appeared before, extending her arms to wrap around Fang Li's neck.
(End Of This Chapter)