[Genshin Impact] A world where only travelers are alone.

Chapter 35 Killing the Chicken to Warn the Monkey

Ventara thought she must have misheard, because such words didn't sound like something an upright warden would say, but unfortunately, Leosley was serious.

He increased the force in his hand, but kept it at a level that was hard to ignore without actually hurting her.

He looked down, meeting the girl's evasive gaze, and chuckled softly, "Don't just focus on being nervous, Ventara. You're my most capable assistant; you can definitely stay calm in this situation, right?"

Ventara wanted to punch him.

Unfortunately, she is now at someone else's mercy and has no way to do anything about it.

Leosley continued, "Don't you find this position familiar? Perhaps you need a gentle reminder, ma'am, to think carefully about what exactly happened last night—"

Knowing that if she couldn't figure it out, his actions would probably go far beyond this, Ventara had no choice but to rack her brains as much as possible.

Hands held down, cheek pressed close...

Several images seemed to flash through her mind.

However, in those scenes, the roles of the dominant and the submissive were completely reversed; it was she who pinned Leosley down on the bed.

Ventara's eyes widened suddenly, looking incredulous.

Seeing that she had finally remembered, Leosley naturally no longer needed to maintain the current posture.

He decisively let go and stepped aside.

Even so, Ventara was still unable to extricate herself from this immense blow.

After recalling a few things, the subsequent memories flooded into her mind like a burst dam, even the man's low, hoarse breathing from last night became clear.

She never expected that she would be the one to strike first.

"You remembered?" Leosley leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and teased.

"No, I didn't understand what you said..." Ventara refused to admit that she was the one who did it, stubbornly continuing to deny it.

"I see—"

Leosley made a show of remarking as he walked towards her.

Ventara immediately shrank back warily, but there was already a wall behind her, leaving her no room to retreat further.

She asked loudly, her voice trembling with fear, "What are you going to do!"

"Of course, I'm trying to help you remember what happened last night. I don't mind going a little further." Leosley reached out and pressed his hand to his lips suggestively.

Untara immediately recalled the sensation of their lips meeting, and her face flushed red.

Fortunately, the place was dimly lit, enough to conceal her inappropriate shyness.

Leosley is still getting closer.

Ventara had no choice but to surrender: "No, no, I remember! I remember everything!"

"real?"

"real!"

Ventara was practically swearing an oath.

Leosley liked her reaction.

His initial intention to tease her casually had completely taken over, causing him to temporarily forget his business and instead try to elicit more interesting reactions from her.

He put on a mournful expression: "You have to take responsibility for me, Ventara."

Ventara didn't want to take responsibility; Ventara just wanted to be a cold-hearted woman.

But when she saw the bite mark on the man's chest that was vaguely visible under his open collar as he "inadvertently" loosened his tie, she felt guilty.

However, as a seasoned assistant in Melo Petersburg, Ventara has seen her share of big scenes. For example, a few days ago, she was caught for deceiving a young girl in prison, and was later found to have a wife and children outside. As a result, she was taken to the boxing ring by Leosley for a "friendly sparring session".

...Wait, this example doesn't seem to be used quite correctly!

Ventara felt like her brain had turned into a mess.

Finally, a strange equation was born in her mind.

She has no wife or children outside = she can deceive others in Mello Petersburg = she slept with Leosley without any problem = she doesn't need to take responsibility!

Ventara's eyes lit up, and she blurted out, "It was just a one-night stand; I don't need to take responsibility!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Ventara froze.

Something seems off?

She only snapped out of her daze and looked at him blankly when Leosley couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The Duke wore an enigmatic smile: "Excuse my bluntness, Ventara, but even in Fontainebleau, a one-night stand is a crime punishable by imprisonment in Mero Petersburg—"

Just like absurd rules such as not being able to eat ketchup alone in a restaurant or not being able to name your pet "Furina," a one-night stand that might be reasonable elsewhere is a crime in Fontainebleau.

In fact, Fontainebleau people are mostly promiscuous, and one-night stands were quite common a long time ago. However, such behavior was banned after the current Supreme Judge, Navilette, took over the position.

This serious and meticulous adult, after being flirted with by noble ladies both openly and secretly many times because of his outstanding appearance, finally got fed up and wrote this into the law.

Ventara wished she could go back a minute and slap her own brainless self, but time couldn't really be reversed, and now she could only watch Leosley rack his brains for a solution.

Unfortunately, Leosley wasn't going to give her that chance again.

"If you insist on this statement, I'm afraid I'll have to reassign you to a cell meant for prisoners—"

At that moment, Ventara even considered giving up entirely, thinking that she might as well just let it go, since her room was probably still a mess and there was no reason for her to go back.

However, Leosley's next words dispelled her idea.

"Want to guess whether I'll give you any special treatment now that you're a criminal for the crime of forcing the Duke?"

Ventara gritted her teeth: "Despicable!"

Leosley didn't mind receiving such a comment, after all, he had indeed threatened her.

His idea was simple: since Ventara was unwilling to tell him what she had been through, he would find out about it himself.

*

Ventara ultimately chose to compromise, and thus she now has a brand-new identity—the Duke's secret girlfriend.

The word "secret" was added at her own insistence.

She didn't want her private affairs to become public knowledge because of Leosley's popularity in this prison.

Even though others were unaware of their relationship, Ventara, as the only woman who could stay by his side for an extended period, still received widespread attention.

This attention has been there since she chose to become Leosley's assistant, and not just now, but perhaps because of the added title of girlfriend, she is more sensitive to such scrutiny.

*

That night, the atmosphere at the Melo Petersburg underground boxing ring, which should have been bustling with activity, was quite different.

The audience, who usually act as the atmosphere-setter, cheering or booing, were unusually quiet today, watching the almost one-sided domination on the ring with trepidation.

They were both familiar with the two men fighting on the stage; one was a rising star in the boxing world, and the other was the Duke's assistant who was always by his side.

Can an ordinary assistant really be that capable...?

The fight in the ring was coming to an end. One of them seemed to finally find this kind of complete domination boring. He stopped throwing punches at his opponent and instead used an over-the-shoulder throw to slam him to the ground.

The man was still unwilling to give up and tried to get up again, but because his waist and abdomen were in so much pain from being hit, he could only struggle with all four limbs.

Ventara clapped her hands, brushing away the dust, then removed the protective gear from her head, coldly watching his embarrassing attempt to stand up and then fall back down.

The boxing ring announcer, Rosimov, swallowed hard, looking utterly dumbfounded.

Ventara gave him an impatient look. "Isn't it time to deliver the verdict, Mr. Rosimov?"

"Yes, yes!" Although the tone was indifferent, Rosimov felt a threat in it and shivered involuntarily.

After confirming that Ventara's opponent had no chance of getting up, he quickly and loudly announced the winner of the boxing match: "I declare—the winner is Miss Ventara!"

Ventara nodded indifferently, showing no emotion, and casually tossed the protective gear she was wearing to him.

She walked over to the loser and patted his face: "Well then, as agreed before the match, I'll pull out your teeth."

The bruised and battered guy finally showed fear and begged her to spare him this time, but unfortunately, Ventara wasn't buying it.

"I thought you were prepared for this when you were badmouthing others behind their backs."

Yes, this sudden boxing match was not without reason, but a premeditated act of making an example of someone.

This guy was carefully chosen by her from the group of people who had been spreading rumors behind her back about an improper, shady relationship between her and Leosley. This bet was also won by Ventara taking advantage of their contempt for her.

It seems to be working quite well.

She stood up and scanned the audience members below the stage, pleased to see that several familiar faces no longer dared to meet her gaze.

Such betting games are common in underground boxing rings, so Rosimov was used to being a witness.

Ventara didn't intend to do it herself. Although she didn't mind seeing such a bloody scene, it still made her feel a little disgusted, so she simply handed over the task of pulling her tooth to him.

Rosimov wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and, under her intimidation, finally agreed.

Ventara wasn't worried that he would secretly comply but then disobey; at worst, she could just take matters into her own hands.

She took the elevator out of the underground boxing ring, only to bump into Leosley, who was standing outside the elevator with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall as if waiting for someone.

As for who they were waiting for, it was obviously her.

The elevator's control mechanism is right next to Leosley, so even if Ventara wanted to pretend she didn't see it and go back, she couldn't.

Someone had clearly chosen this spot on purpose, and seeing her frozen in the elevator, unable to move forward or backward, they grinned mischievously: "Aren't you coming out?"

Honestly, Ventara has been avoiding him ever since that day.

Leosley did try to talk to her, but during unavoidable work hours, Ventara would always brush him off with "It's work time now, it's not appropriate to talk about personal matters." As soon as get off work ended, she would disappear without a trace, making it clear that she refused to communicate.

The same thing is happening now. The only way out has been blocked, and Ventara has no chance of escaping, yet she still puts on a cold face.

After seeing her expression for a while, Leosley got used to it and kept smiling, but he couldn't resist teasing her mischievously, "What's wrong? Did those guys not let you have enough fun tonight?"

Ventara's expression froze for a moment: "You know me—"

"Shh." Leosley put a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. "Sometimes you have to learn to keep quiet about the bad things you do."

Although Mero Petersburg was a place of exile for prisoners, it still had its own rules and regulations. Although both of the people who made the bet agreed to Wentara's actions, it was still somewhat illegitimate and not appropriate to mention it openly.

However, this action seems somewhat ridiculous when it comes from the rule-makers.

Ventara's lips curled into a smile that held a deeper, enigmatic meaning, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. Her words, too, sounded like a taunt: "It's quite unexpected to hear such words from the Duke. As the symbol of justice in Melo Petersburg, how could you show favoritism?"

"Rules can change as people change them."

Leosley is not a rigid person, and the rules he sets are certainly not inflexible.

As the warden with connections throughout the prison, he actually knew more than Ventara.

For example, the guy who made the bet with Ventara was named Duer. He came to Melo Petersburg to maliciously slander a young girl's innocence, which ultimately led to the already fragile girl being unable to withstand the gossip and choosing to commit suicide.

However, this guy didn't seem to realize his mistake after being sentenced. Instead, after entering Mero Petersburg, he set his sights on a new target, namely Untara, who was the Duke's assistant but had a delicate appearance.

To be fair, Ventura's appearance is quite deceptive.

Her long, black hair, reaching her waist, was usually left loose, flowing smoothly down her back. Combined with her round, almond-shaped eyes behind her bangs, she looked more like a young student, exuding an aura that seemed out of place in this gloomy prison, even though she always had a cold expression.

With his mind filled with nothing but lewdness and violence, Duer could only believe that Ventara was able to live so comfortably in this prison because she had someone's protection, and that person was Leosley, who was closest to Ventara.

In his words, Ventara became a parasitic vine clinging to the Duke, while Leosley became a villain who used his power to seduce young girls.

As for him, he's definitely a cynical but great-natured person!

Among the prisoners were some who loved to watch the drama unfold, and so the rumor spread far and wide through their mouths, eventually reaching the ears of Untara.

Leosley originally planned to secretly get rid of Duer, the culprit, but after discovering Ventara's underhanded tactics, he decided to let her do it herself.

However, it seems that Ventara is not so happy now, especially after he said those words.

She seemed to remember something, and said listlessly, "Never mind, I don't care what you think. It's actually a good thing you're not interfering. But since you're not here to interrogate me, please step aside, I'm going back."

She was still covered in Duer's blood and felt very uncomfortable.

Leosley, however, showed no sign of backing down: "If you don't mind, I can take you back."

Ventara looked up at him without saying a word, but her droopy eyes made it clear that she minded.

"Don't be so heartless, you're my lover." Leosley persisted, seemingly oblivious to her rejection.

"Or are you planning to shirk responsibility for me again?"

As he said this, he removed the handcuffs from his waist and nimbly twirled them between his fingers, as if to remind him.

Untara gritted her teeth and chose to compromise.

The two of them then went to the accommodation area together.

However, due to this threat, which was neither too serious nor too minor, the atmosphere between the two inevitably became somewhat subdued. Leosley sighed silently and racked his brains for a topic to talk about.

"Sigh, I really miss the days when you used to fawn over people and beg to be my assistant—"

He was referring to the time when Petersburg had just announced the recruitment of a duke's assistant.

Although he was granted the title of Duke for his tax contributions after taking over the position of administrator of Mero Petersburg, and the Moman Palace even arranged a house for him in Fontaine, Leosley rarely returned to the water.

The few times they did do so were mostly for serious business, such as assisting Mo Mang Palace in capturing and escorting criminals, and the most recent time was for recruiting assistants.

It was around that time that Ventara, who had disappeared for ten years, suddenly reappeared in front of him.

For some unspeakable reason, Leosley did not want his childhood friend to be associated with the shady world of Mero Petersburg, and rejected her resume outright.

He had originally planned to catch up with him later, but he never expected that the guy would come knocking on his door that very day because of the rejection.

Ventara fought with him, and although she ultimately lost, the fact that she could fight him to a standstill was enough for Leosley to believe that she had enough resources to establish herself in Mero Petersburg.

In addition, someone thought the matter was hopeless because he lost the fight, but he was still unwilling to give up. He could only stubbornly stare into his green eyes, as if he was saying that he would cry in front of him if he did not agree.

Leosley was so charmed that he naturally chose to compromise.

However, Untara, unaware of the situation, thought he was being silly, since she didn't believe she had acted cute or charming at the time.

Ventara: I am a cold woman.

She was too lazy to argue with him, and simply emphasized, "I only wanted to be the Duke's assistant because it's a quiet place with little work and a high salary."

As for how much truth there is to this statement, that's a matter of opinion.

This is the general mindset of civil servants in Fontaine. She specifically chose this place, and Leosley didn't believe that there wasn't some reason behind it.

That's why he was puzzled by Ventara's later behavior towards him, which was like that of a little hedgehog.

They arrived at Ventara's room quickly. This time, Leosley didn't go in with her, but stopped at the door and whispered, "Goodnight."

Ventara still couldn't get used to his gentle tone, just like she had never truly acknowledged their relationship. After hesitating for a long time, she finally said dryly, "You should go now."

Leosley shrugged helplessly: "If I can't even get a goodnight, how about a goodnight kiss instead?"

Seeing that he was starting to talk nonsense again, Ventara rolled her eyes at him and closed the door.

The person who was turned away was actually in a good mood.

Nighttime is a good time for settling accounts, not only to settle the scores of some criminals, but also to record other trivial matters.

Leosley is actually a very ritualistic person, just like he believes that coffee needs milk and tea needs two sugar cubes.

He has a notebook specifically for recording trivial matters. It was originally just a simple diary, but a couple of days ago he boldly added the word "love" to the cover.

Yes, it's a love diary, specifically used to record things between him and Ventara.

Leosley rarely talks about his past with people.

He didn't really want to recall these things. After all, he wasn't a nostalgic person, and the past was long gone. The only vivid memory he had left was of Ventara.

Young people's affections always come suddenly, and Leosley was no exception.

In his youthful ignorance, it took him a long time to realize that he seemed to like Ventara, and by the time he finally came to his senses, the girl had already been sent away by the Delasco couple.

They were separated for a very long time, so long that many things happened in between, so long that the feelings they had shared in their youth, born of regret, grew from buds into towering trees and took root in his heart.

Yes, there's no doubt that Leosley likes Ventara.

Perhaps that's why he half-heartedly cooperated with Ventara under the influence of alcohol to complete that "coercion," after all, the way the girl murmured his name when she was drunk couldn't really be considered heartless.

At least that night, he thought they liked each other.

Leosley believed his intuition was sound, but why Ventara wanted to keep her distance from him after regaining consciousness remained to be investigated.

He wasn't going to sit idly by and wait to die. He had already sent people to investigate, but there were too few clues. He still needed to sound out the situation from Ventara.

Leosley picked up his pen and wrote down his recent interaction with Ventara in his love diary.

He believed this would become a very valuable memoir in the future; ah, he could already imagine how wonderful it would be—

It's just that no one is seeing this now, otherwise anyone who saw it would be amazed at how such a fine young man has become so love-struck at such a young age.

(End of this chapter)

The author says: I tried my best, but it's really hard to find time to write 10,000 words during finals month QvQ