Chapter 184: Section 185: The Princess’s Crown


    In the process of growing up, there were many changes. Yet the one thing that remained constant was a father’s doting love for his daughter.


    Year after year, the birthday parties he held for his daughter became increasingly grand and opulent.


    At her 11th birthday party, her father had spent a great fortune, and the celebration encompassed the entire Garden City.


    “Right here, stop.” Father released the hands covering Zi Di’s eyes, “Ding ding ding!”


    Zi Di’s eyes suddenly brightened, and her small mouth instinctively formed an O shape, her face showing thick layers of shock and surprise.


    In front of her, a towering cake, three meters high and divided into 11 layers, sparkled with brilliant light, each layer its own dominant color—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple… it was as dreamy and enchanting as a rainbow.


    ...


    Zi Di exclaimed, “Rainbow Cake!”


    This classic dessert was famous throughout the entire Empire. Less than ten people in the world could make it, as it required many rare Magic Materials. Each bite of Rainbow Cake allowed one to taste the sweetest flavor in the world and brought about a marvelously relaxing and joyful mood.


    This was a top-class pastry, greatly beneficial to the eater’s Cultivation and state, enhancing them considerably.


    “Have you not always been curious about the taste of Rainbow Cake?” Her father smiled, “So this time, I’ve invited the famous pastry master. This cake is your birthday cake!” sea??h thё n?vel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “Dad, this is…just amazing!” Zi Di was so excited she became a bit incoherent, hugging her father’s arm and leaning her head on his shoulder, her eyes sparkling, “I just knew you loved me the most.”


    “Of course, you are my little Princess.” Father laughed, then his expression showed a touch of hesitation, “My daughter, in addition to this birthday cake, I’ve also arranged a date for you.”


    “Another date?” Zi Di quickly let go of his arm and stepped back, looking at her father with a furrowed brow.


    The father gave a bitter smile, “Child, you’ve grown up, it’s time to accept these things. I know you’ve always been against it, but…”


    “Alright, alright. For the sake of the Rainbow Cake, I’ll go. But don’t expect me to lower my standards… Which family is it this time?”


    Father blinked repeatedly, he had prepared these words for a long time, but when it came to speaking them, he found it so difficult to express!


    “He’s a Noble among Nobles, of course, and also a Knight, he…” Father had a hard time starting, speaking with a strained tone.


    “Okay, I get it. Don’t say anymore!” Zi Di didn’t wait for her father to finish, interrupting him as she began to circle the Rainbow Cake, admiring it carefully. Her whole mind was focused on it, constantly giving words of admiration.


    Watching his daughter’s joyful appearance, the father’s expression was quite complex.


    He opened his mouth several times, wanting to reveal more details.


    Zi Di occasionally looked up, saw that her father was still standing there, and waved her hand: “Dad, you’re still here? Go ahead with your business. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it, even if I don’t like it, I won’t offend the other party!”


    “Then I’ll go.” Father sighed and turned to leave with difficulty.


    The banquet was a gathering of the powerful and privileged.


    Zi Di was undoubtedly the protagonist, her hands going soft from the weight of the gifts.


    During the banquet, Zi Di walked up to a room on the second floor.


    Today she was dressed to the nines, in a pink Princess Dress, with a skirt hem laced with cute ruffles. On her feet were a pair of high heels that looked like white pearls, and her arms were adorned with long gloves made of pink silk. Her hair curled up like waves, her Purple Crystal-like eyes partly veiled by thick lashes, making her look adorable, noble, and a tad enchanting.


    She was now wearing a resplendent diamond necklace around her neck, compared to just after making her appearance, and had added a golden jade-inlaid bracelet to each wrist. She also wore a small, exquisite Crystal Crown on her head. These were the gifts given by the Nobles during the banquet, which she opened and joyfully donned on the spot, pleasing both host and guests.


    Downstairs in the ballroom, the sensation caused by the Rainbow Cake was still ongoing.


    “This is the most glorious birthday party I have ever had.” Zi Di felt delighted and knocked on the room door.


    “Come in,” a voice came from inside the room.


    Zi Di entered the room and saw a short, plump middle-aged man standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a wine glass filled with grape wine, overlooking the Garden beneath the night sky. Moonlight streamed through the window, revealing the greasy shine on his face.


    “City Lord?” Zi Di was slightly taken aback; she had come for an appointment and had not expected to meet the City Lord of Garden City.


    “I think I might have entered the wrong room.” Zi Di was about to take her leave.


    “You haven’t entered the wrong room, my little beauty.” The City Lord of Garden City turned around, smiling as he appraised Zi Di, “Your date is with me.”


    “What?!” Zi Di’s eyes widened, utterly shocked as she stared at the middle-aged man before her who was even older than her father.


    “This can’t be!” Zi Di shook her head, her face drained of color, stepping back repeatedly, “This joke isn’t funny.”


    The City Lord of Garden City watched her with interest: “Of course, this is no joke. If you don’t believe me, you can look up at the room number.”


    Zi Di retreated to the doorway and looked up at the doorplate, her slender body trembling slightly with panic and fear.


    “No, no, this can’t be real…” Zi Di muttered to herself, unable to believe what was unfolding before her.


    “Didn’t your father tell you?” The City Lord of Garden City found it strange.


    Zi Di’s body and soul shuddered; at that moment, she fully understood the difficult and complex expression her father had when they had spoken earlier.


    The young girl’s heart was in turmoil.


    “Oh… my poor little thing.” The City Lord of Garden City slowly walked towards Zi Di, “Look at you now, so much like a delicate little flower swaying in the storm. Don’t worry, I am a man who cherishes flowers, and I will take good care of you.”


    “No, no!” Zi Di suddenly came to her senses, backing away rapidly until she found herself in the corridor, shaking her head ceaselessly, “It shouldn’t be like this, it shouldn’t…”


    The City Lord of Garden City stepped to the door, his pity mingled with mockery, his coldness laced with jest, looking down at Zi Di: “In fact, it should be exactly like this.”


    “Do you know how large the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce is now? How many powerful figures have infiltrated it?”


    “Do you know that your father has long since lost control of the guild?”


    “You and your father simply don’t have the status to be seen in public circles, with lowly bloodlines and humble identities. For the rest of your lives, you’re confined to the Black Iron Level, yet you hold immense wealth. The Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce… second only to the six major guilds… a behemoth…”


    “I have to admit,” the City Lord of Garden City shrugged, “your father has an extraordinary talent for business. It’s his fortune, perhaps also his misfortune. He doesn’t have the qualifications or the power to control such a large guild.”


    “He realized this too, so after exhausting all means and pulling strings, he finally came to me.”


    “At first, I refused.”


    “But later, the bargaining chip your father offered moved me.”


    “You know, my brother is the Grand Duke of Wheat Scent. To ally with me is to seek the favor of a living deity within the Empire. That’s the only way your father can preserve the fruits of his labor as well as both of your lives.”


    “I will marry you, I will be your husband.”


    “So, come here.”


    The City Lord of Garden City gestured to Zi Di: “Come close to me obediently, step into this room, then close the door, and willingly throw yourself into my arms.”


    “I am a man who dislikes taking the initiative.”


    “No, no…” Zi Di shook her head incessantly, the cruel reality too overwhelming for her to truly think straight.


    “I will not step out this door,” the City Lord of Garden City declared arrogantly, “With my status, I will certainly not make any moves to pursue you. Miss Zi Di, young and naive, you are merely an addition to this transaction. Please be sure to understand this.”


    “Of course, you are also crucial. Without our marriage, the other powers within the Empire wouldn’t easily back off. This is one of the rules of a game called ‘politics.''”


    “I can’t possibly marry you, City Lord; I don’t want to!” Tears streamed down Zi Di’s face as she cried.


    The City Lord of Garden City’s brows furrowed, his tone becoming displeased: “Of course, you are perfectly free to refuse me. In fact, I also wouldn’t want to sacrifice the precious position reserved for my wife for the sake of this transaction. Making you my wife would be a waste of a significant political resource!”


    “I don’t mind,” she said.


    “If you’re unable to make up your mind now, I can give you some time to think.”


    “You may go downstairs now. I believe your father is already waiting for you at the turn of the staircase.”


    “You and your father will have a good talk.”


    Zi Di’s face turned deathly pale, forgetting to salute the Garden City Lord as she stumbled down the stairs.


    And indeed, her father stood at the turn of the first-floor staircase.


    “Zi Di,” her father’s expression was extremely complicated.


    “You lied to me!” Zi Di’s eyes brimmed with tears as she yelled angrily at her father.


    “I didn’t lie to you, I never thought of deceiving you, my daughter!” Her father quickly defended himself.


    “How could you choose to sacrifice me for the sake of the Guild!?” Zi Di questioned, “Which is more important to you, the Guild or me?”


    “Of course it’s you, you’re my only family, my precious daughter!” Her father blurted out, and then he covered his face with his hands, beginning to sob, “But I’m helpless, I really am.”


    “I’ve wanted to give up the Guild so many times, I swear to you, more than once!”


    “But I can’t.”


    “I’m already in too deep, the Guild has been infiltrated by too many people of power, and it’s beyond my control. As the founder, I can’t just step back into the shadows. They won’t spare someone like me with such great influence. If I don’t choose to align myself with one of the powers, if I don’t take sides, I’ll be devoured by the swarm! Then, both of us, father and daughter, will lose our lives!”


    Zi Di stood in stunned silence, as if plunged into an icy cavern.


    After a long time, she finally spoke, “Then why didn’t you tell me?”


    “Would telling you the truth have made a difference?” Her father grew agitated, “Would it? We’re just lower-class people, merchants with lowly bloodlines; with all our resources, we’re still nothing but Black Iron.”


    “Even if I spend all my wealth to hire powerful protectors, even those of Legendary level, no one would face off against the major powers within the Empire for our sake.”


    “The Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce… haha, Purple Vines may twist and turn, lush and growing widely, but without the support of a great tree, they can only lie on the ground, trampled by others!”


    “We must side with one of them, do you understand? My daughter.”


    Zi Di furrowed her brows, her heart filled with boundless sorrow, “So, you want to sacrifice me? Make me marry a man even older than you?”


    “Sorry, sorry, sorry…” Her father tried to approach, to embrace Zi Di.


    But Zi Di quickly stepped back, resolutely shouting at her father, “The man upstairs will never be my knight! My future is not like this.”


    As she spoke, her voice trembled with sobs.


    “Zi Di, my daughter…” Her father called out tenderly.


    But at that moment, the Garden City Lord’s impatient voice came from upstairs, “Chairman Purple Vine, you had better hurry, my patience is limited.”


    Her father’s face clouded over like a gathering storm, and he urgently hissed at Zi Di, “Zi Di, stop this nonsense. Do you know how much I’ve sacrificed for this deal?”


    “You know how much effort, how many risks, I’ve taken for the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce. You know how difficult it has been for me!”


    “I can’t just watch it be taken away!”


    “Help your father, ah, consider it repaying me for raising you. All these years, your living expenses, your costly tuition, it’s all been provided by me. Whatever it is financially, I’ve tried my best to satisfy you, haven’t I? Like the Rainbow Cake this time, you liked it, didn’t you?”


    Gazing at her father like this, Zi Di felt a chill to her core.


    “No, I don’t like Rainbow Cake at all! Now, it seems just a means for you to achieve your plans!”


    “From now on, I won’t spend a penny of your money. I will repay every investment you made in me!”


    Seeing Zi Di so resolute, her father became even more furious, “Enough with this nonsense, you wouldn’t survive a single day without me! How could you possibly live the privileged life of a young lady on your own? Listen to dad, marry the City Lord of Garden City, and you’ll never have to worry for the rest of your life!!”


    “No, never!!” Zi Di roared, lifting her dress hem and turning to run.


    Behind her, her father’s calls for her to stop only made her run faster.


    She bolted out of the building’s front door, nearly spraining her ankle. One of her beautiful pearl white high heels came off, and Zi Di kicked the other away without a second thought.


    She ran into the garden, her lovely and fluffy Princess Dress getting recklessly torn by the bushes, creating gaps and becoming ragged.


    She cried as she ran, with tears streaming down her face.


    Her father’s words still echoed in her ears—without me, you wouldn’t survive a single day! How could you possibly live the privileged life of a young lady on your own?


    How hurtful those words were, making Zi Di even more angry and sad. She tore off the diamond necklace from her chest and slid the expensive and exquisitely crafted bracelet off her wrist, then casually tossed them aside on the roadside.


    Finally, she reached the estate’s main gate, where the guards looked on in surprise at today’s main character.


    The once grandly dressed Princess, the jewel in the Chairman’s palm, now stood there in a tattered dress, breathless, with tear-stained cheeks, in a total mess.


    “Miss Zi Di, is there anything we can help you with?”


    “Open the gate for me!”


    “That is out of the question; the Chairman has issued a strict order.” The guards shook their heads insistently.


    “Zi Di.” A familiar voice came from behind.


    Zi Di turned around and saw Fat Tongue, her body trembling, her eyes tearing up, “Are you here to persuade me too? Uncle Fat Tongue.”


    Fat Tongue slowly shook his head, “I, I don’t agree with your father’s actions. Take my horse, carriage and go. I will talk to your, your dad.”


    After he spoke, he ordered the guards, “Now, open the, the gate.”


    “But…”


    “I will explain to the, the Chairman. If anything happens, the responsibility will be all on me, me; it won’t implicate any of you.” Fat Tongue was resolute.


    The guards had no choice but to comply.


    Fat Tongue escorted Zi Di all the way to his own carriage.


    “Uncle Fat Tongue, thank you!” Zi Di stepped onto the carriage stairs, overwhelmed with gratitude towards Fat Tongue.


    Fat Tongue gave a wry smile, “I’ve watched you grow up, child. Don’t blame your father, father. He is under distress, forced into a corner without, without a choice.”


    “No, I will never forgive him!” Zi Di clenched her teeth.


    She took one last deep look at the estate, the home where she had lived for so many years.


    Then she climbed into the carriage.


    Inadvertently, the Crystal Crown on her head bumped against the carriage door frame and fell off.


    Zi Di glanced back at the crown lying on the ground, then resolutely closed the carriage door behind her.


    “Let’s go! Back to the Magic Academy.” The next moment, her determined voice came from inside the carriage.