Chapter 12

“Possibly.”

“Who cares about the giant snake? Come and see this—it’s a sugar bowl made of gold! I’ve never seen sugar stored in gold before!”

“Hehe, I have a golden comb here.”

A disapproving voice said, “Are you all crazy? This is the giant snake’s territory! How dare you take its things?”

“Why not? We’ve been here for so long and haven’t even seen a snake’s tail. I don’t think there’s any giant snake. Even if there is, it’s probably a sugar-eating, hair-combing lady snake!”

Laughter erupted, mixed with some crude jokes. Although this castle didn’t belong to me, I still felt an indescribable anger. I instinctively looked at Lambert. He seemed not to hear anything, focusing on my face. Seeing my expression turn sour, he thought I was rejecting his closeness. His eyes narrowed, and the sound in his throat became fierce and anxious.

“…” I quickly covered his mouth.

Unexpectedly, he was very easy to soothe. Just pressing my hand on his lips calmed his restless emotions, and he even stuck out his tongue to lick my fingers. His hot breath sprayed between my fingers, as scorching as his gaze. I didn’t know whether to let go, so I stiffly covered his mouth, praying that the group of people would leave soon.

Who knew, they said they wanted to check this side: “I heard treasures are usually hidden underground. Let’s go and take a look.”

“This time, no one should compete with me. I haven’t gotten anything good yet!”

“What’s there to fight over? It’s all about skill.”

A strong chill climbed up my spine. I couldn’t imagine how this group would react upon seeing Lambert. They were so greedy they might kill Lambert and take over the castle completely. Regardless of whether Lambert would be hurt, I didn’t want to face them. Although he was too rational and cold-hearted as a relative, he was undoubtedly the country’s wise and mighty ruler. He shouldn’t appear so disheveled in front of his people, nor should he be attacked by those he protected with all his might.

Feeling complicated, I frantically searched for a hiding place. Lambert’s head followed my movements, his lips brushing against my fingers as if kissing my fingertips. Most of my complex emotions faded away. I looked at him helplessly, put my hand down, and wiped it on my clothes.

The footsteps grew closer, and cold sweat dripped down. I held the candlestick, searching every corner, but couldn’t find a suitable hiding spot.

What should I do?

The group seemed to have reached the basement door, looking for the mechanism to open it. If the mechanism were more hidden, I wouldn’t be so worried. Unfortunately, the mechanism was just a hollow brick in the stone wall, easily discovered by knocking.

What should I do, what should I do…

In a critical moment, my gaze fell on the large bed in the basement. The bed was about three meters wide and had golden lion sculptures on its four legs. The deep blue bedspread had long tassels hanging down to the carpet, covering the spacious area under the bed. We could only hide there.

I patted Lambert’s shoulder and leaned close to his ear, “Follow me.”

He stared at my lips, his ears twitching, unsure if he understood. Time was ticking away, and thinking that the group would soon break in, I became anxious and grabbed his hand, pushing him under the bed. He stood still, squinting, not knowing what he was thinking.

I was anxious, shaking his hand and whispering, “Get under, be good. If you’re discovered, we—the whole castle will be in danger!”

My palms were sweaty, but he remained calm. He lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, then pointed to his lips.

At this moment, he still wanted me to kiss him? I was incredulous.

Seeing my hesitation, his eyes narrowed into slits, revealing sharp teeth, and he let out a low, threatening growl. For a moment, I really wanted to leave him there, but after struggling for a few seconds, I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

He was like a volcano covered in snow, his skin cold, but his breath and lips were scorching lava. Every time I touched his lips, my heart trembled, and my tongue felt numb as if burned. I didn’t dare linger on his lips, intending to leave after a brief touch. Unexpectedly, he seized the opportunity to hold the back of my head and kissed deeply. His hand was huge, almost covering my entire head, and his hooked nails brushed my earlobe threateningly. I dared not move, standing still and letting him do as he pleased.

Fortunately, before the group entered, he let go of me and obediently crawled under the bed. I breathed a sigh of relief, touched my swollen lips, and followed him under.

It was thrilling; just as we got under the bed, the basement door opened.

Lambert finally sensed something was wrong. He was no longer looking at me, his eyes coldly staring outside the bed, his ears sometimes perked up sharply, sometimes pressed against his head in alertness. I held his hand, trying to distract him, but he, who was usually easily drawn to me, didn’t notice my hand at all.

I had to get closer, making a soft hissing sound, “Lambert…” His ears twitched slightly, unsure if it was because of my voice or the chaotic footsteps outside the bed.

At this moment, someone walked towards the bed. My heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, not everyone has the habit of checking under the bed. The mattress sank down as the person sat on it, throwing their bundle at their feet. The clinking sound of stolen items echoed, and Lambert’s ears almost aligned with his cheeks, his gaze growing colder, filled with predatory intent. He crept towards the bed silently, his movements as light as cotton. Despite his prowess, I couldn’t let him risk exposure, so I quickly grabbed his wrist. He gave me a cold look, his snake-like tongue flicking in and out between his lips, seemingly warning me to let go.

Honestly, I feared the castle’s clock more than him. I gently moved closer to him and shook my head. He grew impatient, hissing continuously, his Adam’s apple moving as he let out a low, irritable growl. Yet, he didn’t shake off my hand or harm me.

Although his growl wasn’t loud, it still caught some people’s attention. Two or three of them started looking for the sound source while others discussed how to pry off the golden lions at the bed’s feet.

“Even the bed legs are gold-plated. Why don’t we chop them off and take them too?” someone suggested.

Everyone around nodded in agreement.

It’s over. If they chop off the bed legs, not only will the mattress fall and possibly injure us, but the noise alone will be enough to enrage Lambert. His claws, teeth, and strength are no different from a giant beast now. These people stand no chance against him. Do they really want to force him into becoming a man-eating beast?

My mind was in chaos, not knowing what to do.

The group acted immediately. Someone pulled out an axe and, without a word, swung it at the bed leg—

“Bang!”
The whole bed shook.

Lambert’s pupils turned red, narrowing to slits. It was definitely the most nerve-wracking moment of my life—my mind went blank, unable to think of any strategy, relying only on instinct to hold his shoulders and keep him in place.

“No…” I whispered in his ear, “Calm down.”

He didn’t look at me. His pupils narrowed to the extreme; from the side, they looked like golden glass beads. If he suddenly went berserk, I wouldn’t be able to control him. Helpless, I cupped his cheeks and leaned in to kiss him.

Just then, another—
“Bang!!”

Lambert finally turned his head, his needle-like pupils fixed on me, seemingly unable to understand why I was doing this. I looked into his eyes and deepened the kiss. He frowned deeply, glanced outside the bed, and then back at me, his eyes filled with killing intent, confusion, and struggle.

Finally, he locked eyes with me, staring into my eyes without moving as if making a decision. Then he pressed his lips against mine, breathing rapidly and responding almost fiercely.