Chapter 218 Deserves an Oscar

If it were a thief who suddenly appeared, even if she were a woman, Liszt would find an opportunity to eliminate her, a threat to his life. Why keep her alive and hope for her to fall in love with him?

But as the reward for the Smoke Task.

Eliminating her would be like throwing the reward away directly, especially since the Smoke Task has already given a "hint" about the peasant Maggie.

The young apprentice maid Maggie is the key to obtaining the reward, the key to unlocking the chest before this female mercenary or female mage. The best way to use the key is not to capture the little maid Maggie and threaten the other party; the best way is through love.

"Maggie has formed a mother-daughter contract with Mrs. Harriet from the general store. In a sense, this female mercenary is half a resident of Flower Town!"

Since she's one of us, Liszt's mood brightened up.

He began to ponder how to play his card, Maggie, and maintain his personal reputation.

At this moment,

The female mercenary had already stated whom she wanted to take away: "I want to take one of the maids from the castle. Will the baron agree?"

"The maids in the castle?" Liszt pretended to think for a moment before speaking, "There are sixteen maids in the castle. Which one do you want to take?"

"Irene."

"Irene the Four Fingers?" Liszt glanced at the female mercenary in surprise, not expecting her to play such a cunning game. If he hadn't already suspected something, he might have been fooled. "Why do you want to take Irene? Give me a reason to agree."

"She's just a maid; what reason is needed? Baron, if you want to test whether my sword is sharp, I don't mind showing you."

"My sword isn't rusty either." Liszt didn't back down, meeting the female mercenary's bright eyes.

Half of it was performance, half was confidence.

With Hiddleston, the Red Blood Sword, and being an elite earth knight,

As long as she wasn't a sky knight, she wouldn't have the upper hand against him.

With confidence, he could calmly perform the role of a lord who cares for his people, showing his strong side and the noble image that the common folk expect under the knight system, where equality doesn't exist, and a brave, kind lord embodies justice.

The female mercenary's worn leather armor clearly indicated she was from the lower class.

A moment later,

She indeed took a step back: "Irene is my sister. Is that reason enough?"

"My sister?" Liszt smiled, "If it's true, I'll call her over so you can confirm it face-to-face. I don't oppose family reunions. In fact, you could have come to see me as her relative. Irene applied for the maid position in Coral City on her own. Her decision to stay or leave is hers."

"She doesn't know I exist."

"Sorry, but that reason doesn't hold. Irene's parents are in Coral City, farming for Tulip Castle. I don't believe she would have a sister who is a thief, mercenary, or mage. So, I must wait for Irene's confirmation before allowing you to take her."

"What if I insist on taking her?"

"It seems my actions have misled you." Liszt suddenly placed his hand on the hilt of the Red Blood Sword, speaking solemnly, "The people work for the lord, and the lord protects the safety of the people. This is the knightly honor I uphold. I will not allow you to take anyone from Flower Town!"

His actions were full of momentum, his words passionate and resolute.

Combined with his handsome face, he exuded a strong sense of justice.

Of course, there was a slight risk of overacting—such a righteous lord seemed somewhat exaggerated.

On the opposite chair, the female mercenary's bright eyes sparkled, and she remained silent for a moment without responding to Liszt's righteous rebuke. Just when Liszt was starting to feel awkward, she slowly spoke: "You're different from the lords I've killed, Baron. I'll stay in Flower Town for a few days and see how you differ from other lords."

She then stood up, standing tall at about 1.75 meters.

Liszt narrowed his eyes.

He felt that letting her walk out or stopping her from leaving were both poor solutions—the critical point was that he couldn't gauge her strength.

She certainly wasn't weak.

If she were weak, the Smoke Task wouldn't have treated her as a significant reward.

When she reached the door of the study and was about to open it, Liszt got up and followed: "I don't know why you came for Irene, but I must warn you not to try to harm her. Don't attempt anything improper in Flower Town. Also, leave your name."

"Swan." The female mercenary smiled, not bothered by Liszt's threats.

It wasn't a typical female name, probably an alias, Liszt guessed.

Thomas, who was arranging the living room, saw Liszt follow a female mercenary out and paused, then approached to greet him: "My lord."

Liszt said, "Thomas, escort this unexpected guest, Miss Swan, out of the castle. Also, inform Advisor Gort to find a room for Miss Swan in one of the new houses in town."

Feeling that this approach was too deliberate, he added, "The cost of food and lodging should be the same as for the merchants from other places."

Although Thomas was puzzled about the sudden appearance of a woman dressed like this in the castle, he respectfully accepted the order: "Yes, my lord. Miss Swan, please follow me."

After Swan left the castle with Thomas,

Steward Carter asked with confusion, "My lord, I didn't see Miss Swan enter the castle. I was dusting in the hall the whole time."

"She climbed over the wall," Liszt stood at the door, watching Swan's figure disappear down the distant road, "I'll tell you about her background when the time is right. For now, pay more attention to the servants in the castle, especially the maids. If they have any grievances, resolve them promptly."

Carter indeed stopped asking: "As you wish, my lord."

"Oh, Mr. Carter, go and fetch Irene to my study. I need to ask her some questions." He decided to play the part fully; since the female mercenary claimed to be here for Irene, he couldn't ignore it.

Irene hurried to the study.

"My lord, did you need me?"

"Irene, how many siblings do you have in your family?"

"I have two younger brothers."

"No older sisters? Or cousins?"

"No, my lord."

"Are you sure? What about an older sister who was given away when you were young?"

"I don't know about that, but when I was born, my mother was only seventeen. It's unlikely that I would have an older sister."

So the possibility of Swann being Irene's older sister was basically ruled out; she was just playing mind games. Liszt felt more at ease and his tone became even gentler: "How is your work in the kitchen?"

"Everything is fine, my lord."

"That's good. If there are any issues, you can report them directly to Mr. Carter. As the senior maid in the kitchen, you should take care of the younger maids and make sure they aren't mistreated."

"Of course, I will."

The conversation ended, and he dismissed Irene.

Liszt carefully reviewed his responses since meeting Swann, noting a few details that could have been handled better, but overall, he felt his approach was quite satisfactory.

He hadn't shown excessive enthusiasm or deliberate hostility.

He had demonstrated the necessary courage and kindness, maintaining a demeanor as soothing as a gentle breeze.

Worthy of an Oscar... at least a Golden Rooster.