46: I Promise You

I Promise You

The reason Lily didn't reveal herself to Damien before was exactly because she was worried that Damien would meddle himself in her troubles.1

She still thought that Damien was a very kind person who would help anyone in need. So, if she revealed that she was his childhood friend, then more the reason he would have to help her.

She didn't want anything bad to happen to Damien or to put him in danger's way. Especially when Damien didn't even have the power to protect himself.

"Please, Damien. You don't have to listen to my problems. They wouldn't do you any good. I can take care of them myself." Lily said giving a tight-lipped smile.

But Damien said in a defiant tone, "No, if you can really take care of them yourself, why did you cry? You either tell me now or I will go around asking people in the palace. Which one do you want me to do?"

Lily got shocked hearing his words and looked at him, "NO! You definitely cannot go around asking people about me." She heaved a sigh of resignation and said, "Fine. You really leave me no choice. But you must promise me that you wouldn't do anything to poke into my matters or do anything that would put you in trouble."

Damien didn't mean what he said but he knew there was no other way to make Lily talk about her troubles.

He smiled and said, "Don't worry. I wouldn't put myself in danger like you imagine. I am just a cripple. I can't even get in trouble even if I wanted to."

Lily was silent, looking at his eyes to see if he meant every word he said and finally she spoke, "As you said, the future of our empire is at stake. We don't know how long the Ancestor can hold on. Which is why it's up to me to make sure that the future of our empire is secured."

Damien narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean by that?"

Lily pressed her lips and said, "In two years, I have to marry a genius from any of the three empires from a tournament. Only that way, would the future of our empire be guaranteed." When she said the last sentence, her voice quivered.

"What? What kind of bullshit is that? How can they put you up like a trophy to be married away? Why do you have to marry a stranger to protect your own empire?" Damien asked in a disgruntled tone.

'Are those so-called geniuses all horny dogs to let go of an whole empire for a girl?' Damien wondered whether this is how the cultivation world worked or if it was because Lily was too beautiful for them to even have self control.

Lily was worried seeing Damien's expression. She was not worried for herself but for Damien thinking whether he would put himself in trouble trying to help her. This was exactly what she did not want to happen.

"It's because they are interested in wanting me to be their wife. Our empire has nothing of value anyway. So, it's not surprising if they are willing to give up annexing the whole empire to marry me." Lily said in a low voice.

"But that still doesn't make sense at all. They could have just pressured you to marry one of them after waiting for your Ancestor to die. Why would they want to rush it? It's not like they are too impatient, are they? Especially when cultivators can even live longer than a mere mortal."

Damien felt it suspicious why three humongous empires would try to speed things up when they could literally just play it safe and wait for the Ancestor of the Rong Empire to die.

"You are hiding something from me, aren't you?" Damien asked as he focused his gaze on her.

Lily forced her lips into a firm line and sighed, "I have the Tri-Elemental Mystic Constitution."

"What...what kind of constitution is that?" Damien felt that whatever it was, the three empires were highly interested in her because of her constitution and not only because of her beauty.

"Because of my special constitution, I have three elemental seeds. Fire, Wind and Metal. This is why I am kind of a genius in my empire. So, whoever marries me might increase their comprehension of their laws and also their cultivation because…" Lily bit her lip as she was too embarrassed to say the last part.

She for some reason didn't want Damien to know that one needs to take her virginity to gain the benefits.

But Damien already understood without even Lily telling about it herself. After all, Damien wasn't a total newbie at cultivation now unlike before. He now understood how Lily was so talented that she was able to achieve her current cultivation with the available resources.

'What the heck?? Three elemental seeds? Not even two but three...damn...she's so awesome. No wonder, they want to marry her. Those greedy and horny dogs will just use her and throw her away after they are done with her.'

He gritted his teeth in anger thinking that Lily was treated like a tool to be used in the future to secure the safety of her own empire.

"But I am sure there must be some other way you can get out of this mess. Have you ever talked with your Ancestor about this? Maybe he can still do something to help you." Damien said in an optimistic tone.

But Lily shook her head lifelessly, "It's no use. I have seen the Ancestor and he was pretty much in a bad shape. He has already done too much and devoted his whole life for the betterment of our empire. He even apologized to me for not being useless. Besides, it is because of him that the tournament wasn't held earlier and only after 2 years. The Ancestor did his best to buy me more time. So, I don't have any right to ask him for more."

Damien clenched his fists. He was angry...angry at himself for being too weak and helpless to help her. He hated this feeling the most. Every time he lost somebody he loved, it was because he was too weak or helpless to prevent it from happening.

And now yet again, he was completely helpless and weak to even share the burden of someone he cares about.

The last thing he wanted was anything bad happening to Lily or seeing her in misery. She had helped him so much when he was all helpless and weak in a life and death situation. But now when she was in despair, he wasn't able to do much except comfort her with words.

But then he thought of something…

"There are still two years right? Don't worry, I am sure things will change within these two years. In fact, I will change them for you. I will help you change your fate. You will never have to marry someone you don't like. I won't allow even gods to take you away, let alone any genius. I promise you. If I break this promise, may the heavens smite me." Damien said in a solemn tone.

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