His Lord had seemingly endeavoured, in the beginning at least, to stay true to his wife's character. Yet, as soon as the first battle had begun, he had appeared to forget about his disguise, and had instead allowed his true nature to unleash itself mercilessly upon the unsuspecting humans.

His Lord had been brutal and savage, manipulating everyone in sight. And, as a result, he had left Her Ladyship with a terrible reputation!

The Fox Lord's face grew stern as Lang Ju contemplated how to answer the question.

"Have you become mute?" Bai Qingyue demanded.

"Not at all, Sire! It is merely… this servant is unworthy to answer such a question…" Lang Ju muttered finally, after what seemed like half a day.

How could Lang Ju dare to speak his mind? He was not suicidal, not like Bai Yu. That fool was all brawn and no brains, repeatingly testing the Sovereign Lord's temper.

No, Lang Ju was no fool. He wished to preserve his precious life!

"Then, you refuse to answer?" Bai Qingyue tapped a foot impatiently. Lang Ju chuckled nervously.

"Of course not, Sire. It is a great honor for this servant to have his opinion considered. This servant is overwhelmed, and unsure how to express himself."

The Fox Lord fixed his cold gaze upon Lang Ju, narrowing his long slanted eyes. "Speak plainly. I dislike riddles."

Lang Ju took in a deep breath, and then offered his carefully calculated explanation.

"Sire, Her Ladyship has a very calm disposition, and a very forgiving nature. She is not prone to gruesome acts of violence…"

Bai Qingyue's eyebrows knitted into a frown. "I was very calm, and very forgiving. Everybody lived, did they not?"

Lang Ju stared at him incredulously, eyes wide, trying to see into Bai Qingyue's innermost thoughts.

Of course the Fox Lord would consider himself forgiving and merciful, simply for keeping everyone alive. Of course he would!

"That axe-wielding boy died, M'lord," Lang Ju pointed out.

Bai Qingyue shrugged elegantly.

"What business is it of mine to interfere? It was that Liu girl who killed the boy."

'My Lord, was it not your doing?! You were the one who manipulated the attack to ricochet off you and stab the boy, but to claim innocence of any wrongdoing… And then you allowed the girl to absorb your blood, knowing she would soon die, because a simple mortal-made weapon could not possibly contain a god's essence!' Lang Ju thought to himself, frowning. He refrained from acting upon his growing urge to rub his temples in frustration.