Chapter245

Elara lifted her eyes and looked toward the capital of Dahlia Kingdom. As one of the strongest third-tier independent kingdoms in the southwestern corner of the continent, the capital was indeed very grand. The whole city was much taller than the old cities Elara had seen on her journey.

There were many siege marks on the city walls just as Mr. Yu had mentioned, though they were not recent. However, those marks had faded, and if one didn't look closely, they were barely noticeable.

The guards of the Dahlia capital were also more disciplined and dutiful than any city guards Elara had encountered so far.

Dozens of guards stood in front of the gates, holding weapons, and checked everyone entering or leaving the city according to the rules, regardless of status. Above them, a group of archers stood on the city wall, alert and ready to shoot at the slightest danger.

Outside the first city of Dahlia, there were no wandering beggars like the ones Elara had seen in other kingdoms.

The citizens were dressed in patched but complete clothing. They no longer wandered without shelter and each carried their belongings and food rations. They stood in line at the city gate, quietly waiting for inspection.

Elara and Mr. Yu also waited behind them with their trade caravan. However, Mr. Yu's identity seemed well known in the Dahlia capital.

When the guards inspected their group and saw Mr. Yu, they smiled and spoke in a relaxed tone,

"You're here to purchase goods again, Young Master Liu?"

Mr. Yu also smiled and nodded naturally, as if it were routine, with no trace of nervousness.

"Most of the goods have been sold. I am indeed planning to restock."

Elara, hearing this, turned her eyes to Mr. Yu. So Liu Si wasn't just a random name—he actually had an identity with the surname Liu.

The guard chatted with him in a casual tone, clearly unaware that this was actually the crown prince of Dahlia.

After Mr. Yu introduced Elara as a friend traveling with him, the guards let them enter the city.

Inside the city, it was indeed lively and crowded.

Perhaps because the capital was an old city that hadn't been expanded, the streets didn't seem very wide, and the shop buildings on both sides looked somewhat short and cramped.

Still, people moved in a constant stream. The entire scene was bustling.

Merchants, children, nobles, farmers, and patrolling soldiers all walked the same streets. The shops, inns, and taverns offered a wide range of goods and services. It almost matched the main trade city of Sargassum's Zhaiyun Pavilion!

More importantly, even the southwestern districts—home to the lowest-class citizens—were neat and orderly. There were no scenes of people dying of hunger or freezing in the streets.

Even slaves and commoners had places to live and clothes to wear.

Mr. Yu rode his horse beside Elara, keeping it close to avoid bumping into pedestrians. Leaning over, he spoke quietly,

"So, White Three, what do you think of Dahlia's capital? If you notice anything off, feel free to say it."

After coming to this world, this was the first time Elara had seen such a lively, prosperous, and stable city. The corners of her lips rose without her realizing it.

"Dahlia's capital is already very prosperous. The soldiers fulfill their duties, and the people live peacefully. There's no visible conflict or abuse among people of different classes." Elara looked at Mr. Yu with a smile in her eyes and said seriously, "Brother Liu, you're truly a great talent in governance. Dahlia is doing very well. White Three can't find a single fault."

Mr. Yu looked at Elara for two seconds. His smile grew wider, and he leaned even closer, saying,

"White Three and I truly get along. Talking with you always lifts my spirits."

Just as Mr. Yu was about to say more, a strange, high-pitched voice suddenly called out, as if a man was purposely speaking in a shrill tone,

"Ah! Isn't that Young Master Liu? Are you entering the city again today? Come sit at my Ling House~"

Right after that, another similar shrill voice came from across the street,

"Oh~ Young Master Liu has arrived~ Come in, come in, our Lotus House opened early today! All the performers are here. You can pick anyone you like~"

Before that voice faded, a third high-pitched voice came from another direction,

"You two step aside! Young Master Liu promised last time that he'd come to my Orchid House! Young Master Liu, come on in~ We opened early too. You can pick anyone you want~"

Elara followed the voices and looked over. As expected, she saw three men in makeup and slightly flirtatious clothing leaning on the windows of their respective flower houses, waving silk scarves toward Mr. Yu.

The moment they started calling him, Mr. Yu, who had been leaning closer to Elara, suddenly froze.

When he noticed Elara's expression change as she looked from the three men to him, the smile on Mr. Yu's face stiffened. He ignored the still-calling male performers and quickly whispered to Elara,

"White Three, don't misunderstand. It's not what you think. In this world, there are more men than women. Whenever I use this identity to discuss business in the flower houses, I can't just sit there doing nothing. So I order some of the male performers."

"Then, maybe because I've gone there many times to talk business, they remembered me... Heh. Anyway, please don't misunderstand. I absolutely don't have a preference for men. Absolutely not."

Elara couldn't help but find his rare serious explanation amusing.

Mr. Yu finished talking and still stared at her, clearly wanting her to say she hadn't misunderstood.

Before Elara could respond to his gaze, the voices of the three male performers suddenly changed.

They turned into deep, magnetic voices, and this time they were addressing Elara instead of Mr. Yu.

From the left window, one of them said in a deep voice, "Young Master Liu, you brought such a beautiful little lady with you today. She looks so young and doesn't seem like a local. Would the young lady like to come into our flower house for a look? Ours is the finest flower house in the capital."

"We have all kinds of handsome men from Dahlia—strong, slim, tall, short, old, and young. You're sure to find someone you like."

As he spoke, his earlier high-pitched tone was gone. He even removed the sheer robe he had worn earlier, revealing his strong chest and biceps.