CHAPTER 408: SUBSTITUTE BRIDE OF THE DEMON KING (12)

The impact was so intense that it caused Yue Ran to lose her balance momentarily, her body swaying as she staggered and accidentally bumped into the sturdy wooden cabinet beside her.

In the chaos, a delicate jade decoration, beautifully crafted, teetered on the edge of the cabinet before plunging towards the ground. Yue Ran reacted swiftly, her reflexes kicking in as she reached out to catch the precious ornament. Just as her fingers successfully grasped the jade, she inadvertently jostled the table nearby. The sudden movement made the vase perched on its surface wobble precariously before it succumbed to gravity and began to fall. Yue Ran was unable to care about her pain and quickly turned her focus to the falling vase. In a desperate attempt, she lunged forward, managing to grab the vase just in time. However, her triumph was short-lived; as she straightened up, she was struck on the head by some leather-bound books falling from the wooden shelf. Her eyes immediately burst into tears, and she rubbed her head with a hand— the same hand holding onto the small jade decoration— in distress and frustration, overwhelmed by the series of unfortunate events.

"Hiss..." Yue Ran hissed, feeling extremely wronged. "It hurts..."

Silas lifted his eyelids and glanced at the young woman who had made a fool of herself. His eyes were cold, filled with disgust. He had never seen such a stupid person— stupid, noisy, and useless.

"...What a fool."

Just as he finished scolding her, a small and exquisite wooden figure on the table suddenly rolled down. Yue Ran subconsciously reached out to catch it, her fingers closing around the delicate sculpture just before it hit the ground. In her hand was a palm-sized, colorful model.

The palm-sized human figure was light, fitting comfortably in her palm. It was carved in a lifelike manner— with vivid eyes, a nose, and a mouth. It was obviously a woman, wearing a red dress, with bright and charming eyes and a determined expression.

This model must not be a mere decoration; it perfectly showed the care and love the carver had for the owner of the image of the wooden idol.

Yue Ran raised her eyebrows in surprise. She lifted the wooden idol in her hand and looked at Silas, asking, "Hey... what is this?"

Silas looked at the wooden figurine in her hand and could not help but show some irony in his eyes. This wooden carving was made by a woodcarver he met when he was dealing with the beast tide back then. Seeing that the woodcarver’s craftsmanship was vivid, he intended for the woodcarver to carve a human wooden figurine for Ellie according to her appearance.

It was a pity that his sweetheart did not like it. Up to this moment, he could still recall Ellie’s admonitions and impatience.

"Sil, can you not be so absent-minded all the time? We are here to eliminate the rampaging wild beasts. How can a magician indulge in these things that can make him lose his focus?"

"I know you are good to me, but you have to remember that we are here to do our task."

After Ellie finished speaking, she threw the wooden figurine to the ground without hesitation. Perhaps the person who is favored is always fearless because they know that the other party can never do anything to make them sad.

His thoughts gradually turned back to the present moment.

Silas did not quite remember what his mood was at that time. However, he knew that it was definitely uncomfortable. He could only guess that Ellie did not like him at that time; otherwise, she would not treat him with so much impatience. Thinking of those things, the expression on Silas’s face instantly turned colder, and his eyes fell on the wood carving in Yue Ran’s hand.

Yue Ran saw that the man had not spoken, so she asked again, "Is this carved by my husband— I mean, Your Majesty? It is really beautiful."

The young woman examined the wooden figurine back and forth, stroking the body of the figurine with her fingertips, appearing as if she could not let it go.

As Yue Ran studied it more closely, she noticed it was a vibrant, palm-sized model depicting a woman. The artisan had carved it with remarkable skill; every detail was crafted with care. The woman’s eyes sparkled with life, her nose perfectly shaped, and her mouth turned up in a subtle yet determined smile. She was clad in a flowing red dress, its intricate patterns swirling gracefully down her form. The vivid colors seemed to dance in the light, giving the impression that the figure might come alive at any moment.

It took her a while to realize that the appearance of this little figure resembled her by sixty to seventy percent. So she smiled again without waiting for Silas to answer her.

Yue Ran held the wooden figurine in her hand and walked it in front of the male protagonist with a bright smile on her face, similar to the look on the wooden figurine.

"Looking at it carefully, this sculpture might be me. It turns out that I am so beautiful in the eyes of the Demon King," Yue Ran stated and turned to the other party, "Husband— I mean, Your Majesty, can you give this to me?"

Silas sneered and replied, "Do you want it?"

A fake is indeed a fake. The fake treated something that the real did not care about as a treasure. A fake is a fake and can never be as good as a genuine one.

Yue Ran blinked and nodded honestly, saying, "Actually, I... Well, if you feel embarrassed, then I will not—"

The young woman did not get to finish her words.

Silas curled his lips into a disdainful sneer, his eyes narrowing as he fixed his contemptuous gaze upon her. With a flick of his wrist, he snatched the wooden sculpture from her grasp and...