SWNOVELS Chapter 858
Rolando didn't add any comment to that. If Matthew really wanted the throne, he would have easily killed the late emperor of the
Bright Dynasty. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Rolando was incredibly impressed with Matthew's morals. If he were
Matthew, the late emperor would have died a long time ago.
"Yeah, being an emperor is incredibly tiring." Rolando poured a cup of tea and handed it to Harper. As she was about to take it
from his hands, she caught a glimpse of a strange light from the corner of her eye. It made her jump in Rolando's arms, knocking
down the teacup on her way to him. As the hot liquid poured over Rolando's body, he was able to catch Harper by her waist.
A short black arrow then landed at a spot close to where Rolando was sitting. He would have been injured if it were not for
Harper's quick response. Soon, similar short black arrows started raining on their boat, quickly covering everything that was
exposed to them. Rolando's quick thinking made it possible for him and Harper to evade every shot that was fired in their
direction.
Rolando stood at the top of the boat with Harper and said, "It seems that our boat trip has been cut shorter than I would have
liked. Sorry to get you into trouble."
Standing back to back with Rolando, Harper answered, "It doesn't matter. I'm used to it. It's all my fault that I forgot your identity.
Now that you're an emperor, there must be so many assassins waiting for you to slip up so that they could kill you. I'm so sorry
that I asked you to accompany me out of the palace."
"It's my decision to take you out for fun. It has nothing to do with you. It's my fault—I put you in danger. Please don't blame
yourself, Harper."
"Don't be so polite. I can't stand it anymore! You should treat me to dinner after we deal with all these bugs!" Harper shouted,
ready to fight. "Okay, I'll cook for you!" "I guess I have to survive whatever's coming to taste that food!" Harper then took her
dagger out, but Rolando frowned. "That's too short! Use my sword!" "This is my weapon!" Harper firmly said, refusing to use
Rolando's sword. "Protect yourself well!" Someone then came rushing towards their boat. Once it reached them, a man came
boarded their boat and said, "Rolando, I didn't know you are so weak that you need a woman to protect you!" It was Toby,
Rolando's younger brother, the leader of the assassins, and he was sneering at Rolando. "Let me tell you. I was so surprised
that you went out with her, all alone, without
your guards. I didn't know she is that important to you for you want a normal date with her. I have no other choice but to take the
opportunity and finally eliminate you!" "You want to kill me? Are you sure you have the ability to do that?" Rolando was sneering
back at his brother. Then, while holding his mighty sword in his hand, he stated coldly, "Toby, in the past, when you still had
military power, you were no match for me. Now that you have nothing, what makes you think that you stand a chance?"
"Humph, you have so many expert martial artists all the time. Today, there is only one woman with you, who definitely is a burden
to you. Do you think you can protect yourself and her at the same time?" Toby asked coolly. "Maybe if you're alone, I'd have
second thoughts about it!"
"A burden?" Rolando asked slowly while casting a glance at Harper. 'Right, Toby didn't know that she had already recovered her
fighting abilities,' he thought. Toby indeed thought Harper had only little knowledge of martial arts, making him not take her
seriously at all. "Well, we'll see soon enough if she's indeed a burden!"
"Kill them!" Toby gave his order firmly as he ran towards Rolando with his sword in his hand. Harper used the dagger as she
fought against the assassins rushing to her, using only the most basic quick moves to defend herself. Rolando didn't worry about
Harper at all. Also, he was Toby's target, so most of the assassins gathered around him. Within a few minutes, she was able to
subdue everyone that attacked her. From the corner of his eye, Toby found that Harper was killing his men without even breaking
a sweat. He frowned and then looked at the leader of his secret guards. Quickly understanding what Toby wanted done, that
man immediately went straight
towards Harper, intending to capture her to blackmail Rolando.
Although Rolando was clear that Harper's fighting ability was recovered, he still didn't know how powerful she was. He couldn't
help but glance at her, who looked like she was already bored and didn't care about the people coming towards her. Seeing
Rolando distracted, Toby was planning on using a hidden weapon to finally kill his brother, but he was stopped by a white light
that flashed him. The hidden weapon bounced back and he almost hurt himself.
Withdrawing the Moonlight, Harper said, "How could you be distracted, Rolando! Focus!"
"That is the Moonlight," murmured Rolando as he looked at the white light that was coming from Harper's hand.
"Yes, this is the Moonlight. It's my weapon now." Harper shook the Moonlight, and it turned into a sharp weapon that killed the
assassins by itself, as if it had its own consciousness.
Toby was dumbfounded. He had seen Harper before and even tried to kill her. If Rolando hadn't appeared at that time, he would
have been successful. But now, it confused him as to why she became so powerful, as if she became a different person. It was
impossible for anyone to be so capable without practicing for years and years!
"What... How could you..."
"She has suddenly become a martial arts master. I'm afraid I'm unable to defeat her," Rolando said in a voice filled with
admiration.
"Are you going to hide behind a woman?" Toby shouted. He was furious. Rolando was terribly fathomless. He looked harmless,
but he did everything with a purpose. Worse, nobody could tell his intentions.
"If she wants, I'm willing to hide behind her." Rolando didn't feel ashamed at all. "She wouldn't like to protect everyone. It's a
great honor to be protected by her. But of course, for you, Toby, it's not an honor but a death warrant."