"I am no lady; I am merely Lady Lollys's handmaid," she reminded him.
However, upon hearing her name, the smile at the corners of Corleone's mouth grew even wider.
Truly... it fell right into his lap!
Feeling Corleone's somewhat intense gaze, Shae was not at all displeased.
Having struggled at the bottom of society for years, she knew all too well what kind of women men were interested in and how to squeeze value out of them.
Of course, Shae had always squeezed out more than just value.
Meeting Corleone's gaze, she habitually straightened her back, her thin silk dress perfectly outlining her curvaceous figure.
She first looked up at him, then immediately lowered her eyes as if startled, revealing a hint of shyness.
Now, this is what you call professional.
"Shae...
"
Sure enough, just as she expected, Corleone seemed captivated by her beautiful body, softly repeating the name as if savoring its unique rhythm between his lips and teeth.
"A name as beautiful as a poem, and it suits you perfectly. Just now, when you stepped in, I felt as though the corridor brightened because of your presence."
"I have seen many women, from The Wall to the Summer Sea, but I have never seen a beauty as dazzling as you, Miss Shae."
He exclaimed exaggeratedly, using every flowery word to praise Shae. His tone was so sincere that even Shae, who had been with many men before, couldn't help but feel a slight flutter in her heart.
She shyly raised her head and finally got a clear look at the man before her.
The man was not tall, yet not short either, well-proportioned. His appearance seemed somewhat ordinary, but he exuded a unique temperament that was impossible to ignore.
Shae swore she had seen countless men, but none were as special as the one before her.
His eyes were pitch black, showing his admiration without concealment, yet it wasn't off-putting; instead, it felt all the more sincere.
More importantly, just by standing there, Corleone radiated a sense of power and confidence.
Furthermore, his words were bold and direct; he showed no disdain for her status as a handmaid and repeatedly called her 'Miss,' a stark contrast to the the dwarf who could only hide her in the shadows.
For a moment, Shae actually felt her heart race slightly.
However, she didn't notice that Jaime's expression beside her had become somewhat strange.
He clearly remembered that Corleone was a Farmer born and raised in the Riverlands; when had he ever seen women from The Wall to the Summer Sea?
To pick up girls... he really has no shame.
He shook his head but didn't expose him, not wanting to ruin Corleone's fun.
"the Seven be praised!"
Here, Corleone's performance continued: "My luck is truly grand. First, I finalized the future development plans for King's Landing with the master of laws, and then I met such a beautiful lady like you..."
"Caring for such a special lady must require immense patience and compassion. It is no easy task. I bet, Miss Shae, that you must be a very, very kind person."
"Unfortunately, I am far too busy." Corleone spread his hands, a hint of helplessness in his tone. "Otherwise, I would have insisted on inviting you to dinner today."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over Jaime, and the two shared a knowing look. Then, he turned slightly so they could see the heavy coin purse on Yigo's back.
"Look, to smoothly reorganize the order of King's Landing, certain expenses are inevitable. But it's fine; a small investment now will bring a thousandfold return in the future."
He spoke nonchalantly, as if that bag of gold coins was just daily pocket change.
In his words, he kept emphasizing 'master of laws' and 'King's Landing's future plans,' hinting that he not only moved in high circles but also possessed immense wealth.
Looking at the heavy coin purse, Shae's breathing quickened slightly.
Based on her experience, if that was filled with Gold Dragons, there were at least a thousand!
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but touch the pearl necklace around her neck.
It was a gift from the Lannister the dwarf, but even as wealthy as he was, this necklace was only worth a hundred and fifty Gold Dragons. By now, the power and wealth Corleone displayed left Shae with no reason to doubt that the man before her was a high-born noble!
Although she had never heard the surname Corleone, in the tens of thousands of years in Westeros, nobles were as numerous as ox hairs; she couldn't possibly remember them all.
Moreover, just seeing his extremely casual attitude while talking with Jaime Lannister spoke volumes.
Catching the flicker in her eyes, Corleone knew the timing was just right.
He leaned in closer on purpose, tilting his body toward Shae's ear, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, half-jokingly: "You know, Miss Shae..."
"Looking at you, I suddenly feel that instead of wasting time on endless business and intrigue, it would be better to find a lady as intelligent and beautiful as you to spend the rest of my life with."
His warm breath brushed against Shae's neck, making her shudder and even crave more.
Yet at that moment, Corleone pulled away silently, a more charming and somewhat playful smile on his face as he teased half-seriously: "Perhaps I should seriously consider finding myself a... Lady Corleone."
Lady Corleone!
These words echoed in Shae's ears. Even as calculating as she was, her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and her eyes sparkled with intense longing.
That was a genuine noble title!
She gritted her teeth, almost blurting out, "I'm willing!"
But reason prevailed, allowing Shae to suppress her excitement. She composed her expression and looked up, preparing to say something.
Just a playful "My lord, you do love to joke," to leave a better impression.
But just then, Corleone suddenly straightened up. The warmth on his face receded like a tide, replaced by his previous elegant and composed demeanor.
She wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but she even sensed a hint of cold detachment from him.
However, this detachment only made Shae more aroused, her long legs instinctively pressing together.
This reaction didn't escape Corleone's Insight, but he simply turned away, no longer paying her any mind, his gaze landing on the White Book under Jaime's arm.
"As the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, you certainly seem to have plenty of leisure time. Not only do you take on important tasks like escorting a noble lady, but you even have time for scholarly pursuits."
"What, are you planning to trade the sword for the pen and go study at the Citadel?"
This half-joking, casual tone made Shae even more convinced of Corleone's'status.'
Jaime raised the thick book with a plain white cover, giving it a casual shake. "This is the White Book."
"Every member of the Kingsguard has a page to record their life's deeds. However, not long ago, we discovered that the page for the kingslayer, Jaime Lannister, was completely blank."
"Perhaps the previous Lord Commander, Ser Barristan, didn't think I was worthy of being in here."
As he spoke, a hint of hidden loneliness flickered in his eyes. "Fortunately, I am the Lord Commander now. The King thinks that since I've lost a hand, I can't protect him. So I thought... perhaps before I turn into a completely useless old man, I should do something interesting."
"For instance, continuing to write this book, filling in the deeds of every sworn brother who ever fought by my side as best as I can."
Though he forced a smile, Corleone could still hear the deep bitterness in his words.
Having lost his sword hand and been forced away from the center of power, this once proud knight was now trying to find the meaning of his existence in another way.
"Recording history sometimes requires more courage and wisdom than making it."
He commented flatly, then took a step back and gave them a polite nod. "I won't delay your journey any further, Ser Jaime. Official business comes first."
With that, Corleone didn't even give Shae another look. Leaving only a meaningful smile, he turned and departed with Yigo without a hint of hesitation.
His movements were crisp and decisive, with no lingering.
This sudden withdrawal formed a stark contrast to the passionate flirting from moments ago.
Shae stared blankly as his tall, straight back disappeared around the corner of the corridor, as if everything that just happened was but a brief, brilliant dream.
Her fingertips were still trembling, and she felt a sense of loss in her heart.
"Corleone..."
She muttered to herself, secretly comparing him to Tyrion. Catching sight of Lollys Stokeworth squatting on the ground drawing circles with her finger, a surge of intense resentment immediately rose within her.
Why?
Why did that the dwarf force her to hide in the shadows, even making her serve this dim-witted so-called 'noble lady' every day!
While Corleone... could so openly display such strong affection for her!
She had schemed so hard to force Tyrion to bring her to King's Landing, not to be a handmaid or a mistress kept in the dark, summoned and dismissed at will!
Shae looked up, her gaze becoming somewhat intense.
The name Corleone, along with his power and wealth, had already stabbed deep into her heart like a poisoned dagger.
On the other side, as they were about to exit the The Red Keep, Yigo suddenly couldn't help but mutter in broken Common Tongue, "Why not tell him, my blood of blood?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Corleone turned his head to see Yigo's face full of indignation. "Who do you mean?"
"Jaime Lannister!"
Yigo raised his voice slightly. "Why didn't you tell him that his Half-man brother is a liar, and the Lannisters didn't repay their debt at all!"
"They only gave this much!"
As he spoke, he slapped the coin purse on his back hard, producing a dull thud.
"No, Yigo."
Looking at the honest warrior's indignant state, Corleone didn't blame him but explained patiently, "Jaime Lannister is tired enough."
"He lost his hand, and now he's losing his position. He needs a moment to breathe."
Hearing this, Yigo nodded thoughtfully. "In dothraki, they say even the swiftest horse needs a moment's rest."
"That's exactly it."
Corleone praised him, then stopped and looked back. "A debt doesn't need to be collected through a dispute between brothers. We can settle it ourselves."
"The Gold Dragons are locked in a vault, and the one guarding them is a heartless rat."
"We will open that vault; we only need a key strong enough to pry open the lock."
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