"Just tell her first, why make a scene here? Do your job."
The guard's anger flared. Lately, his mood had not been good. Compared to Reina, Morgana often scolded her people if someone made a fault. One person's mistake, depending on what they did, could end up in a punishment for the whole group.
After Reina returned, Morgana became more moody. Every single small mistake was blown out of proportion. Just yesterday, everyone's salary for this month was cut by 10% because of the broken roof near her window.
There was no way he would tell her a nobody came looking for her now. Who knew he would lose all his salary this time?
The guard walked forward and stood in front of Alex. "Leave, this is not a place for you."
Alex raised his eyebrow, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Don't be like that, sir. We are all just doing our work here. I have a message from my princess for yours."
As he said this, Alex held the man's hand in a shaking gesture. The guard was about to get angry at first, but feeling something appear in his palm quickly softened his expression.
He didn't know what grade, but feeling the texture, he guessed it was a Qi crystal.
In a flash, he put the item into his storage ring. His expression quickly softened, making the other guard look at him with suspicion.
"Look, sir, you seem like a good person, so I will tell you this: better stay away from our princess for now. Believe me, you don't want to face her wrath. Just tell your princess you were blocked at the entrance. I am sure they will understand."
Hearing his words, Alex concluded that the other princess treated their men better than Morgana. Curious, he tried to fish for information, "I know, but this is important. You know, unlike yours, my princess helps me a lot. I owe him my life."
The guard's expression changed; none of them defended their princess.
"Can you tell me first what the information was? I am not doing this because I want to make it hard for you, but if the news makes her angry, we will all get punished for it."
Alex smiled and then started whispering something into the guard's ear. The guard's face changed a few times. After Alex finished, he was all smiles.
"Sir, you are not lying, right?"
"Of course, just think, how does lying to you benefit me? Both of us are just workers for our princesses."
The guard ruminated for a moment, then made his decision. He moved to the other guard and whispered what Alex told him. The other guard's expression quickly changed, just like the first one.
He then nodded at Alex and went inside the courtyard. Left alone, the other guard asked Alex, "Are you really sure? This could cost us our lives."
"You think I would joke about things ? How else do you think people like me can get this kind of wealth?" Alex said while throwing a high-grade Qi crystal.
The guard quickly moved in panic, cursing in his mind why Alex didn't just give it to him subtly like the first guard.
After putting it into his storage ring, the guard quickly looked around, making sure no one realized what was happening.
"Why so worried? Do other guards steal it from you?"
"It's not that, sir. You just don't know what kind of life we have here. Doing what you say is really not easy for us. Anyone could report to the princess."
"What do you mean? Don't you all hate her?"
"Hate is hate, sir, but money is money. Anyone who reports and it's proved to be true will get rewarded. The better the secret, the bigger the reward."
'Seems this Morgana is not stupid. She knows how to manage her people. But with the conditions I bring to them, I am sure no one will betray me,' Alex thought to himself.
"I see. So, only a few of you are close to each other?"
"Hah, close? Who knows if your best friend will be the one who reports on you the next day? It's already happened a few times."
"Are you sure? You know someone could just make it up," Alex replied.
The guard paused. He had never thought of this possibility, but now that he heard of it, he couldn't get it out of his mind. This was very possible and also explained some weird situations.
A woman tattling on her own man despite it implicating her too. Afterward, there was a rumor she had an affair with another man, but he knew her personally. There was no way she did this.
Seeing the guard's expression, Alex knew he had reached his goal. He didn't know or care if it was made up or not. But as long as he could plant a seed of doubt in the guard's heart, it would work to his advantage.
Alex then took out a small device—it was a customized spy camera with a jade slip. This time, he gave it subtly to the man's hand while whispering, "Do this task, and I will make sure your life is guaranteed."
The guard was confused at first, but he quickly read the information on the jade slip. After he finished, the jade was destroyed.
"Sir, I will do it! But can I bring my family with me?"
"You change sides so fast. Can I trust you?" Alex asked with a chuckle.
"What you ask is not counted as betraying, and based on what you tell me, I should be able to get some acknowledgment in the Midnight Clan. But I don't want it. I want your reward. It's really tiring living , sir."
"Sure, don't forget to keep it a secret. I just offer this opportunity to you."
"Yes, sir," the guard replied while shaking his hand, smiling.
The first guard returned. Seeing his friend's expression, he thought he got a Qi crystal like him.