Wendy Black had only just left the city walls.
Sunset Fortress, third-floor staircase.
Astreia had changed into a brand-new sapphire-blue gown, her hands pressing down on her adjutant’s shoulders, her expression more solemn than ever before.
“Cara, tonight I’m giving you an arduous task,” she spoke word by word, as if issuing the most crucial military order.
“You are to stand guard here. No one is allowed upstairs unless it’s a matter of life and death, something of utmost military urgency. This is… the request of my entire life!”
The little white-haired, red-eyed adjutant, Cara, straightened her back at once and gave a crisp, formal salute.
“Understood, Your Highness! Cara will guard your evening with her life!”
Although she’d previously been assigned to supervise villagers and oversee the preparation of gunpowder—trivial tasks—being entrusted by the Princess herself with such an intimate and important ‘lookout’ mission filled Cara not with embarrassment, but with a supreme sense of pride.
This meant Her Highness had absolute trust in her!
Of course, if only she could, like Prince Wendy, burrow hard into Her Highness’s broad embrace…
Just once would be enough…
“Very good, then… I’m counting on you!”
Astreia patted her adjutant’s shoulder, took a deep breath, turned, and slowly began to ascend the stairs to the third floor.
However, after taking just one step, she suddenly seemed to remember something.
She whirled around, looking nervously at her adjutant.
“Cara, help me check again, am I… alright now? Do I look… ugly?”
The sapphire-blue silk gown perfectly outlined her figure, far more voluptuous than most, and compared to her usual icy armor, the Princess now appeared less sharp and more heart-stirringly gentle.
The white-haired adjutant carefully smoothed out the creases in Astreia’s skirt, nodded vigorously, and gave a big thumbs-up.
“You look beautiful, Your Highness!”
“Whew… That’s good. I hope… Wendy will like it.”
Astreia closed her eyes, as if finally making up her mind. Her chest heaved violently as she walked step by step toward Wendy’s room, ready to greet the most important night of her life.
Mother, Father… your daughter is setting sail tonight!
Her heart was pounding, every step taken with utmost caution, afraid even the rustle of her skirt would disturb the peace.
But just as Astreia reached the third-floor corridor, a scream suddenly erupted from the end of the hall!
“Help! Somebody! Murder!”
It was Wendy’s voice!
“No!”
Astreia’s mind exploded with a thunderous roar, all her romantic dreams instantly shattered to dust!
She no longer cared about any noble decorum; her slender muscles tensed in an instant, and she charged at the tightly closed door like a furious Northern Lioness!
[BOOM——!!!]
The thick oak door shattered into pieces!
As splinters flew everywhere, Astreia crashed inside—only to be met with a scene that made her eyes nearly burst from their sockets: the former chief secretary, Edwin Veid, was pressing a gleaming dagger tightly against Wendy’s slender, fragile neck!
“Edwin! What are you doing?! Let go of Wendy!”
Seeing Astreia burst in, Edwin was startled, then sneered: “So, the date this bitch was talking about… was with you, you fat pig? What a joke…”
Before he finished, his gaze landed on Astreia’s sapphire gown.
His already twisted face contorted even further, jealousy and hatred almost bursting from his eyes.
“You bastard! I gave you that dress three years ago! You never wore it once! And now you put it on just to go on a date with this pretty boy?!”
Astreia’s heart trembled at his words.
Only now did she remember—the gorgeous gown she’d dug out for tonight’s ‘date’ was a gift Edwin had sent from the Royal Capital three years ago to curry favor with her.
But back then, she’d hated Edwin’s hypocrisy so much that she’d despised everything he gave her, hiding it all away.
Yet today, she’d joyfully put on the gown, wanting her beloved to see her at her most beautiful… never expecting it would become the fuse that drove Edwin mad.
Astreia slowly advanced, her threats squeezed out through gritted teeth: “Edwin! Don’t do anything foolish! If Wendy gets hurt, I will tear you to pieces! The Veid Family will pay the price for this!”
“Very good, very good… hehehe, hahaha…”
Edwin laughed as if he’d just heard the world’s funniest joke, clutching his face with his left hand, while his right hand holding the dagger trembled uncontrollably.
The blade easily drew a striking line of blood across Wendy’s pale neck.
Wendy’s face twisted in pain. He was about to curse, but swallowed it back hard.
A wise man knows when to bend—just stay alive for now!
Seeing the blood bead from Wendy’s neck, Astreia’s pupils shrank.
She immediately stopped, staring at Edwin, her voice softening.
“Edwin, let Wendy go. Whatever you want, I’ll agree. Just don’t do anything rash.”
At those words, Edwin laughed even louder, coughing violently.
When he finally caught his breath, he looked at Astreia as if she were an idiot, his voice icy: “Are you stupid? Or do you think I am?”
“No!”
Astreia stepped back abruptly, shifting from an aggressive stance to standing tall.
She raised her right hand, expression solemn and grave.
“I swear, by my identity and honor as the Royal Princess of Valoran, if you let Wendy go, I guarantee your safe departure from Sunset Fortress!”
Seeing Astreia make such a solemn vow, the madness in Edwin’s eyes faded a little.
He knew very well—though Astreia was ugly and strong, her word was more reliable than all the gold in the Royal Treasury.
But… it was all too late.
At that thought, Edwin sneered again, his smile full of mockery and pity.
“Princess Astreia, you… really don’t understand anything.”
“What don’t I understand?!”
Astreia’s brows furrowed tightly.
Edwin’s gaze was venomous, as if he’d devour her: “Don’t you get it? I was groomed by the Veid Family, placed at your side as a pawn! My mission was to become your prince consort, then slowly sideline you and take control of the Northern Region! But I’ve been stuck in this godforsaken Sunset Fortress for three years! And your father never even looked me in the eye…”
“Three years! Do you know what I’ve suffered these three years?! From the prosperous Royal Capital to this ruined wasteland—do you know how much I endured?! And what did I get in return?!”
He grew more agitated, pushing the dagger closer to Wendy’s neck, roaring: “You bring this bitch to Sunset Fortress for less than three days and you’re already fooling around together! How do you expect me to let him go?! Huh?!”
Edwin Veid seemed determined to vent all his grievances and resentment, his voice growing shriller, spittle flying: “Originally, I had that idiot Kelly go inform the Orcs, telling her to launch a surprise attack from the Corrupted Marsh and catch you off guard! Once Sunset Fortress fell and you, the so-called Northern Lioness, died on the battlefield, I’d take your head and your so-called ‘will’ back to the Royal Capital—who wouldn’t praise my loyalty and courage?!”
“But that useless fool! That idiot! She couldn’t even handle such a small task! What a waste of all my years of grooming her!”
“What did you say?!”
Astreia was thunderstruck, her whole body trembling.
“You had Kelly… go inform the Orcs?! You traitor!”
So Kelly’s disappearance wasn’t an accident—it was betrayal!
And the mastermind behind it all was the very man she’d always looked down on!
“Treason? Heh…”
Edwin sneered, his eyes full of ridicule.
“I think I’m the real patriot here. I have to admit, your pretty boy is sharp—his so-called ‘wrong’ gunpowder formula is still several times stronger than the junk the dwarves monopolize!”
“Once I take this formula and return to my family, who’ll call me a traitor? Who’d dare?! With this divine weapon, the Veid Family could make even the King on his throne treat us with respect, never mind the Orcs! And as for you two, you’ll both die heroes for your country—shouldn’t you be thanking me?”
“You… you’re shameless!”
Astreia was shaking with rage, her teeth grinding, but with Wendy in his hands, she didn’t know what to do.
But at that desperate moment, Wendy, held hostage, began to blink furiously…