There was not a trace of fear in those peach blossom eyes of the Prince with the Black Heart.
There was only a single line of text.
[Follow my lead]
Seeing this, Astreia instantly understood.
She forcefully suppressed the anger in her heart, quietly shifted her weight onto her left leg, and let her expression flicker between struggle and compromise.
In the end, she softened her tone and trembled as she spoke, “Fine… Since you want the gunpowder so badly, I… I’ll give you the true recipe. But you must let Wendy go first!”
At the mention of the “true recipe,” Edwin’s eyes immediately lit up, greed overwhelming his rationality in an instant. His breath grew heavy.
“Write the recipe first!”
“Once I confirm it’s correct, escort me to the Royal Capital. Then I’ll let this wretch go!”
Astreia pretended to hesitate, her brows full of pain.
At last, as if making a final decision, she nodded with difficulty.
Seeing her agree, Edwin’s taut nerves finally relaxed for a moment, and the dagger pressed against Wendy’s throat unconsciously shifted away just a fraction.
Now!
The Prince, who had acted meek and helpless as if scared out of his wits, struck out with lightning speed with his right hand.
He grabbed.
He squeezed.
A wrist-breaking chicken move!
“┗|｀O′|┛ Aaoo!!!”
A shriek not quite human exploded in the room.
Edwin’s eyes bulged, his handsome face turning the color of raw liver.
Instinctively, he released the dagger, both hands clutching the source of his agony.
At the same moment, Astreia moved!
In the instant Edwin screamed, the Princess, who had been storing up strength in her left leg, suddenly burst forth like a cannonball!
Her right hand flashed beneath her skirt, and a gleaming combat dagger appeared in her grip!
“Whoosh—!”
The dagger flew from her hand, turning into a streak of silver light that pierced precisely into Edwin’s right shoulder—the one holding the dagger!
A spray of blood burst forth, accompanied by another scream.
Edwin’s whole body, carried by the force, fell backward and slammed to the ground. He thrashed and convulsed on the floor like a fish out of water, cold sweat soaking his clothes, his mouth now only able to spit out hysterical curses: “Wretch… you filthy pair… you’ll both die horribly!”
Seeing this, Astreia’s face darkened.
She landed smoothly beside Edwin, kicked the dagger into the corner, then reversed her grip on her own dagger and yanked it out with force.
“Ugh!”
The pain struck again, Edwin’s eyes rolled back, and only hoarse sounds came from his mouth.
He could no longer speak.
At this moment, the room was a complete mess.
Astreia was panting heavily, the breathtaking curves of her chest rising and falling with each breath.
She glanced at the former Chief Clerk, now curled up on the floor, utterly devoid of threat.
Then she turned to Wendy, who, though his clothes were disheveled and his arm and calf bore oozing wounds, was otherwise unharmed.
The heart that had been caught in her throat finally settled back into her chest.
“Wendy, I’m just glad you’re all right…”
Astreia hurried forward and pulled Wendy into her embrace.
The hands that had just wielded blades now gently stroked the Prince’s back with infinite tenderness.
Just a little more, and the only person in this world who never looked at her with strange eyes would have died here.
Astreia swore that from this day forth, she would always stay by Wendy’s side, protect him, and never let him suffer even the slightest harm again.
“I’m fine, just some surface wounds…”
Wendy also wrapped his arms tightly around the Princess’s strong, supple waist, feeling that unique warmth and softness.
The heart that had been pounding from the brush with death finally began to calm down.
In both his lives, this was the first time he’d faced such naked killing intent head-on.
If he hadn’t had a sudden inspiration and recalled a lousy self-defense trick he’d learned from some shady friends in his previous life, he’d probably be a cold corpse by now…
This world is terrifying. From now on, he’d better stick close to this beautiful bodyguard at all times!
After a while, Wendy’s eyes fell on the long dress the Princess had so carefully chosen.
His eyes lit up.
Though the hem had been stained with a bit of blood in the struggle just now, this small flaw didn’t ruin its beauty.
Instead, it added a touch of heroic charm to her gentle attire, making her seem even more reliable.
“Astreia,” the Prince with the Black Heart buried his face in that intoxicating softness and murmured, “Edwin may be a complete scoundrel, but he does have good taste. This dress… really suits you.”
At these words, Astreia’s pretty face instantly flushed, and the murderous aura she’d shown just moments ago vanished without a trace.
The Princess Royal lowered her head shyly, not knowing what to say.
She only nodded slightly, peeking at Wendy with her emerald eyes, full of inexpressible tenderness.
But just as the atmosphere between the two was turning intimate again, an untimely voice barged in.
“Your Highness! Are… are you two all right?”
Cara, the white-haired Deputy, gripped her sword hilt and looked into the room nervously.
She’d just heard the sound of a door being smashed and a terrible scream from upstairs, and had hurried over, fearing something serious had happened.
But the scene before her left her completely baffled.
On the floor lay the former Chief Clerk Edwin, face twisted, clutching his lower body and twitching.
Meanwhile, Prince Wendy and her own Princess were locked in a tight embrace, the atmosphere ambiguous and strange… Just what earth-shattering event had taken place here?
Seeing the Deputy arrive, Astreia reluctantly let go of Wendy and quickly explained what had happened.
Then she bent down, preparing to pick Wendy up in her arms.
“I’ll take Wendy to the Priest for treatment. I’ll leave this place to you.”
After all, this wasn’t like last time, when he’d just slipped in the bath.
If these knife wounds left scars, it would be heartbreaking.
But the white-haired Deputy hesitated.
She glanced at Edwin, still groaning on the floor, and spoke with uncertainty:
“Your Highness, according to Capital Law, when a noble commits a crime, they must be escorted back to the Royal Capital for public trial, even for treason. So now, Edwin Veid… how should we handle him?”
These words made Astreia pause in her attempt to pick Wendy up.
Cara was right.
The Veid Family’s influence in the Royal Capital ran deep.
Bringing him back would just give them a chance to twist the truth.
At that point, the stain of treason might be thrown onto Sunset Fortress.
They might even use the opportunity to demand the true gunpowder formula…
Seeing her Princess frowning in thought, Cara stepped forward and lowered her voice: “If we bring him to the Royal Capital, the Veid Family will definitely bite back and implicate Lord Wendy…”
“But I don’t think we need to bother.”
As she spoke, a flash of cold light appeared in the white-haired Deputy’s usually pure red eyes.
She raised her hand and made a slicing motion across her neck.
Her meaning couldn’t have been clearer.