“Wait a minute….”
A sweet voice hooked the two people who were about to escape.
Wendy and Astreia’s footsteps halted at the same time, and they turned around stiffly.
Laxana elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, an impeccable sweet smile on her face. She didn’t stand up, but her violet eyes slowly swept over the two.
“Where are you two going? Leaving in such a hurry… Are you planning to head to the Royal Capital?”
She deliberately dragged out the words, leaning forward slightly and lowering her voice so only the three of them could hear.
“To stage a Palace Coup?”
The moment she finished speaking, Wendy’s hair stood on end.
What the hell!
How did this woman know?
Astreia’s expression changed as well, and she instinctively looked at Wendy.
Their eyes met, and both saw the same shock in the other’s gaze.
“No… it’s not like that.”
The Princess shook her head repeatedly, her voice dry.
“We didn’t…”
“Ah~”
Laxana raised her index finger and waved it lightly in the air.
“Don’t pretend. I overheard some officers talking last night. I already know everything.”
She stepped forward, her violet eyes scanning their faces.
“The Veid Family’s blockade, dwindling military rations, Cara’s temporary dissolution of the Officer Corps… I heard all those little rumors crystal clear.”
Wendy’s heart sank.
This woman’s ability to gather intel is scary.
“So…”
Laxana stopped in front of them, her smile even brighter.
“Take me with you!”
“No way!”
Astreia blurted out almost reflexively, her brows furrowed tightly, her tone resolute.
“Little Shanna, I don’t want to fight with my sister, but I must purge the factions led by the Veid Family. This operation could turn into a life-or-death battle. I might not be able to protect you!”
At the word “sister,” the light in Laxana’s eyes dimmed for a moment.
But soon, her smile returned, and she turned her gaze to Wendy.
“Is that so? Then what about you, Prince?”
She said playfully,
“Even if your intellect is extraordinary, you probably don’t fully understand the Nobility Circle of the Valoran Kingdom, right?”
“Uh…”
Wendy was caught off guard by the sudden question.
In the Witch’s Conquest game, there really wasn’t much about this.
After all, once Astreia became a Witch, she just slashed everyone with her sword.
Seeing this, Laxana smiled confidently and continued,
“Astreia’s spent all these years in Sunset Fortress and hardly returned to the Royal Capital, right? I just came from there myself.”
As she spoke, she held up her fingers, counting them one by one.
“The nobles of the Royal Capital, the defense lines of the Capital, the power structures—I know all of it inside and out!”
Astreia opened her mouth, wanting to retort, but found she had no suitable argument.
Indeed, she rarely returned to the Royal Capital these past years and wasn’t well-versed in its current state.
“Or maybe…”
Laxana’s tone suddenly turned aggrieved, violet eyes shimmering with unshed tears that could shatter hearts.
“You both think I’m a nuisance and don’t want to play with this sister anymore?”
Her pitiful words landed heavily on Astreia’s heart.
Recalling last night, the Princess was instantly silenced, her face twisted with conflicted emotions.
Wendy, watching from the side, felt a complex mix of feelings.
Though he couldn’t figure out why this suddenly ‘evolved’ love rival was so eager to join in, her words hit the mark.
He couldn’t let Astreia go on a massacre in the Royal Capital.
To avoid that, he had to figure out who was friend and who was foe.
A guide who knew the latest news from the Capital was essential.
And besides…
Wendy glanced at Laxana’s delicate face, a faint sense of unease growing inside him.
Rather than letting this “Doomsday Witch” run amok, it would be safer to keep her close, at least to watch her.
With that thought, Wendy nodded at Astreia.
“Astreia, Laxana is right. Besides, having a Chief Archmage in our party is added insurance. If the Veid Family is hiding any bizarre magic trump cards, we’ll be better prepared.”
Seeing Wendy agree, Astreia’s last line of defense crumbled.
She looked at Laxana’s hopeful eyes and finally let out a resigned sigh.
“Fine. But Little Shanna, you must promise me: during the operation, you’ll follow orders and won’t act recklessly.”
“Yay!”
The moment she was granted permission, Laxana instantly burst into tears and laughter, hugging Astreia with joy.
“I knew Astreia loved me best!”
She buried her entire face in that familiar warmth and softness that haunted her dreams, rubbing back and forth happily, her hands lingering mischievously over her best friend’s strong back and waist.
Astreia’s face turned bright red, but she could only pat Laxana’s back helplessly and fondly, letting her do as she pleased.
“Really, how old are you and still acting like a spoiled child…”
Wendy watched from the side, his mouth twitching.
This move… felt oddly familiar.
But before he could voice his complaint,
Having had her fill of her friend’s embrace, Laxana suddenly released Astreia, spun around, and—in the blink of an eye—threw herself at Wendy!
“???”
The Prince hadn’t even reacted when his world went dark, his cheek smashing into an astonishing softness.
Laxana had hugged his face!
Through the lavish Mage’s Robe, two full and springy curves pressed in from both sides, completely enveloping the Prince’s face.
Wendy’s brain froze.
A wave of warm breath filled his nose, carrying a violet fragrance completely different from Astreia’s.
And Laxana, seemingly oblivious to how shocking her actions were in this world, kept going.
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
She cheerfully rubbed her softness against his face, her sugary voice loud and heartfelt.
“Prince, you’re such a reasonable person! From now on, we’re in the same boat, so please take care of me~”
The air fell into dead silence.
Astreia stared blankly at the scene, emerald eyes widening, mouth agape, her entire body petrified.
Wendy was crushed between two mountains, his soul soaring toward heaven.
What… what kind of new move is this?!
“His Highness’s face is so soft! So comfortable~”
But the Prince in her arms was about to pass out—not from physical suffocation, but from the overwhelming ‘benefit’ that left him at a loss.
Even worse, he could feel the Princess’s burning stare digging into his back.
“Cough, cough… um… Laxana…”
Wendy struggled to break free.
“S-surely… that’s enough now… right?”
yo im genuinely confused now