Chapter 139

“This is my future husband?”

As the blinding light faded, in the blink of an eye, Xiya and the others crossed over half the empire back to the Imperial Capital, feeling slightly dizzy.

This was a normal reaction after using a long-distance teleportation array, so no one was surprised.

The golden-haired boy steadied himself, only to realize he was standing on a high platform adorned with matrix carvings.

Looking down, he saw hundreds of neatly dressed soldiers, along with their leader, Colonel Hayden.

The moment they spotted Xiya, their faces lit up with joy, and they all saluted in unison.

“Welcome back, Battle Hero Xiya, to Glosting!”

Everyone cheered with great enthusiasm.

Then, magical fireworks burst in the air, energizing the atmosphere.

After casting a quick glance at the crowd, Xiya’s eyes brightened.

He immediately returned their salute and stepped down from the platform towards a tall woman in a cloak who led the crowd.

“Your Highness, I have lived up to your expectations.”

Xiya knelt, bowing respectfully.

However, out of sight, a glimmer of admiration and affection flashed in his eyes.

This noble and sacred woman was none other than the object of his loyalty, the Grand Princess, Princess Shirina Roland Alexini.

Being the most beautiful woman in the entire Saint Roland Empire, it was nearly impossible for anyone to not fall in love with her at first sight.

And Xiya was no exception.

“You defeated a Fifth Stage Legend at the Fourth Stage, despite having teammates and sealed items to assist you. That’s still an incredibly rare feat.” Princess Shirina gently helped him up, her voice soft, “You did well; you’re truly a subordinate I can be proud of.”

“Your will is my command,” Xiya replied respectfully, boldly gazing at the woman before him.

This time, he had made a significant achievement, and the name Shirina would echo throughout the Imperial Capital; she would undoubtedly reward him generously.

However, for Xiya, those rewards didn’t matter.

Feeling her warm gaze, Princess Shirina didn’t seem to show any disgust, merely chuckling softly, so only the two could hear, “What’s this? Captivated?”

“Your Highness, actually…”

Xiya instinctively reached out, wanting to hold her hand.

“Alright, there are too many people here. Let’s talk about this later back at the palace,” Princess Shirina said casually, stepping back to avoid his flirty move.

After all, this was in public.

As the Grand Princess, how could she disregard the empire’s dignity and flirt with a mere subordinate in front of so many eyes?

Moreover, while she was fully aware of that little guy’s feelings, their relationship hadn’t reached that stage yet.

Whether she held utilitarian thoughts or genuinely admired him was something even Shirina couldn’t clearly decipher.

Seeing her pull away, a hint of regret flashed in Xiya’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

Meanwhile, the members of the team walked over, almost in unison.

“Your Highness,” they greeted respectfully.

However, Tia shot a cold glance at Shirina when their eyes accidentally met.

Princess Shirina, perceptive and sensitive, instantly guessed Tia’s thoughts, finding it somewhat amusing.

Yet, she had no intention of clarifying anything, soothing everyone with a gentle voice, “We’ll head to the Palace District together shortly. His Majesty has prepared a feast in the Council Hall to honor you all, and the award ceremony will also take place afterwards.”

“But we’ll have to wait just a bit longer,” Princess Shirina looked at the teleportation array that lit up again. “Besides you, there’s another group arriving.”

“They are the major contributors to tonight’s banquet.”

Xiya was slightly puzzled.

He had thought this banquet was specifically for him, only to realize there were others.

After all, it was a banquet personally attended by Sixth Saint Roland, its grandeur might be beyond imagination.

So, Xiya prepared to take Tia and the others away for a bit—time to clean up and change before regrouping with the Grand Princess.

“I heard the second group consists of the Third Princess Ivyst and her subordinates, all of whom have received royal honors for being the biggest contributors to this border chaos…”

As he passed by the crowd, he suddenly overheard soldiers whispering.

Ivyst?

Upon hearing that name, he felt a faint disdain rising in his heart.

Perhaps due to her notorious reputation in the Imperial Capital.

Xiya shook his head, brushing it off.

To his surprise, just as he was about to leave the teleportation facility, he overheard them mutter something else.

“…That Bartleon kid Lynn apparently didn’t die in the border chaos, but got extremely lucky and is being valued by the Third Princess. He’s coming back to Glosting with her.”

“Tsk, I wonder how those nobles will react when they hear this news.”

Lynn Bartleon?

For some reason, when that name flashed through Xiya’s mind, a surge of uncontrollable and intensely irritating hatred welled up within him.

It felt as if that guy was someone he absolutely had to eliminate from existence.

Why?

He had never even met this stranger, yet his face twisted into such an expression?

Xiya covered his face, trying to calm the turmoil in his heart.

“What’s wrong?”

His team members and Tia looked at him with concern in unison.

“It’s nothing.” After a moment, Xiya forced a calm face, “You all go ahead, I need to stay back for a bit.”

He decided to hang back and see what that guy, who stirred such animosity in him, was actually like.

Given that Xiya tended to keep things bottled up, Tia silently stayed behind as everyone else departed.

She couldn’t comfort him with affectionate gestures, so she opted for this clumsy way of simply being there for him.

As the teleportation array activated, a familiar force pulled at Lynn, triggering thoughts of his visits to the Temple of the Gods.

Fortunately, he was accustomed to it; the dizziness and nausea were manageable.

Moments later, the blinding white light dimmed.

He stepped out of the teleportation matrix first, and was greeted by a scene that left him utterly shocked.

Down on the platform, hundreds of soldiers, upon seeing someone emerge from the teleportation array, knelt in unison, as if welcoming a person of high status to Glosting.

However, this sight utterly baffled Lynn.

“My dear subjects, rise!”

He instinctively quipped.

Hearing that, sensing something was off, Colonel Hayden subconsciously looked up, and was met with Lynn’s sea-blue eyes.

He was somewhat dumbfounded, “Who are you? Where are the Third Princess and the others?”

Typically, the one to emerge first from the teleportation matrix was the most esteemed individual.

So he naturally assumed the first to step out was Ivyst.

But it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“Oh, them? They’re behind—”

Lynn suddenly realized, then pointed behind him, as the others followed through the teleportation array.

But just as he was about to finish his sentence, he caught sight of a pale-faced golden-haired boy bend down.

“Ugh!!!”

He vomited spectacularly.

“Oh crap, Greya, don’t you dare puke on me!” Lynn took a disgusted step back.

“Help me, I think I’m dying!”

Greya weakly leaned on Lynn’s shoulder.

All the soldiers exchanged bewildered glances, unsure if they should rise or remain kneeling.

Princess Shirina discreetly frowned, but said nothing, watching this chaotic scene unfold silently.

Finally, as those in the matrix parted to the side, a graceful black-haired woman emerged from the crowd.

She didn’t wear a mask, revealing a small portion of her fair face covered with black seals, her expression calm as she surveyed the crowd.

“Glad to see everyone is alright.”

Seemingly indifferent, she ignored the gaze of Princess Shirina and the soldiers kneeling below.

Having finished all that, Ivyst finally waved at Lynn, signaling him to come over.

Lynn walked over somewhat reluctantly.

When their eyes met, Ivyst’s crimson gaze held a hint of frailty, looking exceptionally beautiful.

Almost as if to say, “My lord has overexerted herself to get you back to the Imperial Capital early, now she’s exhausted and vulnerable. You better hold her tight in front of everyone.”

In the next moment, her acting prowess exploded as she clutched her heart and collapsed to the side.

This was a situation she had intentionally orchestrated.

Not just to announce her claim over him the moment they returned, but to leave an indelible mark on Lynn.

She wanted everyone to know this boy was closely related to her.

If anyone harbored thoughts of bullying him, they better think twice!

A glint of cunning triumph flickered in Ivyst’s eyes.

She assumed everything would unfold as she desired, and she’d fall into that familiar warm embrace in front of everyone.

Little did she expect, Afia seemed to have anticipated this, coming out of nowhere with a brand-new wheelchair and helping Ivyst into it.

??

Realizing what had happened, Ivyst’s expression turned cold after a brief moment of surprise.

Afia wouldn’t dare sabotage her own plans.

There was only one possible reason.

Thinking this, Ivyst shot an annoyed glance at Lynn.

“Haven’t I destroyed all the wheelchairs in advance? Where did this one come from?!”

She silently questioned with her eyes.

Lynn felt a twinge of guilt as he averted his gaze, indicating: Safety of Her Highness comes first, as a subordinate, I will ensure all gaps are covered.

But that answer clearly didn’t satisfy Ivyst.

She continued to stare at him unyieldingly: “Do you think I can’t tell this was that shameless woman’s idea?”

Lynn sucked in a breath, his spine tingling with sweat.

Women really had a sixth sense, it was terrifying.

Last night, Witch Miss had urgently contacted him with a roll of parchment, informing him of the potential situations today and cautioning him to avoid following that woman’s wishes, or else things may get tricky later.

Being caught between two women was quite uncomfortable.

Lynn averted his gaze, staring down at the ground.

“Cheaters are so boring.”

Eventually, Ivyst huffed, her displeasure ending this little episode.

Or perhaps, someone below could no longer tolerate the strange situation and broke the silence.

Sensing Ivyst hadn’t fallen to the ground, Shirina let out a slight sigh of relief and smiled softly: “Little Ivyst, long time no see. Aren’t you going to greet your elder sister?”

Hearing that voice, Ivyst seemed to finally acknowledge someone’s presence, her expression turning flat instantly.

“Push me down.”

Ivyst gestured quietly to Lynn.

Lynn nodded, carefully maneuvering her down the high platform, stopping the wheelchair before the speaking woman.

At that moment, his gaze also landed on her.

What a beautiful woman.

As he gazed at Princess Shirina, who was wrapped in a large cloak, Lynn silently thought.

She had wavy platinum blonde hair elegantly styled in a bun, the cloak accentuating her unbelievably slim waist, and her ample bosom could only be described as awe-inspiring.

Even Ivyst appeared humbled in her presence.

It was no wonder she would be the future Mother of All Things Vital.

Perhaps, only the lady in the white hat whom he met in Orlen City would surpass her.

And despite having a body that commanded admiration, Shirina’s face was an embodiment of beauty and nobility, radiating an ethereal compassion.

Xiya instinctively opened the system window.

[Character Name: Princess Shirina Roland Alexini]

[Plot Level: S]

[Plot Deviation: 0.00%]

As expected.

Another S-level plot character besides the Grand Princess had finally made her debut!

“Is she pretty?”

Just as Lynn was deep in thought, he suddenly heard Ivyst’s casual inquiry.

Shirina subtly knit her brows but didn’t speak.

From her vast experiences with people, she could tell that the boy’s gaze was in no way disrespectful; it was merely curiosity toward the opposite sex he was meeting for the first time.

However, he was not her subordinate, leaving her unable to speak on his behalf.

As she knew her sister well, Shirina feared the boy was about to face trouble.

However, to her surprise, upon Ivyst’s seemingly emotionless words, the boy didn’t appear frightened at all; in fact, in front of the tense crowd, he let out a soft sigh.

“Your Highness, I’m only curious to see what kind of person is called ‘the most beautiful woman in the Imperial Capital’ that has captivated so many hearts, yet seeing you today has truly surpassed my expectations.”

“Indeed, rumors should never be trusted; you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

Shirina: ?

Everyone: ?

Ivyst: φ(゜▽゜*)

“Your ring isn’t shining.” Observing her slender fingers, Ivyst’s smile blossomed into a bright one, “What he says is true.”

“Thanks to you, Shirina, I’ve encountered wonderful people and matters on the border.”

For some reason, seeing Ivyst happy like this felt absurd to Shirina.

It seemed her troublesome little sister had changed quite a bit.

What exactly happened?

She instinctively glanced at Lynn beside Ivyst, only to find him shyly averting his gaze as if he had seen something repulsive.

Even with Shirina’s refined character, she couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt.

How dare that little rascal disregard the royal family’s intentions!

But Shirina held her tongue, smiling gently, “Aren’t you going to introduce him?”

Ivyst lightly twirled her long black hair falling at her waist.

At her words, a playful glint flashed in her eyes.

In the next moment, to Shirina’s astonishment, she suddenly intertwined her fingers with Lynn’s, holding his hand.

“Since you want an introduction, here it goes.” With a smile in front of everyone, Ivyst announced, “This is my future husband, and the prince of this nation.” With a grand flourish, she concluded, “Lynn Bartleon.”