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Chapter 128 – The Sly Fox’s Hunch

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Translator: Kell | Editor: Weasalopes

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The Sly Fox’s Hunch

Ivan had sighed several times, while Claude just completed his 284th round of walking back and forth, when the door burst open and Roy jumped in, almost tumbling over.

「It went through! The student alliance was approved!」

Ivan quickly stood up and looked at Roy.

「We got 4 out of 7 votes as planned! Silvester is going to propose the marriage next!」

「Ohh, finally!」

「What’s the status on Ludancia?!」Claude asked.

「That I don’t know. But League said to “assume the worst”.」

Claude dashed out of the room.

「Hey, wait! Claude!」

Ivan and Roy followed.

League planned beforehand to inform Roy once the student alliance was approved. He had a sense of foreboding about the next proposal—the mass wedding and the marriage between Claude and Luka. Unless Ludancia’s delegate was a complete idiot, she would realize that the proposal would be accepted with the same four votes out of seven. If that happened, there would be trouble.

「Wait for me, Luka!」

Ludancia’s leader might choose the most terrible option—kill her daughter rather than handing her over. There was that much hatred between these two nations. That was what League meant by his message “assume the worst”.

Claude and the others had to protect Luka first before her mother could get to her. The best case would be if they sheltered her, but there was a chance the mother would send her men while the meeting was still ongoing.

In the worst case, the boys would have to throw their bodies to buy time, and once the meeting ended, Alexei would come running to their rescue. That was the plan. With Jarazack’s mighty men, they could win.

But they couldn’t get in touch with Luka since before the meeting even started. They had no way of knowing how long the meeting would last, and the mother might suspect something if she found out the guys made contact.

In the first place, there was no guarantee the student alliance would get approved. In other words, the best timing they could hope for was now—right after the approval of the alliance.

「Over here!」

「Professor Mikhail!」

As soon as they made it out, Professor Mikhail arrived with some horses. Claude jumped on and sent the horse on a gallop.

Several people witnessed the scene. They quickly broke into a run. Where they were from, no one knew, but apparently the guys were being watched. It seemed they made the right decision to wait until the final stages of the meeting.

Claude knew where Luka was. Today she would be at the house of a powerful Ludancian person living in Forestzard for a tea party.

「Wait for me, Luka!」

The horse raced through the streets of Forestzard.

「I will not be deceived!!」

Ludancia’s delegate slammed her fist on the table. Euroba’s leader, who was sitting right next to her lifted her teacup off the table, preventing any serious disaster.

As League had originally expected, after hearing Silvester’s proposal, Ludancia’s delegate predicted what would happen next. Her daughter, Luka known as the third princess in Ludancia, would be married to a man from Kirihal. The sly fox went livid.

「P-Please quiet down. The meeting is still ongo—」

「I can’t participate in this foolish meeting any longer!」

Ludancia’s delegate and a few men stood up. They were leaving.

Within expectations too…

League wrote a note earlier and gave it to Roy who was waiting outside the room. The note said “Student alliance approved. Assume the worst”. The format was such that if his father saw the note, it wouldn’t cause a problem. Right about now, Roy should be heading to where Luka was with Claude.

「Disgraceful. Why don’t you stay until the meeting is over?」Marquedo said with a cold look at Ludancia’s leader.

「Ha! The Zahad family is your family’s enemy. I’m sure you just want to throw the man to us, hoping we direct all our anger to them instead. Well, too bad. I see through your plans. I will make Kirihal pay!」

「Watch your mouth!」the chairman rebuked her.

「Shut up!」

But one roar was enough to silence the man. Her face contorted in fury; no amount of make-up could possibly smoothen her expression.

「I had a bad feeling before all this. I’m glad I kept Luka by our side.」

League’s eyes widened.

What did she say? That means Luka’s plans are cancelled! Not good. Claude and the others are already headed that way!

Ludancia’s delegate perked her shoulders up and left the room. What would happen if the guys couldn’t make it to Luka? Enraged as her mother was, Luka’s life would be in danger. League told Roy to assume the worst. But the mother’s actions were completely unexpected. It was worse than the “worst”.

「The idiot.」Billion murmured.「Leaving is the one thing you shouldn’t do in this case. Ludancia’s future doesn’t look good. Fool.」

Fool. The word weighed heavy on League. The real fools might’ve been them all along.

There were only two of them in the huge room. The teacups showed no signs of being touched. Luka looked like a flower blooming with dignity as she sat there motionless, hands on her knees. Watching her with a concerned look was an old lady—a maid, who looked after her all her life.

「Princess Luka. What is on your mind? Are you still depressed after the King forbade you from going out this morning?」

Although Ludancia’s leader was a woman, she liked to be called a King.

「Granny, you should leave for today. I want to be alone.」

「I can’t do that. You’re clearly acting strange. And everyone else took the day off except me.」

No word came from Luka.

「Princess, what did you do? This usually happens when you did something wrong.」

「You don’t have to know. I want you to live long.」

「Live long?! You jest. This old lady will live for as long as you wish.」

The next moment, the old lady noticed the front getting noisier. Looking out the window, she could tell the King was on her way back, followed by about fifty soldiers.

「Princess, the King is coming. Her mood looks grim, though.」

「I’m sorry for dragging you into this, Granny.」

「Princess?」

Luka looked unfazed, as though she expected this to happen from the start. Only the old lady was clueless. Countless footsteps were slowly approaching. Then the door opened.

「Luka!!」

Her mother, Ludancia’s leader stood there, the corner of her eyes lifted.

「I’m surprised you didn’t run away. Quite praiseworthy.」

「I don’t think I did anything that would warrant me running away.」

She lied. If she could, she would’ve told Claude about this place. Their plan to keep contact at minimum backfired. Luka had no idea that the student alliance was approved. So she couldn’t make a move until Claude arrived. Although seeing as her mother was here, the proposal probably went through.

「You should be ashamed!」

Her mother threw the folding fan she had, hitting Luka’s forehead.

「Your Majesty!」the old lady shouted.「What are you doing to the Princess?!」

「Oh, are you working with her?」

「No! She has nothing to do with this!」Luka said.

「Wh-What is going on?!」

「If you don’t know anything, fine. Get out.」

「I-I won’t!」

The old lady stood in front of Luka as if to protect her. With a click of her tongue, the King gave her men orders.

「Capture those two and make sure they don’t escape.」

「Are you sure about that, Your Majesty…?」

「Yes.」

「Your Majesty! You’d do this to your own daughter?!」

「Shut up!」

Her words gave the confused soldiers determination. The men were soldiers under direct control of Ludancia’s delegate, but they weren’t briefed about the situation. They just rushed here after the meeting ended.

「Granny has nothing to do with this.」Luka said. She had no other choice but to steel herself. Death could come for her soon. She knew just how bad her mother’s temper was.

But… Even if I die, my will will remain. My wish to be married to Claude. I’m sure it will give a push to those who’re thinking twice of going beyond borders.

She mentally prepared herself. The only thing left to do was make sure no one else gets dragged into her own mess.

「Mother, please let Granny go. She really doesn’t know anything. I will do as you say—」

「Why are a bunch of grown-ups ganging up on a single girl? That’s a nyikes from me.」

A voice suddenly came from nowhere. From behind the curtains a woman with a wavy, purple hair trimmed short, emerged. She donned a cloak that most likely helped conceal her presence.

「Who are you?」

The soldiers drew their swords before Luka’s mother even asked the stranger’s identity.

「Who am I? What a fine thing to say! The question is, who are you? I was here from the start. Although you didn’t seem to notice me.」

What? Luka thought. Only Granny and me were here. Was she hiding all along? Since when?

The woman didn’t seem like answering the questions in her mind. Instead she smiled and whispered to Luka.

「Hikaru’s such a slave-driver. Commissioning us for a job is a serious matter, you know.」

Hikaru.
Luka’s vision turned bright. The mysterious boy with black hair and equally black eyes. The proponent of the student alliance’s foundation and mass wedding. Did he send her?

「If you want to know my name, I’ll tell you. It’s Sarah. I’m an adventurer and a member of the Four Stars of the East.」

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