“Pardon me, Your Highness…”Lana frowned.Wasn’t what she had just done already clear enough?That she was rejecting the prince’s desire—it was the firmest refusal a “subject” could possibly make in the most polite form before her prince.If Richard still had any sense, shouldn’t he understand that?But what Lana failed to realize was that no one could refuse what Richard desired.If the prince wanted something, it became an absolute command—one that no one, without exception, was allowed to refuse.And speaking of “sense,” Richard certainly had his own version of it when he continued speaking.“Well, do I need to repeat it?” he said, releasing his hand from the edge of Lana’s dress.“That’s the only way to apologize. And don’t misunderstand. I’ve never been angry or bothered by anything you said or did. So you don’t need to apologize to me for anything.”“If I’m asking you to apologize now,” Richard continued, folding his arms across his chest as a smirk appeared on his lips, “it’s f

“Jump!”That cold and harsh voice rang in Lana’s ears as a hand—just as cold and rough—pushed her back from behind.“Wait—!”That was the only word the little girl managed to cry out before she felt her body thrown into the air. Then, the rising heat from below immediately forced her mind to shift its focus away from the guard and toward what she had to do next.Splash!“Woah! It’s so hot! Help me! Help! I can’t swim!”Lana flailed her arms, struggling desperately to keep herself afloat after briefly sinking under the water.Although the darkness of the night, lit only by the moonlight, made it hard for her to see clearly, her eyes could still catch the bubbles rising to the surface, accompanied by the sound of boiling water in her ears.“Help me!”The sight made her chest tighten even more with fear.At the same time, seeing dozens of other children begin to sink one by one after exhausting themselves trying to stay afloat and cry for help, Lana felt that her fate wouldn’t be any dif

While Richard’s shouting continued to echo throughout his private chamber, Lana, who had just stepped out, immediately headed toward the alarm control area.“Strange… shouldn’t everything be under control?” she muttered, her face filled with unease. “What’s going on?”There were two types of alarms in this palace.The first was a standard alarm, with a lower sound, used for fires or incidents that didn’t require her direct attention.The second was something she had to handle personally—usually triggered by an intruder or a high-level security threat that ordinary guards couldn’t deal with.Over the past week, Lana had made sure there wasn’t a single suspicious figure inside the palace, and that any newcomers—whoever they were—had been thoroughly inspected.She was certain she had done everything correctly.But if something happened today—especially right before tonight’s charity celebration—it would weigh heavily on her mind.It would be like a stain on her reputation if she couldn’t

Although he wasn’t among the invited guests—and bringing someone without an invitation could cause serious trouble—Martin’s presence at the palace had actually been part of Silvana’s plan from the beginning.Her plan was simple.Tell the truth—that Quinn was already married. Bring her husband and proof of it. Then hope the royal family would reconsider their arrangement.But wasn’t that full of risks?If the royal family insisted on continuing with the engagement, not only would their plan fail—it would also put Martin in danger.The royal family wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate a man they now saw as an obstacle.“No… I can’t let that happen,” Quinn murmured softly as she pulled her phone back out of her bag.She really wanted to ask her husband for help.But she wanted even more for nothing to happen to him.If she had to choose, she would rather see him safe than risk his life for her.“I have to tell him to go back home immediately and not go anywhere.”She couldn’t send a voice mess

Two months earlier.“Quinn, the reason I allowed Gianna to stay here is actually because…”Over the past month, as Martin’s relationship with his wife had grown much closer, it felt rather odd to have another woman—especially someone as beautiful as Valentina—living in the same house with them.That was why Martin gave a brief explanation, saying that the girl might be in serious danger if she were to live outside on her own.“I’m a former soldier,” Martin continued, feeling that there was no longer any need to hide his identity from his wife.Of course, he didn’t say anything about Spectre or that he had once been number one in Norvia’s most elite military unit.Not for any particular reason—just that it was all in the past, and he didn’t think it was important enough to tell Quinn.Not only that.Martin also showed a few photos—very few—that remained from his past, one of which was taken during a mission in a region of Asia.“Hold a second,” Quinn said, who had been leaning against