No one could deny that the woman was gorgeous and was considered an exceptional beauty. It wasn't only her looks. Her most striking feature was her seductive charisma that entranced anyone who gazed upon her."The Art of Seduction?" Caught in a momentary daze, Dustin swiftly snapped out of it. The woman in red had exuded a subtle, entrancing fragrance as she descended gracefully, enough to draw in anyone who inhaled it. That was just a small part of it. Her true strength lay in her gaze. Her every glance radiated a subtle light capable of stealing one's soul. This was one of the mystical arts of the martial arts world—the Art of Seduction. Clearly, the woman in red was far from an ordinary figure. "It's Holly Hudson! She's appeared!""As expected of one of the top ten beauties ranked on the Beauty Ranking, she is truly breathtaking!""If only I could spend one passionate night with Holly, I would die a happy death!""Holly is Grace Brothel's best card, but the only thing
Dustin had seen all kinds of beautiful women. A mere seduction art would not ensnare him. Did they really think he was controlled by instincts only? "Dear gentleman, why are you so mad?" After her descent, Holly wore an enchanting smile as she approached Dustin. She poured two glasses of wine and remarked, "Guests are always welcome here, and it's an honor to have you visit Grace Brothel. Allow me to raise the first toast."She lifted a glass from the table and downed the wine in one shot. Dustin grunted in acknowledgment and took a sip from his glass out of politeness."Dear gentleman, I'm friends with Ms. Welch and Ms. Forrest. I heard that there may have been a misunderstanding between both sides. "I'll be extremely grateful if you could overlook any past grievances," Holly said with a smile."Ms. Hudson, there's no need to involve yourself in our fight. It won't benefit you," Dustin said indifferently. "Since you appear to be a talented gentleman, I'm certain you also
Dustin glanced at the keys on the table and said meaningfully, "All this secrecy, just what are you scheming?""You sound as if two weak women like us are capable of plotting a scheme." Eleanor forced a smile."Yeah, we've sincerely repented and have no other ulterior motives. We swear on our lives!" Elena swore, going all out to convince Dustin.Eleanor's eyes twitched when she heard her, wishing she could slap her across the face. "For heaven's sake, why did you include me in your swear?" Eleanor muttered silently to herself."Since there's no scheming involved, let's head up together," Dustin said casually.Eleanor's expression froze.She glanced at Elena and was quick to come up with an explanation. "It's not convenient for Elena since she's in a wheelchair. I have to stay here and take care of her. "Besides, the murderer is treacherous. It's dangerous for us to go up there.""Exactly, it's too dangerous and inconvenient." Elena nodded repeatedly in agreement.Dustin co
Only those with absolute power and influence had the privilege to stay in the prestigious diamond suite."Sir, your room is ready. I wish you a delightful stay." After the bodyguard escorted Dustin to diamond suite four, he bid Dustin farewell and departed.Dustin approached the door and knocked gently, but there was no response.He sensed no apparent danger. At least, there was no imminent threat.Dustin unlocked the door with the key and walked straight in. Inside, he could smell the fragrance of scented candles. The room was also decorated in warm colors, creating a romantic atmosphere. Right across from the door was an elegant arrangement of sandalwood furniture adorned with fine wine and snacks.On the left, a partition draped in red lace concealed an assortment of intimate items. While on the right, a similar partition with white lace covered a bed and a wardrobe.Dustin's gaze swept around the area, and he soon noticed someone lying on the bed on the right. However
"Y-You! You murderer! How dare you kill Holly? You just committed a grave crime!""Guards! Someone, hurry up and arrest him!"The two Grace Brothel employees clamored, accusing Dustin of being the murderer. Their shouts soon resulted in a crowd that gathered around Dustin. Every one of them glared at Dustin angrily. They were filled with righteous indignation.Since Holly was Grace Brothel's best card and had countless admirers, her abrupt demise left the people feeling regretful.Of course, they were still mostly filled with hatred toward the murderer."How dare you commit murder in a place like this? You're digging your own grave!""Grace Brothel is under the Celestial Alliance. And Holly is Fenley's younger sister. There's no way you'll be able to get away with this!" "Get down on your knees and surrender immediately, or else you'll be dealt with accordingly!" The crowd unleashed a series of accusations. Judging from the hostile expressions on their faces, it was clear t
However, Eleanor never expected Anders' so-called ambush would involve Holly's lifeless body. Everyone knew that Holly was Fenley's younger sister. Now that Holly was dead, Fenley would undoubtedly take action, and everyone involved in the incident would face the consequences.It wasn't only Dustin that would suffer. They would have to suffer with him. It wasn't until this moment that she realized Anders had used them. They were like pawns that could be discarded at any moment.However, at this point, it was too late for regrets. All Eleanor could do now was to firmly hold her ground and try her best to extricate herself from the situation."Are you telling me this has nothing to do with you?" Dustin narrowed his eyes."That's right. We know nothing!" Eleanor immediately shook her head."That's right. We've been framed. Please don't misunderstand!" Elena echoed repeatedly."Alright, since you claim it has nothing to do with you, then tell me, who exactly was behind this? Wh
"Madam Lynch, are you ... You're not joking, right? Holly … really died?" Allen still couldn't quite believe it.Holly was a member of the Celestial Alliance. She was powerful and skilled at reading people. How could she possibly be killed?"Oh my! Why would I joke about something so serious? My two girls saw it clearly. Holly's body is upstairs right now. If you don't believe it, you can send someone to check," Jennie said, breaking into a cold sweat. "You two, go up and check!" Allen quickly ordered his henchmen to investigate. Soon, two henchmen rushed downstairs and delivered the same grim news. Holly was indeed dead. She was killed with a single blow.Upon hearing the news, Allen erupted in anger. His fierce gaze turned toward Dustin, and he sternly said, "You! Do you even realize what you've done? You'll pay for this with your life!"True to his words, he commanded his men, "Get him! Tear him into pieces and feed him to the dogs!"Holly's death couldn't go unpunished. If
"Hmm?" Allen slightly frowned as he looked at Eleanor and Elena."No ... It's not our fault. We didn't do anything. We're innocent!" Elena fearfully shook her head as she tried to explain."Mr. Bosman, we're friends with Holly. How could we harm her? Please don't let lies deceive you!" Eleanor cried. Then, she pointed at Dustin, "It's all him! He killed Holly and shifted the blame to us. We're defenseless girls. We couldn't fight back. Please, Mr. Bosman, stand up for us! Stand up for Holly!"Allen was infuriated when he looked at their pitiful looks. "Own up to what you've done. What kind of man uses girls as scapegoats?""I speak the truth. Their hearts are more malicious than you can imagine. You'll only harm yourself and others if you trust them," Dustin warned."Nonsense!" Allen glared at him and shouted, "Everyone saw you kill Holly. How dare you argue? It seems you won't confess until there's bloodshed!"Without a word, Allen charged at Dustin. His sword sliced through
"Your Highness, you mustn't speak such nonsense." Langdon put on a righteous front.He continued, "I've always prided myself on my integrity and never done anything dishonorable. I've never betrayed the prince's trust or let the people down, and I have nothing to hide.""Such lofty words," Austin scoffed. "If you have nothing to hide, why not let the enforcement team investigate?"Langdon's face tightened, and a flicker of unease crossed his eyes. After all, what official didn't have some skeletons in the closet? A full investigation would likely turn up something, no matter how small. Even if the offenses weren't serious, the damage to his reputation would be permanent.With so many officials watching, Langdon couldn't afford to back down. If he did, he would lose his standing in the political world—and his claim to integrity along with it."Go ahead and investigate." He raised his chin and said confidently, "I've lived an honest life and never engaged in anything illegal. No m
Austin sat in his chair and silently watched the royal advisors put on their pretentious act. He slowly sipped his tea as if he couldn't be bothered by their so-called accusations.His nonchalant demeanor made Langdon and the others frown. Their once-outrageous voices began to falter.They had stormed in full of righteous fury earlier, only to be met with complete apathy. What was the point of arguing when he wasn't even listening?"Are you done?" Austin finally spoke once the room had quieted down. "If not, go ahead and keep talking. Say as much as you need to until you're satisfied.""Your Highness, we're here to discuss serious matters. Your dismissive attitude is truly disappointing," Langdon said sharply."Serious matters?" Austin let out a short laugh.He went on, "You barge in here without even understanding the full picture and spewing accusations like they're facts. As far as I'm concerned, you're no different from clowns putting on a show.""You… How dare you!" Langdon
"Are you even qualified to sit while speaking to me?"Austin's words struck like the blow of a hammer. They were sharp and unrelenting, and they left no room for retort.Langdon sat frozen and was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected a brat like Austin to have such a sharp tongue.If he admitted he had come for personal matters, he would keep his pride intact, but he would lose control of the conversation. Everything he had prepared—and all the accusations he meant to throw—would be meaningless.But if he insisted it was official business, he would have to show proper respect and offer a formal greeting. No matter how he answered, he would be conceding ground."I'll ask one more time. Are you here on official or personal matters?" Austin asked coldly."O-Official matters." Cornered, Langdon barely managed to get the words out."Well? Is this how an official conducts himself?" Austin pressed.Langdon had no choice but to rise and offer a deep bow. "Your Highness, it's an h
After a night of chaos, some of the Red Legion's members were killed, others were captured, and the entire force had been wiped out.But the fallout didn't stop there. The Prescott estate was also raided. All embezzled wealth was confiscated, and those found guilty were thrown into prison.Anyone connected to the Prescotts was placed under house arrest and subjected to rigorous investigation.And the man behind it—Warrick—had become the kingdom's most wanted fugitive.Until he was captured, Celestria remained under lockdown. Major roads were sealed off, and patrol teams scoured every corner to ensure Warrick had no way out.Austin's crackdown sparked outrage among senior officials who didn't know the full story. They voiced their dissatisfaction, with some even gathering outside the castle gates in protest. They stomped their feet in outrage, just short of openly cursing him.To them, Warrick had made great contributions to the nation. Even if he had committed crimes, he didn't d
Austin's words were calm and almost casual. Yet, they struck like thunder and echoed in the hearts of the three assistant generals of the Red Legion.If they answered Austin's questions, there might still be a slim chance of survival. But if they refused, death was the only outcome.After all, who would willingly choose death when they had worked so hard to achieve their wealth and status? Yet, pride and dignity held them back. They didn't want to be branded as traitors.Now, they were caught in a dilemma. Which was more important—their honor or their lives? It was an impossible choice."You have ten seconds left. If you don't speak, you'll lose your chance." Austin's voice was utterly devoid of emotion.His words seemed to pierce their souls, and the three Red Legion assistant generals broke into a cold sweat.As the countdown neared its end, Auron finally couldn't hold back. "Your Highness! I'll talk—I'll tell you everything."Dropping to his knees, he scrambled forward and wa
Axel swallowed hard, shock written all over his face. He had always known the Draken Guardians were formidable, but he had never expected them to be this lethal.He had pushed himself to his limit just to hold his own against Connor and Dave, only to end up seriously wounded. Yet, when the Draken Guardians arrived, they wiped them out—along with several dozen Red Legion soldiers—without losing a single man.If Axel hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the Red Legion, a force renowned for its elite soldiers, could be so easily crushed. Or perhaps it wasn't that the Red Legion was weak, but that the Draken Guardians were far stronger than anyone had imagined.Even their most ordinary members were strong enough to become a mighty general. As for those at the level of captain, their strength was far beyond Axel's. The lethality of a team made up of such skilled experts had reached the point of being an overwhelming force."Mr. Cruz, please arrange some
"Damn it! This punk's tougher than I thought. We're in real trouble if this keeps up," Connor said, swinging his twin blades relentlessly. Every strike was aimed at Axel's vital points.But Axel was quick. He weaved in and out of reach and avoided direct confrontation. It was obvious he was just stalling for time."Sir Prescott should be far enough by now. There's no point dragging this out. Let's fall back."Sensing the futility of their efforts, Dave considered retreating. He didn't fear death, but he wasn't about to waste his life for nothing.Since Warrick had escaped, their interception mission was also completed."You guys hold him off. The rest of you, fall back with me."Connor was decisive. Realizing they weren't making any progress, he quickly ordered a retreat and left a few decoys behind to buy time.They had barely run a hundred yards when a wave of soldiers suddenly appeared at the alley's entrance. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, filled the narrow space and comple
"This punk's a real pain in the ass!"Connor glanced over his shoulder and noticed Axel was still hot on their trail.The squad he had sent to intercept Axel was completely outmaneuvered, and they couldn't get anywhere near him.To Connor's dismay, Axel kept shooting off signal flares as he pursued them. Each flare gave away their position. At this rate, it didn't matter which direction they ran—they were bound to be intercepted."Connor! Dave! Make a move and swat that damn fly," Warrick ordered decisively."If we leave, who's going to protect you?" Connor hesitated.Warrick was in bad shape. Without them guarding him, a single attack from an expert could be fatal."If you don't take out that fly, I'll be in even more danger. Get moving now!" Warrick snapped."Yes, sir!"Connor and Dave exchanged a glance before splitting up with their squads to surround Axel.They both knew what was at stake. If they didn't take Axel down quickly, their entire force would be stranded and do
"Kill them all!"At Warrick's command, the Red Legion charged without hesitation. Blades flashed as they stormed toward the elite enforcement unit.This time, nearly a thousand Red Legion soldiers arrived. With their sheer numbers, they launched a pincer attack from both flanks, leaving the enemy with no way to fend it off."Form the Shield Formation!" Axel shouted upon seeing the dire situation. His men immediately sheathed their blades and raised their shields to form a defensive line. Their pursuit had cut them off from the main force. Since they were up against an enemy ten times their size, forming a defensive line was their best option.If they could stall for even a moment, reinforcements from the castle would arrive, and the tide would turn in their favor. Once that happened, the thousand-strong Red Legion would be the ones on the defensive.After a brief charge, the two forces collided.Warrick had personally trained the Red Legion. He selected only the most loyal and