Since Felix had been dragged into the Phantom Poison incident because of her, Xena felt somewhat guilty. Thus, she agreed to the talk. "Alright."As they walked out, Jaden seethed with frustration. If not for his promise to Zara, he would have confronted Felix already."Felix, I'm going to win Xena over before she becomes Warlady," he muttered. "If you're smart, you'll back off now. Zara can't protect you forever."While walking through the neighborhood, Felix decided to skip the small talk. "Have you heard of Yardley Dining?""No, I haven't." Xena shook her head.However, her heart unexpectedly raced, and she could not explain why. Was Felix really planning to pursue her? "I need a favor from Mr. Larry Laird of Yardley Dining," Felix explained. "His condition is having you dine at his restaurant—a very formal, special dinner."Hearing that he was asking for a favor, Xena's excitement instantly deflated. "Absolutely not! I'm about to become a Warlady. Do you expect me to be a p
Jaden's sudden proposal caught Xena completely off guard. In all honesty, the man kneeling before her checked all the boxes of her ideal partner—handsome, kind, accomplished, and backed by the prestigious Crimson Sage Sect. Sadly, the timing was not right. Xena explained gently, "Jaden, you know my grandpa asked me to date Felix for a month. There's still about two weeks left. I hope you understand."Jaden stood up, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I completely forgot about that."The euphoria from his breakthrough had made him impulsive, momentarily forgetting about Felix, whom he considered insignificant. Nonetheless, he noticed the look in Xena's eyes and felt he still had a chance, especially considering Xena's promotion to Warlady would happen much later. Shortly after Jaden left, the doorbell rang. Xena was a little annoyed, wondering how everyone seemed to know her whereabouts so easily. Then again, it could be Felix.But as soon as she saw who it was, she went
Leia continued, "The second way is to do him a favor. The only opportunity we know of is through his chronically ill sister. But this won't be easy—Alistair once used his greatest war achievement to convince Lord Hector to summon Silas for her, but even Silas couldn't help."Xena's expression fell. If Dragonia's second-ranked healer, Silas, could not help, what hope was there? Any leader knew the invaluable worth of having a capable commander. Hence, earning Alistair's genuine respect was crucial to securing her position as a Warlady."Leia, did you come here just to discourage me?" Xena asked with a bitter smile. "Both options are impossible for me."If Silas could not help, what could she do? Even if she did become Warlady, getting Silas' attention was not guaranteed. And as for the top-ranked healer, that was even less likely. Leia replied, "Don't you know any master healers? Dragonia's history spans centuries. The current top-ten-ranked healers are just those who seek the
Half an hour later, a group of men arrived at the scene, each exuding a fierce, battle-hardened demeanor. It was clear they were experienced combat veterans. "Captain Hill, punish me as you see fit," the first man said with his head bowed low. "I failed to protect Ms. Hill."The man who commanded such respect appeared to be in his 40s, with a square jaw and a cross-shaped scar on his forehead. His cold gaze alone was enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine.Alistair replied, "It's not your fault. Yara has been suicidal for a while now. She must have used her inner energy for that burst of movement, despite her condition. You couldn't have kept up. Did her trace disappear here?"The man nodded. "Yes, she could be nearby or much further away." Thanks to his unique practice, he could track a person's scent as long as they did not leave a certain radius.Alistair bit his finger until it bled and began murmuring something. His men's faces paled at this action, and one spoke up
Alistair declared, "In my life, I've only kneeled before my parents, but today, I kneel before you, sir. Please, I beg you to save Yara's life."The dozens of men present suddenly dropped to their knees as well. They all owed their lives to Alistair many times over, so this gesture came naturally to them. Alistair continued, "We broke into your home and attacked without knowing the truth. I'll cut off my own arm if that's what it takes for you to forgive us and save my sister."He raised his right hand, his expression unchanging as he prepared to strike his left arm."If you actually do that, I won't help Yara," Felix warned quickly.Alistair was caught off guard, and his eyes lit up with hope. "You'll help her?"Felix sighed. In truth, he was genuinely moved by Alistair's character. He had met many military men before, but never one like Alistair—someone who combined fierce loyalty with such devotion to family."Everyone, please stand up. This is making me uncomfortable," Feli
As the sound faded, Xena walked in and was surprised to see Felix there. She quickly masked her reaction and ignored him, secretly hoping he would not mention their relationship in front of her subordinates, especially Alistair—that would be too embarrassing."Lady Summers!" Alistair and the others bowed respectfully. Just as predicted, Alistair was not the type to disrespect authority, though his true loyalty remained questionable.Xena acknowledged them with a slight nod. "Quite a commotion here. Is there anything I can help with? I know I don't officially start until tomorrow morning, but I hope you don't mind me asking." The others remained silent until Alistair spoke up. "It's nothing serious. My sister just went missing for a while, but we've found her. Thank you for your concern, Lady Summers."Felix stood there silently, smart enough to pick up on Xena's deliberate attempt to hide their relationship."I see. I'm glad it was just a false alarm," Xena replied.As Alistair
Recognizing Xena's honesty, Alistair had already begun to accept his new superior. "Thank you for your concern, Lady Summers. Mr. Zeller has already found a way to treat Yara—now I just need to wait." After Alistair left, Xena turned to Felix. "You've done me a huge favor."Felix was annoyed. Xena had directly claimed him as her boyfriend without giving him a chance to explain, and she had gotten away with quite an advantage.He stepped closer to her with a mischievous look. "Oh really? How do you plan to thank me?"For some reason, Xena felt flustered. He was standing so close that his scent overwhelmed her senses, leaving her feeling strangely unsettled. She stuttered, "W-What are you doing?"Wanting to teach her a lesson, Felix suddenly grabbed the back of her head and kissed those coveted lips that many men had only dreamed of touching. The sudden contact left Xena's mind in chaos—she had never been touched by a man before, so her stunned reaction was natural. When Felix's
When Averill saw Felix's expression, she became puzzled as well. "Don't you know why Leslie needs to see you?"Felix felt like an idiot, completely lost in this conversation. "Did something happen?""I'm not here because of your online messages. I'm here specifically under Mr. Hoffman's orders," Averill explained. The mention of Gerald made Felix realize the gravity of the situation. His eyes turned cold with concern as he asked, "What happened to Leslie?" "She went somewhere and was poisoned with something rare—even Mr. Hoffman hasn't seen it before and can't cure it. He immediately sent her to find you. Since I was already in Canraville, Leslie asked me to give you a heads up." Felix felt both anxious and helpless. "How can I help if even Mr. Hoffman can't cure it?"Averill nodded confidently. "If Mr. Hoffman says you can do it, then you definitely can. I don't know the details, but Leslie will arrive in Canraville around 11:00 pm tonight. Just wait at home, and she'll find