“Hmph! How dare she still talk about cooperation?”
Hearing the other party’s complaints, Lu Xiao patted Lilique’s shoulder reassuringly, but the latter didn’t seem appreciative.
Instead, she bared her teeth at Luwei, startling her into yanking her hand back, afraid of getting bitten again.
“Damn it! Damn it all!”
Staring at the cheering crowd in the arena, Lilique’s eyes were practically blazing with murderous intent.
“She made me lose face in front of so many people, and she stole the spotlight on our home turf.”
But when she turned her head to look at Luwei beside her, her big watery eyes were already brimming with thick grievance.
“Wuwu…”
“She’s after House Carys’s benefits.”
Lilique’s voice was so soft it could drip water.
“Don’t let that bad guy get her way, okay?”
Luwei was almost getting used to her face changes.
“But it’s not up to me…”
“Cecilia is the Saintess of the Church.”
“Backed by the Holy Church, she has many privileges.”
Luwei held up her fingers to count.
“For example, in special circumstances like this, she can unilaterally demand cooperation from Kares Territory in the name of the Church.”
She hugged Lilique again, telling her not to take it too seriously.
But Luwei’s heart was filled with mixed emotions…
After all, Cecilia’s attitude had done a complete 180-degree turn right in front of her.
From earlier, when she wanted to take Floxi away without a second word, ignored Luwei’s goodwill, and wasn’t even willing to reveal her identity as the Saintess…
To now…
Luwei watched Cecilia giving an impassioned speech on the arena stage, a sense of absurdity rising in her heart.
“…the Church plans to use Kares Territory as a strategic base, to transport combat forces, and invest in wartime engineering construction.”
“…in the face of the Demon Invasion, the Federation will not yield an inch of territory, nor will it let any kingdom stand alone!”
High-sounding…
Only Luwei knew full well that earlier, Kares Territory—and even the entire Kingdom of Avalon—had been in a precarious state.
Once the Demon Race officially invaded, it would end in national ruin and death.
And a few weeks ago, Luwei had also applied to the central Federation for aid.
But as for the result…
Whether it was the Federation or the Church, when faced with Kares Territory’s plea for help, their support was only verbal and spiritual…
They never intended to invest any manpower or material resources.
Instead, they repeatedly hinted to Luwei, the Lord, that Kares Territory couldn’t escape unscathed from the Demon Race’s offensive.
The best choice was to abandon this territory and disband the residents.
The allied forces were already being formed, and the strategic points had been determined…
But it would never be Kares Territory.
Luwei could actually understand the intentions of those higher-ups.
After all, the complete annihilation of the Seventh Army had dealt a heavy blow to the Kingdom of Avalon, with effects even spreading to several neighboring kingdoms.
Not to mention Kares Territory, which bore the brunt of it.
Luwei guessed that in the eyes of the Federation’s higher-ups, Kares Territory had long been a picture of utter desolation.
Panic was rampant among the residents; the territory couldn’t even guarantee the most basic living necessities, and it couldn’t organize any resistance in a short time.
What was the point of defending such a city-state?
After her aid application was politely declined, Luwei stopped paying attention to the Federation and the Church, and focused solely on managing Kares Territory’s various affairs.
In the original work’s plot, the Demon Invasion was at least a year away.
Luwei actually didn’t have much confidence in building her own resistance army within a year…
But she never expected that Cecilia’s arrival would bring a new turning point for Kares Territory.
“Can’t you just refuse firmly?”
Lilique was still unwilling to give up.
“If you ask me, that bad guy definitely has ulterior motives.”
“Maybe she saw House Carys thriving and wants to reap the rewards.”
“Or maybe she’s after your Giant Strength Potion recipe and wants a piece of the pie!”
“And also…”
Her gaze couldn’t help but wander over Luwei’s body.
“Could she… be coming simply for you?”
Lilique had listed every bad outcome she could think of.
Seeing her expression so serious, even Luwei felt a twinge of doubt in her heart.
First, rule out that last joke—
Luwei thought with absolute certainty.
How could Cecilia possibly be coming for her?
As for the other possibilities, she needed to be wary.
Wanting to snatch Kares Territory from her hands… Wanting to pry out the secret of the Giant Strength Potion… Pretending to reconcile while actually still set on Floxi…
Or maybe all three.
But on the other hand, Cecilia had indeed come with sincerity this time.
She had not only revealed her identity but also shown a strong willingness to cooperate, and had even vouched for Kares Territory on behalf of the Church.
These words seemed light and airy, but the power hidden behind them was unimaginable.
Kares Territory’s fate could very well undergo a earth-shattering turnaround!
Cecilia’s arrival brought both crisis and opportunity…
For Kares Territory, was it ultimately a good thing or a bad thing?
“Wuwu…”
Seeing Luwei’s small face contorted with worry, for some reason, Lilique’s eyes reddened.
“Hehe~ Don’t worry!”
“No matter what that bad guy’s goal is, I’ll protect you.”
“I won’t let Cecilia take you away!”
With that, Lilique spread her arms, wanting to give Luwei a big hug.
But Luwei dodged it without a trace.
“Hey…”
“Can’t I even have a hug?”
Lilique lifted her head, puffing out her cheeks like a little hamster.
Her adorable, almost illegal expression made Luwei mentally exclaim that this was bad.
What to do?
She seemed to know she was cute…
“Sorry, now isn’t the time to relax.”
After thinking it over, Luwei said earnestly.
She turned her gaze to the revival match arena.
That stunning cherry-haired figure was delivering words that could change Kares Territory’s destiny…
Cecilia’s willingness to take the initiative to reconcile was absolutely a good thing.
By voluntarily revealing her identity, she had resolved the diplomatic crisis for House Carys, and the hostility from other influences would greatly decrease.
Her guarantee was enough to allow this sale event to proceed smoothly.
At the same time, Kares Territory’s status and voice would rise accordingly.
But Luwei couldn’t find peace of mind no matter what…
What exactly was wrong?
She carefully combed through possible oversights, weighing the pros and cons—
Until Luwei caught sight of the golden head not far away, looking in her direction.
“Ah.”
That’s right.
There was still one person.
“She hasn’t made a move from start to finish.”
Luwei’s gaze turned cold.
“Who is it?”
Seeing Luwei acting so strangely, a hint of confusion flashed in Lilique’s eyes.
“She’s like you—also a princess…”
Luwei said calmly.
“But unlike you, who wants to use me as a blood pack, she’s different~”
She tapped Lilique’s head, and the latter stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.
“That dangerous princess is determined to devour me until not even my bones are left…”
Luwei’s voice carried a hint of barely perceptible coldness.
“What do you mean…? Does she like Luwei too?”
Lilique blinked her big eyes in confusion.
“Not that kind of ‘devour’! It’s a metaphor!”
“She covets the value in me…”
Luwei said with utmost certainty.
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