Daily News: Insect Girls' Heavy Dependence

Seeing that Buck agreed so readily.

Ikromy and Pretix, the two old fogies, exchanged a knowing smile.

If the expression on a skinned skull's face can be called a smile.

They teamed up and ruthlessly ripped Buck off!

The Third Legion, Tenth Combined Arms Squadron, under Ikrom's command, located the royal member ahead of schedule...

He was eventually found to be in the royal procession led by Prince Louis.

Richard is not in any danger at all! He doesn't need to be saved!

And the Egret Zone.

On the square of the Egret Church.

Julia didn't even realize that Richard had been forcibly taken away by the Third Army.

When Richard was sent to the central mansion of the August family.

Ikromie and Pretix gave him a meaningful look before walking out of the reception hall.

Yekalin looked at his bandaged head with great concern. However, now that she was certain he was out of danger, she finally felt relieved.

Next came the intelligence sharing phase...

Buck was clearly somewhat distressed about those two districts:

"You royal brat, do you know what price I paid to bring you back!"

……

Richard, unusually, showed no hostility towards Buck, after all, it was his territory now, and the timing wasn't right.

Through the Dreamworm Link... after hearing Yekalin recount what happened in the meeting room, Richard also recounted what happened on his side.

"Old man...you're so foolish!" Richard's attitude did a complete 180-degree turn as he wailed at Buck.

Even though Buck was quite the old codger before, he still spent two districts to get himself out of trouble...

Richard could never utter a word of mockery towards Buck. If he did, wouldn't he be a complete beast?

Buck was a little confused at first.

Until I heard Richard's description...

Buck's skull face clearly showed discomfort, as if he had eaten something bitter but couldn't express it...

However, he held back, after all, he was over 140 years old. He had suffered even worse losses before:

"Hey kid! Stop being so cheeky! Since Yekaterin has chosen you..."

"Ahem!"

Although Yekaterin disliked Buck, that old-fashioned patriarch who favored sons over daughters, she didn't want to see him make fun of her relationship with Richard.

Without saying a word, she grabbed Richard and pulled him away from the reception area.

Buck could only rage helplessly alone in the meeting room:

"That damned Ikromy!"

"That damned Pretix!"

...

...

Richard had never expected that Yekaterin was so strong.

He was grabbed by the collar and had no power to resist. The duchess dragged him into a room deep inside the main building.

The door closed, and all was quiet.

Yekalin's previously suppressed fear could no longer be contained... but she did not cry, only causing the room temperature to drop several degrees.

Even though Richard was used to being silent and withdrawn, he could clearly sense the turmoil in her emotions at that moment.

Yekalin stood with her back to Richard in front of the French windows, never daring to turn around and look at the wound on his head.

She raised her hand to gently wipe the corner of her eye and the tip of her nose, her voice trembling slightly:

"Does it hurt?"

Richard didn't answer immediately. In fact, he wasn't sure if it hurt or not.

The pain-relieving bug allowed him to only perceive the deformity of his skull after being smashed, with only a faint tingling sensation remaining.

What truly lingers is the fear of near-death, the sudden cardiac arrest, the plunge of consciousness into boundless nothingness, and utter silence...

But he would never tell Yekaterin any of this. Why add to her heartache?

Suddenly, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.

"It's okay, you're still alive."

Yekalin did not break free.

She needed that real touch.

Let's confirm it with two hearts that are closely connected.

Feel it with the warmth and breath that blend together.

At that moment, the two souls were connected even more closely.

The night was as dark as ink, slowly seeping into the sky.

The lights of the new Rome suddenly came on at that moment.

Looking out from the top of the giant building where they were, the entire city resembled a fallen sea of ​​stars, flowing with a dazzling yet icy river of light.

Richard remained holding Yekaterin; neither of them let go first.

Yekalin's tense shoulders and back gradually softened, and she gently leaned her weight against his chest.

The light from the window shone on her profile, flickering and making the glistening, still-dry tear tracks appear slightly luminous.

In the distance, the Eiffel Tower shimmered with a deep blue, jade-like luster.

Further down, the lights of the old town streets form a winding golden line.

Horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians moved through it like tiny specks of light.

The clamor of the night market is blocked by the height and glass, and only a faint, indistinct buzzing can be heard here... as if it were just the tide of another world.

But this magnificent night view now exudes a sense of detached silence.

The brighter the light in the darkness, the more it illuminates the darkness in the room and the unspoken space between the two people.

They shared the joy of surviving the ordeal, and also each carried their own unspeakable burdens.

Richard's fear, Yekaterin's self-reproach, and the cold, hard games and costs that lie ahead for the August family.

Yekalin suddenly moved very slightly.

Her forehead pressed against his cheek, her voice muffled, but much calmer than before:

"...Bark lost two districts."

"Um."

Richard responded softly, his hand unconsciously stroking her back: "It's a bit of a shame. I might not be able to pay it back."

"Not entirely." Yekaterin looked up, her eyes reflecting the starry sky outside the window.

Although she was upset in the conference room just now, she did not lose her mind.

"Very complex political factors; you've been drawn into the August family's internal power struggle and are now at the center of the storm..."

She paused for a moment, then gently touched Richard's nose with her fingertips:

"So... there can't be a next time."

Richard did not refute this.

He followed Yekaterin's gaze out the window. The night in New Rome was still bustling, magnificent, and orderly, as if nothing would ever change.

But they all knew that some things had changed.

At the heart of this storm of fate, where light and shadow intertwine, there is covetousness, filth, and scheming, but also emotion and sincerity...

Richard tightened his arms slightly, holding Yekaterin more securely in his embrace.

Neither of them spoke, but simply watched the city's never-ending night.

The light flickered in Yekaterin's eyes, while Richard felt the real warmth in his arms.

The lingering sense of emptiness from death is being dispelled little by little.

The night is deep, and the river of light flows endlessly.

This embrace is a comma, not a period.

Under the silent gaze of this vast city, they had only found a temporary haven.

The storm will continue when the sun rises tomorrow.

But at least for this moment, they have each other, and this night that seems timeless yet is turbulent with undercurrents.