Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

"Bruce, you are truly an outstanding person to be able to persist in studying even while being held captive by that unreasonable woman!"

Wayne's lips twitched, and he turned his face away, trying his best not to let Chen see his subtle, uncontrollable expression.

To be honest, it was that unreasonable woman you mentioned who locked me in the study and forced me to study.

So what exactly did Vina do to leave such a bad impression on Chen? Thinking back, she didn't seem to have argued with Chen, and they only met once at the restaurant entrance before leaving together. Why does Chen seem to harbor such deep resentment towards her?

There's one more thing I don't understand today. Wayne nodded in agreement with Chen's words:

"Like you, I'm here to take the assessment."

Wayne changed the subject,

"And what about Chen? Why are you here?"

Chen turned around, took out a letter bearing the wax seals of the Royal Military Academy and the General Staff from his backpack, and handed it to Wayne.

“I was specially recruited. Every year, the Royal Military Academy offers outstanding students from various colleges the opportunity to participate in graduation assessments and join the Royal Military Academy to pursue postgraduate studies. I have been working hard for this spot!”

Wayne paused for a moment, then sincerely congratulated him, "Congratulations, congratulations."

He never expected that after he instructed Ernest to remove him from the list, the next person in line to be ranked second in the entire academy would actually be Chen. Her ability to stand out in the elite Royal Guard Academy through her own strength was something that shouldn't be erased by his own meddling and relying on the wisdom of his predecessors.

However, Wayne then looked at Chen with some curiosity and asked:

"But didn't Chen say the other day that he was going back to Longmen after graduation? Why did he accept the invitation from the Royal Military Academy?"

If Chen could stay in Victoria, Wayne would undoubtedly be happy. After all, he certainly couldn't extend his reach to Lungmen, which was thousands of miles away, in the short term. Moreover, there were still more than four years until the Chernobog incident and the Lungmen crisis, and there was nothing in Lungmen that he could pay attention to at the moment.

But Chen's tone that night was so firm. Even after getting drunk and being persuaded by Swire, he showed no sign of wavering. It's hard to imagine that Chen, who is so determined to do something that not even ten Hoshiguma could pull him back, would change his mind in just over a month.

What was his purpose in accepting this assessment? Was it just to participate in a potentially life-threatening graduation assessment held in a country she would probably never set foot in again?

It's pointless; Wayne doesn't think Chen would do something so foolish. After all, it would be a waste of resources.

Upon being asked by Wayne, Chen froze on the spot.

Have you changed your mind?

When Wayne asked this, Chen blushed. Now that Wayne was standing right in front of her, she could no longer say, "I am the hero who took the test to save you from the Demon King!"

But she really had no intention of changing her plans. If it weren't for Wayne, Chen would probably have already started contacting people to buy tickets for the flying vehicle back to Lungmen.

Seeing that the straightforward Chen was hesitant and unable to reply, Wayne's number of things he couldn't figure out today increased to three.

However, before he could ponder for long, he heard the sound of orderly footsteps behind him.

"Your classmate is here?"

As if grasping at a straw, Chen, his face as red as the morning glow on the horizon, looked out of the car.

However, the next moment, a row of muscular men in Royal Military Academy uniforms, with stern faces and an aura of professionalism, lifted the curtain and filed in, taking their seats next to Chen and Wayne. Immediately, all eyes turned to Chen.

Chen subconsciously swallowed, his heart skipping a beat. He looked at Wayne. Wayne also gave Chen a wry smile, as if to say: Good grief, this is the "classmate" you were talking about?

Wayne sighed and glanced helplessly at the muscular man in front of him, dressed in a school uniform, looking as out of place as Schwarzenegger in a magical girl costume. He had a lot of complaints stuck in his throat and just wanted to grab Ernest and yell at him: "If you're going to arrange bodyguards for me, at least be more professional! Even an idiot could tell these people are soldiers, right?"

He figured it out, and so did Chen.

Under the watchful, extremely alert gazes of the soldiers, who seemed poised to strike at any moment, Chen finally understood what had happened. She gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and was about to say something when Wayne's helpless gaze stopped her. After much hesitation, she slowly sat back down.

She absolutely refused to believe that these soldiers were there to monitor her, Chen Huijie. She had studied at the Royal Guard Academy for four years, never hiding her identity, and had never been treated like this before.

Then there's only one answer: which blonde royal girl sent this guy to spy on Bruce!

Even if it's just for an exam organized by Victoria's top school, can't that royal girl relax her confinement of Bruce even for a moment? At this moment, although Bruce has already left the mansion that carries the past glory and destruction of his family, he is still imprisoned in the cage of these soldiers and the blonde girl behind them, without a moment's respite.

That's enough!

Chen wanted to lash out, but she also knew that in this place, in front of so many soldiers, even if she questioned Bruce and tried to take him away, she would have no chance. Not only would she endanger her own life, but she might also put Bruce in even more serious danger, which was irrational.

Bruce must have realized this, which is why he stopped her with that helpless yet angry look in his eyes.

The time is not yet right!

Chen reminded himself.

You need to be at your best, defeat all your competitors, win the favor of that legendary nobleman, and then ask him to save Bruce!

Chen Huijie, there's nothing to be afraid of! Reality can be worse than some cheesy novels, but you must become a true hero, because the princess is right in front of you!

She looked at Wayne and nodded heavily.

"Thank you for reminding me, I will restrain myself."

Wayne: "?"

Why should I thank you? What did I remind you of? And what are you trying to restrain yourself from?

Ah Chen, you've changed! You're not a riddle teller anymore! Where has your bright gaze gone?

Today, the number of things I don't understand has increased to four.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Theresa's Lover

Kazdel, ? ? ?, 8:00 am

Theresa straightened her clothes in front of the mirror, then pinned the exquisite Olive Branch Medal and the One-Star Lion Medal to her chest. She turned around and nodded to Kal'tsit, who was waiting by the door.

"Let's go, Kal'tsit."

Kal'tsit frowned slightly, her gaze lingering for a moment on the two medals on Theresa's chest, before speaking:

“Theresia, I don’t object to your going to see Theresis, but please make the best preparations. Keep only the medal that best represents the results of your trip.”

Theresa smiled helplessly and shrugged.

She didn't inform Kal'tsit about the marriage to Victoria immediately; it was her own decision. According to Kal'tsit, she would never agree to Theresa's almost self-sacrificing decision. Even if she were to agree, it should be after her detailed investigation and preparation, eliminating all possible traps and arranging contingency plans for any unforeseen circumstances, before proceeding.

But if we really do as she says, although it's certainly very safe, this marriage will probably be delayed for a year or two. By then, not to mention whether Therese can afford to wait, or whether she'll see this as a delaying tactic, there will definitely be unpredictable changes on Victoria's side.

However, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve peace without bloodshed or violence, and Theresa could not let it slip by. So in the end, she made a decision that was almost "arbitrary," without informing Kal'tsit, and boarded the aircraft with only the "guards" or rather, the monitors that Theresa had arranged for her.

So, although Theresa gained a lot from this trip, for every happy person, there was an angry one, and Kal'tsit was the one who was sulking.

Does it matter if I wear two medals? Both medals are very important to me.

Theresa didn't say this aloud. Since Kal'tsit was angry, as a friend, it wouldn't hurt to go along with her a little.

Under Kal'tsit's watchful gaze, Her Highness hesitated for a moment between the two medals, then removed the One-Star Lion Pack Medal and pinned the Olive Branch Medal to her chest. She raised her head and smiled slightly at Kal'tsit.

"Now that's settled, Kal'tsit, shall we go?"

"........"

Kal'tsit's eyelids twitched. She glanced at the Lion's Pledge medal placed in its case, then closed her eyes in disappointment. A moment later, she opened her eyes again, looked at Theresa, and solemnly suggested:

"In my opinion, the Order of the Lions of Aslan, which symbolizes your status as a noble in Victoria, would be more helpful for you to demonstrate the results of your trip to Theresis."

Unexpectedly, Theresa gently shook her head and replied:

"My lord, that's not necessarily true."

“A count’s status is no match for this olive branch medal, a symbol of peace. Of course, most importantly, it is a gift from His Highness Bruce.”

Theresa blinked, a glint of light in her eyes, and playfully stuck out her tongue, saying mysteriously:

"Or rather, it's a token of love."

Kal'tsit's pupils dilated slightly, then suddenly contracted in surprise the next second.

"You have already..."

"Yes, this marriage has been approved by His Highness Bruce himself, Queen Victoria, my only relative Therese, and even Pope Sakta of Laterano. It can be said to be the most orthodox and sacred marriage in some sense on this land!"

"The key point is you. If you're unwilling, I have ways to make this marriage happen..."

Before Kal'tsit could even utter the word "waste," she was met with a pouting glare from Theresa.

"I am willing."

The answer was very firm. Even with Kal'tsit's thousand years of experience, she could not find a trace of falsehood in it. Perhaps Theresa, as a Demon Lord, had the ability to counter Kal'tsit's life experience and see through lies, but Kal'tsit did not believe that Theresa had just cast such a spell.

Because mon3tr did not respond at all.

Is this the truth?

Kal'tsit's face was grim as she lowered her head and involuntarily clenched her fists.

Although she had experienced this countless times before, she still felt a long-lost sense of personal powerlessness at this moment.

So what if she is a master strategist, so what if she knows everything, so what if she can assassinate a Duke of Ursus in a heavily guarded sanatorium, so what if she can withstand an old guard in the snow without being defeated?

They could only watch helplessly as Theresa willingly made her sacrifice.

While Theresa was in Victoria, Kelsey wasn't idle. She mobilized her intelligence network in Victoria and asked her old friend Thomson, whom she had met ten years ago, and her daughter to conduct a thorough investigation into the Prince of Wales's background.

This is not difficult; superficial inquiries will not alert the unicorns. Besides, Wayne Bruce's name is already widely known throughout Terra. If there were a ranking of the most notorious playboys in Terra, Wayne would be second to none.

Kal'tsit was very confident in her intelligence assessment. Based on the urban legends that had circulated about Wayne's life over the past twenty years, as well as what she had heard during her stay in Victoria Londinium, Wayne's character was indeed unruly, and there was no possibility of any "pretending".

As long as Wayne is still "Wayne", it is impossible for anyone to pretend to be the same for more than 20 years without revealing the slightest flaw!

She couldn't believe that Theresa could fall for someone like that.

She was indeed willing, and she didn't lie, but what Theresa loved wasn't Wayne, but the country itself; she willingly chose to sacrifice herself for her country.

This was indeed, in some ways, the most sacred marriage in the land, because Theresa's marriage partner was this country!

Kal'tsit angrily slammed her fist on the wall.

These things could have been avoided if she had tried a little harder. Kazdel's rise to power could have been independent of Victoria, and even less dependent on the patronage of some foreign royal family.

But there wasn't enough time.

Foreign eyes have been cast upon this land of four wars, and the phoenix-like rebirth from the ruins has been presented on the desks of a few. Kal'tsit can stop the beasts of the wasteland, but she cannot stop the wickedness of human hearts.

She took a deep breath, calming her emotions which had been greatly stirred by Theresa, and returned to being the wise Kal'tsit she always was.

"Your Highness, as you said, let's go."

Kal'tsit said seriously,

"But please always remember that the vision you have described, the vision I yearn for, is that the Sarkaz should be free, and I do not want you to be bound by the chains you have made."

Theresa was stunned for a moment, and in the end, she could only look at Kal'tsit's departing figure with a helpless bitter smile.