novelraw Chapter 172 : The Little Princess's Mate Selection Problem
Chapter 172 : The Little Princess's Mate Selection Problem
In the majestic and splendid palace, the originally harmonious atmosphere was suddenly shattered by a heart-wrenching scream.
Lauren Cole was startled by her own agonized cry.
As the captain of the Soul Shadow Strike Team and an A-class Alpha, under normal circumstances, she would never cry out in fear or pain.
Unless it was unbearable.
Earlier, when she first started testing her strength against Shen Han, she was still full of confidence.
Since neither of them was allowed to release pheromones, she thought that in a pure test of strength, she would surely win.
Her physique was robust, standing nearly 180 centimeters tall, with muscles developed into blocks, looking like a bodybuilder.
Standing next to her, the tall and proportionate Shen Han seemed almost frail in comparison.
However, just as Lauren Cole was about to teach this Alpha who had repeatedly disturbed her a harsh lesson, she was horrified by the burning sensation in her palm.
The scorching heat spread from her palm to the back of her hand. In a brief moment, she felt as if her entire hand was on fire.
It was as if she had thrust her hand into a forge, with molten iron splashing, about to incinerate her flesh and bones!
The incredibly real burning sensation and the immense fear welling up in her heart made Lauren Cole disregard her image and the occasion, crying out involuntarily.
Seeing the guards running towards them with guns drawn, Shen Han finally released her grip.
She stepped back, spreading her hands in front of her to show she wasn't holding any weapons.
Feeling as if she had just escaped death, Lauren Cole stared at her unharmed hand, examining it back and forth.
She looked as if she had just discovered she had hands for the first time.
The skin was unbroken, and the bones weren't shattered.
Lauren Cole was breathing heavily, her shell-shocked appearance making the guards surrounding her exchange bewildered glances.
"What happened? What did you just do?" The guard first asked Shen Han.
Shen Han calmly replied, "I shook hands with Captain Lauren Cole."
Hearing this answer, the guard was immediately stunned.
He thought to himself: Shaking hands? Why did Lauren Cole react as if she'd been hit by a cannonball?
After a brief silence, the guard turned his gaze to the tall strike team captain: "Is what she said true?"
Lauren Cole wanted to refute but didn't know how to explain.
She could hardly tell everyone that the Federation woman had squeezed her hand too hard, could she?
Did she want to lose face completely?
After struggling for a while, Lauren Cole could only acquiesce to Shen Han's explanation.
She forced out an excuse to save face: There was a small accident just now.
The king's attendant hurried over, and after hearing both sides' accounts, he questioned several Soul Shadow Strike Team members who were also in the rest area.
"What did your captain do before shaking hands with the Federation officer? What kind of conversation did they have? Tell me."
The strike team members knew the King Hols wanted to understand what had happened, so they didn't dare conceal anything and answered truthfully: "The captain was chatting up Miss Xu Zhao when that Federation officer came over."
"They talked about Ksenrode nights, and then they started shaking hands when the accident occurred."
The attendant's eyelids twitched. He found two more people to question, and after receiving the same answer, he hurried back to the banquet hall to report to the old king.
Although King Hols was over 70 years old, his mind was still sharp.
After hearing the attendant's report, he understood the cause and effect of the incident.
Duke Francor was a philanderer, and his daughter was even worse than him.
There was nothing to be said about her being taught a lesson for daring to harass the Free Federation Empress's special assistant.
Thinking of this, Hols raised his eyes to look at Gu Junwan and recounted the small incident from the adjacent rest area in a jesting manner.
Then, as if reminiscing, he said, "If I remember correctly, that guard captain once helped Princess Quintina. The Empress is truly surrounded by talented individuals."
In the Alpaca Café incident a year ago, Shen Han had actually saved Princess Quintina's life.
Now the old king subtly changed the concept from 'saving' to 'helping', implicitly conveying to Gu Junwan: The weight of that incident cannot affect our cooperation this time.
Prince Joris was also at the table, and after understanding the meaning behind his grandfather's words, he immediately wanted to speak up for the Empress.
If it weren't for her people stepping forward, he would no longer have his lovely sister now.
However, before Joris could speak, the old king had already given him a stern look, stopping his next words and actions.
The gestures and thoughts of the grandfather and grandson were all clearly captured by Gu Junwan.
She didn't harbor any resentment towards the old king's attitude of not wanting to acknowledge the debt.
As a fellow national leader, she fully understood the old king's actions.
Being grateful is a good quality, but it would indeed seem rash to base the cooperation between two countries solely on this point.
In fact, even if the old king hadn't hinted, Gu Junwan wouldn't have used the favor to demand anything in return.
Increasing energy cooperation with Ksenrode depended on factors such as the national strength and strategic development compatibility of both countries.
If the old king made decisions based on personal emotional preferences, he wouldn't have been able to hold his current position for long.
Gu Junwan held a napkin, gently dabbing it against her lips.
Her slender hands moved gracefully, causing many at the table to observe her discreetly.
After placing the napkin down, Gu Junwan began to speak.
"Thank you for the praise. Ensuring the safety of citizens and foreign guests is the duty of the Free Federation government."
"In recent years, the Federation has been developing rapidly. If the distinguished guests here were to visit, they would surely have a wonderful experience-"
Gu Junwan didn't mention anything about the energy cooperation this time, but simply introduced the customs and culture of the Free Federation to the princes and dukes present.
The Empress's words were clear, her voice as pleasant as a gentle stream.
Just listening to her speak was an enjoyable experience that lifted one's mood.
In just two or three minutes, many of Ksenrode's dignitaries had already shown great interest in the Free Federation.
Gu Junwan didn't give a long-winded promotion. Seeing that the atmosphere was suitably set, she changed the subject and said to the old king: "Your country's palace is heavily guarded and extremely safe."
"The Soul Shadow Strike Team doesn't need to provide close protection; they could be of greater use elsewhere."
Getting the tall strike team captain away from her side was something Gu Junwan had planned to do early on.
Even without the opportunity in the rest area earlier, she would have made this request to the old king.
Now that she could seamlessly connect this topic, she was naturally pleased.
Thinking of this, Gu Junwan couldn't help but recall Shen Han's proud golden retriever-like appearance from earlier in the day.
Her red lips curled slightly, and she very much wanted to immediately reward a certain Alpha with a kiss.
How could that person be so perfect? Everything she did hit just the right spot.
The old king heard Gu Junwan's dislike for the Soul Shadow Strike Team and immediately agreed to the change.
He raised his glass and in a few words shifted the topic elsewhere.
In a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere, everyone at the table continued their meal.
At the same time, the adjacent rest area had also returned to its previous calm.
Lauren Cole left the palace with her team, looking dejected, but not forgetting to give Shen Han a fierce glare before leaving.
After seeing them disappear, Xu Zhao finally spoke to Shen Han in a voice only they could hear: "Did I cause trouble for you and Her Majesty?"
Shen Han gave her a mysterious smile: "Don't worry, not only will Junwan not find it troublesome, she might even praise you for doing a good job!"
Xu Zhao was unaware that the strike team captain had previously offended Gu Junwan, so after hearing Shen Han's words, she was somewhat bewildered.
Shen Han didn't explain further. After delivering that cryptic message, she returned to the group of guards.
...
In the northwest area of the palace stood a fairytale-like castle.
The castle was built in a vaulted style, surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens.
Standing on the high balcony, one could take in the entire view of the palace.
While the old king and Gu Junwan were having dinner together, Princess Quintina was sulking in this beautiful castle.
She had just turned 18, and not long ago, the palace had held a grand coming-of-age ceremony for her.
Her problem with pheromone reception had also greatly improved under medical treatment.
However, the ensuing mate selection issue had caused the little princess to develop a resistance.
She felt that even without an Alpha's pheromones, she could easily get through her heat periods with suppressants.
Recently, her grandfather and brothers had been constantly bringing various Alphas for her to choose from.
What should have been an anticipated romance had turned into something that felt like an assembly line production.
The little princess had thrown several tantrums over this, and even the old king, with his absolute authority, dared not provoke her.
At present, the maid Julie was shrinking her head as she apologized to the princess, who had her back turned: "Don't be angry. I'll do as you say and tell Prince Joris tomorrow morning that you're not feeling well, so he'll cancel the gathering arranged for you."
Hearing this, Quintina immediately relaxed her brow.
She sat on the bed, secretly delighting for a moment, then continued to face away from her maid, saying plaintively: "It's not that I want to rebel against my brother, but the Alphas he chooses really aren't good."
"Take that Lauren from the Francor Duke's family last time, for example. She was so burly, like a small mountain. I felt like a toy rabbit in front of her; she could crush me with one hand."
Julie thought for a moment, then tentatively asked: "What about Richard from the Kate family? He's not big in build, and he's very gentlemanly."
Quintina turned her head and let out a light sigh: "He's too weak. Last time in the garden, he was scared by a hunting dog and his legs were shaking. I don't like him."
Hearing the little princess being so picky, Julie was almost in tears: "But princess, where in this world can you find a perfect person? If you don't interact with and get to know people, you won't see their good qualities."
A glimmer of amusement flashed in Quintina's emerald eyes: "I can see other people's good qualities."
"I think the Alpha we met in the Free Federation last year was very good. She was beautiful, and also brave and interesting!"