novelraw Chapter 174 : A Fall for Honor
Chapter 174 : A Fall for Honor
At 6:30 PM, the setting sun's rays blanketed the horizon.
The splendid orange light poured down, as if draping the royal palace in a mantle of radiant glory!
The Kazas Bridge was one of the most renowned stone bridges within the palace grounds.
The bridge had an arched design, with numerous exquisite carvings on its body, and its arch allowed boats to pass underneath.
When Shen Han arrived at the Kazas Bridge with two soldiers, the sunset glow had just stretched to the lake's edge.
The reflection in the lake complemented the ancient stone bridge, creating a scene as beautiful as an oil painting.
It wasn't possible to lure Shen Han here with a casually fabricated reason.
In fact, Shen Han had received a call from a Federation official accompanying them, saying that the palace garrison needed to understand some access authorization matters for the Empress's guard team. Only then did she follow the two soldiers, temporarily leaving the banquet area where Gu Junwan was.
However, as Shen Han was about to reach the apex of the bridge along the stone steps, she realized she might have been set up.
Because she saw Quintina appear in her line of sight, as if by coincidence.
The little princess was lifting her skirt, approaching from the other end of the arched bridge.
Every inch of her silver hair was filled with flowing light, and the faint sound of tinkling jade seemed to waft through the air.
The orange light reflected in her emerald eyes, like dancing sprites.
The maid Julie walked a few paces behind the little princess.
Her gaze wandered, stretching her neck to look in Shen Han's direction, then her lips moved slightly, whispering a word or two.
Julie's movements weren't actually large, but to Shen Han's eyes, they seemed somewhat sneaky.
"We meet again, Shen Han. Do you like Ksenrode's sunset?" Quintina spoke first.
To make the other feel comfortable, she even deliberately used the Federation language.
After saluting the little princess, the two soldiers who had led the way retreated behind Shen Han.
This was the order they had received earlier; they didn't need to understand the reason, just follow instructions.
The soldiers' obvious clearing of space made Shen Han even more suspicious.
But now she could neither turn and leave, nor ignore Quintina's proactive greeting.
So, she could only bow slightly to the other according to Ksenrode etiquette, then reply, "It's nice to meet you. This place is rich and beautiful; I think no one would dislike it."
Quintina looked up at the tall and valiant Alpha before her, happily narrowing her beautiful eyes.
She didn't know what was happening to herself. They weren't even acquainted, yet she somehow liked being near the other.
The other didn't try to please or indulge her like other Alphas, and even maintained a bit of rigidity and distance.
If Quintina hadn't seen Shen Han's different state in the Free Federation, she wouldn't have been interested in such a cold Alpha.
But coincidentally, last year, the other had left an extremely deep impression on her.
The wit and bravery in her memory intertwined with the current cold calmness, forming a unique contrasting charm.
It made one unable to resist wanting to explore further!
After a polite exchange of a few words, Shen Han indicated she still had work to do and intended to go down the bridge, bypassing the little princess.
At this moment, Julie quickly reminded in an extremely small voice, "Fall now, right now!"
The little princess immediately followed the rhythm, her body tilting, about to fall onto the bridge surface.
Julie: "......"
Princess, why are you falling on the bridge? You're supposed to fall onto the Alpha!
Seeing this scene, Shen Han's eyes widened.
'Trying to stage an accident? Not so easy!'
"Be careful!" Shen Han called out urgently.
She stepped forward, reaching out her hand while stumbling, her foot hitting the low railing on the side, and then she actually fell off the bridge surface.
The Alpha's fall from the bridge came very suddenly.
It was even more unexpected than the little princess's on-the-spot fall.
Quintina was almost frightened out of her wits!
She hurriedly lifted her skirt and moved towards where Shen Han had fallen, her slender legs as soft as cooked noodles.
Julie and the two soldiers also changed color drastically.
The three rushed forward to protect the princess. If this one were to fall off the bridge, their jobs would be toast.
"Splash!"
The sound of Shen Han hitting the water surface echoed.
When the little princess leaned her head to look down the bridge, she didn't see anyone, only an orange-red wave breaking the lake's surface.
The top of the arched bridge was 5 meters above the water surface.
An Alpha who had undergone long-term training falling into water generally wouldn't be in mortal danger, but Quintina was still so upset that she shed tears.
"Julie, will she be injured?"
Julie supported her little princess down the bridge while comforting her, "She probably won't be."
"Don't blame yourself, princess. This was just an accident. Let's think of it this way: Guard Shen was originally supposed to work until tonight, but with this incident, she can rest today."
The little princess asked with tear-filled eyes, "Only rest today? Can't she recuperate for another day tomorrow?"
How could Julie answer this question!
She could only stammer awkwardly, "As for tomorrow, I guess it would require the Free Federation Empress's approval. They seem to be going to inspect an energy base. Guard Shen is the team captain, she needs to protect the Empress."
The two sat on a bench under the bridge, anxiously watching the lake area where Shen Han had fallen.
Soldiers who had come upon hearing the commotion were calling out and searching in the water, creating a tense atmosphere.
At this time, Shen Han had already held her breath and swum underwater far away.
After coming ashore, she headed directly to the hotel where she was staying, relying on memory.
On the way, she encountered two checkpoints, and was only allowed to pass after her identity was confirmed.
Shen Han's wet hair kept dripping water, and her heart was full of complaints.
'What's going on? Is the princess that bored? If she has nothing to do, why not attend a court party? Why come to ambush me!'
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her wife.
Both were girls born into nobility, yet Gu Junwan had to shoulder heavy responsibilities at such a young age, toiling and rushing about for state affairs.
At the same moment.
Gu Junwan, who was attending the banquet, suddenly saw several maids hurriedly enter the hall, whisper a few words to the noblewomen they served, and then quietly withdraw.
She had no intention of asking, but one of the noblewomen voluntarily told her the news she had just received.
"Miss Gu, one of your guards accidentally fell into the water."
"But you needn't worry, Quintina has dispatched the garrison to search and rescue by the lake. There won't be any problems."
Gu Junwan's eyes flickered slightly. She maintained very proper etiquette as she asked the other, "Did the news say which guard it was? How did they fall into the water?"
The noblewoman added some champagne for the Empress in her elegant dress, then answered, "The specific situation isn't very clear. As for who it was, it's said to be the one who closely protects you."
After exchanging pleasantries with the noblewoman, Gu Junwan found an excuse to leave the center of the banquet.
She went to a corner of the venue to find Xu Zhao: "Give Shen Han a call."
Xu Zhao immediately complied.
After dialing, there was no answer on the other end.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. She might just be busy and didn't hear it. I'll keep trying."
Xu Zhao didn't know about the falling incident, but she could see worry between her Empress's brows.
After quite a while, the call was finally answered.
Hearing Shen Han's voice come through the receiver, Xu Zhao immediately handed the phone to her Empress.
Shen Han had returned to the hotel and had just taken off her wet clothes in the bathroom when she heard the phone ringing. She hurried back to the bed.
Shaking the water off the phone, she saw it was a call from Xu Zhao and answered, asking, "What's wrong? Has the Empress's banquet ended?"
Despite being a special phone, even after being submerged in water for a while, its function wasn't affected.
On the phone, Gu Junwan's voice flowed like spring water, "It's me. How are you?"
Although Gu Junwan didn't mention any keywords, Shen Han knew she must be referring to her recent fall from the bridge into the lake.
She couldn't tell the other that she had fallen first to preempt the little princess's fake fall!
She only said, "Don't worry. I just encountered Quintina on an arched bridge, didn't notice the low railing on the side, tripped, and fell into the lake below."
"I'm back at the hotel now. I'll be able to come to you after a quick shower."
Hearing Shen Han's voice as usual, Gu Junwan finally relaxed.
She knew there must be more to the story of her falling into the lake, but she didn't ask more on the phone. After a few words of caution, they ended the call.
Shen Han opened her contacts and called Ning Xi.
She assigned her original task of liaising with the garrison to the other, then entered the bathroom with peace of mind.
In a corner of the palace banquet hall.
Xu Zhao received the phone back from her Empress with both hands and curiously asked, "Your Majesty, I just heard Shen Han say she fell into the lake?"
Gu Junwan thought for a moment, then said softly to her, "She met the little girl who gave her the mountain bike on the bridge. Probably couldn't avoid the special situation, so she jumped down herself."
They couldn't mention Quintina's name where they were, so Gu Junwan used a different way of saying it.
Xu Zhao, having been by her side for years, understood immediately.
"I thought so. With her skills, how could she fall into the lake? Unless the whole bridge collapsed."
Saying this, Xu Zhao pushed up her glasses and said worriedly, "The little girl's identity is special, we can't scold or scare her. If she doesn't settle down on her own, this matter could be quite troublesome."
Xu Zhao also knew about the little princess's pheromone reception problem being effectively improved.
In this situation, her showing interest in Shen Han was not a good sign.
If Zhou Nuoman, Yan Ni, and He Meng were petals of love that Shen Han had attracted, then this Ksenrode little princess could indeed be considered a rival in love for the Empress.
Objectively speaking, Quintina was of noble birth, with impeccable looks and temperament.
Due to her overly privileged upbringing, the cuteness and innocence emanating from the little princess's core were extremely lethal.
As an Omega herself, Gu Junwan rarely let people sense her vulnerability.
In most cases, her dignity and aura were unmatched even by high-level Alphas.
In contrast, Quintina's naturally revealed frailty and sweetness were most likely to evoke a strong protective instinct in Alphas.
Xu Zhao believed Shen Han wouldn't develop feelings for others, but this situation was truly vexing!
Just as she was worrying for her Empress, Gu Junwan's voice calmly sounded.
"Actually, it's not that troublesome. The things we can't conveniently do, we'll leave to those who can conveniently handle them."