The star pirates, as the palace guards described them, were all decked out in black, faces concealed behind masks. They swarmed in numerous numbers, each armed with light weaponry, and their spiritual prowess was nothing to scoff at. It was like a hive of bees unleashed, mixing it up in a brawl with the estate’s guards and attendants.
Inside the banquet hall, chaos reigned. Some aristocrats, lacking spiritual abilities and defenseless, screamed in panic, scrambling into rooms, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire.
As Chu Wenyu stepped out of his room, this was the scene that met his eyes.
The villa was far from the city center, making it impossible to quickly mobilize guards from the palace. However, the guards standing beside Chu Wenyu weren’t as alarmed; they knew having the monarch around meant there was little to worry about.
“Where’s Prince Jiang Ling?” Chu Wenyu asked calmly, surveying the chaotic scene without a hint of panic.
The servant he queried didn’t immediately flee. Instead, he pointed in a direction, only darting away in a panic after Chu Wenyu left.
When Chu Wenyu spotted Jiang Ling, Princess Anna stood across from him. He glanced over Alpha, relieved to find no injuries.
Jiang Ling halted his conversation with Anna upon seeing Chu Wenyu. Earlier, Anna had briefed him on her plan – hiring mercenaries disguised as star pirates to stage an attack while Chu Wenyu was occupied, and commanding his guards to slip away unnoticed.
However, Jiang Ling couldn’t shake the feeling that the supposed mercenaries didn’t quite fit the act. Yet, seeing Chu Wenyu, he refrained from pressing the issue further.
“You’re not injured, right?” Chu Wenyu asked Jiang Ling, ignoring Anna completely.
Still wearing the somewhat dirty and now wind-dried attire, it was evident that the other party hadn’t bothered to let the waiter change them. Though unclear about what had shifted in Chu Wenyu’s mindset, Jiang Ling found himself oddly less angry.
“Princess, please step outside,” Jiang Ling gestured to Anna.
In this final moment, he selfishly desired some private time with Chu Wenyu.
Upon seeing Jiang Ling’s expression, Chu Wenyu couldn’t think of his earlier resentment. Well, he could deal with it later. Since he knew his methods to provoke Jiang Ling’s jealousy were no longer effective, he genuinely dared not attempt them again.
“I didn’t let him touch me.”
Amidst the chaos outside, Chu Wenyu had limited time. Without much hesitation, he explained, sensing that this incident had left Jiang Ling displeased and considering him overly flirtatious.
“I know,” Jiang Ling gazed deep into his eyes, reaching out to straighten the wrinkles on his sleeve.
“I did it to make you jealous,” Chu Wenyu pursed his lips, shedding the awkwardness. His eyes sparkled like stars.
Jiang Ling’s hand paused for a moment before nodding.
Now he understood.
“I’m not mad that you left me earlier. Let’s both take a step back and not be upset,” Chu Wenyu looked towards the door and concluded.
Jiang Ling stared at the lingering fine sand on Chu Wenyu’s clothes, feeling a slight ache in his nose, and his throat seemed choked. Nevertheless, he nodded.
Chu Wenyu thought they had resolved their conflict, and he relaxed before composing himself.
“I’ll go see what’s happening. Stay here and don’t move. Safely wait for me to come back,” he said, heading towards the door.
Jiang Ling instinctively grabbed Chu Wenyu’s hand, forcing himself to speak, “Your Majesty, you should be aware of my abilities. I can help you.”
However, Chu Wenyu furrowed his brow and released Jiang Ling’s hand, “I can handle this alone. Stay here and don’t make any mistakes. I don’t want to see you get into trouble.”
After signaling the guards waiting outside to follow him, he left only two guards to stay. The room was relatively safe, as the nobles had retreated into their chambers.
Outside, guards were entangled with the star pirates, but it seemed they hadn’t breached the interior yet.
As expected, contrary to Anna’s guess, Chu Wenyu prioritized his safety and left him in the room. However, Jiang Ling wasn’t pleased. He’d rather Chu Wenyu treat him indifferently, not caring about him. The repeated compromises from the monarch made him increasingly uncomfortable, despite the fact that, more often than not, it was the other party’s actions that caused the issues.
Jiang Ling struggled to recall Chu Wenyu’s past actions to firm up his resolve.
But before he could even dwell on it for long, Anna came in with a tall and burly bodyguard.
“Jiang Ling, now is the perfect opportunity. The Emperor is occupied and won’t have time to worry about you. Follow this person; he’ll take you to a starship specializing in smuggling. At that point, it’ll be challenging for the Emperor to trace your whereabouts.”
Jiang Ling scrutinized the bodyguard, sensing an inexplicable familiarity. However, the guard immediately lowered his hat and spoke in a deep voice, “Your Highness, please come with me.” Jiang Ling felt some suspicion but wasn’t overly nervous. Even if there were issues, he might still manage to escape.
Seizing the opportune moment, Jiang Ling followed the bodyguard and left.
The bodyguard, seemingly diligent, swiftly escorted him into a car and headed towards their destination from the suburban villa.
Unfamiliar with the geography of Burke’s Star, Jiang Ling only knew they traversed desolate and open territories. It made sense, as smuggling couldn’t take the well-trodden paths openly.
After an indeterminate time had passed, the scenery before him changed unpredictably. Jiang Ling began to feel that this time, perhaps, he could truly escape Burke’s Star.
Yet, he failed to notice the driver, the discreet figure, smirking strangely.
The speed was considerable, and before long, Jiang Ling saw a massive starship parked not far away.
Its exterior was unremarkable, but it exuded resilience. Perhaps this illicit business had been going on for quite some time.
Outside the starship, vague figures caught Jiang Ling’s attention. Squinting, he realized these were no ordinary people. The nearest one in his line of sight was a scar-faced man in his forties with a crew cut, squatting on the ground, puffing a cigar. Some things truly transcended eras.
Jiang Ling became even more cautious. When such individuals gathered, the atmosphere inside the starship might not be welcoming.
What baffled him more was how Princess Anna had connections to discover such a group. After all, in his impression, Princess Anna had always been the image of a well-behaved girl.
The bodyguard parked the car not far from the starship. Jiang Ling knew that his mission was completed and thought he had misunderstood him, so he politely got out of the car and thanked him.
However, the bodyguard didn’t return the way they came. Instead, he got out of the car and followed Jiang Ling.
“Thank you for your trouble. You don’t need to continue escorting me,” Jiang Ling stopped and turned back, saying.
But as soon as he finished speaking, his hands were grabbed from behind with considerable force.
Sensing trouble, Jiang Ling frowned. While he could break free, he refrained from moving to understand the situation.
“What’s the meaning of this? Did Princess Anna instruct you to do this?” Jiang Ling asked calmly.
The bodyguard removed his hat and tore off the fake beard he had been using for disguise, revealing a familiar face.
“It’s you?” Jiang Ling recognized the familiar sensation. It was Wilson, whom he had seen in the palace several months ago.
Why was he here, and what was his purpose in this current situation?
“Looks like Prince Hostage doesn’t want to see me,” Wilson smirked.
He glanced towards the registration entrance not far away, not in a hurry to go there.
“Do you really think I would help you? Princess Anna is so naive, easily believing my words. Now, neither you nor Chu Wenyu can escape. She’s made a grave mistake,” Wilson wasn’t concerned about the consequences of his words. After all, in his eyes, Jiang Ling was nothing more than someone who could be easily disposed of once he left Chu Wenyu’s protection.
Jiang Ling quickly understood. Wilson harbored resentment towards Chu Wenyu as well.
“You may dislike me, that’s normal. But why plot against the Emperor?”
“Does Prince Hostage have the face to ask me? If it weren’t for you inciting trouble in front of Chu Wenyu, how would I have ended up in this situation? I can’t even reveal my true identity on Burke’s Star. But then, such a foolish monarch isn’t worth my loyalty,” Wilson said with bitterness.
He checked his watch and suddenly smiled, “Very soon, or to be precise, in ten minutes, the timed explosive devices I placed in the villa will detonate. Chu Wenyu probably never imagined he would die in such a situation, hahaha…”
Originally, the villa would have gone through strict security checks. However, that foolish princess trusted him too much, allowing him to handle such matters. He didn’t even need to put in much effort to seize the opportunity.
His target was solely Chu Wenyu; as for the others in the villa, their unfortunate fate was due to their own choice to get involved.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
