Chapter 87: Did She Leave You Wanting More?

"How did you do that?"

Zachary glanced at the portal behind him before casually closing it with a snap of his fingers.

"I can do that with my Resonance. I’ve always wanted to try it, although using it to teleport can be quite tiring."

"That might come in handy."

"Sure. I’ll give you a ride next time, deerling."

He then turned toward Russell. His usual playful expression softened as he approached the young King.

Zachary bowed his head politely.

"May the glory of the Arestionne Kingdom of Luanna be as eternal as Estrise snow! Your Majesty, King Russell Arestionne."

Lydia was surprised by the formal greeting. It was the first time she had heard Zachary address someone with such respect.

But he sure had a point there. Since Russell had lost both his parents, he was now the one who had inherited the throne.

Russell returned his greeting with a polite nod.

"Thank you, Count Ludenberg. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"I’m glad you’re safe and unharmed, Your Majesty," Zachary replied. "My family has been searching for you for quite some time."

"I’ve heard about your family’s efforts. I am grateful for everything House Ludenberg has done. But please, just drop the formalities and call me Russell."

After ordering food for the three of them, Zachary took a small golden device from his bracelet and placed it on the table.

A Moon Wolf insignia—the royal seal of Arestionne Kingdom—flashed as the device opened with a soft click and displayed an official holographic document.

"This was entrusted to House Ludenberg by the late King and Queen of Arestionne." Zachary continued with a solemn voice. "Your parents personally asked House Ludenberg to protect you. Now that we’ve finally found you, we wish to help you reclaim your rightful place."

Russell slowly reached for the golden device. His parents had made sure he would be protected, even after they were gone.

"Thank you, Senior Zachary. I don’t know how to repay House Ludenberg for everything you’ve done for me."

"There’s no need for that, Russell."

Lydia watched him quietly. She knew how much he had lost and how hard he had fought just to stay alive.

"I hope you’ll be able to return home safely one day, Russell," Lydia said with a gentle smile.

"I hope so too, Lydia."

A moment later, the door opened again.

Ephraim finally arrived, but his expression soured when he recognized the familiar face sitting beside Lydia.

The person he had known as Rishe was actually a man.

"I never thought the Crown Prince of the Luanna continent was Rishe all along."

"Ephraim, mind your manners. He always treated me kindly—both as Rishe and Russell."

Ephraim pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to process this revelation.

"Your Highness," Russell greeted him with a polite nod.

Ephraim returned the greeting with a brief nod. He was clearly displeased, but he held back his comments.

This was no longer just Rishe, Lydia’s roommate. He was the rightful King of a neighboring kingdom.

After a brief silence, Ephraim straightened his posture and turned his attention toward Russell.

"I want to help you reclaim your throne." Ephraim continued, his voice firm. "Not as a Crown Prince, and not on behalf of the Adelstein Empire. But as Ephraim Rion Adelstein. I know how much you mean to Lydia, and I want to see her happy."

That was... amazing. To be honest, Lydia thought Ephraim would be upset and hate Russell. But he had come a long way.

He wasn’t letting his jealousy get in the way. He knew how much Russell meant to Lydia, and he was willing to help him if it meant making her happy.

Ephraim leaned back in his chair and opened the holographic menu to place his order.

"There’s something else you should know, Lydia. Lord Vincent Valendorf had captured the Prime Minister of Arestionne during his recent relief mission."

The news made Lydia pause mid-bite. Her fork hovered over her seafood spaghetti.

"Brother Vincent had captured the evil Prime Minister? Where is he right now?"

"Actually, that’s why I arrived late," Ephraim let out a sigh. "The moment Duke Gilbert and Lord Sylvain informed him that the Prime Minister was the one who sent his son, Larkas, to assassinate you during the Hunting Competition, Lord Vincent went ballistic. He killed the Prime Minister before I could intervene."

Ephraim rubbed his forehead.

"As his Commander, I had to deal with the aftermath and report the incident to His Majesty."

"Wait. What happened?"

"He... killed the Prime Minister right in our prison with his Resonance."

Good grief. Just how angry was he?

For several seconds, Lydia couldn’t find the words to respond. How come things escalated that quick?

Her brother had captured the Prime Minister? Then he killed him? The very man who had been plotting against Russell and trying to seize control of Arestionne?

She wasn’t sure whether she should feel relieved or troubled by what Vincent had done.

Ephraim reached for his bracelet and took out two scales from his storage.

"These Naga scales were taken from the Prime Minister and his son’s tail."

Naga scales.

The scales were almost as large as Lydia’s palm. One of them had a bluish color while the other was vivid green.

Their surfaces shimmered under the light. Lydia found the bluish scale was similar to the ones on Larkas’s face when the assassin transformed into his true form.

"That’s from the Prime Minister and his son’s tail?"

"Yes. Naga scales are incredibly tough. They’re practically as hard as adamantine, and they cannot simply be pulled off while the naga is alive. They can only be removed after the naga dies."

Russell examined the scales closely.

"That’s how we confirmed their death. As his Commander, I had to give your troublesome brother a formal reprimand and suspend him from duty for three days." Ephraim sighed. "Honestly, I think he got off rather lightly.

Lydia’s mouth fell open.

Of course Lydia could see the faint smile on his lips. Those nagas were after his fiancée’s life, after all.

Knowing Ephraim, that was probably his way of giving Vincent a few days off to rest at home.

"Thank you, my Ephraim." Lydia nestled into his arms and hugged him around his waist. "You’re always so thoughtful."

Meanwhile, Russell continued examining the scales in silence. His blue eyes remained fixed on their shiny surface as he slowly raised his hand.

He aimed his Resonance toward the scale, pouring more and more of his power into it.

The temperature dropped rapidly, and frost spread across the tabletop. Within seconds, the entire table was covered in ice.

Yet the jade scale remained untouched.

Russell narrowed his eyes and raised a sharp ice spike above his palm, then crashed it against the scale.

CRAAACKKKK!

The ice spike shattered into tiny fragments, but the naga scales remained unscathed.

"Yes. These scales sure belong to those traitors. They were the only nagas that were immune to Ice Resonance. I can’t thank you enough for this, Your Highness. Truly."

Russell bowed deeply to Ephraim.

His expression was difficult to read, but Lydia could tell that this news had affected him more deeply than he let on.

"Russell..."

Lydia gently reached for Russell’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Across the table, Zachary let out a quiet sigh. He noticed how Lydia was sitting between Russell and Ephraim.

Zachary was clearly displeased to see his beloved Guide was sandwiched between the future Emperor and the King of two countries.

To be honest, he wished he could sit beside her, too.

"So, Russell," Zachary asked with a knowing smile. "Did Lydia leave you aching for more after she guided you? Or did you manage to keep your hands to yourself?"