Chapter 72: kiss?

The journey back to Oakhaven was a smooth march. The five hundred guards kept a tight formation around the cargo wagons, their spears pointing upward as the long line of soldiers entered the valley gates. The news of the treasury victory had already traveled ahead of us, and the entire settlement was waiting.

I walked near the front of the line, Suzy was right next to my shoulder.

The village did not look like a broken settlement anymore. Toby had used the last two days to execute the master plan perfectly. Right in the middle of the square, where the old rotting huts used to be, stood a massive, newly constructed open-air marketplace. It was built with clean, uniform rows of stone counters, wide timber roofing frames from the logging sector, and structured walkways that allowed fifty traders to set up shop at the exact same time.

Toby was standing on top of the pillar.

"You are finally back, Barry! Look at these alignment lines! The marketplace is fully completed!"

"You did a great job, brat," I laughed "The construction quality passes inspection. I won’t dock your pay this week."

Toby puffed out his small chest, looking incredibly proud as he turned to look at the massive crowd of village families gathering around the counters.

Suzy walked up to the platform, she took out the distribution registries. she looked down at the thousands of people waiting for her directive.

"People of Oakhaven!" Suzy’s velvet voice carried clearly across the open square. "The old dynasty’s monopoly is officially broken! We have just cleared the supreme royal vault and recovered the assets that were stolen from your families for ten long years! Today, we open the new branch market!"

With a series of quick orders, the guards began unloading the cargo from the wagons. Since only my own eyes could see the golden boxes of the system screen, I walked behind the long stone counters, carefully using my thoughts to pull the liquidated assets out of my hidden slots without anyone noticing.

Dozens of bags filled with gold coins, hundreds of premium silk rolls, and rare barrels appeared there, completely clean and ready for use.

The village families stood completely still for a second, they absolute shocked as they looked at the mountains of wealth sitting right in front of their faces. Then, a massive wave of pure joy and shouting exploded from the crowd as they stepped up to receive their fair share of the gold and the new silk supplies to make warm clothes for the winter.

An old village elder walked up to the counter, his hands shaking violently with total respect as he pressed his face down toward my boots. "Master Barry... Queen Suzy... you have changed our entire destiny. We will fight for this market until the very end."

"Stand up, elder," I said, a smile showing on my face as I helped him up. "The hard work is yours. Just use these materials to grow the fields."

I walked back to Suzy’s side, looking at the bustling rows of the new market. The people were fed, the trade lines were active, and our new Kingdom was growing.

Then, Over the next few weeks, Barry dedicated his time completely to the construction of the outer valley. He personally supervised the layout of the water lines, showed the workers how to build stronger storage units, and taught the local farmers how to improve their crop yields. Once the entire infrastructure project was running smoothly, Barry, Suzy, and Victor finally left the garrison guards in charge of the sector and returned to the capital city.

The journey back to the palace was long and exhausting. The moment Barry finally arrived in his luxury room, the physical fatigue from all those days of continuous work hit him all at once. He decided to take a hot bath to loosen up his muscles and relax his mind.

He soaked in the warm water for a long time, letting the exhaustion leave his body. After he finished bathing, he put on a fresh outfit, leaving his shirt loose and slightly unbuttoned at the top since he was still feeling warm from the water. He walked out of his bathroom, running his hand through his clean hair as he decided to check on Suzy’s progress with the town accounts.

Barry walked down the corridor and open the door to her office room. The moment his eyes locked onto her, he froze completely in his way, a look of absolute shock appearing on his face.

Suzy had also just finished taking a bath, and she looked completely different from her usual professional appearance. She was sitting comfortably on the large sofa in the center of the room, her long legs crossed casually as her outfit shifted to reveal her skin. Her shirt was slightly open at the top, exposing her chest, and her hair was completely loose, falling around her shoulders in a soft curtain. Her lips carried a natural, faint redness, and she looked incredibly beautiful under the light of the room.

She was holding an old book in her hand, her eyes seeing the pages quietly before she looked up and noticed him standing there.

Barry shook off his shock and walked closer to the sofa, sitting down on right beside her. "I didn’t know you read things like this," Barry said, looking at the book cover . "Do you really like reading books?"

Suzy looked down at the paper. "My father always read books when I was a child. He had a collection in his study room, so I used to sit next to his desk and read them with him many times. It became a habit after he passed away."

"I see," Barry replied,"Your father was a very meticulous man. His information saved a lot of lives in that village."

They continued to sit together on the sofa, talking softly for several minutes about the progress of the new market branch and the state of the capital funds. The atmosphere inside the room grew very quiet and peaceful, the intense stress of their previous battles completely disappearing from the air.

Suddenly, Suzy put her book down on the cushion and turned her body toward him, her eyes looking directly into his. "Barry... thank you for staying by my side through all of this. If you hadn’t come , I wouldn’t have been able to complete my revenge against the Prince."

"It’s nothing," Barry smiled, looking back into her eyes. "I promised you that I would see this contract through to the end. Besides, I am genuinely enjoying everything that the dead Prince collected for our inventory slots. It’s a very profitable business venture."

Suzy looked at his direct response and let out a soft laugh, the sound filling the quiet room. Barry looked at her laughing face, and Suzy also turned her gaze back to him, a warm smile with a nod appearing on her lips as he looked at barry.

She leaned back slightly against the frame of the sofa, her hands resting on the fabric on both sides of her body. Because of her posture, her arms pressed slightly against her chest, making her shape even more visible under her loose shirt.

Barry looked at her profile, his mind completely focused on her appearance. In his thoughts, he knew that Suzy was always absolutely gorgeous, but tonight, sitting here in the quiet room after her bath, she looked even more stunning than any other day.

Barry shifted his position, sitting a little closer to her on the until the space between their shoulders completely vanished. "Suzy, you—you are a very kind and beautiful."

Suzy blinked in surprise, her face turning slightly red as she looked at his handsome features from inches away. She tried to maintain her regular composure, but her heart began race. "No... I am not even that kind, Barry. You know how ruthless I can be when I am managing the guild files and–"

"No, you really are," Barry said softly, as he looked straight into the depth of her eyes. Suzy did not turn away; she kept her eyes locked onto his face, her breathing turning shallow as the physical closeness between them grew intense.

"In my entire life, I have never met a girl like you."

"B-Barry..., I—" Suzy started to speak, but her mouth went completely dry, and she could not finish her words.

She looked at his sharp facial features, his strong, unbuttoned chest, and the calm power coming off his body. A wave of intense attraction completely took over her mind. Instead of pulling back, she slowly leaned her body forward, arching her back slightly as she closed the remaining distance between them.

Barry did not hesitate. He slowly reached out his right hand, his fingers moving across the sofa until they made direct contact with her thin waist. The moment his palm touched her skin, Suzy let out a very soft breath, her body turning completely warm as she lost herself in the touch.

The heat between them increased rapidly, the quietness of the room turning deeply romantic. Barry tightened his grip on her waist, drawing her frame an inch closer to his chest as their heads tilted. They slowly closed their eyes, their lips moving closer and closer until they were just a about to touch, about to meet in a full kiss.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A series of sudden knocks exploded against the wooden surface of the office door, shattering the quietness of the room instantly.

Barry and Suzy snapped their eyes open, their bodies flinching backward to opposite sides of the sofa as their mouths separated. Suzy quickly pulled the top of her shirt together, her face completely red as she tried to fix her loose hair, while Barry stood up from the cushion, his fists clenching in pure frustration and anger .

"Queen Suzy! Master Barry!" a guard’s voice shouted anxiously from the outside corridor, knocking on the wood three more times. "Please open the door immediately! There is an important News ! "

[Next Chapter will come in two -three weeks exactly mass realese!!, so be ready ;) ]