Chapter 289 - The crown prince is back?!

Chapter 289: Chapter 289 - The crown prince is back?!

The silver-grey ship finally came to a stop.

As the supposed peace ambassador between the two races, Bian eagerly stepped forward to welcome the unexpected guests to their planet. The general quickly joined him, staying close at Bian’s side to protect him from whatever creatures might emerge from the strange vessel.

But the moment the middle-aged man caught sight of the symbol painted across the side of the ship, his expression changed. His eyes widened, and he instinctively turned toward Bian.

"Prince Consort, this is..." he began carefully.

Bian immediately lifted a finger to his lips.

"Shh. Don’t be so loud." His smile remained perfectly pleasant. "You might offend our guests."

His voice sounded gentle, almost playful, but his attention had already returned to the ship.

He watched the hatch with barely concealed eagerness.

Slowly, it began to open.

Bian leaned forward slightly, his eyes shining with anticipation. He half expected a Grayling to crawl out, perhaps one of them carrying the precious purple sap he so desperately needed.

But instead, a man with blond hair stepped out first.

Bian’s smile faltered.

The man’s imposing figure and powerful build seemed strangely familiar. Then those cold eyes swept across the gathered Farians and landed directly on Bian.

The man paused.

"Your Highness, welcome home!"

The general behind Bian immediately dropped to one knee, followed by the soldiers accompanying him.

Bian remained standing.

Blinking.

His mind went completely blank for a moment.

This... this is the Crown Prince.

He had seen paintings of him before. There was no mistaking him. The resemblance to Dican was striking, almost uncanny.

But why was he here?

Why was he on this ship?

And more importantly—

Where are the Graylings?

Bian’s heart began pounding violently.

For one terrifying moment, he thought everything he had carefully built over the past five years was about to collapse.

If the Crown Prince was back, then Dican could no longer simply become the next Crown Prince. Everything Bian had planned would be ruined. His influence, his control, his carefully constructed future—

All of it could disappear.

Yet none of that panic reached his face.

Bian merely lowered his head respectfully, biting lightly at his lip as he tried to control his expression.

There must be one or two inside.

His mind desperately searched for an explanation.

There has to be.

Perhaps the Graylings had captured the Crown Prince’s ship. Perhaps they were still inside as prisoners. Perhaps the Farians had defeated them and simply brought the ship here.

Yes.

That had to be it.

They couldn’t have disappeared.

Bian refused to believe that the one thing he desperately needed had slipped through his fingers again.

The blond-haired Crown Prince finally came to a stop.

Then, to Bian’s confusion, he turned back toward the open hatch.

He extended one hand.

Bian stared at it.

His brows tightened.

What is he doing?

A moment later, someone appeared at the entrance.

A young man hesitantly stepped out, looking to be in his mid-twenties. His messy black hair was slightly disheveled, and there was an almost uncertain expression on his face as he glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

The Crown Prince’s cold expression immediately softened.

He kept his hand extended.

The young man looked at it for a moment before slowly placing his own hand in it.

The Crown Prince carefully held his hand and helped him down from the ship.

Bian stared.

Something inside him sank.

Then the general behind him suddenly exclaimed in delight.

"Your Highness! You’ve found your mate!"

His voice echoed across the courtyard.

"Oh, thank the Lords!" another soldier cried happily.

"We have a Crown Consort!"

The soldiers erupted into cheers.

Bian heard them.

He heard every single word.

But the world around him seemed to grow strangely quiet.

His eyes remained fixed on the two men standing before him, their hands still joined.

His fingers curled slowly beneath his sleeves.

A mate?

No.

No, this wasn’t supposed to happen.

The Crown Prince was supposed to be gone.

Dican was supposed to become Crown Prince.

And once Dican became Crown Prince, Bian would remain at his side, controlling the throne through him.

Everything had been going according to plan.

So why—

Why was this happening now?

Bian forced his lips upward into a warm, welcoming smile, carefully burying every trace of panic beneath it.

"Welcome home, Your Highness."

Celaus came to a stop in front of him, looking down at Bian with open curiosity. His cold grey eyes lingered over Bian’s face, studying him as though he were trying to remember where he had seen those features before.

"Who might you be?" he asked, his brows drawing together. "You bear a striking resemblance to someone..."

Bian’s heart skipped.

For the briefest moment, something dangerous flickered in his eyes.

Then it vanished.

He lowered his gaze modestly before looking back up at the Crown Prince with a gentle smile.

"I’m Bian," he said softly. "I’m Dican’s mate, Your Highness."

He deliberately emphasized the word mate, watching Celaus’s reaction carefully.

Then his attention shifted toward the young man standing beside Celaus.

The moment Bian noticed the glasses and the unmistakably human appearance, his smile widened.

a"I’m human too," Bian added pleasantly.

Li Wang’s eyes widened.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed, relief immediately spreading across his face. "So I’m not the only human here. Thank the gods!"

His expression brightened so quickly that Bian almost laughed.

Instead, he gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I suppose it must have been rather lonely," Bian said gently.

Li Wang nodded without hesitation, apparently comforted by the discovery that there was another human among the Farians.

Bian watched him for a moment.

Then his smile remained perfectly warm as his thoughts quietly shifted.

So this is the Crown Prince’s mate...

His eyes moved subtly between Celaus and Li Wang.

The human seemed easygoing, trusting, and far too expressive for someone living among the Farians.

Interesting.

Bian lowered his lashes, hiding the calculating glint in his eyes.

He should be easy to manipulate.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Let’s see how this goes.