Chapter 1655: Slap in the Face

Back at Cestine Palace, Lory was happily enjoying the well-prepared lunch Zhao Li Xin had stored inside her spatial ring.

The wooden lunch box was still the same one he had used in the past. Its familiar, slightly old-fashioned design brought a strange sense of comfort as Lory carefully removed each layer, revealing the neatly arranged dishes inside.

She then took out the chopsticks and spoon, handling them with the effortless familiarity of someone from the modern world.

She was just about to take her first bite when Lucas, Jay, and Clift arrived to visit her.

What had begun as a simple visit quickly turned into an impromptu lunch gathering in Lory’s room.

Jay, in particular, had spent most of the time staring at the food with unconcealed curiosity. "Come on, Lory. Just let me taste it once."

Lory narrowed her eyes at him. "What kind of guest comes without a gift, only to take the owner’s food?"

"A guest like me." Jay gave an exaggeratedly polite bow.

Lory clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was still completely unwilling to share the lunch box her handsome husband had lovingly prepared for her.

Jay noticed her stubborn expression and immediately changed tactics. He clasped both hands over his chest and pleaded pitifully,

"Pleaseeee, Your Highness. Let me taste a bit. I just want to know." Then he began batting his eyes at her like an innocent maiden.

Lory suddenly felt a shiver down her spine. "Stop doing that! You’re already in your thirties." Lory curled her lips in disgust.

Jay smiled awkwardly, then Lory asked curiously, "What do you want to know anyway?"

"Well..." Jay’s playful grin widened. "I want to know what that cold man who barely shows any expression can actually cook like."

Lory’s anger rose immediately. "Please. My husband is omnipotent. He can do anything. Cooking is nothing for him!"

"Well, you need evidence to prove that?" Jay said it with such righteous conviction that it left Lory speechless.

She rolled her eyes, already knowing exactly what her old partner-in-crime was after. Still, her heart softened when she saw the eagerness in Jay’s stupid face.

"Fine." Lory reached into her spatial ring and took out another wooden lunch box. "But you’re sharing. I eat for three, here!"

Jay’s eyes immediately lit up. "Thank you for your gracious generosity, my dear princess~."

"Shut up and eat!" Lory shushed him.

Everyone could only shake their heads and laugh as they listened to Lory and Jay bicker back and forth.

Before long, the four of them were sitting together, sharing the food, chatting, and laughing as freely as they had in the old days—as though, for a little while, they had been transported right back to their school years.

They had all been around the same age back then and had attended the same school, so naturally, they shared far more memories and common experiences with one another than they did with Fredhardt and Fargo, who were nearly six years older.

One story led to another. A complaint became a joke, then a joke turned into an old embarrassing memory. Soon after, the room was filled with laughter.

It felt familiar, warm, as if nothing had really changed even after everything they’d been through.

Suddenly Lory shrink her neck, "Oh, it’s cold"

"Ah..." Jay immediately noticed.

Without saying anything, he got up and walked over to the balcony. He closed the balcony door, then checked the window and shut that as well.

"No, Jay! I like the fresh air," Lory protested.

"Fresh air?" Jay looked back at her. "That’s winter air, princess."

While she was still complaining, Clift had already walked over to the couch. He picked up the knitted blanket lying there and, without ceremony, spread it neatly over Lory’s lap.

Lucas followed suit. He poured some warm tea into a cup and pushed it gently toward her. "You need to keep your body warm, Lory. Also, don’t leave the balchony open all the time. It’s almost the middle of November, so the temperature has been getting quite cold lately."

"You guys worry too much." Lory obediently took the teacup anyway and slowly sipped the warm tea.

Clift walked over to the room temperature controller and adjusted it a little higher. "We had to, you have to avoid getting cold, princess. Even though your gift may be ice, that doesn’t mean you don’t feel cold, moreover your healing gift is still not stable. You don’t want to get sick, right?" he gave her a warning look

Lory glanced at him over the rim of her teacup. "Look at all of you, suddenly acting like concerned mothers-in-law."

Jay snorted. "Because you’re too relaxed, Lory."

Lory feigned hurt, placing a hand over her chest as she looked at him with wounded eyes. "I thought you always sided with me."

The three men simultaneously ignored her.

A moment later, Jay picked up another dumpling, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "By the way, Lory... this is going to be your first winter in the King’s City, right?"

A smile slowly spread across Lory’s face as the realization dawned on her, "En, it is..." Her expression softened.

Then Jay’s grin suddenly widened with excitement. "Hey, remember when we used to build snow castles and have snowball battles?"

Lory’s eyes immediately brightened. "Of course." She raised her fist toward Jay. "Because we always won."

Jay enthusiastically bumped his fist against hers. "That’s true!"

"That was because you two cheated" Lucas scoffed.

Lory immediately turned toward him. "I called that creative!"

"Somehow, you two never managed to play by the rules," Lucas said, giving Jay and Lory a sideways glance. "You weren’t supposed to use your gifts, but you always found a way around it. And you, Jay, kept hijacking Lory’s mana controller."

"I call that quick-witted." Jay raised his chin proudly.

"I call that cheating," Clift corrected calmly.

Lucas stared at the two of them. "Why can’t you guys ever play fair?"

"And where’s the fun in that?" Lory leaned forward with a mischievous smirk.

"Hah. I should’ve expected that from you," Lucas quipped.

Everyone’s laughter burst out at once. The warmth of the room, the familiar taste of good food, and the ridiculous argument over their old school days wrapped around them like a comforting blanket.

For a little while, they were no longer powerful figures of the King’s City with responsibilities and complicated lives.They were simply four old friends sharing lunch, laughing over the same ridiculous memories they had made years ago.

Jay suddenly added another dumpling, on his plate

"Hey, that’s mine!" Lory immediately protested.

"Too late!" Jay grinned, then munched on all the food.

"Jay!" Lory whined.

All of a sudden, Jay’s phone buzzed, he glanced down at it.

His expression changed almost imperceptibly. Without saying anything, he picked up the remote and turned toward the television mounted on the wall.

Everyone followed his gaze at the same time the screen flickered. The program disappeared, replaced by a red banner stretching across the bottom.

BREAKING NEWS

A female news anchor appeared on screen. "We’re interrupting our scheduled programming with breaking news from Luxemborough."

Her expression was unusually serious. "Authorities have confirmed that a major military installation outside the capital was attacked earlier tonight. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, but initial images from the scene indicate that the facility has suffered severe destruction."

The screen beside her changed, and live footage appeared. For a moment, nobody in the room spoke. The military base was almost unrecognizable.

Thick smoke rolled into the night sky. Flames burned among collapsed buildings, while emergency vehicles moved through the wreckage. What appeared to be military equipment lay scattered across the compound, some of it twisted beyond recognition.

The anchor continued.

"Emergency crews remain at the site, and security forces have reportedly established a perimeter around the area.

Luxemborough officials have not yet released a confirmed casualty figure."

The footage shifted to another angle. "More importantly, authorities have not identified who carried out the attack."

Then a photograph of the damaged military complex appeared on screen. "No organization has claimed responsibility so far, and there is currently no confirmed information regarding the identity of the attackers or how they managed to breach the facility."

Everyone in the room exchanged knowing looks and a smile.

The anchor touched the papers in front of her before continuing. "This attack comes as Luxemborough has taken an increasingly active role in international military affairs against Bael and the destruction of the environment, together with the S.A.I.N.T. organization."

Images of Luxemborough’s recent military demonstrations appeared on screen—soldiers marching in formation, armored vehicles, aircraft, and officials speaking at international conferences.

"Over the past several months, Luxemborough has repeatedly offered military assistance to countries involved in the campaign against Bael."

A clip from an earlier press conference played briefly.

A Luxemborough official stood behind a podium. "Luxemborough is prepared to stand with any nation that seeks to confront the threat posed by Bael."

The clip ended.

The anchor continued. "The government has also sought strategic and economic agreements in exchange for that assistance, with officials describing Luxemborough as a country prepared to take a leading role in the international effort against Bael."

The footage abruptly returned to the ruined military base as the smoke covered the horizon. The contrast was difficult to miss.

The anchor’s voice remained professional. "Tonight, however, one of Luxemborough’s major military facilities has been heavily damaged, and the government has yet to provide an explanation for how the attack occurred."

A second window appeared on the screen. "We now go live to our correspondent, Daniel Hart, who is near the site."

The picture changed. A man stood behind a security line, the ruined base visible in the distance. Sirens could be heard faintly behind him.

"Daniel, what can you tell us?"

The reporter looked toward the destruction before answering. "Not much at this point. The area is still being secured, and officials are being extremely cautious about releasing information."

He glanced briefly over his shoulder. "But as you can see behind me, the damage is extensive. Several structures inside the facility have been destroyed, and emergency crews have been working continuously since the attack."

"Do we know what caused the destruction?"

"Not yet. Investigators haven’t released any details about the method used, and officials aren’t saying whether they’ve identified any suspects. However, we’ve received information suggesting that the attack may have been carried out by a single individual."

"Do we have an identity?"

"No. Not yet." The reporter paused, his gaze briefly shifting toward the devastation behind him. "And that’s probably the biggest question tonight. There has been no claim of responsibility, no confirmed suspect, and so far, no clear explanation from Luxemborough regarding how an attack of this scale was carried out."

The anchor nodded solemnly. "Daniel, thank you. Please stay with us for any developments."

The broadcast returned to the studio. The anchor looked directly into the camera. "We will continue to follow this story as more information becomes available."

A final image of the burning military base appeared behind her. "For now, Luxemborough is facing questions from both its own citizens and the international community as investigators attempt to determine who was responsible."

The red banner remained at the bottom of the screen.

LUXEMBOROUGH MILITARY BASE ATTACKED — SUSPECT UNKNOWN

Jay slowly lowered the remote, a satisfied smile touching his lips. "It’s working." 𝐟𝑟ⅇ

"An entire military base in a single night..." Clift murmured, a note of genuine awe and respect in his voice. "He’s good."

Lucas smiled calmly. "I think they’ll forget about the attack on Cestine Palace from now on."

"That’s my man," Lory said, smiling proudly.

Outside the screen, smoke continued to rise over Luxemborough.

For months, the country had spoken with unwavering confidence about its military strength, presenting itself as a rising superpower and offering to help lead the world against Bael, promising to provide whatever resources were needed, of course, only if that those nations were willing to agree to some of their terms.

Tonight, however, that confidence had been reduced to a smoldering military base.

The country that had so proudly proclaimed itself a new superpower was now left staring at the ruins of its own military installation, with no suspect, no explanation, and no idea who had struck them.