Chapter 119: THE MONSTER FEMALE AT THE GATE

EMELIANNA

Chaos erupted outside the Astronova Mansion.

A fleet of military grav-ships had surrounded the magnificent estate, their enormous shadows swallowing the gardens and casting the mansion’s towering walls into darkness. The ships hovered in perfect formation, their weapons trained toward the main entrance. Rows of heavily armed soldiers in White and Yellow military uniforms stood behind them, their expressions cold and disciplined.

Not a single person dared to approach the gates.

After all, the woman who had brought this army was no ordinary soldier.

She was Fare Federick.

And when Fare Federick decided to visit someone, even the bravest males in the military suddenly remembered that they had urgent business elsewhere.

Inside the mansion, Emelianna sat stiffly on a luxurious sofa, both hands gripping her LaPs so tightly that her knuckles had turned pale.

Across from her, Damson paced back and forth like a trapped animal.

He had been doing so for the past several minutes, and with every passing second, Emelianna’s patience wore thinner.

"How did you provoke that monster from the Federick family?" Damson suddenly burst out.

Emelianna’s fingers tightened around her handkerchief.

Damson stopped pacing and stared at her in disbelief.

"Do you have any idea who you’ve offended? Fare Federick isn’t some soft rock you can crack with a little effort! She’s a monster! Even someone at my level would have difficulty fighting her right now!"

His voice rose with every sentence. "Why would you do something so reckless?"

Emelianna slowly lifted her head.

For a moment, she simply stared at him.

Then she lowered her gaze again, pretending to be too distressed to respond.

Inside, however, her thoughts were racing.

How?

How did the news about Vivian reach Fare Federick so quickly?

She had barely had time to consider her next move, yet Fare had already arrived at her doorstep with an entire fleet of military grav-ships.

This was not a simple visit.

It was a warning. No, worse.

It was a declaration that Fare Federick had come prepared to tear the entire mansion apart if she did not get what she wanted. And she wouldn’t care about the Astronova family always helping the Federicks.

A deafening BANG! suddenly echoed through the mansion.

Emelianna jerked in her seat.

Another crash followed.

"The gates!" someone shouted from outside. "They’re trying to force their way in!"

Emelianna’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Who leaked the information?

She had been careful. She had made certain that nobody outside her trusted circle knew what she intended to do about Vivian.

Nobody should have known enough to alert Fare so quickly.

Unless...Elena’s face suddenly appeared in her mind.

Emelianna’s eyes flew open.

"No!"

The word escaped her lips before she could stop herself.

She immediately shook her head. "No, no! It couldn’t have been her!"

Her daughter would never betray her. Elena was clever enough to understand the consequences of involving Fare Federick in this matter.

Besides, Emelianna had already promised to think of a solution.

Elena knew that. She knew better than to make such a reckless move behind her mother’s back.

It couldn’t have been Elena.

Emelianna repeated the thought like a prayer, desperately trying to convince herself.

Another violent crash shook the mansion.

She flinched. What am I supposed to do now?

Her Father would never forgive her if this situation spiraled out of control. He had already warned her to keep Vivian in check, and she had assured him that everything would be handled.

Now, before she had even devised a proper plan, Fare Federick had come knocking with enough military power to flatten the entire estate.

If her always right Father learned what had happened, he would undoubtedly blame her.

And he would not be gentle about it.

Emelianna’s breathing grew uneven.

Just then, Damson marched over and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Emelianna!"

She blinked at him. "What?"

"Why are you sitting there in a daze?" he demanded. "Think of a solution! Now!"

His grip tightened. "This isn’t the time to look confused. That fiery Female is outside with an entire military fleet! Do you understand what that means?"

Emelianna slowly turned her head toward him.

Her eyes were cold.

Useless fool!!

Absolutely useless.

Here was a man wearing the blue uniform of a royal soldier, a man who proudly claimed to be an elite warrior, and yet the moment a female appeared at the gates, he had nearly lost his mind.

Instead of figuring out how to protect her, he was busy panicking.

If only I had chosen better.

She thought of Isaac.

Her expression softened almost imperceptibly.

If it were Isaac, he would have stood his ground. He would never have allowed anyone to frighten me like this.

Isaac might have been a mere fox, but even a fox had its uses.

Fortunately, when it came to protecting her, the mere Fox was ready for anything.

My prince ...Elena Beast’s father is still the best.

No man can compare to him. Not Damson, not Isaac, not any of the others. If only he hadn’t died early. My prince is worth more than all of them combined.

Emelianna took a deep breath.

Then, as though she had suddenly found her courage, she smiled sweetly at Damson.

"It’s fine, Damson."

He stared at her.

"It’s fine?" he repeated incredulously.

"Yes." Her smile widened. "I’m here, and you’re here. Why should we be afraid of an Old Witch.?"

Damson froze. For a moment, he looked as though he wasn’t certain he had heard her correctly.

Then he straightened his back and placed a hand over his chest.

"Who said I was afraid?"

His voice boomed through the room.

"Me? Afraid of a 60 years old Female? Don’t be ridiculous!"

He lifted his chin proudly.

"I’m an SSS-class warrior! How could a mere old female soldier defeat me?"

Emelianna silently watched him.

Damson’s confidence seemed to grow as he continued speaking.

"The only reason I haven’t dealt with her already is that the military has rules! Male soldiers aren’t permitted to attack female soldiers under ordinary circumstances. Otherwise, I would have destroyed her the moment she dared to approach this mansion!"

He clenched his fist.

"How dare she attempt to invade the Astronova Mansion? Does she think she can do whatever she wants just because she’s a member of the Federick family?"

Emelianna’s smile remained in place.

"Have you forgotten what happened the last time she lost her temper?"

Damson’s expression changed.

Emelianna tilted her head. "She massacred an entire Beast Royal family, didn’t she?"

He said nothing.

"That was not a small achievement," Emelianna continued softly. "And from what I’ve heard, she wasn’t exactly in a reasonable state of mind when it happened."

She leaned back against the sofa. "When Fare goes crazy, she can do all sorts of things. So, really, why should we be afraid?"

Damson’s face twitched. Since he had begun boasting, he seemed to have run out of words.

Emelianna watched him with quiet amusement.

Now you remember.

Of course, she had no intention of letting him know how worried she truly was.

She needed him to remain useful, and if a little flattery could make him forget his fear, then she was perfectly willing to provide it.

Damson suddenly dropped to one knee before her.

He took both her hands and pressed them against his chest.

"My Queen," he declared solemnly, "I am here to protect you!"

Emelianna nearly rolled her eyes.

Damson gazed up at her with an expression of exaggerated devotion. "I swear that I will never allow that old female to harm a single strand of your hair. As long as I am here, you have nothing to fear!"

Emelianna smiled. What a touching declaration.

It was almost enough to make her believe him.

Almost. She gently withdrew her hands and turned toward the guards standing nearby.

"Open the gates."

The guards exchanged uncertain glances.

"Madam, are you certain?" one of them asked cautiously. "The soldiers outside..."

"I said, open the gates."

Her voice remained gentle, but the command was unmistakable.

The guards bowed immediately.

"Yes, Princess Emelianna.!"

They hurried away. Behind Emelianna, Damson’s face drained of color.

"W..Wait!"

Nobody stopped.

He watched the guards disappear through the doorway, then slowly turned toward Emelianna.

"My Queen..."

She glanced at him. "Yes, Damson?"

He swallowed. "Perhaps we should reconsider."

"Reconsider what?"

"Well..." He forced a laugh. "You know, there is no need to rush into anything. We could send someone to ask what she wants. Or perhaps we could arrange a formal meeting somewhere else. A military conference, perhaps?"

Emelianna stared at him.

Damson’s smile became increasingly strained.

"After all, we’re civilized people. There’s no reason for anyone to get hurt."

A vein throbbed at Emelianna’s temple.

How did I ever get involved with this fool?

She turned her face away before her expression could betray her.

If it were Isaac, he would never behave like this.

She could still remember the confidence with which Isaac carried himself. He might have been a fox, but he was a clever one. He understood when to retreat, when to negotiate, and when to stand his ground.

Most importantly, he would never have left her to face danger alone.

Her lips curved faintly.

My prince is better than all these men combined.

Emelianna nodded.

"All right, Damson."

His shoulders relaxed.

"Really?"

"Of course."

She gestured toward the doorway.

"You may leave if you’re pressed."

Damson blinked. "Pressed?"

"Yes. You said you needed to use the restroom, didn’t you?"

For a moment, he looked as though he wanted to deny it.

Then another tremendous crash echoed from the direction of the gates.

His legs began to tremble.

He forced a smile.

"Ah! Yes! The restroom!"

He rose so quickly that he nearly stumbled over his own feet.

"I’ll just go and take care of that little matter. I’ll be right back, my Queen!"