Ch. 1121..1130

Chapter 1121 The Faster The Better

Jerome could never forget the image of Natalie’s protective figure standing in front of him when they were children. Back then, he still wasn’t the son of a Loang general but a child in the countryside. Often, he was bullied by children older than him.

While his mother was heartbroken over the treatment he received from other kids, she couldn’t keep her eye on him all the time. Hence, after Natalie learned about his situation, she always kept him by her side. When those children tried to bully him, she would retaliate like a tiny, angry leopard.

At that age, Jerome still had no idea what beauty was, but he didn’t forget what it was like to be protected by someone. That feeling was something he would never forget until the day he died.

Seeing how Natalie was momentarily stunned, Jerome continued, “Relax. I personally interrogated Zophie and have changed her testimony, too. Since the jade key is now in the royal family’s hands, I’ll let this matter go. Don’t worry. You and your children won’t be affected.”

She hesitated slightly. There was even a look of avoidance in her eyes because the jade key was actually still in her possession. The key Jerome took from Zophie was a copy Varre had made.

The jade key was of vital importance. While she was still uncertain if the key was a blessing or a curse, what she did know was that if the key fell into the wrong hands, the situation would be dire.

Since the key was the last thing Yumi’s birth mother and family had left for her, Natalie believed it solely belonged to Yumi. She wouldn’t give the key to anyone without obtaining Yumi’s permission beforehand.

“What’s the matter with you, Natalie?” Jerome asked with suspicion. “Why do you look so serious right now?”

Upon lifting her head, she turned her attention to him. Again, she hesitated but ultimately kept the secret to herself. “It’s nothing. I think I’m just slightly tired after talking for so long. My body hasn’t fully recovered, after all.”

She paused before lowering her eyes. “Thank you, Jerome. Truly. You disobeyed military orders to change the testimony for me, and I’m very grateful for it. However, please don’t do something like this for me again. You and your parents have done a lot for me already…”

Instead of arguing with her, he simply nodded because he was aware of Natalie’s personality. “Okay. I promise.”

“Mhm.”

Somewhere inside the palace located in Yaleview, a man smashed the cup in his hand to the ground when he learned Zophie was captured.

Clang!

“What happened to Zophie?” King’s hand was cut when the broken pieces of the cup flew upward.

Blood flowed out of his wound and along his fingers. However, it was as though he didn’t feel any pain at all as a murderous look filled his darkened eyes.

“She kidnapped Natalie’s child and tried to take Natalie’s life,” Mistem Brown informed.

“What?” King roared. “That idiot! I told her Natalie’s still useful to me and that she’s not easy to deal with! Compared to her grandfather and little sister, she’s even harder to tame! Without proper preparations, any attempt at subduing her will only be for naught!”

At that moment, Mistem was half-kneeling on the ground, enduring King’s wrath.

Then, he continued, “There’s one more thing, King. According to my sources, not only did Jerome capture Zophie, but he also obtained the jade key guarded by the Jankovich family’s orphaned descendant. It has been handed to Bastien…”

Suddenly, the palace turned so silent that he could hear the blood dripping down from the back of King’s hand.

Mistem didn’t have the nerve to lift his head because he was aware that the jade key was a treasure King had been looking for a very long time.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, just as he felt as if his knees had turned swollen and numb from kneeling for so long, he heard King’s voice again.

“Is Zophie still alive?” King asked.

In a small voice, Mistem answered, “She’s still alive, but Jerome is keeping a very close eye on her.”

As King picked up the handkerchief next to him and wiped the blood on his hand away, he ordered in a frigid tone, “This reckless, traitorous wastrel doesn’t deserve to be kept around! Take care of her! The faster, the better!” The more he spoke, the softer his voice sounded.

However, Mistem dared not waste even a second. “Understood, King!”

 

Chapter 1122 Back To Her Hand

Meanwhile, Zophie had fainted in a secret prison. Her body was covered in electric burn marks. Gale… In her hazily conscious state, she thought she saw Gale’s face. “Ga…” Her lips moved as she tried to call out his name because she saw him practically right in front of her.

However, no matter how hard she shouted, Gale was getting further and further away from her, so much so that he eventually left her vision entirely.

At the last moment, Zophie abruptly opened her eyes and noticed she was in a dark, damp prison. Both her arms were still bound to the wall with chains as thick as a baby’s arm. Her body was covered in numerous wounds, causing her an immense amount of pain and making her suffer.

“Ga… le…” She tried calling his name again before realizing what she had seen earlier was just a dream. It was then the door, made from a special type of steel, was opened.

A deep voice rang in the room. “It’s time to eat.” Zophie spat out a mixture of blood and saliva before turning her line of sight away from the man in a uniform.

What the soldier removed from his briefcase wasn’t food but a professionally formulated nutrient solution. Every day, she was injected with a dose of nutrient solution to keep her alive.

It had been three days since she was first trapped inside the dark prison. Thus, she was well aware of the nutrient solution’s function. Even though she could feel footsteps approaching her, she remained in a seemingly numb state.

The soldier glanced at the wound-ridden Zophie and smirked. When she felt a chill coming her way, she turned her sight toward him and saw who he was.

It’s him! Mistem! Shock and confusion were seen in her eyes, but they were mostly filled with joy. Since he’s here, does this mean King sent him to rescue me?

She gazed intently at the man, a burning desire to live blazing in her eyes. Sleekly, Mistem jabbed a needle into her arm and injected the liquid into her bloodstream.

“All right.” After the injection was completed, he threw the needle and the injection bottle into a nearby trashcan.

Zophie didn’t have the nerve to make a peep because she was afraid of drawing the attention of nearby guards if she reacted too loudly. Although, the sparks of hope in her heart had grown into a blazing fire because of Mistem’s visit.

She still firmly believed Mistem was there to save her. Even after he left the room, she was still waiting for him to do something. That was until she suddenly felt her heart clench. The sensation felt as though an animal was clawing at her insides.

While Zophie didn’t personally participate in Blaze’s poison research, she had seen how people reacted when the poison took effect over the years during her missions.

Swiftly, she linked those scenes she saw to her current reaction.

No! This is impossible! How is this possible? Mistem injected poison, not nutrient solution, into my body! King sent him to kill me, not rescue me! Zophie’s voice was already too hoarse for her to say anything. Due to the poison taking effect, it became even more difficult for her to speak. The only sound she could make was a weak whimper.

Her voice was too soft for any nearby guards to notice. In the end, no one realized something odd was going on with her until after her pupils had dilated and she had taken her last breath.

The next day, a soldier approached her corpse when he noticed she had been in the same posture for too long. It wasn’t until he arrived next to her that he realized she was long dead. Even her body had turned cold and stiff. There were also plenty of necrotic spots on her neck by that point.

“S-She’s dead!” the soldier exclaimed. “This woman’s dead!” News of her death eventually reached Jerome.

As he stared at Zophie’s corpse in the secret base, his eyes were filled with shock, and his fists tightened. This is Loang’s most secure and secret prison! Yet, Zophie still died under the watch of so many guards. I can’t believe how arrogant and maniacal Blaze is!

“Check everyone who was on the night shift yesterday.” He glanced at the injection spot on Zophie’s arm and ordered coldly, “Also, look into the components of what was injected into her. Inspect everyone who was in charge of the nutrient solution last night.”

“Roger, Major General Sutton!” a soldier next to him replied. Upon leaving the secret prison, Jerome headed to Bastien’s residence. Bastien stared at him and questioned in a frosty tone, “That woman’s dead, Major General Sutton?”

“Yes.” Jerome didn’t even attempt to hide it. “If I’m not mistaken, Blaze was probably the one who killed her to silence her.”

“What a shame…” The edges of Bastien’s lips curved upward a little as his dark eyes glinted. “We didn’t manage to get anything useful out of her before she died. For example, what’s the connection between the jade key and Natalie? How did it find its way back to her hand?”

 

Chapter 1123 Finally Back

Jerome’s expression remained firm. “I’ve presented Zophie’s testimony to you already, Prince Jonathan. Natalie’s just a victim. She shouldn’t be dragged into this time and again.”

“I heard you’re childhood friends with Natalie, Major General Sutton,” Bastien uttered meaningfully. “That’s right,” Jerome admitted directly. “However, I’m very aware of the scope of my duties. I won’t do anything that’ll break the law. If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave now.”

“Mhm.” Bastien watched Jerome vanish from his sight before he removed the box with the jade key inside from a secret compartment in his room.

The item inside the box sparkled, tempting him to touch the surface. The smooth sensation of the key made him feel as if he was touching the fair skin of a young maiden. With the jade key in my possession, I only need to solve the mystery of the ancient tomb. Then, I’ll be the next king. When that happens, Loang and Natalie will be mine.

After recuperating in the Sutton residence for a while, Natalie was more or less fully recovered. Only then did she return to her home.

Emma smiled gleefully when she saw her. “You’re finally back, Ms. Nichols!”

Upon seeing the tears shimmering in Emma’s eyes, she patted the older woman’s shoulder. “Thank you for taking care of the house during my absence, Emma!” “Oh, it’s nothing.” Emma shook her head.

Natalie had barely exchanged a few words with Emma when the children rushed down the stairs from the second floor and sprinted toward her. “Mommy!”

“Mommy…”

Due to the fact that she had to rescue Yumi and then recuperate afterward, it had been a long time since she saw her children. She missed them so much that she teared up.

“Clayton, Xavian, Franklin, Yumi, Sophia.” Kneeling down, she hugged all five of them tightly. “I’m home!”

The children couldn’t hold back their tears anymore as they hugged her back, their eyes becoming red-rimmed. “We really missed you, Mommy!”

“Please don’t leave us again now that you’re back, okay, Mommy?” “It’s so nice to see you again, Mommy! So, so nice!” Natalie nodded vehemently and kissed their heads.

“Okay! I promise!” A delighted smile formed on her countenance. “I’ll stay by all of your sides, watch you all grow up, and witness all the important milestones in your lives!”

The children had missed her so much that they didn’t want to let go, even after hugging her for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, Franklin abruptly released Natalie and turned to his siblings. “I think we’ve been hugging her for too long. Shouldn’t we give a certain someone a chance to do the same?”

The other four promptly recalled there was one more person who had missed Natalie dearly. In fact, that person probably missed her more than all five of them.

Xavian, Clayton, Sophia, and Yumi let go of their mother in unison. After Sophia wiped the tears on her face away, she pointed at someone behind Natalie with a smile. “Look who’s behind you, Mommy!”

Upon standing up, Natalie reflexively turned back. Suddenly, a figure she hadn’t met for a long time entered her vision. His figure was so familiar and had left such a deep impression on her that it was as if it was engraved in her blood and bone marrow.

She was rooted to her spot, stunned. Tears welled in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks like a broken dam. However, the edges of her smile curved higher and higher.

Staring at the handsome man before her, Natalie grinned. “You’re finally willing to come back, Samuel!”

 

Chapter 1124 Unwilling To Look Away

Samuel appeared thinner compared to how he looked before his departure. Even then, he was still every bit as dashing as he was before. With an affectionate smile, he uttered, “If I don’t, I’m afraid a certain brat will forget about me.”

Despite the fact he was just standing there, Natalie felt her heart racing like a sports car as it was flooded with delight.

In the next second, she ignored everything and pounced toward him before burying her face into his chest. Her small, soft arms wrapped around his waist tightly.

“If you had come back any later, perhaps I really would have forgotten about you, Samuel,” she mumbled. The more words she uttered, the more tears slipped out of her eyes. “Do you know how awful I felt when I missed you but couldn’t contact you?”

Samuel had missed her a lot, too. Thus, he didn’t hesitate to hug her back when her soft figure was in his embrace. Their yearning for each other felt as heavy as a mountain and as deep as an ocean.

Samuel’s voice gradually became low and hoarse as he spoke. “It’s my bad, Nat. It took me too long to get rid of the poison in my body. I’m sorry that I’ve made you suffer and forced you to bear so many things alone while I was gone…”

His apology was so sincere that he sounded servile.

A bitter sense of sorrow bubbled in Natalie’s heart when she heard that. Despite that, she was still mostly happy about finally reuniting with her lover. “Your poison’s gone, Samuel?”

“Yes.” “Really?” She was still afraid, fearing that the rest of the life they could spend with each other would be too short.

“Really,” Samuel assured seriously. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Luna, Master, and Mrs. Trevor. They can all vouch for me. Mr. Yablon has thoroughly neutralized the poison inside me. Something like this won’t happen again, so you won’t need to feel worried or scared anymore.”

Natalie was finally able to let go of her anxiety and worry after hearing that. This is good! Great, even! He’ll stay by my side and won’t be separated from me again!

The children were all cupping their faces with gleeful smiles as they watched their parents hugging each other.

Emma was experienced with love. Hence, she understood that two adults in love with each other would want to act intimately after being separated for so long. Leaning down, she whispered to the children, “I’ll bring you five upstairs for a snack first. Your parents must have plenty to talk about after not seeing each other for such a long time!”

The children were great at understanding people. Thus, when they heard what Emma said, they nodded obediently and followed her upstairs. At that moment, only Samuel and Natalie were left in the living room.

He had already noticed the children were gone, so he held her chin and tried kissing her. However, she stopped him. “The children are around. Don’t…”

He was aware she didn’t know the children were gone, but instead of explaining anything, he embraced his desire and kissed her passionately.

“Mmph!” Still worried the children would learn from bad examples, Natalie wanted to push Samuel away.

Of course, having been separated from her for so long, he wasn’t going to give her a chance to reject him or escape from him. The moment his lips touched hers, he continued to kiss her intensely and domineeringly.

The kiss was so airtight that she was experiencing the near-suffocating sensation she hadn’t felt for a very long time. After a long while, Samuel slowly let Natalie go.

She had to take in multiple deep breaths before her breathing returned to normal. Then she shot a glare at him. “You’re crazy… The children… The children are still around…”

Her delicate red lips were swollen from the passionate kiss, and the blush on her cheeks made her appear like a beautiful peach blossom. She was so dazzling that he couldn’t take his eyes off her. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped.

 

Chapter 1125 The Pain Of Longing

“Children…” When Natalie turned around, she noticed the kids and Emma weren’t in the living room anymore. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth when she realized the children didn’t see her kissing Samuel.

Before she could relax, he pulled her into his embrace once more. Additionally, he lifted her up, making the tip of her nose touch his. “S-Samuel…” she stuttered.

“The kids aren’t around anymore.” He gazed deeply into her eyes and inquired in a flirty tone, “Can we do it now?”

As she gazed back at him, she felt as though she was being sucked into the unfathomably deep abyss of his eyes. When did my heart and body ever reject him?

“Okay.” Natalie’s reply was so soft that one couldn’t hear it unless they were paying close attention. Upon receiving her answer, Samuel kissed her lips as if he was a sailor who had heard the siren’s song and had lost all reasoning.

With that, they drowned themselves in their passionate, intimate acts. Perhaps that was the only way for them to relieve their pain of longing for each other.

During the night, after they had done the deed, both of them had just finished their bath and were sitting on the floor of their bedroom.

Natalie specially picked a bottle of rare Lafite from the wine cabinet and poured it into two glasses. One for herself, one for Samuel. He grabbed one of the glasses and took a small sip. Then he glanced at her. “Do you want to ask your questions first?”

“What were your days like when you were gone?” Staring straight at him, she questioned directly, “Does it… have something to do with your scars? Was it painful when you were going through the detoxification process?”

He knew there was no hiding the truth from her, so he didn’t.

“Yes!” Waving the wineglass in his hand, Samuel recounted, “The poison in my body was difficult to remove. Mr. Yablon tried many methods and took a lot of detours. In the end, it was thanks to the combined efforts of Master, Mrs. Trevor, and him that the poison was expelled from my body.”

Just because he wasn’t going to hide the truth from Natalie didn’t mean he would tell her all the details about the process. She opted not to question him further as she drank her wine.

“My turn.” Grabbing her hand, he peeked at the unfaded scar on her arm. “Billy told me what happened to you while I was gone…”

His grip was very tight. From his eyes, she could tell he was heartbroken. “I’m sorry…” It was the second time he had apologized to her since he returned.

Samuel hated himself for not being able to protect her. When Natalie needed him the most, he was thousands of kilometers away, deep inside the mountain. He blamed himself for the injuries she had suffered.

“Samuel Bowers!” She cradled his face with one hand and smiled. “Don’t apologize to me! It’s not like you intentionally abandoned me and left. You were going through a painful detoxifying process in the mountains while I got hurt protecting our children here. That’s what proves we are a couple who can endure hardships and face adversities together! The fact that we can sit here and watch the full moon while drinking wine is like a dream come true for me.”

“I must’ve done many good things in my past life, didn’t I, Nat?” “Huh?” Natalie was slightly taken aback.

“I bet it’s because I did many good things that I’m able to meet you and become your partner in this life.” Holding her hand, Samuel gazed at her with endless affection. “The fact that I allowed you to be injured is a thing of the past. Now that I’m back, I won’t let you face everything going on in Loang alone again. If you want to know your background, I’ll investigate it with you; if you want to keep a secret, I’ll protect it with you. No matter what you want to do, I’ll do it with you…”

It was his confession and also his promise to her.

A whirlpool of emotions surged within her as her lips curved up in a wide smile. “Okay. Let us toast to our relationship. No matter what happens in the future, we’ll stay with each other.”

Clink! The sound of two wineglasses hitting each other was heard in the room. Natalie and Samuel exchanged a smile and emptied their glasses.

Then, as their breathing intertwined with one other, they began drowning in pleasure on the soft woolen carpet. Neither of them knew who initiated it, but it didn’t matter to them as they enjoyed their loving time together.

 

Chapter 1126 Carry You To The Couch

That night, she slept with a degree of security and relief she had never experienced before. Sensing the warm, broad chest next to her, she subconsciously inched toward Samuel to absorb his body warmth.

Feelings like “love” and “dependence” popped into her mind at that moment, among many other feelings she couldn’t describe with the spoken language.

In his half-awake state, he couldn’t help but smile as he embraced her tenderly with his sturdy arms when he felt her getting closer. After Natalie woke up, she rubbed her eyes and instinctively tried to hug Samuel, but he wasn’t there.

She abruptly opened her eyes and felt spooked. When her line of sight landed on the spot next to her, she realized the man sleeping next to her last night was gone. Her heart clenched as she uttered, “Samuel…”

Not even bothering to wear her slippers, she stumbled out of the bedroom barefooted and descended the stairs before looking for him on the first floor like a madwoman.

She appeared distraught as her face paled. Where is he? Was what happened last night just a dream? Or did he leave me again without telling me about it after staying for such a short while?

Seeing how alarmed she was as she searched for something, Emma approached her and patted her shoulder. “What are you looking for, Ms. Nichols?”

The instant Natalie saw Emma, she grabbed the older woman’s arm and asked in a frenzy, “Emma, did you see Samuel? He came back. He really did. But now… it’s like he’s gone!”

Emma was flabbergasted by her reaction. “Ms. Nichols…” “Do you know where he went, Emma?” Natalie was biting her lip tightly.

“Isn’t he in the house right now?” When Emma snapped back to reality, she informed in a puzzled tone, “Mr. Bowers woke up very early today. Right now, he’s preparing breakfast for you and the children in the kitchen! He’s way too good at cooking that I can’t even help him out. In the end, I decided to leave the kitchen so I wouldn’t bother him…”

Relief crashed through Natalie when she heard that. “Thank you, Emma!” In an instant, she let the older woman go and stepped into the kitchen.

Inside, she saw Samuel’s sturdy figure standing in front of the cooking counter, making her favorite shrimp meatball. His movements flowed smoothly like water. Even though he was just cooking, there was an artistic flair to his every action.

He’s still standing in front of me! Alive! I’m not dreaming! He didn’t leave me without saying anything again! Slowing her pace and calming her racing heart, Natalie approached Samuel’s back and pressed her face to it. Then, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him from behind.

“You’re awake?” he asked. “Mhm.” She nodded.

There was still flour on his hand, so he rapidly prepped the last meatball and placed it on a plate. After that, he washed his hands and removed her warm hands from his waist before turning around to look at her.

It took only a glance for him to notice Natalie was standing on the marble floor, barefooted. “What are you…” Samuel furrowed his eyebrows slightly. Dissatisfaction shone in his eyes.

She knew what he was thinking about, so she chuckled and cut him off. “Yes, yes, I forgot. I promise I won’t do it again next time!”

“There’s a next time?” His eyebrows remained furrowed. She shook her head forcefully. “No. There’s no next time.” Instead of replying to Natalie, Samuel bent forward and swept her into his arms.

“Let me down, Samuel!” she exclaimed in a small volume. “I can walk by myself!” “You can, but I want to carry you,” he responded affectionately. “Be good. I’ll carry you to the couch.”

 

Chapter 1127 Like You More

Samuel was so domineering that he didn’t allow Natalie to rebuff him. Before she could even react to the situation properly, she had already been placed on the couch by him. “You…” Gently biting her lip, she spoke softly as shyness reflected in her eyes. “Emma’s still here, you know…”

“It doesn’t matter if she’s around or not. You only have yourself to blame for running around barefooted after waking up.” Samuel placed her clean, fair feet on his thick and firm thighs. Glancing at her, he lectured, “If you feel embarrassed, that’s a good thing because this means you’ll remember not to repeat the same mistake!”

Natalie was speechless. What do I do? Why do I feel like I’m a child being taught a lesson? When she heard a soft chuckle coming from behind her, she turned around and saw Emma covering her mouth while watching the couple. “Emma, I—”

“No need to explain, Ms. Nichols. I know what’s going on. You’re just having a romantic moment with Mr. Bowers. Your slippers should still be upstairs. I’ll bring them down for you right away,” Emma replied with a grin.

Natalie was bereft of speech. Emma shifted her line of sight from Natalie’s blushing face and headed upstairs to retrieve the younger woman’s slippers. Natalie shot a glare at Samuel coyly. “It’s your fault that Emma misunderstood me!”

“Misunderstood what?” His warm, coarse palm gently rubbed between her feet as he flashed her a half-smile. “Emma’s right. We are having a romantic moment as a married couple.”

“You—” She was momentarily rendered speechless by his words. “Why do I feel like you’ve gotten better at flirting after returning from the mountains?”

“Because, when I was tip-toeing on the edge of life and death…” Samuel stared at Natalie deeply. “I was thinking about the things I regretted in my life. I thought about many things, but, in the end, the thing I regretted the most was being unable to dote on you and make you happy. Thankfully, the heavens gave me another chance. So, of course I’m going to treasure our time even more and use all I have to dote on you.”

His sweet words warmed her heart.

“Was it because you were afraid I would leave without saying anything again that you forgot to put on your slippers before you ran to my side?” he inquired in a deep, hoarse voice.

She nodded. “Idiot.” He sighed. “I told you, I’m really not lying this time. The poison in my body is completely gone. I can keep staying by your side until you die.”

Her eyes reddened as she nodded continuously. Seeing how in love she was with him made his heart ache terribly.

“I went way overboard with my lies in the past and hurt you too deeply.” Samuel pulled her body into his embrace. “Don’t worry. I swear I won’t let you feel so afraid again!”

Placing her head on his chest, Natalie calmed down as she listened to his heartbeat. “Samuel…”

“Hmm?” “During your departure, I came to understand something.” She spoke as if she was talking to herself. “I think I like you more than I realize. I don’t really know how to describe it… During the day, I can pretend like I don’t miss you at all. But during the middle of the night, I would miss you so badly that I thought I was going crazy…”

That was why she still felt uneasy, even though Samuel had safely returned to her.

“This is strange. I’m feeling happy, yet I’m also experiencing heartache.” He left a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you for missing me. I, Samuel Bowers, won’t let you down!”

When the children were halfway down the stairs, they saw their father kissing their mother’s forehead. Their father was handsome, while their mother looked gorgeous, making them feel as though they were watching a romantic scene from a movie.

The children were afraid the sound of their footsteps would ruin that beautiful scene, so they leaned on the railing quietly. They beamed at their parents as they watched the scene unfold in secret with their eyes shining brightly.

 

Chapter 1128 Background Of Yumi

After letting go of Natalie, Samuel returned to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. A short while later, he magically served a table full of food.

Although it was only the first meal of the day, he prepared a wide selection of dishes, and all the food looked delicious and smelled wonderful. Even Emma couldn’t help but give him a heartfelt thumbs-up.

The five kids were elated to see their lavish breakfast. Not only did they get to enjoy a scrumptious meal, but they also had their father and mother to keep them company. That blissful moment was indeed a luxury beyond words.

The five children consumed their food at a faster rate than usual. Even Natalie had her head lowered and seemed to be inhaling her food.

Emma’s culinary skills were actually not bad, but Natalie had grown accustomed to Samuel’s cooking. When he wasn’t around, she dearly missed the food that he made. Now that she could indulge in his cuisines again, she had to eat her fill. After they finished their meal, Emma cleared the table.

Since Zophie kidnaped Yumi, the kids had stopped attending their classes at the kindergarten. Natalie and Samuel had hired reliable tutors to give them lessons at home instead. Upon finishing their breakfast, the children went to the study on the second floor to wait for the arrival of their tutors.

At that moment, Natalie halted Yumi. “Yumi…” “Mommy?” The little girl turned around and regarded Natalie with her large, gleaming eyes.

“Yumi, I need to talk to you.” Natalie walked up to Yumi and crouched down so that their lines of vision were leveled. “Why don’t you accompany me to the garden? I think the lotus flowers in the garden should be blooming around this time of the year.”

Sensing Natalie’s desire to speak to Yumi alone, Samuel said to the other four kids, “Follow me upstairs, all of you. Let’s have a chat. I want to know your study progress when I wasn’t around.”

The four kids were intelligent and perceptive. They figured Natalie must have something important to talk to Yumi, so they followed their father upstairs with alacrity.

Moments later, Natalie and Yumi arrived at the backyard garden.

Two white lotus flowers blossomed in the pond in the backyard, with glistening dew rolling off the green lotus leaves.

“Mommy, I have a lot of things to tell you.” Now that she was alone with Natalie, Yumi abandoned all hesitation and took the initiative to speak. “Mommy, you nearly lost your life to rescue me this time. But I… I actually still have a lot of secrets I haven’t let you know. If I had come clean to you earlier, perhaps those bad guys wouldn’t have hurt you.”

Yumi was caught in a dilemma previously about whether she should divulge her background to Natalie, as she feared the latter would ditch her because of how dangerous she was.

However, things changed after she witnessed the way Natalie had risked her life to save her.

Mommy truly loves me, just like she loves Franklin, Sophia, Xavian, and Clayton. For this reason, I must tell Mommy everything I know.

In fact, Natalie had already guessed Yumi’s background for the most part. Still, she didn’t interrupt the little girl and listened quietly to her account of her secret.

“My family name is Jankovich, and Yumi is not my real name. My real name is Xandra Jankovich. My father died before I was born, so I only have my mother to keep me company. Since I was little, I followed my mother and two aunts to guard the mausoleum. In the past, many men wanted to open the royal mausoleum, but all of them died, falling into the traps within. If someone wishes to avoid the traps, they must acquire the jade key belonging to the Jankovich family. We don’t have to stay beside the royal mausoleum because what we guard is not the place itself but this jade key. Mother said there are heroic souls and heaps of treasure inside the royal mausoleum, so we cannot give the jade key to bad people. Otherwise, a lot of people will bleed and die. One day, a few nasty men in black barged into my home, captured my mother, and killed her.”

Yumi’s eyes reddened at that point as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“My aunts covered my mouth and brought me on a desperate run. We escaped from Loang to Chanaea. To protect me, my aunts were also killed by those bad people. In the end, I became an unwanted orphan and was sent to the orphanage. My mother and aunts died to safeguard me, yet I failed to preserve what they passed down to me.”

Even though Yumi had experienced plenty of hardships and was more mature and sensible than her peers, she was undoubtedly still a child. She couldn’t help but cry her eyes out.

The little girl didn’t understand a thing about the treasure.

She only knew that all the people she loved the most had permanently left her one after the other because of the jade key.

“Yumi, who said you haven’t protected the thing they handed to you well?” Natalie wiped the tears off the corner of Yumi’s eyes. “You’ve tried very hard to protect the jade key this entire time, and you’ve done a splendid job thus far!”

 

Chapter 1129 Smooth Sailing

Hearing that, Yumi looked up abruptly and gazed at Natalie in disbelief. “B-But I saw you give the jade key to that terrible woman.” Yumi realized she might’ve structured her sentence in a way that Natalie might misunderstand that she was blaming her, so she swiftly explained, “Mommy, that’s not what I meant.

I-I know you had no choice but to give the jade key to that person because you wanted to save me. Ultimately, everything happened because of my incompetence. I was too young and incapable of protecting my mother, aunts, and you, my mommy. If I had been able to fend for myself back then, you wouldn’t have had to risk losing your life to rescue me.” Yumi sobbed and wept uncontrollably as she spoke.

She had been keeping up a tough pretense whenever she was around Franklin, Sophia, Xavian, and Clayton, always acting as if she was fine and everything was well. She could only behave like an ordinary child when she was with Natalie, being able to cry and disclose all the pent-up troubles in her heart.

Natalie gently patted Yumi’s back, allowing the little girl to cry to her heart’s content. This child is carrying too much burden at such a young age. She’s so mature and thoughtful that my heart aches for her.

After crying for a long while, Yumi slumped against Natalie’s shoulder in exhaustion. “Yumi, I didn’t give the jade key to that woman,” Natalie said tenderly.

“How is that possible?” Yumi stared at Natalie with tear-stained eyes. “Mommy, I saw you handing the jade key to that woman.” “That key was a replica.”

“What?” “The jade key you saw was a fake. I asked someone to make a copy according to the real genuine jade key. This jade key is very significant to you and your family, so I will never hand it over to someone else without your permission. When you gave me the jade key in the past, I mentioned I would only help you keep it temporarily. When you’re older and have the ability to protect yourself and the key, I’ll return it to you.”

Exhilaration and astonishment rose within Yumi’s chest after she listened to Natalie’s speech.

She was thrilled because the jade key didn’t fall into the hands of evil people, and she was astounded because of the love and care Natalie had shown her.

She and Natalie weren’t related by blood, but all the latter had done for her had deeply touched her.

Yumi was at a loss for words. In the end, she hugged Natalie while crying and laughing at the same time. “Mommy, thank you! Thank you so much! Thank you for saving me and helping me to secure the belonging my mother left behind for me. I will be good and grow up well. When I become powerful in the future, I’ll protect and take care of you like how you treat me now.”

Sensing Yumi’s sincerity, Natalie beamed at her and nodded. “Sure. I’ll wait for the day to arrive.”

“Okay!”

Meanwhile, Bastien exited the royal mausoleum with a gash on his arm.

Seeing Bastien’s arm that was covered in blood, Joseph hastily strode forward. “Why are you hurt?”

Ashen-faced, Bastien gripped his right arm, which was spewing out dark color blood, and uttered in an undertone, “Don’t ask so many questions. I can’t hold on any longer. Hurry up and summon the royal physician over to treat my injury.”

With that, he passed out on the spot.

Joseph furrowed his brows. Not daring to dawdle, he quickly carried Bastien on his back and brought him to the temporary imperial residence nearby the royal mausoleum to get some rest.

After the royal physician came to detoxify and bandage Bastien’s wound, he couldn’t help but say with lingering fear in his chest, “Commander Wesley, luckily Prince Jonathan was able to receive immediate treatment. Otherwise, not only might his arm be crippled, but he might also lose his life.”

Upon hearing that, Joseph shifted his gaze to the unconscious Bastien in bafflement. Prince Jonathan went into the royal mausoleum with the jade key. The journey should have been smooth sailing, so why did he come out of that place with such a grave injury?

 

Chapter 1130 She Is Mine

Joseph took care of Bastien meticulously. In the evening, Bastien showed signs of waking up. With much effort, he opened his eyes and saw Joseph sitting by his bedside with a concerned look on his face. Bastien glanced at the layers of bandage on his arm and asked nervously, “Joseph, my arm…”

“Mr. Nine, we managed to get you to the hospital in time. Your arm is fine. You will make a complete recovery after a period of rest.” Joseph paused and continued hesitantly, “I thought you had the jade key? How did you injure your arm so seriously?”

Bastien was leaning back against a cushion when a cold glint flashed across his gentle eyes as he replied, “That jade key is fake.” “Fake?” A deep crease appeared between Joseph’s brows.

“Even though the key fitted into the lock, it couldn’t be used to open the secret room. As I used force, it activated the traps instead. This happened because I was too careless…” Bastien continued coldly, “Not only was Zophie deceived, but I have also been deceived. This jade key is an exact replica of the real thing. The only person in Loang who is capable of replicating the jade key so well is Varre Appleby. However, he disappeared more than a decade ago…”

It was as if the man had suddenly fallen off the face of the Earth. The royal family had made attempts to find him but to no avail. No one had expected that Varre was still alive and had even created an exact replica of the jade key.

“Mr. Nine, so where’s the real key?” Joseph was confused. After a pause, he said hesitantly, “Could… Could Major General Sutton have switched it out when he was questioning Zophie? Maybe he’s thinking of keeping the key for himself?”

Bastien narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “It wasn’t Jerome. It was someone else who took the key.” “Who?”

“Natalie,” Bastien answered. “She’s probably the only person who could have deceived both Zophie and myself. Well, she has outsmarted me once again…”

“What?” Joseph exclaimed in shock. Both Joseph and Bastien fell into deep thought.

Even though Natalie hasn’t been here for long, she has a good relationship with the Sutton family. They are so close that Daniel even went against me because of her. On top of that, she also knows Varre, who has been missing for so long, and was able to get him to duplicate the jade key with such short notice…

What’s more intriguing is that she is such a master of stratagem and was able to calculate and execute every step so perfectly…

No matter who got their hands on the fake jade key, they would all end up suffering. Bastien could not help but wonder what would have happened if he had been more careless. He might have even lost his arm.

“That woman… She’s making me love and hate her at the same time…” The determination in Bastien’s eyes became increasingly intense as the man’s infatuation for Natalie grew deeper. Not only is she so wild and beautiful, but under her gorgeous appearance is also a cunning and ingenious mind.

“Natalie has caused you such misery…” Joseph wanted to ask further but stopped mid-sentence. Are you intending to just let the matter slide?

Bastien glanced at his injured arm and said placidly, “Joseph, spread the news that I got injured in the royal mausoleum around. Make it sound as serious as possible. Also, let Blaze know that the jade key in my possession is a counterfeit. In the coming days, I will focus on my recovery and see how the situation develops while waiting for Blaze to force Natalie to hand over the real jade key…”

Joseph understood that Bastien did not want to confront Natalie directly and wanted Blaze to do the dirty job instead.

The mantis, busy stalking the cicada, would not be aware of the bird behind.

Between Blaze and Natalie, regardless of who the mantis or cicada was, the bird would certainly be Bastien, watching the mantis’ every move.

“How’s the investigation going? Is the man behind Blaze that person?” Bastien asked nonchalantly.

Joseph nodded solemnly and replied, “It’s just as you thought. King, the mastermind behind Blaze, is the person you had in mind.”

Bastien pressed his lips together and let out a sigh. “No matter how much that person wants to be at the top, there can only be one king, and it would be me.”

Of course, there was something else that the man omitted from his sentence.

Not only will I become the king, but I will also have Natalie as my queen!