Ch. 2181..2190

Chapter 2181 My Woman

“Is that so?” The man lifted Francesca’s chin with the tip of his shoe as he continued, “Mr. Lindberg's fiancée, huh? Is that what you told the king? Do you really think Id believe that crap?”

Upon getting a closer look at his face, Francesca realized he was one of the princes she had seen at the palace the other day.

With a disdainful look on his face, the man cocked the hammer of the gun and prepared to open fire.

Since he had Francesca’s arm pinned with his foot, there was nothing she could do to defend herself.

Right as she was about to get shot, someone called out to the man, “Charlie, wait!"

The man paused and turned around in response.

"We need to spare her life!” Berthold continued as he got off the car and came rushing over.

“She's just an ordinary woman, though. Why can’t we kill her? Honestly, I should've killed her when I had the chance back then! That would've saved us all a lot of trouble!” Charlie exclaimed in annoyance.

"His Majesty has ordered us to spare her. Apparently, Mr. Lindberg gave His Majesty a call earlier,” Berthold explained.

Charlie froze and glanced at Francesca as he asked, “Really?”

“I believe she really is Mr. Lindberg's fiancée,” Berthold replied.

“Mr. Lindberg sure has a strange taste in women! What could he possibly like about a skinny and short woman like her?” Charlie asked with a sneer.

“That's not important right now. His Majesty has sent some men over, so killing her now will only get you in trouble with His Majesty and Danrique! Things could get really messy, so I suggest you refrain from doing so!”

"F*ck! Get them in the car!” Charlie yelled angrily while holstering his gun.

“Right!”

Just like that, they dragged Francesca and Monica into the car and sped off.

Dominic, who had just returned from buying some medicine, panicked when he saw that in the distance.

He was about to chase after them in his car when his phone rang all of a sudden. Dominic frowned when he checked the caller ID and saw that it was an unknown number. “Hello?”

“Dominic? It's me, Danrique!” said a man in a deep voice.

“What? M-Mr. Lindberg?”

After a while, a man approached Danrique.

“The private jet is ready, sir.”

“Take us to the airport.”

“Yes, sir.”

Danrique had just boarded his private jet when he got a call from Federico. “We have brought her back to the palace, so you need not worry about her safety, Mr. Lindberg. However..."

“I have just boarded my private jet and will arrive in Danontand in about thirteen hours from now. I know my woman can be a little young and immature, so I will apologize to you in person if she has done or said anything to offend you, Your Majesty. However, keep in mind that she is my woman, so I will be the one to punish her for her wrongdoings. Those who dare lay a finger on her shall suffer my wrath!”

Federico froze in shock when he heard that.

Wow, I wasn't expecting Danrique to behave so insolently toward me! Even so, he did respect me enough to apologize to me, so I should probably just let it slide. Wouldn't want to make an enemy of this terrifying monster!

With that in mind, Federico chuckled heartily as he replied, “Haha! You're exaggerating, Mr. Lindberg! She was just a little mischievous, that's all! As an elder, I won't take her behavior too seriously, so you need not worry about her offending me. Had I known she was your woman, I would've warned Charlie against going after her! Fortunately, all she suffered were minor injuries, so all is good. I'll have Charlie apologize to you when you get here.”

“See you tomorrow,” Danrique said with an icy-cold look in his eyes and hung up the phone.

Sean let out a sigh as he exclaimed, “That king sure is a cunning one! You already put the word out that Ms. Felch was your woman when they started hunting her down, and yet, he pretended to be unaware of that and sent Charlie after her. He even had the audacity to act like he just found out about it when you called him. I bet he just wants you to beg him and head over in person so he can use Ms. Felch as a bargaining chip!”

q

Chapter 2182 A Long Way To Go

"He's heartless enough to betray his grandson, so he probably has no moral values. I wasn't planning on getting involved in their family affairs, but he leaves me no choice now that he has crossed the line,” Danrique said coldly.

“I wonder if Ms. Felch's injuries are serious. She's smart, has incredible driving skills, and is always on high alert. So how did she get caught so easily anyway?” Sean asked with a worried look on his face. Danrique frowned. “Even the strongest of fighters get tired eventually. That woman overestimated herself and thought she could handle anything. That's why she tried to save him!”

“Ms. Felch was used,” Sean replied, only to pause when he realized he had said something he shouldn't. “Mr. Lindberg, do you think we might be walking right into Prince William's trap by heading over to Danontand?”

Danrique simply kept quiet and lowered his icy-cold gaze.

“Exposing a scandal among the royal family could get them a lot of attention from the public and save those in his castle, but it would also put Ms. Felch in a dangerous situation. He knew that full well, and yet, he did it anyway. He's willing to put her safety at risk just so he can save his own people. What a heartless b*stard!” Sean exclaimed.

Danrique’s lips curled into a smile. “That's because he knows I would take action if anything were to happen to Francesca.”

“How would he know for sure? What if you got so mad at Ms. Felch that you decided to leave her be? What if you're too busy to do something about it? He's clearly wagering Ms. Felch's life!” "Sometimes, you just have to take a gamble in life. I believe he already thought everything through when he sent Francesca back to Xendale,” Danrique responded as he had seen right through William's plans.

“Then we truly have underestimated him! We should've stopped Ms. Felch from going to Danontand if we knew this was going to happen! That way, his plan would have fallen apart!” Sean fumed.

Danrique let out a wry chuckle. “If we did that, my relationship with Francesca would have fallen apart along with his plan. There's no use in telling her how evil the world is because she won't believe us. Only through experiencing it herself can she truly grow and mature.”

That was when Sean finally understood what was going on. “So, you knew about this all along? You knew it was all part of Prince William's scheme, and yet, you walked right into it to teach Ms. Felch a lesson?”

“She needs to get hurt in order to learn how evil the world can be. All we can do is let her get herself in trouble, then clean the mess up for her,” Danrique replied with a bitter smile.

He then paused and glanced out the window, adding, “That's how Aunt Isabella taught me, remember?”

"Are you educating Ms. Felch like you would a child?” Sean asked with a chuckle. “Oh, this reminds me... You mentioned a long time ago that Prince William is no simple man. You said he was driving a wedge between you and Ms. Felch. Did you already know he was using her back then?”

“It's not all black and white in this world. Objectively speaking, William's feelings toward Francesca are genuine. I'm guessing he really did care for her at first. Maybe he didn't plan on using her like this before. Maybe he was forced to. Bully a person long enough, and they will only desire revenge instead of love. People like that are capable of being terrifyingly cruel and heartless.”

Sean nodded. “Understood... I hope Ms. Felch will learn her lesson after this incident.”

“I hope so too, but I feel like she still has a long way to go...”

Chapter 2183 Royal Treatment

As Francesca slowly regained consciousness, memories of what happened before she passed out flooded her mind. That shocked her so much that she sat bolt-upright immediately.

“Ah!” An intense pain tore through her body all of a sudden, and she slumped back against the bed. All the alarm bells in her head went off instantly and snapped her out of her groggy state. As she opened her eyes, she froze when she saw her surroundings.

Instead of a dark dungeon or abandoned warehouse, she found herself lying on a huge bed inside a luxurious room. Even the blanket covering her body was of a high-end luxury brand.

No, this can’t be right... Shouldn't that evil prince be torturing the heck out of me after taking me captive? Where am 1? What is this place?

Francesca was still trying to figure out what was going on when the room door opened. A few maids came in with a female doctor and several medical staff.

"Oh, you're awake!”

The doctor quickly came over to examine her when she saw that Francesca had woken up.

"What is this place?” Francesca asked softly in Ustranasion

“This is the palace of Danontand,” replied the doctor as she treated the wounds on Francesca's head.

“Palace? Whose palace?” Francesca asked in confusion.

“His Majesty's, of course!” the doctor replied with a chuckle.

"Um..." Francesca’s head was filled with questions. Didn't I get captured by that evil prince? How did I end up in this palace? I remember that prince capturing Monica and me after we escaped the explosion. He was even going to shoot me, but another prince came over and stopped him.

“We need to spare her life!”

“She's just an ordinary woman, though. Why can’t we kill her? Honestly, I should've killed her when I had the chance back then! That would've saved us all a lot of trouble!”

"His Majesty has ordered us to spare her. Apparently, Mr. Lindberg gave His Majesty a call earlier.” It wasn't until Francesca recalled that conversation that she understood what was going on.

I was on the phone with Danrique before the explosion. He must've known I was in trouble after hearing the gunshots and called the king of Danontand! He saved my life again, so I owe him yet another favor...

"How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?” the doctor asked in a caring manner.

“It hurts,” Francesca mumbled while rubbing her head, which was wrapped in thick layers of bandages. The pain was so intense that it felt like her head would burst open at any moment.

I remember being shot in the leg, so why is my head also injured? This must be that evil prince's doing! Had it not been for me helping William out, he would've been done for long ago. That's probably why these princes hate me so much right now. That guy was so eager to kill me that he didn't even bother to torture me or anything. He was actually prepared to off me in a single shot, but the king stopped him at the very last second. That must've frustrated them to death, huh? “Here, take this medicine and get some rest,” the doctor said as she motioned at her assistant to feed Francesca the medicine.

Francesca glanced at the medicine before swallowing it.

“I hear you're a doctor too. Don't worry; I wouldn't dare pull any tricks on a fellow doctor! Besides, His Majesty has ordered us to take good care of you, so that is exactly what we'll do!" the doctor reassured her with a smile.

Feeling relieved, Francesca lay down on the bed. “Thanks. By the way, where's Monica?”

“Are you referring to the FBI agent who got suspended? I'm afraid she isn't so lucky. They're keeping her locked up in the dungeon while waiting for the FBI to come to interrogate her,” the doctor responded.

“May I see her?”

“I'm sorry; I don't think that's possible.”

"When will the king see me, then?”

I won't be able to get Monica out of here unless I plunge this place into chaos. I'm not sure if the king wants to meet me to confirm my relationship with Danrique or if there is some other reason behind it. Either way, I'm definitely going to meet him.

q

Chapter 2184 Support Has Arrived

"About that...” The doctor was about to say something when an elderly woman came into the room. The woman bowed politely at Francesca and said, “Greetings, Ms. Felch. His Majesty will be having a banquet at eight tonight, and your presence is expected. I have brought you your clothes.”

The woman then motioned at the maids, prompting them to bring in a fancy dress, beautiful accessories, an elegant pair of shoes, and a clean set of underwear. The clothes were all neatly laid out on the sofa.

"What's with this grand event? Is Danrique coming?” Francesca asked. The woman simply lowered her head and kept quiet.

“I'll take that as a yes, then.” Francesca’s eyes lit up with hope the moment she realized Danrique was on his way to save her. Ha! I have nothing to fear now that my savior is coming for me!

“Ms. Felch, it is now two in the afternoon, so there is still a lot of time before the banquet. We will serve you lunch, and then you can rest throughout the afternoon. We will come back at six in the evening to help you shower and get changed. Would this arrangement be okay with you?”

“I want my friend Monica to attend the banquet with me,” Francesca said with an arrogant look. “But...”

"If you can’t make that decision, then go ask your king for permission. Tell him I won't be attending the banquet without Monica,” Francesca added coldly.

“All right, I'll relay your message right away.” The woman then told the maids on her way out, “Make sure to take good care of Ms. Felch!”

“Understood.”

Francesca then lay comfortably on the bed as the servants propped up her pillows, wiped her body clean, gave her a facial, and fed her lunch.

Man, I have to admit, these maids sure are good at what they do! I have an injury on my head and calf, yet I'm enjoying this service a lot! Of course, the best part is being able to see Danrique soon! I was so busy running for my life that I hadn't had time to worry about a lot of things, but I've always been thinking about him. Everything I see reminds me of him. I think about him before I sleep and immediately after I wake up. The past few days have been filled with danger, but I was able to pull through it all because of my desire to make it back alive and reunite with Danrique. Who would've thought we'd be able to see each other so soon, eh? He says he's mad at me and won't help me, and yet, he's always rushing to my aid whenever I'm in danger. He's truly my armor, my shield, and my guardian. I have no need to fear anyone with him around!

Francesca couldn't help but feel a little gleeful and smug at the thought of that.

However, she soon thought of another issue.

As powerful as Danrique may be, we're in enemy territory now. We had nothing to do with this internal conflict within the royal family, to begin with, so it wouldn't be appropriate for us to get involved. Even Danrique would be at a disadvantage here! What if this banquet is just a trap? Would Danrique get bullied by that old king? Given how cunning and cruel Federico is, I have a feeling it won't be easy to deal with him.

Francesca began to get anxious the more she thought about it. Eventually, she decided to take responsibility for her own actions.

I'm the one who got myself into this mess, so I can’t be getting Danrique involved no matter what. If that old king dares hurt my man, I'll fight him myself!

Chapter 2185 Kind Warning

The woman from earlier soon brought Monica over to the room Francesca was in

She had been beaten up so badly that she had injuries all over her body. Despite being severely injured, Monica's eyes still lit up with excitement when she saw Francesca.

Francesca immediately had the maids tend to Monica's wounds, give her a bath, and get her a change of clothes.

After catering to all of her requests, the woman led Francesca and Monica over to the banquet hall ten minutes before the clock struck eight.

The two of them recognized the six princes the moment they arrived. Charlie looked especially arrogant as he stared at them.

The other princes, too, shot them provocative and warning glares.

Berthold was the only one who smiled and nodded politely at them.

Francesca recognized Berthold as the one who stopped Charlie from killing her. “Who is he?” “That's Berthold, the youngest prince of Danontand. They say he's only nineteen years old, which makes him a few years younger than William,” Monica whispered.

"Was he involved when they bullied William?” Francesca asked.

“I heard he wasn't, but nobody knows this stuff for sure,” Monica answered.

Francesca kept quiet and stared at the clock on the wall.

We have five minutes left until eight o'clock, and yet, neither Danrique nor the old king has arrived. What's going on here?

Her train of thought was interrupted when the woman walked up to Francesca and said with a bow, "Please enter the inner palace, Ms. Felch.”

Francesca felt a little confused, but she stood up without saying a word anyway.

The maids then helped her onto the wheelchair and brought her over to the inner palace.

The old king was calmly sipping on some tea as he sat there all by himself. Upon hearing the doors open, he looked up at Francesca and asked, “How are your injuries? Not too severe, I presume?” “Not enough to kill me,” Francesca replied coolly.

“William tells me you're a very loyal and brave woman. I didn't think much of it before, but I see what he means now.” Federico flashed her a smile as he continued, “For a young woman like yourself, you are indeed very courageous. I've heard about the things you've done for William.” Francesca simply stared at him in silence as she waited for him to stop beating around the bush. Federico continued, “I'm not sure if William has told you anything that may have led to some misunderstandings, but I have always loved him deeply. However, it's really hard to show it in a family this huge. You may not understand it now, but you will when you marry into the Lindberg family in the future. It's not easy managing a huge family—"

Having lost her patience, Francesca cut him off, “What are you trying to say, Your Majesty? Please get straight to the point.”

He can keep his pretentious words for the media. I don't buy that stuff at all.

“Haha! Very well, then! Mr. Lindberg loves you very much. As his fiancée, you should be devoting all of your time and energy to him instead. Therefore, you no longer need to concern yourself with William's affairs,” Federico said with a chuckle.

There it is! We're finally getting to the main point of this conversation!

“I don’t understand. Why would you treat William like that? He's your grandson too!” Francesca asked frigidly.

"We could all live peacefully together if he'd just behave himself, but he chose not to. Look, William isn't the simple man that you make him out to be. Someday, you'll understand what I mean by that...” Federico replied mysteriously.

Francesca couldn't help but shudder in fear when she heard that. I can’t believe he'd frame his own grandson!

Suddenly, a subordinate came over and said, “Your Majesty, Mr. Lindberg’s car has just arrived at the palace. He will be here in about fifteen minutes. As per Your Majesty's instructions, Mr. Faulkner is waiting for him at the entrance.”

“All right.” Federico nodded and turned to look at Francesca as he went on, “Mr. Lindberg is a very busy man, and yet, he came all the way here just for you. Do you have any idea how many business opportunities this trip could cost him?”

q

Chapter 2186 Reminder

“I don't know, and I'm not interested in knowing.” Francesca did not go along with him at all. “What else would you like to say, Your Majesty?”

“People have limited patience,” Federico reminded. “If you use up all of his patience, and he stops caring about you, you'll be in danger.” “Your Majesty, are you threatening me?” Francesca frowned. “It's a reminder,” Federico said with a smile. “Be a good Mrs. Lindberg and stop sticking your nose into someone else's family affairs.” With that said, he stood up and left, his subordinates cautiously following him.

Francesca watched the old king leave with complicated feelings. Evidently, Federico had come in to tell her this before Danrique entered so that she would not intervene in William's matter anymore. However, things were already at this point. Was it truly possible for her to turn a blind eye to it? “Ms. Felch, let me bring you out.”

With that, the woman wheeled Francesca to the banquet hall.

Monica was worriedly looking in her direction. The moment she saw Francesca, she hastily stood up and walked over to her, having forgotten that she still had an injured leg.

If not for the maid's support, Monica would have fallen to the ground. Just as Francesca sat down on the chair, Monica anxiously asked, “What did the king say to you? Did he tell you not to intervene in His Highness’ matters anymore? What did you answer him?”

Monica was a smart woman as well; she could mostly guess what had happened. “I didn't say anything,” Francesca answered. “It's not as if I have the choice to say anything now.”

“Ms. Felch, please don't give up on His Highness!” Monica held her hand and pleaded. “You're the only one who can save him now. If you give up on him too, then he’s as good as dead!”

While she spoke, the few princes stood up. Monica was frightened by that, thinking that they were about to fight.

However, they only shot her a cold glance before they left the room in order.

The prince who walked last, Berthold, even whispered to Francesca, “We're heading out to welcome Mr. Lindberg. Please wait here for a moment.”

After saying that, he hastily caught up with his brothers.

Only after he was gone did Francesca come back to her senses. As she turned to Monica, she asked, “Is he trying to curry favor with me?”

“Most likely,” Monica replied with a sneer. “He knows you're Mr. Lindberg's girlfriend. Even if he doesn't want to butter you up in broad daylight, he won't want to cross you.”

Francesca then surveyed her surroundings. Everyone else was gone, leaving only a few maids standing at the side.

Hence, she asked Monica in a low voice, “By the way, didn't you contact Robin yesterday? How are they? Have they really gotten out of danger?”

“I wanted to tell you this yesterday, but I ended up falling asleep in the motel. After that, something happened so...” Monica whispered into Francesca's ear. “Robin said that they've resolved the issue of daily necessities, but the regained freedom is fake. It looks like they can interact with the outside world, but people have been keeping a close eye on them the whole time. He hasn't even seen His Highness until now, and even if he enters and leaves the place, he can only do it if he's shopping for medications and food. He can't even contact any media or anyone in the outside world. He called the people in His Highness’ company, but the calls were all tapped, so he could only talk about work."

“I knew it.”

Francesca frowned.

"Ms. Felch...” Monica tightened her hold on Francesca’s hand and urged, “Let's take the opportunity while Mr. Lindberg's here to get the king to let His Highness go.”

“Um...” Francesca was dumbfounded. “How can we possibly do that? William's a member of the Danontand royal family, not one of Danrique’s men.”

"Why not?” Monica blurted out. “Even the king's afraid of him. The moment he found out that you're Mr. Lindberg's girlfriend, he instructed his people to serve you well. Now, he’s even leading his princes out to welcome Mr. Lindberg. Who else has ever received such special treatment but the two of you?”

q

Chapter 2187 Forceful

“These places are having financial issues right now. They're all hoping for a major corporate group like Lindberg Corporation to invest in their businesses, and they're hoping to establish a long-term collaboration. The king clearly wants to be in Mr. Lindberg's good books, so Mr. Lindberg will have the power to persuade him,” Monica rambled on desperately as she held Francesca’s hands tighter and tighter.

“Mr. Lindberg adores you. When he found out that something happened to you, he came right away. Talk to him later and ask him to save His Highness first. He'll surely say yes to you. Please!” “The power to persuade.” It was then Francesca finally understood what Monica meant. “No wonder King Federico was suddenly so nice to me and respectful toward Danrique—he wants Danrique to invest here... In other words, Danrique is rescuing me at a high price again this time.”

"Of course,” Monica replied. “Why would a king be nice to you for no good reason? Still, it means nothing to Mr. Lindberg, right? His money has to be invested somewhere anyway.”

“He's not your boyfriend. Of course you won't feel much about it.” Francesca huffed. “It's not as if his money falls from the sky right on his doorstep. It's partially mine too. I can't just be fine with Federico taking my money like this!”

“Uh...” For a moment, Monica found herself at a loss for words.

The more Francesca thought about it, the angrier she became. She was worried that the king would take advantage of Danrique, so she quickly stood up to look for him

"Ms. Felch!” A few maids quickly came over to support her. “Where are you heading to?"

“Let me go. I'm going to look for my boyfriend!”

Francesca tried to break free from their grasp, but the maids’ hold was tight as they refused to let her go.

During the tugging, Francesca lost her balance and fell backward.

“Ms. Felch!” Monica shrieked and jumped to her feet, about to grab her.

However, another figure dashed over like a bolt of lightning and held Francesca from the back.

In the meantime, when Francesca felt something powerful catching her from the back, she instinctively raised her head. The moment she registered the face, her heart skipped a beat. Danrique’s towering figure was like a tree that protectively supported her. His handsome face was an inch away from her eyes, and his amber eyes were filled with anger and frustration.

"Oh, Danrique..."

Francesca's hardened heart softened, and the corners of her lips tilted downward. In the next second, she launched herself into his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist before bawling. "Why didn't you listen to me?”

Danrique felt the urge to smack her buttocks, but they were in a public space with people around. Hence, he tamped his fury down, gripped her chin, and raised her head to study her instead.

“Let me take a look at you. How did you hurt your head? And your leg, too.”

Bravery surged into Francesca now that she had someone to back her up. As she jabbed a finger at Charlie, she uttered, “Him! He hit me!”

Charlie froze before turning to Danrique in confoundment.

Danrique gave him an icy look tinged with murderous intent. “You hit her?”

Charlie paled as he took steps back in a panicked manner.

“It's a misunderstanding. It's all a misunderstanding!” Federico quickly chimed in to ease the tension. “Charlie didn’t know who Francesca was at that time—"

"Which hand was it?” Danrique interrupted as he arched a brow at Charlie.

Charlie did not dare to look at Danrique as he hung his head, having no courage to even breathe any louder.

“Gordon!” Danrique summoned.

“Yes, sir.”

“Mr. Lindberg—"

“Arghhh!”

In merely a few seconds’ time, several voices sounded out.

Everyone was stunned as the screams of agony echoed in the room.

Sean closed his eyes and sighed under his breath. He had wanted to persuade Danrique otherwise, but before he could even finish his sentence, the dense Gordon had already struck.

No wonder Mr. Lindberg called for Gordon first this time even though he usually gives me the orders. He knows that Gordon will never second-guess his decision and will always heed his order. q

Chapter 2188 Insane

Gordon usually stood on the sidelines, but the moment he was on the field, he would either maim or kill. What he had done this time was break Charlie's hand. With a loud crack of bones shattering, Charlie fell to the ground and screamed in pain.

Everyone was frightened out of their wits, including Silas, Monica, and the others. The princes, too, had their eyes wide in disbelief.

Is this real? Did Danrique just hurt a prince in Danontand's palace? How can he be such an arrogant lunatic?

When the guards outside heard Charlie's shouts of pain, they darted inside with guns. One of the princes pointed at Gordon and roared, “How dare you do this? Take him down!”

Gordon narrowed his eyes in response and began inching toward the prince who spoke. Startled, the prince quickly retreated.

"Stand down,” Federico coldly ordered. “Your Majesty, he—"

“Shut up!” Federico gave them no chance to speak as he turned back to Danrique with a smile. “Mr. Lindberg, are you satisfied now?”

“No,” Danrique answered. “Still, for Your Majesty's sake, I'll stop here for now.”

Danrique made it sound as if he was upset and forced to make such a decision.

Although the smile on Federico’s face remained, his eyes darkened. “Charlie is young and foolish. It's nothing unusual for one older in life to teach him a lesson.”

"Of course.” A small smile grew on Danrique’s face. “Your Majesty, your kind heart stops you from giving him a lesson, so I'll have to play the villain.”

“Hahaha!” Federico laughed boisterously. “Men, bring Charlie to the medics.”

“Understood!” Silas hastily instructed his men to bring Charlie away.

The remaining princes began shifting nervously at the side as they looked at Danrique in fear.

They could not fathom why Danrique could have such a conceited demeanor despite being on their territory, nor why their king was so cautious around him.

Monica stood transfixed in her spot. She had long heard rumors about how the devil Danrique was a haughty and cruel man.

Now, she had finally witnessed him in action with her own two eyes.

“Mr. Lindberg, you've traveled far, so you must be tired,” Federico politely stated. “Please take a seat first. I've prepared the best wine.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Danrique then wrapped his arm around Francesca and led her to the seats.

Francesca finally recomposed herself, but her heart was still thumping loudly as she leaned toward Danrique’s ear and murmured, “Why are you acting so snobbishly? Aren't you afraid you won't leave this place alive?”

“No,” Danrique told her. “I have Erihal backing me up.”

Monica's eyes widened in realization upon hearing that. Right, he’s not only representing himself; he's representing Lindberg Corporation and Erihal as well.

Not everyone dared to cross a mighty country like Erihal

However, Francesca only felt more worried when she heard Danrique’s words. Her nosiness had involved Danrique, and now, Erihal as well.

Things were getting more and more complicated.

No wonder my master told me not to interact with politicians and royal family members. I couldn“t understand it in the past, but now I do. I didn't heed any of Ms. Layla’s advice either, but now that I know why I should, I've already stepped into the murky waters. It'll be too difficult for me to leave now.

Right then, the maids began serving the dinner.

Danrique was uninterested in the dinner despite the scrumptious and plentiful dishes on the table. He turned to Federico and uttered, “Your Majesty, why don't we head inside and have a talk instead?”

“It doesn't look like you have any appetite for the dinner I've asked my chef to specially prepare for you,” Federico started with a smile. “All right. I'll ask my men to prepare the best tea while we talk inside.”

“Thank you.”

Federico sat in the main seat as Silas and the other princes stood behind him.

Meanwhile, Danrique led Francesca to sit opposite the king. After taking a cup of black tea from the maid, he sipped on it and said, “Yes, this tea is good.”

q

Chapter 2189 Protective

“I'm glad you like it. I asked my men to prepare it a long time ago. Please bring these back too.” The way Federico was all smiles made him seem as if he was a friendly and kind man.

“You have my thanks.” Danrique nodded, smiling. Sean then stepped forward to receive the box of black tea with a bow. “I've brought a gift for Your Majesty too,” Danrique said, gesturing to Sean. After Sean passed the box to Mylo, he handed a fancy gift box to Silas, who was beside the king. When Silas opened it and took a peek, his brows raised, and he quickly whispered something to Federico.

Federico’s slight furrow of his brows relaxed, and he burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Mr. Lindberg, you're too kind.”

“It's nothing, Your Majesty.” Danrique curled his lips. “I've been friends with William for many years. In fact, you'll be akin to my grandfather, so please just call me by my name.” “Sure, Danrique.”

The king was delighted, for his eyes were even crescents from beaming. Francesca stared at the box as frustration bloomed like a flower in her chest.

What did Danrique give to make Federico as happy as this? If I knew that he was going to lose so much on this trip, I wouldn't have let him come. I'd rather risk my life to get out of here than let him shower the king with money and gifts... That's so much money... My heart aches.

"How is Mr. President? It's been a while since I've seen him. The last I saw him, he looked as healthy as a horse.”

"He's pretty good. He has asked me to convey his greetings to you.”

"Hahaha! I've always talked about visiting Xendale, but alas, I'm old and no longer as sturdy as I used to be. I'm afraid I can't stand the cold, so I didn't dare to visit.”

“Your worries are for naught, Your Majesty. The spaces within Xendale's buildings are warm.”

“I was there a few years ago. The way the snow fluttered toward the ground was a grand sight to behold.”

“Danontand is a beautiful land as well. I was fortunate to have witnessed the magnificent night view on the plane.”

“Do stay for a few days more. I've already prepared a guest room for you and Francesca.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The two men exchanged polite small talk that Francesca did not pay attention to at all. Her eyes were fixed on the gift box, wondering what Danrique had given to the king.

“This is the second time Francesca has visited the palace. The last time she was here, it was with William. When I saw the intimate way they interacted with each other, I thought that William had brought his fiancée to me! Haha!"

All of a sudden, Federico shifted the topic to Francesca, and he even seemed like he was deliberately trying to create a misunderstanding.

Francesca froze and subconsciously glanced at Danrique.

After giving Francesca a long look, he smiled and said, “My Francesca has a pure and righteous heart. She's good to my friends. William sought her out for medical issues, so she came over, wanting to treat William's legs like a good doctor would want. Who knew that she would have encountered the poisoning incident at William's castle? This silly girl knows nothing and has a straightforward nature, so she accidentally meddled in your family affairs.”

Despite the nonchalant tone of Danrique’s words, he was actually drawing a fine line between their relationship.

Francesca had always thought that Danrique was not good with his words, so she was shocked to hear him being smooth in the negotiation

Of course, he had to possess a certain amount of capability to have been able to lead Lindberg Corporation to such great heights and acquire so much power in the international corporate world. It was just that he did not like to interact with others. However, if he had to socialize, he was not any lousier than the rest.

“I see.” Federico nodded in revelation. “I was right. Francesca’s innocent and kind. She's a good girl. Hahaha!"

"She's young and insensible. If she has done anything to accidentally offend you, Your Majesty, let me offer my apologies on behalf of her.”

With that said, Danrique lifted his cup of black tea and made a toast to the king.

Chapter 2190 The Sly Danrique

"Hahaha!" Federico lifted his own cup to clink it against Danrique’s before downing his drink. “Danrique, Francesca’s naive, and I like it. Please do inform me when you marry her in the future. I'll surely send you a big gift!”

"Of course I will.” Danrique nodded, smiling. “But... Prince Charlie has dealt quite a heavy blow.” The change in the topic came quickly and suddenly. Even Francesca was taken aback by it. So Danrique has already made public the news when I was being hunted down. I didn’t know. Federico’s expression stiffened, and it took him a while before he recollected himself and said with an apologetic smile, “Charlie didn’t know who Francesca was at the start. If he had, he wouldn't have laid a finger on her. Of course, this is partially my fault for not keeping an eye on him. My apologies.”

"How can I possibly blame you for this, Your Majesty?” A confused look crept upon Danrique’s face. “There is one thing I don’t quite understand. I've already announced her identity while she was getting hunted down. I don’t know why the media in Danontand was so slow with their news coverage. That must be why you didn’t know about her identity.”

“I really didn't,” Federico insisted grimly. “If I knew who she was, I wouldn't have allowed Charlie to do this. Most importantly, I heard the news from the outside saying that you were going to get engaged to the daughter of the Atkinsons.” Federico sighed. “Do you see the misunderstanding? Pah! The media is evil to have spread nonsense as news. I'm old too, and I was slow to realize that there were issues with the news coverage.”

"You're right, Your Majesty.” Danrique nodded. “It's understandable that you didn't understand the news. However, Prince Charlie seems young, and he has his own account on the internet. It looks like a party there too. He can't have not known about her, can he?”

"At the end of the day, he just doesn't have much respect for me.”

Danrique heaved a deep sigh, seemingly resigned. “Young people nowadays are fearless once they have someone backing them up. They are nothing like us, who had to pave a way ourselves with our own hands.”

With that, Danrique crushed the teacup in his hand.

Crunch! The teacup shattered, and the tea sprayed all over him.

Francesca jumped in fright before whipping her head to the side to stare at him in surprise.

“It's true that Charlie wasn't thinking clearly when he did this,” Federico hastily blurted out. “The lesson you've taught him today has been a good one. Otherwise, he would have continued being a conceited boy.”

Federico was skillful with his words, too, for he had managed to draw a line between him and Charlie's incident in seconds.

That lesson Danrique had taught Charlie—that arm he had broken—would take at least three to five months before it could fully recover.

Furthermore, Danrique had broken Charlie's arm in front of the king and the other princes. Federico was already offering Danrique due respect to not have commented on it at all.

What else does he want?

“My, Your Majesty, don't misunderstand me.” Danrique put on an innocent look. “I didn’t say anything. The one who did it was my mindless subordinate.”

He then pointed at Gordon and asked, “Gordon, did I ask you to do anything?”

“No, sir.”

Regardless of how slow Gordon was to react, he could understand what Danrique wanted him to do —to become the scapegoat.

The king was dumbfounded by that, his eyes as wide as saucers as he stared at Danrique.

In contrast, Francesca was thrilled.

Oh my. Oh dear. I never knew how sly Danrique could be until now! Since the king says that Charlie's actions had nothing to do with him, Danrique can similarly say that Gordon acted on his own. He's giving Federico a taste of his own medicine! F-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c!

“Idiot,” Danrique began cursing at Gordon. “How dare you hurt His Majesty's grandson? Pay with your life!”