Chapter 179: "She Belongs to the Snake Clan.

The Council Chief looked momentarily stunned.

’The Rabbit Clan Lady is already engaged?’

’This isn’t what our intelligence suggested.’

Lou froze for a moment, a strange look on his face. After a few seconds of silence, he couldn’t hold back a laugh.

The Council Chief glanced at the Paradise Lord, a little aggrieved. "Lord Leader, what are you laughing at?"

"The weather is nice today," Lou said nonchalantly.

He glanced at the turtle shell on the table. Its small head and four limbs were all tucked inside, not daring to move an inch.

’My little turtle is still so timid.’

She was the main subject of this alliance meeting. And from the sound of it, the Duke had no intention of letting her marry into the Moon Rising Empire’s Royal Family.

’Perfect.’

Lou certainly wouldn’t just hand his little turtle over.

Now that the little female had come to Paradise, she shouldn’t even think about leaving. No one, no matter who they were, could take her from the domain of Paradise.

The Council Chief from the Moon Rising Empire spoke again. "Duke, may I ask which family in your nation is engaged to the Rabbit Clan Lady?"

’An engagement...’

Yu Zhizhi cowered in her shell. She didn’t remember being engaged. As far as she could recall, a candidate for her First Beast Husband hadn’t even been chosen by the time she left the Duke Mansion.

The Duke’s voice came through the video feed, reaching her ears. "The Snake Clan."

Lou’s head snapped up, his gaze fixed grimly on the floating video screen.

Yu Zhizhi froze as well.

Leaning back in his plush chair, the Duke lit his pipe, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"The engagement is set. She can only belong to the Snake Clan of the Valoran Empire. Your Royal Family would be better off choosing someone else and considering my previous proposal. Chief William was right—for our two great Empires to form an alliance, a political marriage is the most stable and secure method."

The elderly councilman was silent for a long moment.

’This marriage alliance was the Royal Family’s idea. They had specifically chosen this S-Class Rabbit Clan Lady.’

’They must value her potential.’

In everyone’s opinion, it was only a matter of time before this lady advanced to an SS-Level female!

An ordinary S-Class female was naturally not worthy of His Highness the Crown Prince.

But an SS-Level was different. They were an extremely Rare existence. Currently, the only SS-Level female within the Moon Rising Empire was the Crown Prince’s own mother.

’Then again, perhaps there were other reasons.’

The Crown Prince’s situation was somewhat special, and a wife for him had never been chosen.

As for that, the Council Chief had no idea.

Now, the Valoran Empire wanted to offer their own princess for the marriage alliance. And while that Little Princess was also an S-Class female, she—

’His Majesty the King most likely had no such intention. Otherwise, he would have brought it up long ago. Why wait until now?’

After a long silence, the Council Chief couldn’t resist asking one more question. "I wonder which outstanding young man from the Snake Clan is fortunate enough to marry Ms. Zhi Zhi?"

On the large screen, smoke swirled around the Duke, his vertical golden pupils faintly visible within it. His posture was languid as he toyed with a deep blue Luck Bag in his hand. "You will find out on the wedding day."

In the end, the Council Chief couldn’t get a straight answer.

Everyone on the Beast World Planet knew that Duke Bolan of the Valoran Empire had an unwritten rule regarding his choice of wife.

’She had to be a female of the Snake Clan.’

As for the reason, no one knew. It had always been a mystery.

Yu Zhizhi cowered in her turtle shell.

’She remembered her last conversation with the Duke. He had indeed said he would choose an outstanding Beast Husband for her.’

’Could it be that the Duke had already chosen someone?’

’Someone from his Snake Clan?’

Lou had a vague idea of the relationship between Duke Bolan and his little turtle. They must have been together in the past. As for why his little turtle had suddenly run off to the Moon Ascension Realm, only she knew the answer.

Hearing the Duke’s words, Lou sneered and said mockingly, "Find her first. How the hell are you going to have a wedding with no bride?"

The Council Chief, who had just been sipping his tea, spat it all out.

The old man coughed repeatedly. He set down his teacup and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, his mind reeling. He stole a glance at the Duke’s reaction, only to find that he didn’t seem to have taken offense. Instead, the Duke was staring intently at a spot on the coffee table, motionless.

The Council Chief’s eyes followed his gaze.

’Huh? A small turtle shell?’

’What’s this green turtle shell for? Has the Paradise Leader taken up divination recently?’

Even through the screen, Yu Zhizhi could feel a burning sensation on her shell, as if a certain snake’s profound gaze was about to bore a hole right through it.

She carefully tucked her claws in, burying her head deep inside her shell, trying to pass as a mere ornament, a tool.

’Anything but a living creature.’

Just as Lou was about to launch another taunt, his expression suddenly changed, and he clapped a hand over the left side of his face.

From Yu Zhizhi’s point of view, the young man’s brow was knitted tightly, and his emerald-green pupils slowly darkened to pitch-black. Then, his furrowed brow gradually smoothed out.

Louis glanced at the large screen and had a pretty good idea of what was going on.

’Appearing like this, in the middle of a meeting, was a common occurrence. It was just that the other participants this time...’

He subtly covered the turtle shell with his hand and looked calmly at the floating video screen.

The Council Chief thought, ’Huh? That turtle shell on the coffee table is a handrest?’

Feeling the warm touch, Yu Zhizhi slowly poked her little head out and nuzzled Louis’s palm.

Louis smiled faintly.

The camera captured the scene perfectly.

The Council Chief was stunned. After all this time, it turned out not to be an empty shell, but a living little turtle!

’Since when did the Lord Leader take up turtle-keeping?’

The Duke, however, stared intently at the turtle that had been playing dead. After the Lord of Paradise’s other personality appeared, it had actively nuzzled him with extreme intimacy.

Louis paid no mind to the meeting’s content.

He gently scratched the little turtle’s chin with his finger, his lips moving.

Louis made no sound.

But Yu Zhizhi could see it clearly.

He was mouthing—

"Did you miss me?"

A little bashful, Yu Zhizhi slowly nodded.

The Council Chief watched as the Paradise Leader’s new personality emerged and completely ignored the ongoing meeting, focusing solely on teasing his little turtle.

His salt-and-pepper beard trembled. He looked toward Duke Bolan, forcing a smile. "Why don’t we end today’s meeting here? We can discuss the marriage alliance again later. I also need to convey to His Majesty that your nation wishes to change the proposed candidate."

The meeting concluded.

Only Louis and the Council Chief remained on the floating screen.

The old man watched as the Paradise Leader picked up the little turtle in one hand and stood up from the coffee table. He said earnestly, "If you would, my lord, please leave a note to remind the Paradise Leader to review the minutes from today’s meeting."

The content is always important, whether it’s a joint conference between the Three Great Empires or an alliance meeting with the Valoran Empire.

Louis gave a faint "mhm" in response.

The old man excused himself.

The video feed vanished.

Yu Zhizhi let out a long sigh of relief. Her four little paws could finally emerge from her shell.

Louis watched her, a thoughtful expression on his face.

He slowly began to speak.