Chapter 1577: The Woman Behind the Escort ( 1577 )

Meanwhile.

Armand Naval Base.

"VELDRACCCC!"

Lioness’s voice boomed across the entire dock, loud enough to rattle the crates stacked near the pier. He cupped both hands around his mouth and raised one arm high, waving it wildly the moment he spotted Veldrac and his escorts approaching from the distance.

Veldrac dragged his palm down his face and let out a long, weary exhale.

"You don’t need to shout like that... Lioness..."

Lioness strode forward with a wide grin, followed by his escorts, his bulky frame moving with surprising speed. He slapped Veldrac on the back hard enough to make a dull thud echo through the air.

"Long time no see, Veldrac!!"

"Ugh!" Veldrac stumbled half a step forward before catching himself. He turned and shot Lioness a flat glare. "We already met each other months ago."

Lioness threw his arm around Veldrac’s shoulders and kept walking, dragging him along without any effort. Veldrac tried to pry the arm off, but Lioness’s grip didn’t budge. He grunted, straining against the bigger man’s strength.

"Aw, come on!" Lioness squeezed his shoulder. "We were supposed to gather together like before! Back during our day, remember? We’d all meet up, no worries, no thrones, no politics. Just us. Quests, adventures, drinking until sunrise. The whole party back together. Those were the days, Veldrac! The days!"

"Yeah, right..." Veldrac side-eyed him sharply, still trying to pry the arm off his shoulder. He shoved at Lioness’s forearm with both hands, but Lioness’s arm didn’t budge.

He hissed under his breath.

"How is your grip still this strong? You’re old now. You’re supposed to be slowing down."

Lioness paused mid-laugh. His eyes flicked downward, a brief hesitation passing across his face before he glanced sideways.

One of Veldrac escorts stepped forward, his face tight with worry.

"Your Majesty... if you say it like that..."

Before he could finish, Lioness released Veldrac’s shoulder and took a step back. He mumbled under his breath, low and thoughtful.

"Old...?"

His grin widened. He raised both arms, bent his elbows, and flexed. His biceps bulged, thick and defined, the muscle standing out sharply under his skin. He turned his torso slightly, shifting his chest, and his pecs bounced once, hard and tight. Then he twisted to the side, and the muscles in his back rippled visibly, thick cords shifting beneath his skin like coiled steel.

"Age doesn’t matter for us, Veldrac!!!!"

He pointed at his own arm, then at his chest, then spun and pointed at his back, beaming with pride.

"Look at this muscle~! Still as hard as stone! Still as heavy as iron! The years haven’t touched me at all! I’m still the same beast I was back then!"

Veldrac let out a long, weary exhale.

"I shouldn’t have said that..."

Before he could react, Lioness dropped into a squat, grabbed Veldrac by the waist, and lifted him straight up with both hands. He held him there like a barbell, arms extended, then began doing squats with slow, steady rhythm.

"Put me down!! This is embarrassing!!" Veldrac flailed, his arms and legs thrashing in the air, his royal robes flapping wildly.

"Bwahaha! You’re light as a feather, old friend! Have you been skipping meals?!"

Veldrac’s escorts glanced at each other in silence, their faces deadpan. Behind them, Lioness’s own escorts had already turned away, staring at the ocean, pretending they didn’t see anything.

"I’m going to report this to your wife, Lioness!"

Lioness paused mid-squat, Veldrac still held aloft in his arms. His grin froze, his eyes darting sideways before his grin returned, and he wiggled his eyebrows.

"She’s not here~ She’s busy attending the assembly of the noble wives. You know, the high-ranking ones. The gathering where all the ladies of the noble houses come together to discuss... whatever it is they discuss. She won’t be done until evening~"

Veldrac glanced down at him, his expression flat and unimpressed.

"Don’t tell me..."

Lioness’s grin turned sheepish. He lowered Veldrac to the ground and turned his head away, whistling a tune with no sound. His tail flicked once behind him.

Veldrac adjusted his clothes, smoothing down his royal robes with sharp, irritated motions. He pointed at Lioness, his voice flat.

"You slipped out. Didn’t you? While she was busy with the council, you slipped away without telling her."

"Ah.... I don’t know what you’re talking about~"

Lioness’s tail flicked nervously behind him. Before Veldrac could press him further, Lioness threw an arm around his shoulder, dragging him toward the dock with a booming laugh.

"Come on! Enough talk! Garius is waiting for us! I’ve been looking forward to this the moment he invited us! This vacation is going to be one of the best! Just like old times, Veldrac! No politics, no borders, no negotiations! Just good food, good drink, and great company!"

Veldrac sighed, letting himself be dragged along.

Behind them, in the back of Veldrac’s escort formation, a figure followed silently. She wore a formal official robe, the hood pulled low over her head, a thin veil covering the lower half of her face.

She walked with a graceful poise, each movement fluid and elegant. Beneath the veil, her lips curved into a small, knowing smile.

Soon...

We’re going to meet again... Garius...

After so long...

I finally get to meet you again.

Ah~ I wonder if you’re still the same as before~

I wonder if you remember the promise you made me. The one you sealed with your own words. The promise that I would be your wife.

She lifted her gaze toward the massive Armand warships docked in the distance, their sleek metal hulls gleaming under the afternoon sun, their anti-air mana guns and cannons towering like silent sentinels over the harbor.

Thanks to sister-in-law, I finally have the chance to leave. She agreed to handle the throne duties, even with a child on the way. She told me to go. To take this chance. To finally see for myself.

Her smile widened beneath the veil.

I can’t wait to meet you again, Garius.

And finally claim the promise you made to me, all those years ago.

She lowered her head slightly, adjusting the veil over her face, and continued walking behind the escort formation.

( End Of Chapter )