Chapter 319: Chapter 282: Little Foodie Reya, The Surprise is Revealed

A sated warmth spread from her stomach, dispelling the gloom that had been weighing on her heart and bringing a strange sense of relief.

She subconsciously raised a hand and, ever so slightly, rubbed her belly in contentment.

In that moment of tranquility, a delicate, charmingly innocent hiccup slipped uncontrollably from her lips.

"Hic..."

It wasn’t loud, but in the suddenly silent dining room, it seemed exceptionally clear.

Reya’s movements froze instantly.

Her face, which had been so animated just moments ago as she poured her heart out, visibly flushed crimson, the blush spreading from her fair neck all the way to the tips of her ears.

Her emerald eyes flew wide open, filled with incredible shame and embarrassment.

’She... she actually... hic... hiccuped in front of Mr. Jon?’

’This is... this is simply too rude!’

"Ngh—"

The girl looked at Jon’s smiling face, squeezed a whimper from her throat, then covered her face and shrank into her chair, revealing only a pair of eyes shimmering with moisture from extreme shyness, no longer daring to meet Jon’s gaze.

The image of the eloquent, capable woman from moments before shattered instantly. All that remained was a young girl so mortified by accidentally hiccuping in front of her crush that she wished the ground would swallow her whole.

Watching her look so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole, an uncontrollable warmth spread through Jon’s chest, and the corners of his lips curled up irresistibly.

In front of him, this "Flame-haired Princess," who could stabilize the chaos in the United Commerce Association and speak eloquently before nobles, was now just a young girl mortified by a tiny slip-up. This frankness and vulnerability were as dazzling and heart-stirring as her burning red hair.

And the undisguised, scorching, and intense affection in her eyes when she looked at him had long since melted away all his hesitation.

"Alright."

Jon’s voice was softer than ever before, yet it carried a force that brooked no refusal.

He reached out and grasped the slender hands she was using to hide her face, revealing her exquisite features: cheeks flushed like a rosy sunset, eyes shimmering with moisture.

Her shame was so palpable it seemed to mist over her green eyes.

He looked into her eyes, his gaze focused and deep.

"I know you’re full now."

Then, he chuckled and gave the girl’s hand a gentle shake.

"And now, it’s time for your surprise."

With her wrists held and her gaze locked, Reya had nowhere to run.

An overwhelming sense of shame nearly drowned her, but the word "surprise" was like a pebble dropped into the rippling lake of her heart, stirring new waves.

"What... what is the surprise?"

Her voice had a soft, nasal quality, and it trembled slightly with anticipation.

Jon didn’t answer right away, just smiled and shook his head.

He stood up, gave a slight, unquestionable tug on her hand, and pulled Reya to her feet as well.

"Let’s go."

He led her by the hand and strode toward the dining room door.

"We’re going to Uncle Yed’s."

"Father’s... room?"

Reya let him pull her along, stumbling slightly to keep up, completely shrouded in confusion.

’Isn’t Father still sleeping? What does that have to do with a surprise? Could it be—?’

An almost impossible thought struck her like a lightning bolt, making her hold her breath instantly.

An immense sense of surprise, like a raging tsunami, suddenly washed away all her shyness and confusion. Her heart pounded, threatening to leap out of her chest.

"M... Mr. Jon—!"

She could barely form a complete sentence. She just gripped the hand leading her even tighter, her fingertips icy cold, but her palm slick with hot sweat.

—

The quiet room where Yed stayed was the most secure place in the entire Golden Maple Leaf Trading House.

In the past, it was a small storeroom for the most precious items; now, it served only one person.

The light here was tranquil and subdued.

A very faint, fresh scent of herbs floated in the air, along with an indescribable smell, like that of warm dust after being bathed in sunlight.

Ivory, who had been a shadow-like presence in the corner of the dining room earlier, was now sitting quietly in a high-backed armchair beside Yed’s bed.

Most of her face was still hidden in the shadow of her hood, revealing only a beautifully lined jaw and thin lips painted with deep purple lipstick.

A thick, ancient tome lay open on her lap, which was draped in a black Magic Robe. Her slender fingers would occasionally turn a yellowed parchment page, the movement silent and elegant.

But it was hard to say how focused she was on the book; she would glance to her side after almost every few pages.

There slept the one she was supposed to guard, but had failed to.

In the center of the large bed, Yed Xavier, head of the Heta County Noble Union Chamber of Commerce and an Imperial Viscount, lay quietly.

A translucent Energy Light Cocoon, shimmering with a soft glow like liquid gold, gently enveloped his entire body. On the cocoon’s surface, tiny golden Runes flickered on and off as if breathing, each pulse sending out a halo of light that rippled like gentle waves.

But on his body, a shocking wound spread out starkly.

A viscous liquid, glinting with an evil green light, clung to Yed’s chest and abdomen like some sort of living creature, poised as if to burrow inside.

The only fortunate thing was that it had not yet succeeded, but was sealed along with the man inside the Light Cocoon.

Inside the quiet room: a silent Guardian, a slumbering victim.

This scene had remained unchanged for many days.

But this silent vigil was soon to be broken.

The heavy Anti-Magic Stone Gate of the quiet room slid inward without a sound, but the slight movement was like a clap of thunder in the absolute silence.

Ivory’s fingertips, which had been turning the pages of the tome, suddenly froze. From within the shadows, her violet eyes snapped up toward the doorway.

Besides her, only Reya had the authority to open this quiet room.

The figures that appeared in her line of sight confirmed her suspicion: Jon’s tall, straight figure stood by the door, and held tightly by the hand was—

Reya.

However, the young woman’s current appearance made Ivory’s brow furrow imperceptibly beneath her hood.

Those emerald eyes, usually so vibrant, were now terribly red, as if they’d been washed with water. Her long lashes were clumped together with wetness, and the emotions swirling within them—excitement, disbelief, and a fragile, near-ecstatic joy—were about to overflow.

She gripped Jon’s hand so tightly her knuckles turned white, as if it were the only piece of driftwood a drowning person could cling to.

In this state, there was no trace of her usual strong, independent self; only a girl on the verge of collapsing from the Impact of her emotions.

’What did Jon say to her?’

’To make the girl lose her composure like this?’

A trace of doubt flashed through Ivory’s mind, but her voice remained as low and magnetic as ever, like a gentle breeze slipping past one’s fingertips at night.

"You’re here? Good timing."

She gently closed the thick, ancient tome, placed it on her lap, and turned her gaze to Jon.

"Help me check the Seal of Light you set up. Priest Ingram comes by often, but—"

She paused briefly, her tone carrying a frank assessment of her old friend’s abilities.

"He always says his mastery of this Divine Technique is far inferior to yours."

But Jon’s gaze did not immediately move from the bed.

He stared at the slumbering figure gently enveloped in the liquid-gold Light Cocoon—Yed Xavier, a leader who prioritized the greater good and had a powerful sense of responsibility, and more importantly, a resilient and loving father who deeply loved his daughter.

If not for him, the establishment of the Resistance Alliance would not have been so swift.

If not for him, there’s no telling how long the war in Heta County would have dragged on.

After a moment of silence, he didn’t respond to Ivory’s suggestion to check the Divine Technique. Instead, he spoke slowly, his tone filled with an unquestionable Power.

"That won’t be necessary, Ms. Ivory."

He paused, then dropped a bombshell of a statement.

"I think... Uncle Yed won’t need to keep sleeping much longer."

His words fell like an invisible hammer striking the silent air.

Ivory’s violet eyes, hidden in the shadow of her hood, suddenly flew wide open!

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