I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 806

Chapter 19: Faction Routine Meeting

“Your Lordship, we come from Lord Raymond’s territory!”

The soldier, covered in blood and still shaking with fear, babbled incoherently, “There’s a dragon! A dragon is coming! Your Lordship, we must flee!”

A lean griffon knight stepped forward to reassure him, “Calm down, brother, the dragon has already been slain; you’re safe now…”

The soldier shoved the skinny knight aside, screaming, “No!”

He curled up on the ground, “It’s not safe at all…”

This pitiful sight made some knights exchange glances, a mix of sympathy and irritation. They didn’t want to see their fellow brothers so helpless before a monster.

However, this imagery sparked a memory in Carl.

“Wait, are you saying there are more dragons, just like… nineteen years ago?”

As soon as he said this, the atmosphere froze.

Whether they had experienced that war or not, the mere possibility sent shivers through the hearts of all the knights present, rendering them a bit stiff.

“No, no, no, no! You don’t understand; it’s not that simple! This is nothing like before!”

Just as Carl was about to ask more, he suddenly noticed the sky darkening.

Right then, a griffon suddenly leaped up, tense and baring its teeth at the sky, full of ferocity. All the griffons followed suit, and even their partners struggled to contain them.

Everyone looked up, only to find that dark clouds had gathered, obscuring the sun, the clouds, and even the slightest hint of blue sky.

“What the hell, what is…?”

As everyone craned their necks in confusion, Carl’s heavy whisper broke the tension.

“That’s a dragon.”

With the extraordinary vision of a mid-tier extraordinary being, Carl had seen through to the truth that everyone else feared to acknowledge: “A dragon is blocking the sky.”

Just like nineteen years ago, during that war that nearly brought the entire kingdom to ruin.

“A dragon is coming! A dragon is coming! We’re done for!”

Under the swirling dark clouds, in the dead silence, only the soldier’s wretched wails echoed.

——————————

“Then, let’s begin this week’s faction routine meeting.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to report your results from this week.”

In the meeting room, the red-haired princess had her hands clasped under her chin, her fiery red eyes slowly scanning the knights, young masters, young ladies, and their personal servants in attendance, making everyone sit up straight, nervously yet honorably accepting her scrutiny.

The name “Ruby of the Lionheart Kingdom” had long spread across the Western continent, but for the young generation in the kingdom, Charlotte Reinhardt was more than just a beautiful royal princess.

Young though she was, she had already stepped into Sequence 6 with extraordinary talent, and her firm ability to run the faction had established the prestige expected of a kingdom leader.

Being subjected to her scrutiny was, after all, an honor.

“Your Highness, may I first report that this week’s revenue from the Monster Breeding Institute in Academy City is…”

In the solemn atmosphere, there was only one person staring intently at the imposing figure of the girl, somewhat lost in thought.

Only her pledged knight would dare to look so openly at the side profile of the princess.

Unlike the other young nobles who regarded her with reverence, Roy looked at Charlotte’s imposing side and found it oddly refreshing.

Now that he thought about it, the “Lionheart Princess” standing before him was exactly how the world saw Charlotte; her usual spoiled demeanor was hard for outsiders to imagine.

He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the proud and elegant princess sneaking into his room at night wearing pink pajamas, awkwardly asking for a kiss.

“Pfft…!”

Charlotte glanced over, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

The students reporting below fell silent, thinking they had angered the pledged knight, looking a bit flustered.

Feeling everyone’s gaze on him, Roy had to straighten his face, “It’s nothing; please continue.”

Roy rarely participated in Lionheart faction meetings.

However, with Leanna away in the Golden Sands Kingdom on a mission, and his training at a bottleneck, he thought he’d come here to keep Charlotte company.

To be honest, although everyone respected him and regarded him as the second-in-command of the faction, he hadn’t really dealt with faction matters since entering school, so Roy felt a bit embarrassed.

He felt like the king’s favorite consort, doing nothing but enjoying the king’s company.

This won’t do!

While it’s nice to enjoy the perks, it can harm one’s standing if it goes on too long. It was about time to show his capabilities and let Charlotte know he wasn’t just her consort!

That said…

Listening to everyone’s smooth reports, Roy realized he might have been overthinking.

Under Charlotte’s leadership, the operation of the faction was surprisingly smooth without a hitch—there was no room for him to intervene!

“By the way, Your Highness, there seems to be a little problem with recent cooperation with the merchant guild.”

“What? Is the prince of the Southern Sea trying to breach the contract?” Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

Roy perked up, ears wide open, afraid to miss any details.

Previously, he had heard Charlotte mention that the Southern Sea faction had just signed a treaty with the Lionheart faction, delineating new spheres of influence.

The Southern Sea faction, under Jason’s leadership, had been in operation for three whole years; their foundation was strong, and even Charlotte wouldn’t have it easy.

Perhaps this was the moment for him to step in…

“Oh, it’s nothing like that.”

“It seems it’s not Jason’s intention; it’s just a few Southern nobles who refuse to acknowledge the new treaty, occupying the shops and withholding funds that were supposed to be delivered to us.”

Charlotte replied without hesitation, “Kick them out if they won’t leave, and take back the funds they’re withholding; do I really need to teach you this?”

“Uh? But, but…”

But they didn’t do it on purpose! Isn’t it a bit ruthless just to act out like that?! Shouldn’t they at least discuss it with Jason first?! Roy grumbled in his mind.

“No ‘buts’; just send the medical fees and apologies beforehand,” Charlotte said, arms crossed, casually adding, “We have a treaty in place; if they can’t manage their own subordinates, then they deserve a lesson. The prince from the Southern kingdom should understand that.”

“Understood!”

The young nobles of the kingdom rubbed their fists eagerly, looking as if they couldn’t wait to fight, which made Roy speechless.

So it’s not just Charlotte; you all want to fight too?!

In other factions, it’s usually the upperclassmen oppressing the underclassmen, yet here, they were flipping it around?!

With these brutes who jumped at the chance to brawl, Roy couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and frustration.

Forget it; I’ll write a letter to Jason later to remind him to keep an eye on things.

“Alright, let’s wrap up this week’s reports for now.”

Charlotte took a sip of red tea, letting out a soft breath before smiling, “Next week is the National Day; make good use of this opportunity to relax.”

The National Day of the Lionheart Kingdom is also Charlotte’s birthday.

Every year around this time, the kingdom would celebrate a double joy on the same day. Since Charlotte was born, the citizens of Lionheart had long been accustomed to this tradition.

One young lady asked excitedly, “Your Highness, how do you want to celebrate your birthday banquet this year?”

However, Charlotte replied nonchalantly, “There’s no need to make a special event for my birthday this year.”

“When we’re out, we don’t need too much unnecessary formality.”

“Enjoy yourselves during the National Day, and have a good rest.”

This left everyone puzzled. Although they appreciated the princess’s goodwill, disrupting the long-standing custom felt a bit awkward.

Unless the cupboard is bare or the timing is wrong, which royal birthday doesn’t involve a grand celebration? How could someone want to minimize the fuss?