As a villain, I really don't want to be pursued by the heroine.

The girl, with a blush on her face, slightly rebuked: "Nonsense, isn't that kind of thing already obvious?"

For Charlotte, it was a perfect score from the very beginning, but Roy exceeded her expectations time and time again, giving her so much.

Let her feel sincerely the happiness she should feel on her birthday.

However, Roy's plan has not been fully completed.

There is still one last, and most important step left.

Roy couldn't help but clutch the small thing in his pocket, feeling a little nervous for the first time.

Looking at the girl who lowered her head but could no longer hide her excitement and shyness, Roy was sure that this was the best time to mention that sentence.

"Charlotte, I..."

"It's my birthday until tomorrow, right?"

However, Charlotte spoke first, and the embrace suddenly tightened.

Her red eyes looked over, quietly flowing with feelings that had been suppressed for a long time. Her cherry lips parted slightly, revealing a sweet and fragrant aroma mixed with red wine and gardenia.

At this moment, through the close skin, Roy realized that the girl's heartbeat was so hot.

He wasn't the only one planning to take a step closer tonight.

Charlotte, who has been impatient for a long time, is just looking for an opportunity.

A legitimate and romantic opportunity.

And Roy gave her a birthday gift that was beyond perfect, which was the perfect presentation of this timing.

The heartbeat at this moment overcomes shyness and reserve, and only the most ardent desire tells the girl's heart.

Her delicate hands climbed onto the boy's chest, and Charlotte whispered softly, "Can you stay with me until the end tonight?"

Roy's eyes flickered.

But when he saw the tenderness in those crimson eyes, surprise turned into certainty.

It is impossible not to understand the other person's true meaning, but responding with words would be too unromantic.

Following the subtle fragrance of the gardenia, Roy once again moved forward, demanding those alluring lips—

The two people stumbled and hugged each other, then left the balcony and returned to the room.

But just when the passionate kiss was about to go further, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the door.

The two reacted instantly and stopped the passionate foreplay. When the door opened, they had returned to their normal state.

He didn't interrupt at the critical moment, and it was the second time. Even Roy wanted to curse.

Roy said angrily: "What's going on now?!"

It can't be the South China Sea faction again, right?!

However, the visitor was not a member of the Lionheart faction, but a magician in a robe.

Those are the guards of the Citadel.

The visitor said solemnly and respectfully, "Your Highness, and Lord Roy, I'm sorry to bother you."

"However, the military situation is extremely urgent. I beg you to review this urgent report from the kingdom as soon as possible."

Military intelligence, urgent report.

The sudden words made Roy's mind go blank for a moment. He felt it was ridiculous, but the other party's seriousness did not seem fake.

Charlotte stepped forward to take the letter. In just a few seconds, her face darkened and her hand holding the letter tightened slightly.

Seeing this, Roy stroked the little thing in his pocket and sighed slightly.

Although he didn't know the specific content of the letter, looking at Charlotte's increasingly grim expression, Roy was certain that tonight was not the right time.

----------

Late that night.

Lionheart Mansion.

All the Lionheart students, from the children of nobles to the servants and commoners, were present and waiting in the hall of the mansion for the order.

The Kingdom’s National Day and the Princess’ birthday were supposed to be a joyous day, but it ended in this way, which was hard not to spoil the fun.

Some perceptive members had already noticed something strange about the gathering of all members and began to feel uneasy.

After all, not all Lionheart students will join the faction, and calling all members together is probably not as simple as the faction encountering trouble.

Inside the mansion.

Roy put down the blood-stained letter, looked at the faction leaders with a gloomy face, and sighed deeply.

"The dragons are attacking in force, breaking through the northern part of the kingdom. The entire north has fallen, and the capital is in imminent danger. Please rush to help—"

Just reading out the beginning of the letter made the atmosphere at the scene freeze to the freezing point.

Chapter 32: Family Honor and Responsibility

When the last word fell, the whole room of nobles fell into a deathly silence.

The content of the letter was not complicated. To sum it up, the dragons were attacking in large numbers and the kingdom was in imminent danger.

But this short sentence made it impossible for everyone to believe it.

Not to mention them, even Roy had a deep frown on his face.

He finally understood why Charlotte's face looked so ugly at that time.

It was not easy to remain calm and gather your subordinates at the first moment when you suddenly learned that your hometown was engulfed in war, your family's life and death were unknown, and even the fate of the entire kingdom was on the brink.

However, not everyone has Charlotte's determination.

A slightly younger boy with short hair shouted, "No, that's impossible! There must be something wrong!"

"Haven't the dragons and the evil cult been killed?!"

"Yes, even the Red Blood Fire Dragon has fallen. Who else can lead the dragon clan?!"

"By the way, where is that messenger? We need more information!"

Whether they were freshmen or experienced seniors, they were all in a state of panic. Even those knights who had fought on the battlefield and hunted dragons themselves had dark faces and gloomy speculations.

After all, a battle is not a war.

Even after experiencing the trials of blood and fire, even the best soldiers would be at a loss when facing a national-level battlefield.

But the noise didn't last long.

"Shut up, everyone!"

With a cold shout, red flames exploded.

The Lion King's pressure was like a thunderbolt that came out of nowhere, shocking everyone and bringing them back to their senses.

After the meeting room returned to silence, the red-haired princess, with her hands folded under her chin, said in a deep voice, "I will answer them one by one."

Scarlet eyes swept across the crowd, and Charlotte's voice echoed deeply: "First of all, unfortunately, our hometown has been caught up in the war brought about by the dragon clan. This is an undeniable fact."

Even though they were mentally prepared, many people's faces turned even paler when they heard Charlotte's announcement.

Charlotte closed her eyes. "The messenger had already died of exhaustion when the letter arrived, so this letter is the only information about the kingdom."

"As for who is leading the dragon clan, no matter who it is, it is one of the seven great celestial dragons of the same level as [Red-Blooded Fire Dragon Baragas], that is, a mythical creature of at least Sequence 4 or above."

Every word made everyone's face turn pale. After analyzing it this way, they had almost no good news.

It would be fine if the intelligence was unclear, but the enemy might still be the same Tianlong who destroyed the kingdom eighteen years ago.

If King Charles the Lionheart is a hero in the hearts of every citizen of the kingdom, then the so-called Seven Heavenly Dragons are equally terrifying nightmares.

The story of our fathers being killed by dragons is familiar to everyone. Imagining such a nightmare happening again makes everyone sink into fear.

In this suffocating atmosphere, even the occasional sound of breathing was trembling.

"But now is not the time to bow your head and cry!"

He shouted coldly again and slammed the table.

The princess's rebuke was like a flame rising in the darkness, weak, yet hot enough to awaken hope.

They looked up and saw the determination in Charlotte's eyes, and also saw the letter stained with dried blood in her hand.

"Did you forget something?"

"Yes, this letter says that the dragons are coming and the kingdom is engulfed in war. Perhaps we will face the same crisis as nineteen years ago, a war brought by the dragons."

"But the real significance of this letter is the request for help!"

"I've sent this letter at the cost of countless sacrifices. I'm not asking you to stand here and be intimidated. Instead, I'm counting on you, like a true knight, to step forward in the kingdom's time of crisis and shoulder the responsibilities of a transcendental being!"

Shock and shame flashed across the faces of the Lionhearted people, but their courage was also rekindled.

Ruby's beauty was real, but that was never the reason for their loyalty to Charlotte.

Like a roaring lion in the crimson flames, that is the figure that the kingdom's knights are willing to follow.

Charlotte raised her head slightly and proudly declared with the dignity that a king should have:

"There's a lot to do, but in short, we're heading to the kingdom to aid the capital!"

"Nineteen years ago, our fathers were able to defeat the dragons for the first time, and now we can do it a second time! Everyone, it's time to once again prove to those dragons the strength and courage of the people of our kingdom!"

There was no doubt that Charlotte's cry awakened their blood.

However, the deep fear in their bones still prevented them from following the Lion King to take the first, and most crucial, step.

The brief silence almost made Charlotte lose her composure.

If even pre-war mobilization cannot arouse morale, then saving the country and providing assistance is nothing but a pipe dream.

Until the black-haired boy stepped forward, knelt on one knee and offered a salute.

"The Iron-Blooded House is willing to follow His Highness to defeat the dragons and restore the glory of the kingdom!"

"Just like my father did back then, I will follow His Highness to slay the dragon and gain supreme glory!"

At this moment, the young man's resolute figure made every Lionheart's people tremble in their hearts, adding the silly girl's last firewood to them. The dusty courage finally boiled to the peak and burned out the fear.

The feat of slaying a dragon is not only the honor that the Lionheart Knight has always dreamed of, but also a symbol of humanity's defeat of mythical creatures. It is a miracle of this era second only to the Six Heroes killing the Demon King.

Princess Lionheart and the sworn knights who followed her, seeing the two men join hands, couldn't help but feel that the hope of victory and the feat of slaying the dragon were not out of reach.

"Your Highness, my [Emerald] Grein family is willing to follow you back to our country and defeat the dragon clan!"

"So does my [Crystal] Stone family!"

"And our [Agate] Kanter family!"

Before the flickering fire, all the nobles present swore an oath together to shoulder the responsibility of their extraordinary bloodline, to fight against the dragon clan and defend the kingdom. No one backed down.

Charlotte was stunned for a long time before finally smiling.

"Very good, you are worthy of the family's name."

--------

He said he would rush back to the country to provide assistance, but it was impossible for him to rush back and fight the dragon clan tonight.

The preparations needed for war could not be completed overnight, so Charlotte dismissed everyone that night and went back to mobilize their subordinates.

There is no doubt that many people were thrown into confusion after learning the truth.

Fortunately, the top leaders of the Lionheart faction had already prepared themselves mentally, and their calmness was seen by everyone, so the unrest did not last long.

It was already late at night when everything was settled.

Instead of returning to the dormitory, Roy stayed with Charlotte in Lionheart Mansion to sleep.

Perhaps this will be the last peaceful night in the short term.

It has to be admitted that if Charlotte had not given the faction leaders a heads-up beforehand, the entire faction would have fallen in fear tonight, and it would have been extremely difficult to gather reinforcements afterwards.

However, when they returned to the dormitory and were alone with each other, the princess who had been so proud just now fell headfirst into Roy's arms.

"Can you hold me for a moment?"

Hearing the fatigue in the girl's words, Roy sighed slightly, and couldn't help but protect her petite body and climbed onto the bed.