Chapter 428

Athena stared fixedly at Xander, her eyes reflecting his figure. She looked and looked, gently touching Xander’s face. The temperature under her palm was warm.

Great joy and sorrow overwhelmed her like a tide, and her heart felt like it had been hit hard by something. Athena suddenly felt a darkness before her eyes, and her body went limp.

“Athena!” Xander caught her with quick eyes and hands.

He checked her breathing and, confirming that she had only fainted from exhaustion, breathed a sigh of relief, carefully picking her up horizontally. He turned and walked into the city carrying Athena. Ray watched from afar, his eyes filled with only disappointment.

‘Why, why is Athena being so cruel to me? She actually wanted to kill me,’ he thought.

“Your Majesty, let’s retreat quickly.” His confidant protected Ray, constantly using his sword to cut down the incoming flying arrows.

Ray slowly loosened his chest; his clothes were torn, revealing the gold-threaded soft armor underneath. If it weren’t for this armor, he would have died at Athena’s hands. He looked unwillingly in the direction Athena left, and his confidants dragged him away from the battlefield. “Your Majesty, let’s go. As long as there is life, there is hope.”

Although Xander only brought 50,000 soldiers, his troops were divided into three routes, and they broke through the formation of 100,000 troops. In addition, the morale of the soldiers in the city was greatly boosted, and Northcold was defeated. Ray had to retreat to Ramberg with the army. Relying on the dangerous terrain, he confronted the Petanion army for several days, and the two sides were evenly matched, with no clear winner.

When Athena opened her eyes again, the moonlight outside the window was shining through the window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the brocade quilt. A faint scent of medicine lingered at the tip of her nose; she moved her fingers and touched a warm piece of skin. Xander was sleeping on the side of the bed; his black armor had already been removed, and his arm was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage.

With her other hand, she held her own hand tightly.

He immediately opened his eyes when he noticed her movement.

“Athena.” Xander’s eyes revealed joy when he saw Athena wake up. Only her bright eyes were now covered with blood streaks and full of fatigue.

Athena recalled the scene before she fainted, and tears suddenly rolled down her cheeks without warning. It turned out that the heart-wrenching farewell and the desperate assassination were not dreams. Xander was back.

Xander asked her softly, “How do you feel? The doctor said you fainted due to overwork and emotional excitement.”

Athena shook her head, her voice terribly hoarse. “What’s going on outside?”

Xander’s fingertips stroked her cheeks, his movements as gentle as if he were caring for fragile porcelain. “Don’t worry. Northcold has retreated.” After a pause, he continued, “Ray was escorted back to Ramberg by the Northcold army.”

Athena was silent for a moment, “It’s a pity to let him go. If we want to capture him again, I’m afraid it won’t be that easy.”

Ray declared himself king in Ramberg, dividing Petanion in two.

“Michael was ordered to pursue him. The King ordered him to guard Southwatch Pass. With him there, Pidence City is safe.”

To enter Pidence City, one must pass through Southwatch Pass. Arthur sent Michael to guard it, ordering him to defend the pass to the death. As long as he was there, Ray would never be able to get out of the pass. He could only shrink in Ramberg, unable to make a move.

Xander gently stroked Athena’s hair, his voice soft and tender, “My dear, you have suffered.”

“Where did you go?” Athena’s voice choked with sobs; she held Xander’s hand tightly and wouldn’t let go. They almost became separated by death. That was why Xander felt guilty.

He looked at Athena’s red eyes and said softly, “On the way back to Pidence City, I received a secret report that Ray led his troops north, attacking from both sides with the Northcold army. To escape their pursuers, I had to feign death and detour to Athkar to find reinforcements.

“The round trip took half a month, which is why I was late.”

Athena teared up and said, “Why didn’t you send me a message? Did you know that when I heard the news of your fall from the cliff, I wanted to follow you…” As she spoke, she reached out to hit Xander.

Before the slap could land on him, he caught her hand. Xander turned her wrist, pressed her hand to his heart, and wrapped his other arm tightly around her waist, holding her firmly in his arms. Her soft body pressed against his chest, and he could clearly feel her trembling.

Xander’s eyes also reddened, and he rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice hoarse. “With the country and its people, as a Prince, I have a responsibility to defend our home and country.

“How could I not want to send a message back to Pidence City? But Ray has already controlled all the strongholds in Pidence City. The hidden lines are either dead or have fled. A little carelessness will expose your location.”

He tightened his arms and hugged her even tighter, as if to meld her into his very being. “I dare not gamble, even less can I afford to. As long as you are safe, no matter how much suffering I endure, it will be worth it.”

Athena nestled in his arms, listening to his steady heartbeat. The sound was like an anchor in a storm, instantly calming all her fear. But grievance still surged like a tide. She raised her hand and pounded his back, but the force grew weaker and weaker. “You bastard…”

Xander let her hit him, gently patting her back with his other hand, like comforting a wronged child.

“Okay, stop crying.” He cupped her face in his hands, his thumb wiping away the tears on her cheeks. “If you cry anymore, you’ll look like a little tabby cat.”

Athena glared at him, her eyes red-rimmed, but she couldn’t help but giggle.

“You’re not allowed to do this again.” She sniffled, poking her finger at his chest. “No matter what happens, you have to find a way to tell me, even if it’s just one word.”

Xander nodded solemnly and lowered his head to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

Xander was revived from the dead; Alexandra cried and laughed. In addition, the retreat of Northcold troops was met with cheers from all the people in the city.

As dawn was breaking, a rustling sound came from outside the gate of the Xander Manor. The gatekeeper yawned and pulled open the side door, startled by the scene before him, and took a half step back.

In the morning light, a dark mass of people were piling things under the porch. Eggs from the baskets rolled all over the ground, and baskets of cabbage were piled up like a small hill. Some people even drove two fat goats, with their reins tied to the stone lions in front of the gate.

“What are you doing?” The gatekeeper rubbed his sleepy eyes and was about to step forward to stop them when an old woman held his arm. She held a pottery urn in her arms, and a strong aroma of chicken soup wafted out when she lifted the lid. “This is to nourish Princess Consort; she has become so thin during these days of defending the city that the wind could blow her over, she must be nourished well.”

A peddler carrying two baskets of apples squeezed to the front, morning dew still clinging to the red apples. “These are picked from my own orchard, they are very sweet! Let Xander and Princess Consort taste them.”

The doorman watched the pile of food getting higher and higher, stomping his feet in anxiety, “Folks, the Prince and Princess Consort appreciate your kindness, but we really can’t accept these gifts! The manor has everything it needs…”