Chapter 280: Doubts Chapter 280: Doubts Her short, dark braids were pulled back into a neat ponytail, and her fitted travel vest looked more stylish than practical.

She wasn’t a noble, just a civilian who had worked her way into Abuchi’s circle through street smarts, charm, and persistence.

She had no battlefield accolades, but she knew how to survive, how to watch, and how to stay close to power.

Her loyalty to Abuchi ran deep, but it was tinted with quiet resentment.

At Nnenna’s arrival, Karen did not bother hiding the way her lips pressed into a line.

“This is the girl?” she said, her tone flat.

No direct hostility.

Just clipped judgment.

Karen didn’t like Nnenna.

She never had.

It wasn’t about her skill, or lack of it, it was everything else.

The adoption.

The royal treatment.

The now growing bond with Abuchi.

He hated her so much before.

What changed?

Karen had clawed her way into his circle and stayed quietly in his shadow, hoping he might one day turn around and see her.

But now there was this girl, sixteen, untrained, unworthy in Karen’s eyes, handed a seat she had worked years to earn.

John, by contrast, didn’t say much.

A low ranked noble born to a family that barely held onto its title, he had enough breeding to enter high society but not enough to matter.

He had trained hard to make himself useful to Abuchi, reliable, grounded, strategic.

His travel worn clothes and low profile demeanor reflected someone who wasn’t flashy, but dependable.

He didn’t like risks, and this… looked like a risk.

He eyed Nnenna for a moment before muttering, “I thought this was a real mission.” He didn’t say more, but the meaning hung in the air.

She was young.

She was untested.

looked like the prince was letting personal feelings interfere with sound

then there was

apart from the others, hands in the

to the Lionara airfields, and the faint smell of metal

He wasn’t military.

He wasn’t noble.

the one who could hack, fix, design, and build their way out of

had saved their necks more

in silence, head

impressed, but he also

for myself,” he said

free of scorn or suspicion, was

slightly, her eyes flicking

the tension, the

wasn’t one of

Not yet.

But she would be.

they liked it

though

small wave, casual, polite,

John and Karen didn’t bother to

were cold,

like he couldn’t

year old girl on this

scoffed, arms crossed tightly over her chest, not even trying

“This is reckless, Abuchi.

reckless.” Their disrespect was loud

it in the way their eyes slid over her

She could guess why.

how he had treated her like

his closest

respect

Abuchi’s face darkened.

Grand

expression shifted slightly, but not

“I was there.

saying

think I didn’t

must have bribed the other competitors to lose to her?” Karen didn’t speak, but her silence was

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