Chapter 372
Mimi covered her eyes with both tiny hands, utterly unable to bear the sight before her. If Big Silly Fish kept getting hit on the head like that, was he going to become even dumber?
Nearby, Dian secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, his brother was hopelessly dense; otherwise, he might never get a chance with Nina himself.
Meanwhile, Yian was busy mentally tallying the cities that had once broken off their engagements with Princess Nina.
White Tiger City, Flying Dragon City, and Serpent City—those were the only ones left.
His predatory gaze shifted immediately toward Viann and the others. “Come to think of it, Flying Dragon City also p>
Before he could even finish the sentence, Viann and his companions instinctively took a massive synchronized step backward.
“Don’t drag us into this,” they refused with remarkable speed. “That has absolutely nothing to do with us.” That entire disaster had been their king’s doing. They certainly weren’t about to take the fall for it now.
Not far away, Aviel quietly shrank into the shadows, mentally chanting a prayer: Please don’t look at me. Please don’t ask me anything.
Yian’s eyes narrowed suspiciously before drifting over to Kith and Idir. A white tiger and a black snake. Judging by the sheer purity of the bloodlines radiating from their beast forms, they undoubtedly hailed from White Tiger City and Serpent City.
Kith immediately looked away, feigning an intense interest in a nearby pillar. Idir did the same, his expression blank.
Why on earth was this old lion staring at them?
Yian slowly swept his gaze across every single male gathered in the courtyard. Then, an astonishing realization struck him like a thunderbolt.
Wait.
Every single city that had ever canceled an engagement with Princess Nina seemed to have a representative standing right here in this very courtyard. All of them. Not a single one missing.
What kind of ridiculous, cosmic coincidence was this? How had the entire collection assembled in one place like a set of matching dishes?
His eyes brightened with triumphant vindication as he whipped back around to face Rin.
“See?!” He pointed dramatically at the gathered males. “Every single one of them rejected Princess Nina back then, too! Why are you only blaming me p>
The innocent mates who had just been forcefully dragged into the blast zone nearly ground their teeth to dust. These Blazing Flame City lions were truly insufferable. Digging up their own embarrassing family history wasn’t enough; they had to drag everyone else down into the mud with them.
One after another, they cast anxious, furtive glances toward Nina. She wasn’t angry, was she? Hopefully not.
Odian’s lips curved into a faint, serene smile. Calmly, he reached over and took Nina’s hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. Fortunately, he had never been involved in any of this historical nonsense.
Seeing this, Sal raised an eyebrow and immediately claimed Nina’s other hand. Unlike certain males present, he had a perfectly clean record—no broken engagements here.
Idir stood silently nearby, a dark, murderous aura practically radiating from his body. When he got back to Serpent City, he was going to hunt down every single idiot elder responsible for that cancellation and personally tear them apart.
Rin, however, merely snorted dismissively at his son’s outburst. “What does any of that have to do with Blazing Flame City? That was their business p>
Yian looked thoroughly exasperated.
“Father, why are you so stubbornly determined to choose Princess Nina? We’ve never even met her! Everything we know came entirely from Spiritstone City’s side p>
His voice rose, tinged with genuine concern. “What if she really is as ugly and vicious as the rumors say? Are you trying to push Setan into a pit of fire p>
He folded his arms, digging his heels in. “Either way, I refuse to let Setan be a pawn in another political marriage p>
Rin frowned heavily. “I will investigate the matter personally. But regardless of the outcome, Setan cannot remain with this female p>
“Grandfather.” Setan’s expression hardened, his voice carrying the absolute weight of certainty. “No matter what kind of person Princess Nina is, I will never marry her p>
Nina pressed a hand against her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. At this point, she really felt she ought to explain things. The entire conversation had been revolving around her identity, yet as a member of the younger generation, it had been awkward to interrupt the bickering elders.
Just as she opened her mouth to break the news, a guard hurried into the courtyard, shattering the tension.
“City Lord!” The guard bowed respectfully toward Setan. “Lord Xinn requests an immediate audience. He says it is a matter of extreme urgency and is currently waiting just outside the courtyard p>
The interruption arrived at the absolute perfect moment. Setan had less than zero desire to continue debating his love life with his grandfather. “Let him in p>
A moment later, Xinn hurried into the space. “City Lord,” he began, offering a respectful greeting.
Then, he suddenly froze mid-sentence.
A faint, incredibly familiar scent drifted through the mountain air. His brows furrowed. Why did that fragrance seem so intimately familiar?
Instinctively, he followed the scent with his eyes until his gaze landed squarely on Nina. For a fleeting second, he was entirely distracted by her breathtaking beauty. But then, a jolt of recognition struck him.
Not only did her scent feel familiar—so did her features.
Those eyes. That elegant, composed expression. That face. He had definitely seen someone like her before.
Xinn frantically searched his memories, flipping through faces until his eyes suddenly widened to the size of saucers. A look of pure, unadulterated shock exploded across his face.
Princess Nina. It had to be her.
The resemblance wasn’t just close; it was unmistakable. And that scent… that unique, intoxicating fragrance belonged to Princess Nina as well. Because it was so incredibly distinctive, it had remained burned into his memory all this time.
Xinn stared at Nina in utter disbelief, his mind grinding to a screeching, chaotic halt.
Could it be p>
Could this female… actually be Princess Nina p>