Chapter 193 The Villain Lady Arrives 21
Leonardo's face suddenly changed when he heard this, and a trace of shock and uneasiness flashed in his eyes that had seen through so much.
"Vivian? The Duke's only daughter? How could she make such a decision?" His voice was full of disbelief, and then turned into deep worry. "This forest is full of dangers. Can she do it alone?"
Seeing this, Alice hurriedly stepped forward and said softly in a tone that almost sounded like she was blaming herself:
"Professor, this is all my fault. If I had been more persistent at the time, perhaps Miss Vivian would not have left. It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, Vivian Xiaojie wouldn't have been angry, and she wouldn't have left the team. I wanted to dissuade her, but... I couldn't keep her in the end." Her words were full of self-blame, but if you listened carefully, there seemed to be a subtle hint of evasion.
Upon hearing this, the classmates around gathered around. Many of them had a crush on Alice, and they stood up to defend her without hesitation.
"Professor, how can you blame Alice for this? You know Miss Vivian's character. Once she makes a decision, no one can change it."
"Yes, and Alice has tried her best. We all tried to persuade Miss Vivian at the time, but she insisted on leaving."
Professor Leonardo felt mixed emotions as he listened to everyone's words.
Vivian has always been known as a good student who is studious and hardworking in the academy, and she is not as domineering as the rumors say. How could she leave the team without permission?
Although he knew that something must have happened to this group of people, as a mentor, he had to be responsible for the safety of all students, and he couldn't leave here to look for Vivian in person.
But Vivian had to look for it.
"We must find Vivian as soon as possible. It's too dangerous for her to be alone in the forest."
Professor Leonardo's tone was firm and resolute. He looked at the Third Prince and said, "Your Highness, could you please use the power of the royal family to assist us in the search and rescue?"
The third prince nodded, his expression solemn.
"Of course. Vivian is not only the daughter of the Duke, but also our classmate. I will contact my father immediately and dispatch the Royal Knights to assist in the search and rescue."
He turned around and gave orders to the guards, while at the same time reassuring Professor Leonardo, "Professor, please rest assured that we will find Vivian and bring her back safely."
Alice stood aside, observing all this silently. She really hoped that Vivian would die in the magic forest and never appear in front of her again.
When this thought flashed through her mind, her heart beat wildly.
Following the order from the Third Prince, the Royal Knights quickly assembled. The neighing of horses and the clash of armor intertwined into a tense and solemn overture.
Professor Leonardo stood aside, his eyes penetrating the noise of the crowd, worried about Vivian's safety, but also pleased with the students' spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance. He knew very well that this was not just a search and rescue operation, but also a test of everyone's courage and wisdom.
At this moment, at the edge of the forest, a familiar figure slowly stepped into everyone's sight. Vivian, wearing light adventure clothes, with a few unpicked green leaves hanging in her hair, holding a cloth bag that seemed to be full of treasures, and walking steadily and calmly. Her appearance was like the first light of dawn, instantly illuminating everyone's heart.
Seeing this, the third prince paused involuntarily, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. He wanted to step forward, but hesitated because of the subtle estrangement in his heart. Vivian seemed not to notice this subtle atmosphere, but just slightly turned her body, with a hint of playfulness in her voice:
"Your Highness, are you going to explore the forest? If you are in a hurry, I won't bother you."
The Third Prince opened his mouth, but finally just shook his head slightly. After hesitating for a while, he finally put down his hand. He knew very well that this was not the best time to meet, so he turned around and issued a new order to the Knights:
"We need to continue going deeper and find all the lost students and ensure their safety." After that, he led the team and stepped into the mysterious magic forest again.
On the other hand, Vivian's appearance was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.
Alice was busy taking care of the injured classmates. She had a gentle smile on her face, and every caress and every whisper revealed her attentiveness and care.
However, this warmth froze the moment Vivian appeared. Alice's eyes flashed with a trace of panic, but she quickly concealed it. She walked forward and tried to cover up the waves in her heart with her usual sweet voice:
"Ms. Vivian, you're finally back! I was so worried about you. Are you hurt?"
Vivian sneered, her bright eyes seemed to be able to see into the deepest secrets of people's hearts:
"Alice, your acting skills are getting better and better. But next time, before you pretend to care about me, remember to take away the gloom in your eyes. There's no need to be so hypocritical between us."
Alice's face turned pale in an instant, and her eyes turned red, as if she had suffered a great injustice:
"Ms. Vivian, how can you say that? I've been worried about you..."
"enough!"
Tariq interrupted Alice's words. He strode between the two of them, holding Alice tightly behind him, and looked at Vivian with a sharp gaze.
"Vivian, you can't just blame others just because you're in a bad mood. Alice has done her best. She has been taking care of the injured classmates. You can't trample on her sincerity."
Vivian raised her eyebrows and looked at Tariq with a bit of disdain in her eyes: "Oh? Sincerely? Then her sincerity is really cheap. She can't even bear to hear a word of truth. Tariq, you have been blinded by her and can't see the truth."
"the truth?"
Tariq raised his voice a few degrees, and he clenched his fists, as if ready to fight for Alice at any time. "I only know that Alice has never done anything to hurt anyone. But you, Vivian, you are always so self-righteous and think that everyone should revolve around you."
The atmosphere was tense, and the students around cast their concerned eyes, but no one dared to interrupt. Seeing this, Professor Leonardo sighed softly, walked forward, and broke the deadlock with his calm voice:
"Children, now is not the time to argue. Vivian is back safely, and that is the most gratifying thing."
His words had some effect. Vivian and Tariq's eyes met briefly, and then they looked away. Tariq seemed to realize that the argument at this moment was meaningless. Alice also took the opportunity to calm down and return to caring for the injured classmates.
"The professor is right."
Vivian spoke first, her tone more serious, "It has been many years since the monster riots in the magic forest happened. How come we happened to encounter them by chance?"
"Besides, why is it that every time I'm with Miss Alice, something always goes wrong? Or why is it that people who are close to Miss Alice always get into trouble? This is really hard to believe and understand."