Chapter 214 The Villain Lady Arrives 42
The third prince stood in place, as if nailed there by an invisible force. His eyes were empty and confused. The space belt in his hand had long since slipped to the ground. Those false treasures were scattered all over the ground, just like their dreams and hopes that were ruthlessly shattered by reality.
His chest heaved violently, and every breath seemed to be under a thousand-pound pressure. The unspeakable loss and self-doubt in his heart surged like a tide, almost drowning him.
"Why... why is it like this?" The third prince murmured to himself, his voice low and hoarse, filled with endless confusion and pain.
He closed his eyes, trying to erase it all from his mind, but the images were like a brand, deep and clear.
At this moment, a warm hand gently rested on his shoulder. It was Alice. Her eyes, full of tenderness and determination, seemed to be able to see through the deepest fragility and struggle of the human heart.
She said nothing, but just stood there quietly, using her presence to provide the third prince with the most solid support.
"Your Highness, this is not your fault." Alice's voice was soft but firm. She slowly approached and gently embraced the third prince in her arms.
At this moment, all the defenses and strength disappeared, and the third prince seemed to have found a harbor where he could rest in peace. He hugged Alice tightly, as if he wanted to pour out all his pain and helplessness to her.
"Alice..." The third prince's voice was choked. He felt Alice's heartbeat. The familiar and warm feeling made him gradually regain some peace and strength.
He looked up at her, tears glistening in his eyes, but more of it was gratitude and relief.
"We've all been deceived, but this is not the end." Alice said softly, with an unyielding light in her eyes. "As long as we are alive, there is hope to start over."
Tariq stood aside, watching the two embrace, feeling mixed emotions. He had never seen the Third Prince so vulnerable, nor had he ever seen Alice comfort others so gently.
A complex emotion surged in his heart, including love and reluctance for Alice, as well as helplessness and unwillingness at his inability to change the status quo.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner turmoil, then slowly walked forward and spoke in a low voice:
"Your Highness, Alice, we really need to leave here. This place is not only full of dangers, but it may also cause unnecessary trouble. We must leave here quickly now, rather than being trapped by these fake treasures."
Upon hearing this, Alice gently let go of the third prince, turned to look at Tariq, with a hint of gratitude in her eyes.
She knew that Tariq's words, though direct, were very pertinent.
She nodded and looked at the Third Prince: "Your Highness, Tariq is right. We can't stay here for too long. We must leave here as soon as possible."
The third prince also realized this. He gently wiped away the tears from his eyes and cheered himself up. He looked at Alice and Tariq, with a determined light in his eyes:
"You are right. We cannot be defeated by these setbacks. We must keep moving forward."
As the third prince finished speaking, the three of them seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding. The eye contact between them made them know what to do next without saying a word.
They began to pick up the scattered items. Although those "treasures" were nothing but illusions, in the process, the Third Prince's heart gradually emerged from confusion and despair.
Alice carefully picked up each fallen piece, as if she was picking up the broken dreams and hopes for the Third Prince. Her movements were gentle but firm, and every time she picked up a piece, it seemed to add comfort to the Third Prince's heart.
Tariq looked around vigilantly to make sure there was no potential danger approaching.
"Let's go. There may be more tests waiting for us ahead, but as long as we are together, nothing is impossible."
The third prince stood up, his voice sounding a little tired but very firm. He stretched out his hand, first pulling Alice up, then gave Tariq an encouraging look, and the three of them walked side by side on their way home.
They traveled through the dark forest, and every step seemed particularly heavy.
The moonlight shines through the dense treetops, casting mottled shadows, adding a bit of mystery and uneasiness to this long journey home.
However, it was this uneasiness that made the three of them snuggle closer together, and their dependence on each other invisibly wove an indestructible network.
At this moment, a figure quietly emerged from the dark shadows of the trees, like a ghost in the night, quietly staring at the backs of the three people.
The man's face was hidden in the shadow of his cloak, revealing only a pair of eyes flashing with cold light, and a meaningful smile on the corners of his mouth. After the Third Prince and his entourage completely disappeared from sight, the figure slowly disappeared into the night, as if it had never existed.
At the same time, deep in the distant royal city, in a luxuriously decorated bedroom, Chi Meng was sitting on a gem-inlaid chair, playing with a delicate piece of paper in his hand.
A smug smile spread across her face, and a cunning light flashed in her calculating eyes.
"It seems that my plan is going more smoothly than I thought."
Chi Meng whispered to herself, then called a personal maid, "Go to the black market and spread a message that the Third Prince, Alice, and Tariq have found a treasure that is enough to overthrow the kingdom in a mysterious altar deep in the Monster Forest, and have returned safely. Remember, tell it vividly so that everyone believes it is true."
The maid's eyes flashed with surprise when she heard this, but she soon regained her composure, responded respectfully, and hurriedly left. Miss Vivian's methods have always been sophisticated, and this time is no exception.
Although she didn't understand, she didn't dare to ask more questions and could only follow the orders.
The news spread like wildfire in the royal city and even the entire kingdom. People were discussing this amazing news. Some were amazed at the good fortune of the third prince, while others began to speculate about the ownership of the treasure. Some even wanted to get a piece of the pie.
All of this was within Chi Meng's expectations. She sat in the palace, looking through the window at the bustling streets outside, with a smug smile on her face.
The net she had carefully woven had begun to tighten slowly, and the Third Prince, Alice, and Tariq were her prey.
The third prince, Alice and Tariq finally walked out of the deep and mysterious magical forest and stepped into a border town called Dawn Town.
The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the mottled stone road, giving this ancient town a golden glow, but it could not hide the traces of its vicissitudes. The houses in the town were scattered, but most of them looked dilapidated, as if every brick and tile carried the weight of time.
The moment the three of them stepped into the town, the air around them seemed to freeze for a moment. The townspeople either stopped at street corners or worked in front of their homes, their eyes all focused on the three uninvited guests.
Although their clothes were gorgeous, they were covered with dust and blood from the journey, and their faces were filled with fatigue and weather-beaten, forming a sharp contrast with the quiet town.
"Look, where did those three people come from?" An old woman whispered to her granddaughter beside her, her eyes full of curiosity and vigilance.
"Yes, grandma, they are dressed so gorgeously, as if they had just returned from the battlefield." The little girl responded. Although her voice was small, it was loud enough for people around to hear clearly.