Chapter 591: First the Sight, Then the Strike ( 591 )

Liana smiled slyly, her eyes glinting with mischief as she glanced over her shoulder at the chaos behind them.

Gloria chuckled softly beside her. “Ara~ princess~ that’s what you get if you didn’t name your own Pekko~” she said, watching Felicia bounce wildly on the uncooperative bird.

Felicia gritted her teeth, her hair whipping in all directions. “You—! This is just… temporary!”

Liana gave a light hum of amusement. “A Pekko without a name is the same as a Pekko without a master. And in Armand, all of young master’s wife candidates are expected to have one of their own.”

She looked back again with a smug grin. “Looks like you’ve already lost to your own little sister… Princess MiMi.”

Felicia’s eyes twitched. “Tch—!”

Her Pekko, still unnamed and still questioning its entire purpose in life, swerved sharply as if protesting the insult.

“Cuquawked!!”

“Stop flapping and run straight!”

Gloria tilted her head, amusement dancing in her gaze. “Ara~ If this keeps up, she might need a leash instead of reins~”

“Leash for who?” Liana asked, glancing slyly at Gloria without missing a beat.

Gloria covered her mouth with a soft chuckle. “Ara~ for some stubborn little catgirl~”

“Wha!?” Felicia shouted, nearly falling off her Pekko. Her face flared with indignation as she leaned forward, trying to close the distance.

“You two—!”

“Hmm?” Liana turned her head slightly, expression unreadable. “You’re not denying it.”

“I—! That’s not—!!”

“Cuquawked!!” her Pekko added, flapping its wings as if enjoying the show.

“You shut up too!!” Felicia yelled at her bird.

Gloria giggled again, her voice honey-smooth. “Ara~ so lively. I can’t wait to see what happens when she actually meets him again~”

Liana simply smiled, eyes forward. “Mm. If she can catch up.”

“Second wife?” Liana asked, raising a brow at Gloria.

Gloria smiled, her tone playful and warm. “Yes, first wife~?”

Liana smirked. “Where to first?”

“Ara~ I believe King Lioness—this catgirl’s father—requested our help with a scouting task at Marrenthold,” Gloria said, eyes glancing toward Felicia with a teasing flicker.

“Mmm… a task to annihilate halfling spies?” Liana mused aloud, tilting her head. “How hard can it be? Halflings are easy to spot. They’re not good at magic disguise anyway.”

“Yes~” Gloria chimed as she reached into her inner pouch and pulled out a sleek pair of enchanted glasses. “With these, we can easily detect mana signatures. Friend or foe—these will tell us everything~”

Liana looked ahead with narrowed eyes. “Good. Then let’s finish this task fast… so we can reach our young master sooner.”

Felicia, still catching up from behind, muttered under her breath.

“Tch… first wife… second wife… I’ll decide where I stand myself.”

Gloria giggled without turning around. “Ara~ Someone’s getting feisty~”

“All right, Miss Stray Cat~” Liana said, glancing back toward Felicia with a smirk. “We’re going first. See you at Marrenthold.”

“W–Wait!” Felicia shouted, her voice cracking slightly. “I’m the princess of this kingdom! It’s not like you both know where it is!”

“Hmm?” Liana tilted her head innocently. “Of course we don’t.”

Felicia blinked in surprise.

“Even with the map your father provided,” Liana continued nonchalantly, “since it’s our first time inside the Beastkin Kingdom, we might get lost and not know which road leads where.”

Felicia crossed her arms smugly. “Then you two should follow me.”

Gloria just smiled, silent as always.

“Well…” Liana drew out her words, then reached into her pouch and pulled out a strange, rune-marked device. “If we didn’t have this—we might.”

Felicia narrowed her eyes. “What… is that?”

“Something special,” Liana said, eyes gleaming. “It scans maps and shows directions in real time. Helps us avoid wrong turns.”

Felicia’s confident smile cracked slightly.

“But don’t worry,” Liana added, tucking the device away. “Even without it, Pekkos are too fast and too agile. No monster would even dream of hunting something that won’t let itself be caught. And princesses riding on one? Perfect bait.”

Felicia flinched. “Wha—!”

“Well then… see ya, Princess~” Liana sang, tapping Pikko’s reins.

“Cuquawked!!” Pikko dashed forward, Peanut right behind.

Felicia stood frozen, her jaw slightly open.

Her unnamed Pekko looked at her.

“Cuquawked?”

“…Don’t just look at me—follow them!!”

As Pikko and Peanut moved quickly along the rugged trail, their pace steady and swift, Liana casually looked back over her shoulder.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Hm~ look at that,” she muttered. “Seems like that stray cat actually learned how to handle her Pekko.”

Behind them, Felicia’s horse sped up, moving with smoother, more controlled rhythm. Her posture had become more relaxed—less stiff, more balanced. Though her face was still serious, a little pride sparkled in her eyes as she started to catch up.

“She’s catching up,” Liana said, her voice calm and unreadable.

Gloria gave a small smile. “Ara~ she learns quickly when she really wants it~”

“She just doesn’t want to lose,” Liana replied with a smirk. “That pride’s too heavy to let her fall behind.”

“But still,” Gloria said, brushing wind-blown strands from her face, “it’s a good sign. We don’t have time to babysit her.”

Felicia, just a short distance behind, shouted ahead, “Don’t think I’m impressed by your head start!”

Liana chuckled softly. “Oh, princess, we don’t need to impress you. We just need to arrive first.”

She glanced down at the device in her hand. The smooth surface pulsed faintly, and a red ripple flickered across the display.

Her expression shifted.

She gently pulled Pikko’s reins. “Slow down… Stop here, Pikko.”

The Pekko obeyed instantly, coming to a halt with minimal noise.

Gloria, already sensing the change in atmosphere, slowed Peanut beside her without question. She didn’t speak, simply waiting.

Felicia, charging forward and about to shout something smug, narrowed her eyes instead when she saw Liana raise a hand—palm out, fingers slightly curled.

A silent signal.

Felicia instinctively pulled her reins, her unnamed Pekko skidding slightly before stopping beside them.

“What is it?” she whispered, glancing between the two.

Gloria’s eyes were calm, focused.

Liana didn’t look up. Her voice was quiet. “Just ahead. Something’s moving unnaturally. Possibly hiding.”

Felicia’s ears twitched, her instincts sharpening.

Gloria slowly reached into her pouch and pulled out her glasses.

( End Of Chapter )

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