Chapter 554: An Unpleasant Encounter

"Princess Gladys, please calm down. My father will be here shortly." Seeing the princess's displeasure, Andrew's son, Carmen, was instantly filled with panic. Offending a royal was a burden too great for the Deep Blue Merchant Guild to bear. He couldn't fathom what his father was thinking.

The Deep Blue Merchant Guild was one of the top five merchant guilds in the Uranos Empire, impressive to commoners but insignificant to the truly powerful. The guild's true backing came from the royal family; offending the guild was equivalent to meddling with the royals' finances. Without the royal family's support, Carmen was sure the guild would be devoured within a month, leaving no trace behind.

"Move aside!" Seeing the plump young man attempting to block Princess Gladys's path, Katharina, already seething with anger, seized the opportunity. Purple battle energy radiated from her, forming a hand that slapped Carmen aside.

A mere merchant dared to disrespect a princess and a duke's daughter, failing to recognize the proper hierarchy.

"Your Highness!" Carmen, now on the ground with blood trickling from his mouth, watched helplessly as the princess walked past him with an impassive expression. He knew she was truly angered.

He understood her emotions; anyone in her position would be furious at such blatant disrespect. The fact that she waited a quarter-hour before reacting demonstrated her exceptional patience and upbringing.

"Hmph! Let's see what your father is dealing with that's so important he left Princess Gladys waiting." Katharina huffed as she and twenty-four black-armored guards followed the princess.

"Damn it, Father, what are you doing?" Carmen muttered in despair as he struggled to his feet. Only then did the trembling servants dare approach to help him. They hurriedly attended to him, knowing that if they delayed any longer, his injuries might heal on their own.

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"Prince Muria, you want to contact Princess Felicia of the Orlando Empire?" Andrew's face showed a mixture of genuine and feigned concern.

Ultimately, Andrew was just a merchant. He didn't have the privilege to converse with royals on equal footing, especially those from other empires. Even if he managed to initiate contact, there was no guarantee they would take him seriously.

"Is it that difficult?" Muria asked, frowning briefly before relaxing, as this outcome was not unexpected.

"Your Highness, you overestimate me. I am merely a merchant, while Princess Felicia is the most beloved daughter of the Emperor of the Orlando Empire. If not for her young age, she would surely be the heir to the throne, eclipsing her brothers and sisters."

"So, this little girl holds such a high status?" Muria raised an eyebrow. His dragon had been taken by what appeared to be a younger girl, suggesting he couldn't rely on others to intervene on his behalf. He would have to resolve this himself.

The higher the girl's status, the more complicated the situation. Muria knew his current power and influence couldn't match hers. While he was confident in his strength, feeling he could easily make the young princess cry with a mere punch, his influence was insufficient to confront her on equal terms.

"Your Highness, if I may ask, what conflict do you have with Princess Felicia?" Andrew inquired cautiously. He was curious about how someone of Muria's stature, who enjoyed traveling the world with a fleet of cloud islands, had come into conflict with a princess of the main continent.

"My dragon was taken by her," Muria replied calmly. "I intend to retrieve it."

"Your dragon... which one?" Andrew asked carefully, aware that Muria kept numerous dragons, including some exceptionally rare ones.

"The ones I raised from a young age and trained in various magics."

"Ah! Your Highness, with all due respect, it will be very difficult to retrieve your dragon peacefully. Spellcasting chromatic dragons are exceedingly rare. The princess is unlikely to give it up."

"If peaceful methods won't work..." Muria pondered aloud, "then I might need to know about a time when she travels alone. I can confront her directly."

"You plan to kidnap the Dragon Princess?" Andrew's face filled with shock. This was far bolder than he had anticipated.

"Why not?" Muria replied nonchalantly. "If peaceful means fail, I don't mind using force to achieve my goal."

"This..." Andrew couldn't help but pull out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat beading on his forehead. His soul-bound body seemed to lose its resilience, reacting like an ordinary mortal's.

Muria's casual mention of kidnapping an imperial princess was astonishing. It was the first time Andrew had heard such audacious words. "Your Highness, there is another way. You could contact the royal family and have them help you retrieve your dragon."

"Bang!" Before Muria could respond, the wooden door of the reception room shattered into countless splinters, flying towards Muria and Andrew.

"Andrew, weren't you dealing with some so-called emergency?" An angry female voice rang out as a tall, black-armored woman with purple hair strode through the broken door, her head held high. Behind her was a young girl with black hair and golden eyes, dressed in luxurious court attire.

"So, can you explain what you're doing now? Entertaining a 'distinguished' guest? Hmm? Do you realize the gravity of deceiving and mocking a royal?" Katharina's gaze shifted to Muria as she spoke, and he turned to face her, blocking the flying splinters with a wave of his hand. Their eyes met, and Katharina froze, her body rigid as if paralyzed by a spell.

Behind Katharina, Gladys's previously impassive expression also wavered as she saw Muria's striking golden eyes, which were so dazzling they almost hurt to look at.

"Is there a misunderstanding between you and Andrew?" Muria asked, glancing at the now-panicked Andrew.

"I was just wondering why a mere merchant would dare make me wait so long," Gladys said as she stepped past Katharina and approached Muria, locking eyes with his golden gaze. "Now, I understand."

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