Landlord in the Arctic

Back at the camp.

Natasha tilted her head slightly to look at Feng Mountain, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

"Feng, do you have a moment? We should coordinate the follow-up matters for buying the boat."

Feng Mountain gave a slight wave of his hand. His face was expressionless as he said calmly, "No, I’m heading to the tavern. I’ll find you later."

With that, the two went their separate ways at the head of the bridge.

Once Feng Mountain was a good distance away, Natalia and Andrei quickly hurried forward.

Natalia’s steps were especially urgent. Worry was written all over her face, her brows furrowed so tightly it looked like she could crush a fly between them.

When she got the call last night, she had been rolling in the sheets with Frank.

But when she learned that Her Highness wasn’t returning to the cabin to rest, and was instead out with Feng Mountain, she froze completely.

A man and a woman staying out alone overnight... one didn’t need to think hard to guess what might have happened.

A surge of anger and worry instantly flooded her heart.

Natalia violently kicked Frank, who was hard at work, right off the bed. Caught completely off guard, Frank let out a muffled grunt as he hit the floor.

Natasha had a tragic past. When she was ten, her parents were both killed in a bomb attack by their rivals.

From then on, Natalia devoted her entire being to raising Natasha.

In Natalia’s heart, Natasha was no longer just a junior but half a daughter, whom she cherished and protected as if she were her own flesh and blood.

Natasha hadn’t come back all night, and for Natalia, that long night had been utter torment.

She hadn’t slept a wink either. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked completely haggard.

Poor Frank, on the other hand, had been enjoying the "battle" when he was abruptly interrupted. He could only sit by her side all night, his heart full of grievance and helplessness, yet not daring to say a word.

Before six in the morning, a frantic Natalia had called for Andrei, and they had hurried to the bridge to wait.

But when she saw clearly that Her Highness was not wearing last night’s evening gown, but rather a set of clothes so ordinary they couldn’t be more so, Natalia’s heart clenched violently.

Countless terrible thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.

All sorts of speculations rushed in like a tide, making her expression turn increasingly grim.

’Could it be that last night...’

Beside her, Andrei was equally furious. He had originally thought that since Feng Mountain could raise so many animals, his character couldn’t be bad.

But now, it seemed he had completely misjudged him.

He’d let his guard down for a moment, and like a cunning thief, Feng Mountain had stolen the Queen of Cold Bay and kept her out all night.

The more Andrei thought about it, the angrier he became. His face flushed red, and he clenched his hands into fists so tight his knuckles turned white.

If Feng Mountain had really done something with Her Highness, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The moment he returned to Cold Bay, those madmen back home would never let him off the hook. They might just tie him to an anchor and toss him into the icy sea to feed the crabs.

At this thought, Andrei’s hand unconsciously reached for the gun at his waist. A vicious glint flashed in his eyes as he took a step forward.

He intended to chase after that detestable bastard and put a bullet in him.

Natalia noticed Andrei’s movement and quickly reached out to stop him, saying in a low voice, "Don’t be rash. We don’t know what actually happened yet."

Likewise, Natasha also noticed something was off with Andrei. He was radiating a dangerous aura, his eyes glinting with a savage light, like an enraged beast.

She immediately frowned slightly and asked,

"What are you doing?"

Andrei clenched his jaw, veins bulging on his forehead. He suppressed his imminent rage, his face a mask of grim determination.

He dropped to one knee and said in a low, firm voice,

"Your Highness, let me eliminate the bastard who wronged you. I will then go to Anchorage to carry out an honor mission. Aunt Natalia will handle the rest. Please rest assured, no one will ever know about this."

Hearing the words "honor mission," Natasha’s heart tightened.

This so-called honor mission.

It was a Cold Bay tradition related to vengeance and honor. By its nature, it was a mission of revenge undertaken to uphold the family’s honor.

Under the rules of Cold Bay, when a family member was harmed, their territory encroached upon, or their interests damaged, the family’s honor was considered to have been challenged.

At that point, revenge was required to restore that honor.

This act of vengeance was seen by the people of Cold Bay as an expression of loyalty to the family and organization, and more importantly, as a vital means of maintaining internal order and prestige.

Carrying out such a mission was often extremely dangerous, with a very high mortality rate.

It was practically a one-way trip, equivalent to a suicide mission.

Andrei felt he had failed in his duty as a bodyguard, that he hadn’t protected Natasha properly.

In the history of the Krasnov Family, as one of the leading families of the Don River Cossacks, they had always been eternally loyal to the Tsar.

Starting from his great-grandfather’s generation, the men of his family had always been the Queen’s most loyal guards.

His great-grandfather, grandfather, and father had all guarded the successive Queens their entire lives, following in their footsteps until death.

But now it had come to his generation, and due to his negligence, the Queen had suffered such a thing.

In Andrei’s eyes, for the Queen to be treated this way by a man was an unforgivable stain, a stain that would be recorded in the history of the Krasnov Family forever.

Only by carrying out the honor mission, by avenging her with his life, could he erase this stain and restore his family’s honor.

"Are you crazy? What honor mission?" Natasha narrowed her eyes, her gaze filled with confusion as she stared directly at Andrei—the bodyguard who had been by her side since childhood, always protecting her with all his might. Her voice carried a trace of anger as she asked, "Who wronged me?"