Chapter : 434
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Chapter : 434
Naomi felt a massive wave of pure, undeniable relief wash over her entire body. Her green eyes sparkled brightly. A huge, genuine smile spread across her face. She playfully bumped her shoulder against his arm. She felt incredibly happy.
Laxmi cheered quietly. Zinia let out a deep, happy chuckle. Sayma pushed her glasses up and smiled politely. Risa hugged her teddy bear tightly and giggled. Princess Iris placed a hand over her heart. She felt incredibly proud of her lazy, loyal servant.
Hera sat in her clean wooden chair. She was completely speechless. Her brilliant, flawless political proposition was entirely dismantled. It was not defeated by a better counter-offer. It was not defeated by logic or tactical strategy.
It was completely neutralized by a boy who simply preferred his own messy life.
Hera stood up. She smoothed out her pristine white dress. Her face was a mask of cold, absolute frustration. She could not comprehend his choice. She thought he was a total fool.
"You are making a massive mistake, Ken Eliot," Hera warned coldly. Her green eyes glared at him. "Your ridiculous loyalty will be your downfall. When the real threats arrive, this crumbling estate will not protect you. You will deeply regret refusing my shelter."
Ken let out a loud, dramatic yawn. He stretched his arms high above his head.
"I only regret things when I miss breakfast," Ken joked lazily. He pointed a finger at Princess Iris. "I am staying loyal to Princess Iris. And our alliance with the 16th Unit is fine too. We have a good thing going here. We do not need your shiny white tower."
Hera did not say another word. She realized she had entirely lost the argument. She could not buy him. She could not intimidate him. She could not persuade him. He was completely immune to her political pressure.
Hera turned around sharply. Her silk dress flowed behind her. "We are leaving, Jenny. There is nothing valuable left in this house."
Jenny offered a crisp, flawless bow to Princess Iris. She turned and followed her master. The two pristine women marched out of the living room. They walked out of the front gates. They climbed into their luxurious, gravity-defying carriage. The carriage floated into the sky and disappeared toward the Inner City.
The front doors of the estate closed with a soft click.
The living room was quiet for exactly three seconds.
Then, Laxmi burst out laughing. She threw her hands in the air. "You actually told a Royal Princess that you care more about potato chips than her luxury mansion! You are an absolute legend, Ken!"
Zinia patted him on the back. It was a strong, firm pat. "Good choice, kid. We are glad you are staying."
Sayma smiled politely. "Your negotiation skills are highly unorthodox, Ken. But they are remarkably effective. You completely neutralized her entire psychological attack."
Naomi crossed her arms. She looked at Ken. She tried to look strict, but her smile was too wide. "Do not let this go to your head, farm boy. You still have to do your chores today. And you still need to fix your tie."
"Chores?!" Ken whined loudly. He instantly dropped his confident posture. He slumped entirely onto the floor. He lay flat on his back. He covered his face with his hands. "I just saved the team from a massive political crisis! I demand a day off! I am exhausted from all the talking!"
Princess Iris walked over to him. She looked down at the messy boy lying on the floor. Her violet eyes were full of deep, sincere gratitude. She knew he had made a choice based on pure loyalty.
"Thank you, Ken," Princess Iris said softly. Her voice was warm and kind. "We are very lucky to have you."
Ken peeked through his fingers. He gave her a goofy, lazy grin.
"You are welcome, Princess," Ken mumbled lazily. He closed his eyes. "Now, can someone please bring me a sandwich? Defending my honor makes me incredibly hungry."
The team laughed together in the sunny living room. The dangerous political threat was gone. The lazy boy was still there. And for today, the 13th Unit was perfectly happy to just relax in their messy, wonderful home.
---
The morning sun shined through the dusty windows of the 13th Unit estate. It was a very peaceful, quiet day. The sky was bright blue. Small birds chirped in the green trees outside.
Ken Eliot sat in his small bedroom. He wore his usual navy blue suit pants. He wore a simple white shirt. His shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His black hair stuck out in messy, confused spikes.
He held a brown canvas duffel bag on his bed. He grabbed three large bags of sour cream and onion potato chips. He shoved them into the bag. He grabbed a massive box of chocolate cookies. He pushed the cookies into the bag. He squeezed a plastic bottle of iced tea into the side pocket. He zipped the bag shut.
Ken smiled a very happy, lazy smile.
Today was his scheduled day off. He finally earned a personal visit home. He wanted to see his parents. He wanted to see his younger sister, Jasmin. But most importantly, he desperately wanted to eat his mother's famous homemade caramel pudding.
He grabbed the straps of his duffel bag. He threw the bag over his shoulder. He turned around to leave his bedroom. He felt completely ready for a quiet, relaxing vacation.
He stopped walking. He blinked his sleepy dark eyes.
Six girls stood right in his doorway. They totally blocked his exit.
Naomi stood at the frolnt. She smiled a warm, friendly smile. She spun a small silver dagger in her hand. Sayma stood next to her. The Vice-Captain pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. Laxmi tossed a small orange spark of fire between her fingers. Zinia cracked her strong knuckles loudly. Luna rubbed her sleepy eyes. Risa hugged her stuffed teddy bear tightly. Elma stood in the very back. The blonde girl’s cheeks were already a slightly bright shade of pink.
"Going somewhere, Ken?" Naomi asked playfully. She crossed her arms.
Ken slouched his shoulders. He held his duffel bag tightly against his chest. He looked at them with a highly suspicious gaze.
"Yes," Ken answered lazily. "I have an official, highly approved day off. I am going to visit my family in the Iron Rose District. My mom is making pudding. You cannot stop me. I will use my ultimate evasion techniques to escape this hallway if I have to."
Laxmi laughed out loud. The fire user stepped forward. "We are not stopping you, Ken. We are coming with you."
Ken dropped his bag on the floor. It made a loud thud. His jaw dropped open.
"What?" Ken gasped. "No. Absolutely not. My house is very small. You guys are incredibly loud. Laxmi will accidentally burn my curtains. Luna will steal my bed for a nap. I cannot allow this invasion."