Chapter 72\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 72\u00a0<\/p>\n
Selene\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn placed the tray of food carefully on the table, bowing her head. \u201cMy lady, here you go.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you. Give us some privacy to talk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes flicked immediately to Lucas. He still hadn\u2019t acknowledged her existence, his gaze was fixed on the food.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, my lady. Just\u2026 be careful with him,\u201d she muttered into my ear. \u201cHe acts like a crazy person.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded, and she finally left, I turned back to Lucas. He was still staring at the plate, not touching it. I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair across from him. \u201cI brought you food like you demanded. So why aren\u2019t you eating it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucas finally moved. He extended one finger and poked the chicken thigh, then he stared at the rice with even more disdain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou call this food?\u201d he asked, his tone making it sound like I\u2019d piled a mound of dirt on the table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I nodded. \u201cIs it not to your liking?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t look like food.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what do you eat?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucas shrugged like it was obvious. \u201cDepends. I mostly eat beasts around me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou eat them raw?\u201d I asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He frowned at me. \u201cIs there any other way to eat them?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sighed. Right. I\u2019d almost forgotten that Lucas was a phoenix, even if he looked human now. And I doubted a phoenix cared about cooking. He probably ate whatever he killed without giving a second thought to flavor, or spice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s similar to what you eat,\u201d I explained. \u201cBut cooked meat has flavor, and seasoning. It tastes good. We don\u2019t only eat to survive. We eat to enjoy ourselves.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucas stared at me as if that concept was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard in his very long, very chaotic life. His suspicion didn\u2019t fade, so I reached for the roasted chicken, grabbed it by the bone, sliced the thigh from the whole bird, and held the piece toward him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHere. Try it. It won\u2019t kill you. If you don\u2019t like it, I\u2019ll find a beast for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucas stared at the piece of chicken in my hand and narrowed his eyes. \u201cYou better find a big beast. Unless you don\u2019t mind me feasting on the people around you instead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I rolled my eyes. I knew he didn\u2019t actually eat werewolves. He only ate unintelligent beasts. But of course he would threaten\u00a0<\/p>\n
me anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned forward and took the chicken from my hand with his teeth. I could tell he was about to complain, but when he chewed, his entire expression froze. His eyes widened like a child discovering candy for the first time in his life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stared at me, then at the chicken, and back at me again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could even say anything, he snatched the piece right out of my hand and took another aggressive bite. His eyes widened even more, and he devoured the rest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched silently, amused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:57 Tue, Dec 23\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 72\u00a0<\/p>\n
He finished the thigh bone clean, tossed it onto the plate, and reached for the rest of the chicken with both hands, before suddenly stopping. He caught my expression, and paused. Lucas coughed loudly, straightened his back, and lifted his thin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe food you presented is not bad, kid.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not bad? After he practically inhaled the entire thing?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He gestured generously at the table. \u201cTo show my hospitality, I will finish everything here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as Lucas reached in again, hands already hovering greedily over the roasted chicken, I slid the entire plate out of his\u00a0<\/p>\n
reach\u00a0<\/p>\n
Very slowly, his golden eyes lifted to mine, staring at me as if I had just committed an unspeakable crime. He didn\u2019t say anything, but the look alone was pure disbelief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I kept my hold on the plate. \u201cBefore you continue eating, let\u2019s have a little talk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTalk?\u201d Lucas leaned back in the chair, head tilted as he studied me. His voice dipped into that low, dangerous drawl he used whenever he wanted to intimidate me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to talk to me while I\u2019m hungry?\u201d A slow smirk curved his lips. \u201cKid, you\u2019re really biting off more than you can chew. What if I decide to turn my attention to you, and eat you instead?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll live. Now listen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He lifted one brow, unimpressed. \u201cFine. I\u2019m in a generous mood. I\u2019ll humor you. What do you want to talk about?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTo live peacefully, there are some extra conditions we need to discuss.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He rolled his eyes. \u201cMore conditions? You really are a cautious one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have a choice,\u201d I said. \u201cNow, about the conditions, you\u2019ll have to put effort into keeping your identity a secret. You don\u2019t need to act like you\u2019re above everyone. Keep doing that, and people will start noticing. And once they notice, they\u2019ll start connecting the dots, especially with how paranoid the world is right now because of you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucas scoffed. \u201cBut I am above everyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t need to know that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will eventually find out, kid. Power like mine can\u2019t be hidden forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet. And definitely not like this. I don\u2019t need people knowing the phoenix they fear is sitting on my bed eating chicken.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shrugged carelessly, as if the world\u2019s panic was the most insignificant thing he\u2019d heard all day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I went on, \u201cAnd another thing, if you\u2019re going to stay by my side, you have to be my bodyguard. It\u2019s the only identity that makes sense. A man following a moonborn for no reason will cause drama I do not need.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucas didn\u2019t respond. He just stared at me, unreadable, while the scent of warm meat drifted between us. I noticed the faint movement of his throat as he swallowed, hunger flickering in his eyes again. So, I leaned forward slightly and slid the food just one inch closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you do this, I will feed you this delicacy whenever you want. There are countless kinds of food out there. I know you\u2019ll want to try all of them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes flicked to the plate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo,\u201d I said, meeting his gaze directly, \u201cdo you accept?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 72\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucas lifted an eyebrow at me. I could see in his eyes that he knew exactly what I was doing, baiting him with food like a child. And instead of being offended, he seemed entertained by it. His lips curled into a smirk that was mocking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine.\u201d He leaned forward, grabbing the plate from my hands with a little more force than necessary. \u201cI accept. I\u2019ll hide my identity. And I\u2019ll be your bodyguard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucas didn\u2019t hesitate a moment longer. He tore another piece of chicken off the bone, the sound crisp, and took a huge bite. A pleased, involuntary groan escaped him as he chewed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a while, I finally asked, \u201cIt\u2019s been days since you left. Where did you go?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t even look up from the chicken. \u201cI visited an old friend, and took a look around. It\u2019s been a century since I was sealed. The world has changed a lot.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched him quietly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said it as though it didn\u2019t bother him, he was a creature who had outlived too much and seen too many things replaced. I understood why he wanted revenge. If I were him, I\u2019d want it too. He hadn\u2019t done anything, and yet he ended up sealed. Just as I was lost in thought, a sharp knock sounded against the door, pulling ine abruptly back to reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy lady\u2026\u201d Evelyn\u2019s voice came from the other side. \u201cYou have a visitor.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I glanced toward the door, then at Lucas. He still hadn\u2019t looked up from his food\u00a0<\/p>\n
It must be important, Evelyn wouldn\u2019t disturb me for anything trivial.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let out a sigh. \u201cCome in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door opened. Evelyn entered first, her hands clasped politely in front of her. She stepped aside, and an older man walked in behind her. He was dressed in the formal dark robes of the palace staff, embroidered with silver threads. I recognized him instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The head eunuch of the royal palace. The man who served the Alpha directly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His sharp, calculating eyes swept across the room, taking everything in. Then they settled on Lucas. Suspicion flickered in the eunuch\u2019s gaze, his brows tightening just slightly, but he said nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted to roll my eyes, for the Alpha Eunuch to come here personally, I already knew what this was about, but I had to play along. I inclined my head politely. \u201cGood morning. And what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He bowed deeply. \u201cGood morning, Lady Selene. I have been sent by the Alpha with a message. He requests your presence at the palace tomorrow morning to discuss the mate bond between you and Prince Adrian.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:58 Tue, Dec 23 MG.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Editorial Board: Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.<\/p>\n
Hope Is Not Optional \u2014 Manuel Flores 72 Chapter 72\u00a0 Chapter 72\u00a0 Selene\u00a0 Evelyn placed the tray of food carefully […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-ruthless-tycoons-obsession-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27866\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}