After leaving the palace in the afternoon, Matthew drove the car with Veronica seated in the passenger seat, lost in thought.
Matthew began. “Tanya is truly cunning. During the hunting ceremony, all the officials of the hidden clan will be invited. Notably, she’s arranged for Hayley to attend alongside you. This is an excellent opportunity for her to publicly introduce you to everyone in the hidden clan, which will help you in your future competition for the position of head of the clan.”
“Hayley would never refuse. There is no reason to.” He sighed, feeling melancholic. Veronica also sighed as she said, “So, Tanya plans to invite me into the trap. She wants me to participate in the hunting ceremony and eliminate me during the event. After all, everyone participating in the ceremony must sign a death waiver.”
She scoffed lightly while shaking her head. “She has played her cards perfectly. By enticing Hayley to invite me to the ceremony, it will be widely known. How could I decline the hunting by then? If I do, I will lose the support of the people and bring shame to the Elrods. If I want to compete for the position of head of the clan in the future again, I’m afraid Hayley’s supporters will also turn against me.”
It was an unwritten rule of the hidden clan that the prince and the young master were obliged to participate in the hunting ceremony unless there were exceptional circumstances.
Only the courageous could become the ruler of the hidden clan and lead them to prosperity. This ideology deeply resonated within the hearts of the hidden clan members. Given the prevalence of martial artists in the clan, those lacking in combat skills were looked down upon.
Matthew replied with concern, “This time, not only must you take part in the hunting ceremony, but you also have to strive to emerge as the victor.”
Danger arrived sooner than I expected. The participants in the hunting grounds were all outstanding individuals, and many of them were assassins sent by Tanya. How many people could Hayley arrange in order to protect Veronica? It’s a life-or-death situation.
Both of them fell into silence. After returning to Mountainside Gardens, they saw Hayley seated in the hall as soon as they entered. Veronica glanced at the table in the living room. There were still five or six teacups on the table, indicating the recent presence of several visitors. Then, she looked at Matthew, who nodded. “Master Waylen, Madam Hayley, I’ll go upstairs first.”
As a part-time chef and bodyguard, he didn’t have the qualifications to listen to their conversation. “Okay, go ahead.” Crayson nodded.
Veronica made her way to the sofa and settled in. Before Hayley could speak, she said, “We should hire an additional chef. There are more and more things to do, and it’s unfair to expect him to prepare three meals daily while also ensuring my safety.”
Her concern for Matthew was sincere, yet she had withheld her proposal until now to avoid rousing suspicion from Crayson.
“Although Iron Pillar has excellent culinary skills, it’s not good to let him be a part-time chef and a bodyguard at the same time.”
Mateo agreed with Veronica’s words, so he smirked. “From now on, we won’t let him accompany you anymore. He can focus solely on being a chef. Otherwise, his culinary skills would be wasted.”
Since the last fight with Liam, Crayson had instructed Mateo to reflect at home. However, worried about potential retaliation from Liam, he arranged for Matthew to protect Veronica. No matter how much Mateo pleaded during this period, he never allowed him to be with Veronica again.
After Mateo finished speaking, he turned to Veronica. “Roni, please agree. I’ve been begging Grandpa all this time, but he refuses to let me protect you. He even said that Iron Pillar would protect you with his life. Tsk, he just looks down on me.”
Veronica, in the midst of pouring herself a glass of water, momentarily paused as Mateo’s words reached her ears. Her gaze instinctively shifted toward Crayson.
