"What!"


    Belle stared in disbelief. She thought she had misheard.


    "You... You said the Warlord of the East is here?!


    Oh, my God! Why would the Warlord of the East appear out of the blue? Usually, visits like these were always announced in advance. There was no way anyone would be caught off guard like this. Moreover, Xena was attending a meeting in Yartford. Belle had never weed such a high-ranking figure alone, and she was nervous.


    "Hurry up! Lead the way!" she urged.


    As they rushed outside, the subordinate, feeling slightly calmer, quickly said, "Ma''am, I''m sorry! I got too excited and misspoke. It''s not Mr. Downy himself. It''s his deputy, Lady Leia. Was it Leia Woods? It didn''t calm Belle. This was no trivial matter, either. Why would someone like Leia visit without warning?


    Just like how she represented Xena in Yartford, Leia represented the Warlord of the East. Even if it wasn''t as overwhelming as Hunter''s own visit, her presence was simrly intimidating.


    She strode quickly to Xena''s office and pushed the door open. As expected, Leia was already there, looking over some photographs disyed on the wall.


    "Lady Leia." Belle greeted politely.


    Without looking away from the photos, Leia smiled.


    "Lady Summers truly lives up to her name. What an inspiration for women everywhere. Look at these photos of her aplishments. How admirable they are!" Although thement was somewhat baffling Belle smiled politely and nodded in agreement.


    "Indeed, she''s extraordinary. But, Lady Leia, you are also someone I greatly admire. How many women are qualified to serve as the deputy of the Warlord of the East?"


    Leja finally turned around. Her face revealed a dignified presence. She was not exactly beautiful, but she was strikingly.charismatic. Her gaze was so piercing that even Belle found it hard to meet her eyes.


    "You''re right. Serving as a deputy isn''t easy. You need both virtue and talent, and you must constantly anticipate the needs of those you serve. Sometimes, one misstep can lead to


    many more."


    Belle could only respond with a forcedugh. She was still not sure about the purpose of


    Leia''s visit.


    Leia walked over to the window, gazing outside as she spoke casually, "Lady Summers is at a meeting in Yartford, and Bradley is off dealing with bandits in Lofrenia. Right now, you, Belle, hold the highest rank in the Phoenix Legion." Belle''s face paled as she hurriedly rified, "Lady Leia! Why would you say that? I have no other intention besides carrying out my duties. Even if you''ve heard gossip, you must know I''m not that kind of person!"


    "Don''t misunderstand. I''m here on official business," Leia said. "But we''ll have to wait for one more person before we can proceed."


    Someone else wasing? And if Leia was waiting for them, they had to be incredibly important. Belle wracked her brain but couldn''t think of anyone in Yartford worthy of such attention.


    A few minutester, a knock came on the door.


    "Come in," Leia called.


    The door opened, and a man walked in. He was dressed differently from the Phoenix


    Legion.


    "Lady Leia, we''ve brought Felix."


    Then, Felix himself stepped in. Belle''s eyes widened in shock. Her mind went nk for a


    moment.


    "You may leave now," Leia told the escort.


    After the door closed, Leia cupped her hands in respect toward Felix. "Dr. Zeller, I apologize for the inconvenience. Mr. Downy had urgent matters and couldn''t make it, so he sent me. I hope you can understand." Felix smiled warmly.


    "No problem, as long as the issue is resolved."


    "Dr. Zeller? Belle swallowed nervously.


    Leia''s respectful attitude had shaken her. She was offering an apology on behalf of Hunter! How was this even possible?


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