Chapter 474: Chapter 474

Yan Qianyi laughed lightly, "Are you really going to quibble with a dead man?"

"What are you talking about? Don’t say such inauspicious things, spit three times quickly."

"It was you who said it first."

"I’m just worried about you, aren’t I? Anyway, you must come back alive, even if you don’t think about the baby in your womb, at least do it for me."

"Enough talk, I’m moving out."

Yan Qianyi raised her hand to secure her earpiece, then climbed through the broken window.

At this moment, Vanessa had already gone down to the basement.

In the dimly lit basement corridor, the sound of high heels clicking on the ground echoed.

After turning right and then left, she walked into a large room.

The room was filled with various old and damaged experimental machines.

Seated in the middle was a person in military uniform, none other than Mu Yunlie.

His hands and feet were bound to the chair, and he was wearing a device on his head that restricted his spiritual power—a silver face mask lay fallen beside him.

Vanessa walked over and placed the food she had brought on the table next to him.

"Cold-faced Commander, I’ve come to see you again."

Vanessa pulled over a chair and sat down beside him, saying to herself, "You must be starving, right? Sorry, the inspections have been really tight lately, I can’t come to see you as often as I’d like, but I’ve brought you something delicious tonight."

As she spoke, Vanessa opened the food container, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to Mu Yunlie’s mouth, "Come on, let me feed you."

Mu Yunlie glared at her, eyes cold and forbidding, his pale lips tightly shut.

"Ah, open up," Vanessa cooed softly, "be good."

Mu Yunlie continued to stare at her unblinkingly.

Vanessa frowned unhappily and put down the spoon, petulantly complaining:

"Why are you looking at me with such a scary look in your eyes? I am your savior, you know. If it weren’t for me, Dempsey would have killed you already."

After learning of Dempsey’s plans, she had hurried over and taken Mu Yunlie and Pei Yuexuan from Dempsey’s hands. The others who had come from the Federation Empire had all been killed by Dempsey.

Dempsey, to avoid exposure, left no survivors.

Mu Yunlie snorted coldly, his voice hoarse, "Is my savior the same person restricting my freedom?"

Vanessa sighed deeply, "I really want to let you go, but can’t you see how difficult that is for me?"

"Whose side are you really on?" Mu Yunlie asked.

If Vanessa was Prince Yao’s person, after saving him in the ensuing chaos, she should have taken him to Prince Yao, not hidden him away.

But if Vanessa was Dempsey’s person, then why had she taken him from Dempsey’s grasp?

On the day he arrived in the Morris Empire, it had been Dempsey himself who came to receive him after disembarking the aircraft.

He had thought that Dempsey, being the minister of military and political affairs in the Morris Empire, wouldn’t dare to blatantly harm him, so he had let his guard down.

He had underestimated Dempsey.

It was only when he realized the car wasn’t heading toward the Royal Palace that he sensed something was wrong.

But by then, it was too late.

The incense burning inside the carriage was laced with a drug that made one weak and unable to use spiritual power.

It was his oversight and urgency that led him to this predicament; he had not anticipated that Dempsey would risk everything to sabotage the treaty between the two nations.

Before coming to the Morris Empire, his grandfather had advised him, saying that for safety’s sake, it was not necessary for him to personally negotiate in the Morris Empire—a diplomat would suffice.

But he trusted Yan Yao and was anxious to sign the treaty as soon as possible, so he could marry Qianyi at the earliest.

This is why he fell into the trap Dempsey had prepared well in advance.

This was the first time he had ever been defeated in his military career.

"I want to stand by both sides, but I can’t stand with either," Vanessa said helplessly.

She looked around the room and continued,

"Did you know? This laboratory was once used to study human spiritual power. After Queen Andelle and Prince Yao ascended the throne, they deemed such actions inhumane and discontinued the research."

"The couple is good-hearted. Under their rule, the Morris Empire has been getting better and better over the years."

"Actually, I’m very supportive of the two countries signing a treaty of friendship, so I could see you often, but..."

"Lord Dempsey disagrees."

"For generations, my family has been loyal to theirs, and my position today is all thanks to Lord Dempsey’s assistance; thus, I cannot betray him."

"But what can I do? I want you, and it was out of desperation that I betrayed him, but I cannot betray my own family again."

"If I let you go, you will surely expose him and not spare him. If he falls, everyone in my family will be implicated."

As Vanessa spoke, she leaned forward, revealing her charms in front of Mu Yunlie, her fiery red lips approaching his ear as she whispered softly, "Tell me, isn’t this a difficult position to be in?"

Vanessa looked into Mu Yunlie’s eyes and asked, "What would you do if you were in my place?"

Mu Yunlie’s lips parted slightly, "Let me leave, and I can ensure your family remains unscathed."

Vanessa shook her head, "Even if you could spare the lives of my family, without Lord Dempsey’s support, my clan would still decline. I can’t let my family weaken."

Mu Yunlie asked, "What do you really want, then?"

Vanessa covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, "Silly, you’re just playing dumb, aren’t you? I’ve told you, I want you."

"I’m already married, I cannot be with you," Mu Yunlie gritted his teeth.

He never imagined that one day he would be the victim of an attempted seduction!

This was an utter disgrace in his life!

"I don’t need you to marry me, being my man will do," Vanessa’s hand gently caressed Mu Yunlie’s handsome face, "I have many men, but none are like you. I just want you to submit to me, to be an obedient dog at my side."

Mu Yunlie suddenly turned his head and bit down hard on Vanessa’s hand.

Vanessa quickly jumped back in pain.

She glared angrily at her thumb, now bleeding from the bite, then turned her gaze back to Mu Yunlie.

But all her rage extinguished the moment she saw his handsome face.

She smiled, "Truly like a dog, just a bit fierce, but I will tame you slowly."

A scornful smile crossed Mu Yunlie’s bloodstained lips as he spoke strategically, "Trust me, you will regret what you’ve done."

Vanessa was unconcerned, "You will regret refusing me today! I’m telling you, in this world, if I set my sights on a man, there’s no one I can’t tame! Don’t expect me to let you go. If you want to survive, you can only stay obediently by my side, like a good little dog."

Mu Yunlie hooked the corner of his mouth, "We’ll see who regrets it first."

Looking into Mu Yunlie’s determined, resolute eyes, Vanessa clicked her tongue several times.