She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 426

Lucian was well aware that the girl he loved had a highly specialized background and formidable skills.

He murmured softly, "I acknowledge your incredible capabilities, but that doesn't conflict with my fear of dragging you into my disasters. Loyce, I'm terrified of seeing you bleed. It tears me apart."

Loyce's expression softened slightly. "Bleeding is normal. Pain is normal."

Lucian offered a bitter smile. He was an emotional idiot, but clearly, his girl was too.

He wiped his hands dry. Bracing one hand on the counter, he wrapped his other arm around her back and pulled her gently into his embrace.

Resting his chin on her shoulder, he let out a soft sigh. "Loyce, things have been volatile in the Emerald Strait recently. During a recent internal meeting at the Department of Defense, they decided to proceed with island reclamation and military deployments in the strait."

Enveloped in his scent, Loyce kept her eyes lowered. Her body didn't resist as she stated, "I know. Over forty percent of global trade passes through there. The skirmish at the oil field nearby was just recently averted. Pushing for military expansion there right now? Has someone completely lost their mind?"

She tilted her head to look at him. "The report you handed over to CoreWell Pharmacy... the results are in."

Lucian lifted his head. They were so close they could feel each other's breath, a mix of intimacy and absolute clarity. "What were the ingredients?"

"That was the only clue recovered from that truck, wasn't it? It's highly valuable," Loyce confirmed. "It's a signature narcotic from the Oceanic Federation. Formulated using motherwort, cannabis, and a plant indigenous only to their region. It hyper-stimulates the brain for a short period, making the user completely 'fearless.' This type of drug is occasionally deployed on battlefields, but overdosing causes severe skin ulceration."

"The Oceanic Federation?" Lucian's eyes narrowed. "A country bordering the strait."

Loyce looked up at him. "Which means your president rushing military expansion right now is just throwing gasoline on a fire."

"The president has always been a conservative," Lucian noted, reaching out to gently tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I've strongly opposed it as well, but the cabinet keeps pushing it aggressively under the guise of 'expanding military capability and defending our territory'."

"So someone inside your ranks is deliberately provoking the neighboring countries and trying everything possible to eliminate you—the one conservative with a dissenting voice," Loyce analyzed. "Your military glory and medals terrify the enemy. You are the stabilizing pillar of Harmony Country. Assassinating you doesn't benefit our nation; the only ones who gain are our enemies. Which means..."

"We have a traitor," Lucian finished for her, cutting in smoothly. "The traitor has been continuously leaking my whereabouts."

Loyce nodded: "Exactly. And there's one more thing you should keep in mind."

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