'Do I have to save Lucien Lupine from all red wolves in this world?' Sue whined with gnashed teeth to the Lord System. She was contemplating if it was alright to smack the palm-sized white fur ball on her head.
The Lord System could not talk in front of the savage beastman prince, so like what Sue did, the Lord System spoke inside its mind – connecting to Sue through telepathy. 'Yeah. It is not like there are other red wolves. He is the only red wolf!
And besides, you had a history together. Come on! This hidden quest is like a pie falling for you to gobble up.'
History together? Sue scoffed inwardly. The Lord System made it sound intimate between her and the so-called prince of the beastmen territory, but it was far from the truth.
Who was Lucien Lupine? He was the bane of Lucca Lupine's life. Sue could still remember how Lucca would lash out whenever the elders of the prestigious
Lupine Clan would bring up Lucien's achievement in front of the Wolf Tribe.
At the young age of thirteen, Lucien became the young general that guarded the borders of the Beastmen Territories against the advancement of the mages and the ruthlessness of the vampires. He was the most outstanding youth of the Lupine Pack of the Wolf Tribe, and even the veterans of the other tribes respected him.
Before the three major races signed the trilateral peace agreement, Lucien's feats on the battlefield had risen. It was not because of his heroic deeds. Heck no! It was because of his primal savagery in the face of his enemies.
Sue had lived two lifetimes already. One was an utter mess, and this one was still chaotic. But both times, she never expected to meet face to face with 'the' Lucien Lupine. Living with him in the same land was one thing, but a history together?
How the heck did the Lord System think about that? Thinking back at the past, Sue was more than a hundred percent sure that the only words exchanged between her and Lucien were 'oh' and 'hmmm'.
Growing up as a prodigy, he was indifferent to her and everybody else while she, on the other hand, was timid. There was a whole world of difference between Lucien Lupine and Sue Terin.
Now, here she was! Standing before the legendary man and she was supposed to save him. Her, Sue Terin, saving him, Lucien Lupine!
'Now I am starting to think that the Lord System thing is a fucking joke. Screw me for being desperate and believing all the shits it spewed to me.' Sue bit the insides of her cheek as she landed two meters before the predator, eyeing her like she was some kind of prey.
'I heard that.' The Lord System said at the back of Sue's mind as it flicked its white tail, hitting her forehead in a warning.
Sue could only groan.
'Once I heal him, I will be taken back to my original route, right?'
The Lord System's little-boy voice gave a hum, but it did not really reply to Sue's primary concern.
Before Sue could throw the fur ball sitting atop her head, Lucien's raspy voice pulled Sue back to her reality.
"You," Lucien trailed, "Be my woman."
Sue felt that she had been struck by lightning once more. For a fraction of a moment, her phoenix eyes widened for a split second before she was able to pull herself together. She cocked her head and openly observed the man standing before her.
Long red hair tied in a messy ponytail, Lucien's canines flashed under the moonlight as he also openly checked her out with a smug grin.
A pair of golden eyes failed to hide the darkness behind them as they scanned Sue's body up and down as if he was assessing some personal property.
On the other hand, Sue immediately spotted the wound in Lucien's body. No matter how natural he was in hiding his circumstances, the World View Skill pinpointed the internal injury due to excessive use of his prowess.
"You are wounded."
'I can use the Healing Booster Pill on him, and this hidden quest will be done!'
Upon the mention of his wound, Lucien's countenance changed drastically. One time, he was openly checking her out, and the next thing Sue knew, she was pinned to the nearest boulder with a sharp claw against her neck!
Sue could not even gasp at how he reacted to her words!
The gleam in his golden eyes changed from lust to savagery. Growling, Lucien sniffed behind Sue's right ear.
'Lord System! What the heck is happening? A little help would be enough, you know!'
The Lord System replied in a sheepish tone. 'I am sorry, but I cannot help you. If I lend you a hand, you will be disqualified from claiming your rewards. All you need to do is accomplish each mission and level up through the system!'
Sue felt as if she was on the verge of spitting up blood.
Gazes locked on each other, Lucien's minty breath fanned over Sue's face as she looked up at his towering figure. She wanted to push him away, but her wrists were being held by his right hand above her head.
Chest to chest, hips to hips, legs to legs, Lucien pressed his body against Sue with no space left between them. They were so close that she could feel his vibrating growl on her heaving chest.
"I… I am not an enemy. I swear!" Sue stammered, but she looked him in the eyes nevertheless.
"The last time someone said that to me, he stabbed me in the back." Lucien's words were full of mirth, but the cold glint in his golden eyes was screaming bloody murder at her.
'System, I will need the Healing Booster Pill right now.'
Ping!
[HEALING BOOSTER PILL ACTIVATES FOR USAGE!]
On cue, Sue felt the cold bean-size pill in her mouth. Her eyes grew wide upon the realization that the system misunderstood her command. She thought it would be placed in her palm, not in her mouth!
'There is no other way! If I delay this a moment longer, he will kill me!'
The next thing Sue realized, she braved herself by tiptoeing before leaning forward.
With eyes closed, Sue lost her first kiss to a scoundrel wolf. Prying his frozen lips open, she knocked his soft lips through her tongue – seeking entrance to pass the Healing Booster Pill before it completely melted in her mouth.
Sue felt Lucien losing his grip around her wrist, so she took this chance to pull her hands away from him.
'Open your damn mouth!' Sue screamed in frustration at the back of her fuzzy mind.
Left with no choice, Sue pulled Lucien's nape to deepen the kiss.
With her vision still black from keeping her eyes closed, she failed to see a transparent notice above Lucien's head.
Ping!
[SYSTEM'S HIDDEN FUNCTION ACTIVATES!]
Ping!
[FAVORABILITY FUNCTION ACTIVATES!]
Ping!
[SCANNING LUCIEN LUPINE…]
Ping!
[AFFECTION FAVORABILITY: 0%... 4%... 8%...10%]