Raised From The Wild-Chapter 356: The Familiar Scent

Charles Gray wasted no time reaching the side of the bed in just four large strides. He sat on the stool beside the bed and gently asked, "How are you, Princess?"

"I am fine, Chancellor," Princess Amaya said with a slight smile. She closed her eyes and savored the scent she had missed for a long time. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

’Marx, where are you? Are you really not coming back?’’

The room was quiet as Princess Amaya gradually opened her eyes, her gaze meeting a pair of deep, dark orbs with a mischievous glint. Unbeknownst to her, Charles Gray had been observing her with a tender and wistful expression while her eyes had been closed.

"The person responsible for the previous incident had been apprehended. It was Hailey Murray! She is the mastermind behind the scheme."

"Her? I don’t have any grudge against her. I’m puzzled as to why she would specifically target me," Amaya interjected with a sharp tone, cutting off Charles Gray. "Unless it’s because I outperformed her in the 400-meter dash."

"That is her motive. She could not accept defeat, so she had someone approach a maintenance staff and planted those micro bombs." Charles confirmed her suspicion.

Amaya’s eyes widened as she spoke, "But didn’t she come after me? Her friend was also following closely. So were they the ones hurt by the explosion?"

"Indeed, it is the just consequence of her actions. She has become ensnared in her own deceitful plans and has no one but herself to hold accountable."

After Charles Gray’s words, he and Amaya were enveloped in a heavy silence as they each delved into their own thoughts.

The princess, feeling uncomfortable in the silence, made the decision to speak up.

"How are they? I hope that their injuries were not that serious." Amaya expressed concern for the injured athletes and hoped that their injuries were not severe. She particularly empathized with the third athlete, who was innocent in the situation.

"Hailey suffered grave injuries on her right foot. I guessed she did not expect the bomb to detonate because you were ahead of her. She might have thought that something went wrong with the bomb. She landed heavily on the exact location of the bomb. When she was carried away, the bone of her lower leg was visible," Charles explained.

Princess Amaya trembled as a chilling memory crossed her mind. She remembered a menacing lion lurking on the Island of Miraga. It was known for its ruthless tactic of attacking prey by ferociously gnawing at their legs until all that remained was bare bone.

She shook her head gently as if trying to physically rid herself of the troubling thought that had invaded her mind.

"I found it strange that when I crossed the finish line, the bombs didn’t go off," Amaya mused as she carefully examined Ren’s video. The footage showed her confidently stepping into the white line marking the end of the 400 meters in the oval track.

Charles couldn’t help but notice the video playing on Princess Amaya’s cellphone. His brows furrowed as he observed the footage. He felt a strong urge to speak up, but after a moment of contemplation, he chose to remain silent. It seemed evident that there was a highly skilled hacker on Princess Amaya’s side who possessed a deep understanding of computers. Charles couldn’t shake off his bewilderment, as he was certain that his IT team had thoroughly erased all the videos captured during the explosion. How then, he wondered, did she still manage to retain it?

Upon further consideration, Charles concluded that it was beneficial for the Princess of Lireya to have a computer expert support her. However, as he reflected on this, a feeling of melancholy began to overwhelm him.

"So, it is because I stepped a few centimeters away from the bomb." Princess Amaya spoke nonchalantly as she replayed the video in slow-mo one more time.

"The activation zone covered an area of about one foot. You are very lucky, Princess. I think it’s because you landed so gracefully on the finish line and then took a step that moved you out of the possible explosion area," Charles explained in detail.

"I don’t think I am a lucky person. I am a very unlucky one. I lost my mom when I was just a toddler. Then I lost my father later, and then I lost another loved one two years ago. How could I be lucky?" Amaya’s mood shifted. She did not know why she suddenly remembered Marx and felt very lonely. Perhaps it was because of the scent of the man sitting beside her.

She straightened her back and focused on Charles Gray’s countenance. His eyes were deeply set, reminiscent of Marx’s, and he possessed a pronounced jawline and long, dark eyelashes. Unlike Marx’s piercing ocean-blue eyes, Charles’s were a deep, almost black, shade of brown. Unlike Marx, the man sitting beside her has a cold and ruthless aura.

Princess Amaya sighed. Charles reminded him of Marx but when she looked closely, his face was completely different from that of Marx.

Charles Gray’s eyes grew dull as he averted his gaze, unable to meet the princess’s penetrating eyes. He sensed her searching for something within him, and he knew all too well what it was. In an attempt to dispel the heavy silence, he let out a subdued sigh and cleared his throat. "I apologize, Princess. It was not my intention to bring back those painful memories for you," he said, his voice strained as he fought to maintain his composure.

"My apologies. It’s entirely my fault. I got lost in the moment. You bear a striking resemblance to someone I once knew." Princess Amaya’s gaze dropped as she struggled to rein in the torrent of conflicting emotions.

Charles Gray frowned. He stood and took a step back. "I just came to give you an update. Take care, Princess." The Chancellor left in a hurry.

Princess Amaya watched the man as he walked away, the lingering scent of musk and sandalwood still in the air. Unconsciously, tears welled up in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away with the back of her hand, but more tears followed, and a stifled sob shook her body.

"Marx, I missed you so much," she said in a soft voice as she hugged herself.

Unbeknownst to her, a man was watching her from a surveillance camera.