Starting Today I'll Work As A City Lord

Jones: A leopard beastkin, standing at 1.65 meters tall. She has long brown hair, icy red eyes, and a delicate yet aloof face. Her most striking feature is her long legs, perfectly proportioned in golden ratio. She wears a tight-fitting black leather outfit, and each of her five fingers is equipped with seven-inch-long claw blades.

At this moment, those deadly blades were pressed against Greena's throat. The razor-sharp tips had already pierced his skin, drawing tiny beads of blood that trickled down in thin red lines.

Had Princess Lucy's voice come even a second later, Greena's throat would have been torn apart—beyond saving.

"Y-You… what do you think you're doing?" Greena growled, his voice low and tense. "I—I am the Second Prince of the Siacan Kingdom! You can't kill me!"

He spoke through gritted teeth, barely daring to move his throat, fearing that the slightest motion would push the blades deeper.

After all, the pain on his throat was very real. Though Greena had a violent temper, he wasn't a fool. He knew when to back down, and now wasn't the time to push his luck. The female beastkin in front of him had a notorious reputation, and she wasn't someone he wanted to anger.

Jones' red eyes narrowed slightly. With a subtle motion of her index claw, a fresh line of blood appeared on Greena's throat. The skin was sliced open again, but it was not a fatal wound—yet.

"Jones, don't." Lucy quickly stood up and timidly grabbed Jones by the leopard tail, giving it a slight tug.

"…"

Jones twitched slightly, her body shuddering in response. The silly woman had grabbed her tail again in her panic. This was the seventy-ninth time today.

With an exasperated glance at Lucy, the leopard-eared woman sighed inwardly. In an instant, her claw blades moved away from Greena's throat. If Lucy hadn't stopped her, she would've certainly killed him.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Greena staggered backward, clutching his throat as he coughed violently. His eyes were filled with panic, and his gaze toward Jones was a mix of murderous intent and sheer terror.

In that moment, Greena had never felt death so close. He had heard rumors about the leopard woman in front of him—how she had ruthlessly slaughtered many, including numerous nobles. The only reason she had never faced consequences was the lack of evidence, and of course, Lucy's protection.

"Phew..."

Greena exhaled deeply, trying to steady his wildly beating heart. When he pulled his hand away from his throat, it was covered in blood. This sight made him freeze in fear.

"How could there be so much blood??"

He shouted in terror, quickly turning and bolting for the courtyard exit. He needed to find a healer—he wasn't ready to die yet.

Lucy stood quietly, watching the door that was slightly ajar sway. She let out a sigh of relief, releasing her grip on Jones' leopard tail. With a calm step, she moved to shut the door behind her. The maids had already been sent away by Prince Lucia.

"Phew... finally, they're all gone."

Lucy patted her chest with a relieved smile, then walked up to Jones. Rising onto her tiptoes, she squinted up at Jones' aloof face and puffed out her cheeks. "Jones, where did you go?"

"Shopping." Jones' red eyes flashed briefly before she nonchalantly turned her head away, her leopard ears twitching backward.

"You're lying." Lucy pouted, scolding her lightly. "Jones, every time you lie, you can't look me in the eye."

"I'm not." Jones stepped back a little, reaching for her claw blades. These were steel-made, half-glove-style claws, which she had paid a large sum for—commissioned from one of the kingdom's most famous dwarf artisans.

The artisan was one of the five renowned female dwarf master blacksmiths in the royal capital. Had it not been for Princess Lucy's patronage, Jones' order would have been delayed for at least three more years.

"Here, let me help you." Lucy sighed softly, stepping forward. She gently took Jones' hand and began to expertly remove the claw blades.

"..."

Jones quietly watched Lucy, a fleeting softness crossing her eyes before they hardened again, the red glow sharpening with a hint of coldness.

The reason she had left earlier was simple—she had been led away on purpose. Someone had deliberately left Lucy alone, but what was their intention?

"Besides the one just now, who else has come?" Jones asked calmly, her leopard tail flicking slightly.

"The First Prince came." Lucy murmured softly, quickly removing one of the claw sheathes and hanging it in a special pocket on Jones' waist, then proceeding to remove another.

"..."

Jones' red eyes widened, a surge of killing intent filling them. She immediately understood the situation. Prince Lucia's calculations were far from simple—he had been attempting to use her as a weapon, manipulating her as the "knife" to carry out his own schemes.

The other side had thoroughly studied both her and Princess Lucy's personalities, as well as the temperament of Prince Greena. They had purposefully lured her away and made sure to arrive at Princess Lucy's side, putting on an act.

When leaving, they had coincidentally encountered Greena, creating just the right amount of pressure. With Greena's volatile temper, it was almost certain that he would do something inappropriate toward Princess Lucy. Then, when she came back and witnessed it, all she would have to do was act in response, and there would be no need for further explanation—she would have been forced to act.

It was a simple plan, one that wouldn't stand up to scrutiny afterward. But Princess Lucy wasn't a fool. As soon as she connected the dots—how the First Prince had sent the maids away, how Jones had suddenly disappeared, and how both the First and Second Princes had come by—too many coincidences lined up.

"Jones, don't do anything rash." Princess Lucy tightly gripped Jones' hand, her voice low and somber. "They… no matter what, they are still my brothers... and Father would be heartbroken."

"..."

Jones' red eyes flickered briefly before the killing intent slowly faded. She looked down at the trembling girl, her cold voice echoing. "Understood."

"Hehe..."

Princess Lucy looked up, her delicate face stained with two trails of tears, but she still managed to smile. "Jones, you're the best."

"How embarrassing." Jones sneered, a flicker of pity in her eyes. This girl was always so optimistic, no matter what.

"What does it matter? It's just you here." Lucy tugged at Jones' sleeve and wiped her tears away, her movements so practiced that it was clear this wasn't the first time she had done so.

"..."

Jones twitched slightly at the corner of her eye but remained composed, silently tugging her sleeve back. She mentally counted the fifty-seventh time this had happened.

"Catherine and Dahlia sneaked out to play without taking me with them." Lucy pouted, clearly upset.

"You want to leave?" Jones asked coldly.

"Yeah, I think it's time to go. Father was right; I can't stay in the palace anymore." Lucy tilted her head back and gazed at the gloomy sky. Today's events had deeply hurt her.

She had anticipated that the fight for the throne would be intense, but she never expected that they would use her—much less try to make her an instrument to kill their rivals. If Jones took action, it would be no different than if she herself did.

"When are you leaving?" Jones tapped the sheath of claws at her waist.

"I'll wait for Catherine and Dahlia to come back, say goodbye to them, and then leave." Lucy twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.

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