?Chapter 906:


    To Lucinda, Charlette’s whole look was one giant red g. All she saw was a desperate flirt fishing for attention in a sea of uniformed men. How trashy.


    With a dismissive sneer, Lucinda turned her gaze elsewhere—only to freeze when she caught sight of Elena. Ten whole seconds ticked by as admiration for Elena’s beauty hit her like a p.


    Resentment red in Lucinda’s chest, spiked with bitter envy. This was the woman. The one Kason had brought along. The one everyone was buzzing about. Sure, Elena was pretty. But what good was a pretty face if it hid an empty shell? N had more than looks. She had power, prestige. She was the Healer’s apprentice—and the niece of Commander Rayne. How could this woman possibly measure up to someone like N?


    Lucinda’s jealousy was practically written on her face, and Charlette, watching Lucinda closely, had to bite her tongue to keep fromughing out loud. Charlette didn’t need to ask to know Lucinda had written both her and Elena off as nothing more than pretty faces.


    Resting her arms across her chest, Charlette said coolly, “Oh? This table’s yours? Did you carve your name into it or something?”


    Lucinda let out a derisive snort. “Who would do that? You’re such a hick!”


    Charlette had been called many things before—a flirt among them—but beingbeled a hick over taking up an empty table was a first. This woman must have walked around with her nose stuck so high in the air that she couldn’t see five feet in front of her.


    With one brow arched, Charlette fired back, “You’re iming this table is yours, yet there’s no name on it. Well, go ahead and call out to it. Let’s see if it answers you back.”


    “You—” Lucinda started, eyes zing, but Charlette didn’t bother letting her finish.


    “Let me get this straight,” Charlette said, voice rising just enough to draw a few nces. “You waltzed over here just to pick a fight over a table that was already upied? There are at least ten empty ones around. But no, you want this one. What? You think the whole cafeteria revolves around you?”


    Flicking her gaze across Lucinda’s face, Charlette gave a slow nod. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.”


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    “I’ll shut you up for good!”


    Furious, Lucinda lunged toward Charlette. But just as she was about to strike, Elena calmly seized her wrist.


    Elena gave Lucinda a gentle push, causing her to stumble backward and lose her bnce entirely.


    From the sidelines, N finally chose to speak, her tone smooth and controlled. “Lucinda wasn’t trying to cause trouble. The table you’re sitting at is one we usually…”


    “use. People around here tend to be polite about these things—they don’t just take someone else’s spot without asking. Lucinda was just pointing that out. But it’s fine. If you want to sit here, go ahead. No need to turn this into a spectacle.”


    It was time for mealtime, and one by one, people began making their way into the cafeteria—soldiers,b techs, and everyone else in between.


    Everyone knew who N was. Not just because she was Commander Rayne’s niece, but also because she doubled as the base’s doctor. Stunning, sharp, and unforgettable.


    Whenever someone got bruised up in training, which was often, N became their first stop. Not just because she had steady hands and quick thinking. She had that graceful kind of beauty that made pain feel almost worth it.


    Therefore, when N’s voice suddenly cut through the low hum of conversation, brittle with irritation, the entire room tensed. It could only mean one thing—someone had picked on her.


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