Chapter 5: Hunting Sun Bears

  Windsor flashed a sly smile, and Charlotte saw the elegance of the Duke of Windsor. Just as Charlotte was stunned for a moment, Windsor quickly changed into two arm circles around Charlotte's posture.

  "If you don't promise me, I won't let go."

  Charlotte looked at Windsor's rascal appearance, and it was really unscrupulous to achieve her goal! Is this really a noble duke? Who told her that being sinister is how to deal with things?

  "Keep away from me."

  Charlotte weakly pushed against Winsa, hoping to create some distance between them. After pushing a few times, Charlotte found that Winsa's hug only got tighter.

  "Alright, let go quickly!"

  Windsor let go of Charlotte and took a step back, looking at Charlotte with a pleased expression. Charlotte was so angry that her teeth itched, and to strike back at Windsor, Charlotte said...

  "Let me make one thing clear, I'm not going to ride your horse. Just thinking about that day makes my whole body ache."

  Windsor was just about to retort when she heard the clear footsteps of the servant getting closer and closer, so she immediately spoke in a gentle tone.

  "Actually, Miss Charlotte came here specifically to go hunting with me. It's just that hunting requires some preparation time. Don't worry, when we set off, I will definitely not forget to call you."

  The sentence was intentionally said to the servant, Charlotte ignored him. The passing servant held a basin that looked like mud, and was surprised to see Windsor and Charlotte together. The servant's basin shook, fortunately it was mud not water. After he finished his courtesy, Windsor let the servant go, the servant's action of walking away while looking back made Charlotte very annoyed, seemingly she had already been entangled with Duke Windsor, and didn't know if anyone would dare to confess to her in the future.

  "My horse and donkey, you choose one."

  As soon as I left, Windsor immediately showed her true colors. Charlotte just thought Windsor was joking and didn't take it seriously.

  "If you can find a donkey, honestly, I'd rather ride a donkey than sit on your horse."

  Charlotte soon reaped what she had sown.

  At the entrance of the manor, hundreds of soldiers wearing black light armor, holding weapons, stood in formation, majestic and awe-inspiring. In front of the troops were four horses, with the white horse in the middle carrying the Duke of Windsor and Mr. Lucas, while Allen was beside Lucas. As soon as Allen saw Charlotte approaching, he dismounted to take over the bag from Charlotte's attendant, which contained cheese and apples prepared by Lydia for her. The person next to Windsor was someone Charlotte had never seen before, with a bronze mask covering half his face.

  Charlotte was dressed in riding gear, wearing a red cloak, and the beautiful woman under the hard armor was majestic. The Duke of Windsor flashed a hint of surprise in his eyes, followed by an inexplicable smile. Charlotte shuddered under Windsor's gaze, unsure what kind of evil intentions this guy had again.

  "Bring Miss Charlotte her exclusive mount."

  "Yes, Your Excellency."

  It never occurred to her that the mysterious masked man was actually Windsor's knight, working under the super scheming Windsor. The masked man must have had a tough time, Charlotte thought, and her eyes filled with sympathy as she looked at him.

  "No need, I'm with Allen."

  Ellen watched Charlotte grow up and they were as close as father and daughter. Charlotte thought that she should be able to ride a horse with Ellen without being refused. But Mr Lucas strongly disagreed,

  "Ellen wants a race with you; ride quietly on your little donkey or take Windsor's horse."

  What a donkey? Charlotte searched for the masked man in the crowd and indeed saw him leading a grey donkey. It was actually a donkey, Charlotte silently cursed, and little Charlotte in her heart whipped the Duke of Windsor one hundred times with a whip.

  As soon as Charlotte mounted her donkey, Windsor gave an order and the massive troops slowly marched up the mountain.

  Apart from the initial embarrassment, after a mountain road, Charlotte found that this little donkey was gentle and obedient, riding it was very comfortable, she gradually put aside her worries, indulging in the forest. There were many flowers, plants and animals on the mountain that Charlotte didn't recognize, rose-colored "roses", legless "pigs" that could only roll, mini "wolves" that could hide, these ordinary things in other people's eyes, each appearance caused Charlotte's exclamation.

  Mr. Lucas regretted bringing Charlotte out today, especially since the Duke of Windsor was also present, and he saw his daughter making such a fuss, how would he be embarrassed by his daughter? Mr. Lucas worriedly glanced at the Duke of Windsor from time to time.

  Why did Charlotte feel curious about everything, like a child, staring at the oil pig with a look that was full of innocence, wanting to touch but not daring to touch. Even her screams were so cute. Windsor didn't know that his line of sight hadn't shifted since Charlotte appeared, and he was infected by Charlotte's happiness, Windsor's eyes became softer and softer, and the corners of his mouth curled up from time to time, letting out a soft laugh.

  The Duke of Windsor's behavior, everyone understands, is absolutely that of a man in the midst of a passionate love affair. I don't know if there's a fairy tale world where the phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" exists, but even if it doesn't, Mr. Lucas has no worries at all.

  As they walked further up the mountain, the trees grew denser and denser, and the road beneath their feet gradually disappeared. The vast procession was divided into several groups. Charlotte walked at the very front, a few meters behind her were the Duke of Windsor and Mr. Lucas, followed closely by the soldiers of Windsor. The procession was too long, and Windsor could no longer see the end of it.

  The dense trees blocked the sunlight, and the forest became gloomy. The atmosphere suddenly became low-key. Charlotte didn't dare to move around randomly anymore. She slowed down her pace and gradually followed Winsor and others.

  "Father, it's so quiet here and there don't seem to be many animals. Why don't we go down and catch a few in that thicket of trees we just passed?"

  "Are you scared? Haha!"

  Mr. Lucas had an "I knew you'd say that" expression on his face, Charlotte was speechless.

  "Windsor and I came up the mountain this time specifically to catch a sun bear. Last time, it took me a lot of effort to find its old den, and I almost didn't make it back. Today, I must catch it and stew it for soup!"

  Lucas finished speaking with enthusiasm and gained the strong support of the Duke of Windsor.

  "That's right, can't catch it and can't go back. Miss Charlotte, going further up is too dangerous for a girl like you, just in case, why don't you have my soldiers accompany you down, when you're tired of playing, call one of them to come and say something, then you can go back and rest, how about that?"

  Listen, how thoughtful the Duke of Windsor is to Charlotte, Lucas thinks the Duke of Windsor is too good to Charlotte, more considerate than his own father.

  "Now that the Duke of Windsor has made arrangements, Charlotte, you listen and go have fun, don't wait for us."

  Charlotte, seeing her father and Windsor say so, remembered that the lively forest just now was also unfinished, so she went down the mountain to play under the escort of 30 soldiers given by Windsor.

  Charlotte left, Lucas and Windsor felt much more at ease. The experience accumulated from the previous few times made them familiar with the route, and they followed the marks left last time to move forward, doubling their speed. Finally, at noon, when the sun was strongest, Windsor and his team arrived at the old den of the flower bear, which was close to the top of the mountain and even quieter than when they first entered this forest.

  The sun bear's body is strong and sturdy, with agile limbs and thick claws that can crush a 200-pound soldier. Strangely, the ferocious sun bear likes to eat vegetarian food and loves to sleep, spending three-quarters of its day sleeping, so it generally lives in deep mountains and old forests where humans rarely set foot.

  After lunch, it's the time for sloth bears to sleep soundly, and also the best time to catch them. A few days ago, Mr. Lucas and Windsor were hunting a purple leopard, but accidentally broke into the den of a sloth bear, disturbing its sweet dream. The furious sloth bear almost killed Mr. Lucas, but fortunately, Duke Windsor cleverly diverted the bear's attention, and everyone escaped back to the manor in disarray. Since then, Mr. Lucas has been thinking day and night about how to catch this sloth bear. To ensure that he can catch it this time, Mr. Lucas prepared various tools, including ropes, giant thorns, iron hooks, and a large net. Duke Windsor specially ordered his subordinates to select hundreds of strong soldiers to help Mr. Lucas while protecting him.

  A slope covered with vines is where the Flower Bear's den is located. Lucas and Windsor discussed and decided to try to outsmart it first, if that doesn't work then they'll use force. They ordered the soldiers to quietly dig a two-meter deep pit twenty meters in front of the Flower Bear's den, set up giant spikes at the bottom, and cover it with vines and grass to disguise it, hoping to deceive the Flower Bear.