When Olin returned from the palace complex, she saw Annan with his sleeves rolled up, talking a guard's ear off. She could guess what had happened.
"Why are you giving a guard a hard time?" She walked over, then paused when she saw his face.
"How is this giving him a hard time? I didn't beat him up. We've been having a great chat."
Olin nodded to the guard. "By 'chat,' you mean tickling him?"
Annan scoffed and deliberately looked her up and down. "Olin, I'm wearing the Golden Skull Bracelet. It lets me strike down tyrants and treacherous ministers alike!"
Olin snatched the Golden Skull Bracelet off him before he could react. "What did you say?"
"I said you look lovely today."
Olin led Annan away. He looked back and waved to the guard. "Goodbye, Clark Holmes."
Once they were farther away, Olin spoke. "He told you his name was Clark?"
"Mm."
Annan suddenly caught the hesitation in her voice. He gave me a fake name?!
"To think the Mountain-Ring Palace Gardens would harbor someone so cunning and despicable..."
Noticing that they were heading out of the Mountain-Ring Palace Gardens, Annan asked, "Don't I need to meet the emperor?"
"You already have."
Annan froze, then whipped around. But the guard was nowhere to be seen at the palace entrance, which was nearly out of sight.
The High King of humanity had disguised himself as a guard to approach him?
And Annan had teased him the whole time!
"Why?" Annan asked, baffled.
"I don't know. Perhaps he wanted to meet you privately."
Seeing that Annan was still mulling it over, Olin explained, "Don't worry. It's nothing bad. His Majesty was willing to pose as a guard to meet you. That alone shows he trusts you."
Annan thought about it and