General Andy smiled slightly, exuding the charm of a mature man.

He too came from a distinguished family, was elegant and reserved, and had a graceful demeanor. Standing there in his crisp military uniform, he was a sight to behold.

In the bustling hall, glasses clinked, beauties gleamed, and nobles chatted with elegance and tacit understanding. Yet, in a quiet corner, a handsome man held a glass of red wine, his smiling gaze seeming to have stopped time itself.

This maturity and reliability was something the inexperienced Kerry lacked.

.

Jasmine was crying sadly, her eyes filled with glistening tears, her eyes red and swollen, making her look as pitiful as a little rabbit. This pitiful appearance made General Andy's heart tremble slightly.

He held a high position and had seen a lot in life, but most of the people he met were mature men and women. He rarely saw such a tender and delicate girl. In that instant, seeing her panicked and timid expression, he felt a tightness in his body. At that moment, he finally understood why the ninety-year-old Karl would fall for a little flower bud like Alice.

Alice was still young, innocent and naive, completely lacking the charm of mature women. But only by being close to her could one understand the pure beauty she possessed.

This one in front of me, while not as good as Alice, is better than nothing.

General Andy's smile deepened.

He walked slowly over, pressed the cold glass of red wine against Jasmine's trembling cheek with her eyes closed, and said gently, "Crying like a little rabbit."

His deep laughter was intoxicating.

Jasmine didn't dare to look up at him, but in her heart, she had long forgotten about Kerry, who only knew how to keep a straight face and only knew about light swords and light guns.

She didn't need to ask who this person was; just by looking at the general's stars on his shoulder, she knew he was a high-ranking military officer, just like General Karls.

Hearing the handsome man's tender smile, she suddenly couldn't help but feel an irresistible desire rising in her heart.

He was also a high-ranking military officer, a general. If she could marry him, how would she be any different from Alice? She was indeed of lower birth than Alice, but Alice had only married a general. Wouldn't they still be equals in the future? What moved her even more was that the cold-hearted Karl whom Alice had married was far less charming and captivating than the general before her.

If you think about it that way, she defeated Alice.

Jasmine, thinking that she could finally outdo Alice, couldn't help but bite her rosy lips and whisper softly, "You, you can't peek at someone crying."

The delicate, black-haired girl's fair shoulders were bathed in soft, dappled light, which cast shadows on Jasmine's shy face. The interplay of light and shadow, fair skin and dark skin, caused General Andy's gaze to dim slightly.

He downed his red wine in one gulp, leaned closer to the girl, and chuckled, the faint scent of wine emanating from him. "I came to see you because I like you." This black-haired girl was the adopted daughter of the Field family and had even entered the Federal Academy with Alice. Although she hadn't gained much fame in recent years, she was probably just as favored.

He knew Effie well; she never showed any kindness to people she didn't like. If she really didn't like Jasmine, she certainly wouldn't have let her stay at the Fields.

It seems that someone once said that this black-haired girl was not favored, probably just to compare her with Miss Alice.

General Andy's eyes darkened slightly.

When the last man of the Field family died in battle, he had intended to bring Field into his fold through marriage, but the hateful woman Effie preferred to go out and fight herself rather than marry him.

Effie's disdain and indifference at that time were etched in his heart and he could never forget them.

Effie was the first woman to dare speak harshly to him, and the first to scoff at his charm. Just now, a single smile from him could make the black-haired girl blush, but in Effie's eyes...

The most likely explanation is that she didn't see anything and was simply arrogant and disdainful of others.

.

...Am I still a woman?!

Andy's face was gloomy, and he wished he could drink another glass of wine to extinguish the fire in his heart. He looked at the shy Jasmine with her head down, lost in thought.

He was determined to acquire Field, not only because of Effie's offense, but also because Field, as a prestigious family with a thousand-year history, held countless resources across all levels of the Federation. If he could control those resources, he might become another marshal in the Federation's history, reaching the highest pinnacle, rather than just an ordinary general fading into obscurity.

All marshals earned their reputations through their merits. He knew his own worth and knew that he couldn't succeed through military achievements alone; he had to rely on other methods. Merging with several prestigious families was the most convenient one.

With just a few schemes, he was able to bring down a century-old prestigious family.

The breakthrough for the Field family could be this dark-haired girl who is favored by Effie.

His prolonged attention had made Jasmine breathless and her legs weak. She had never imagined that being close to a man felt like this. The small joy she had felt when she first met Kerry was utterly insignificant compared to this feeling. So she looked up, her eyes sparkling, and swept them across General Andy's face.

The latter seemed to snap out of his daze and gave her a similarly affectionate smile. This smile made Jasmine's heart flutter; she felt the man before her slowly, slowly drawing closer…

"Now, let's invite the Federation's rising stars to the stage!" A loud voice rang out in the hall.

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