Chapter 63: I'm His Girlfriend
"Welcome, esteemed guests of Her Royal Highness Princess Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi—Mr. Jake Lancelot and Miss Matilda..."
A formal, resonant voice announced their arrival as a vintage red car pulled up to the palace entrance. Jake and Matilda stepped out onto the cobblestone driveway.
"Are we really meeting an actual princess?" Matilda, dressed in a black gothic dress with layered tulle and lace details, looked like a dark fairy tale princess.
This outfit had been Jake's choice. The actress who played Matilda had also starred in Black Swan, so the dark aesthetic suited her perfectly. This gothic style, combined with Matilda's natural maturity beyond her years, created a striking and memorable impression.
Guided by a palace guard in a formal purple uniform, the two climbed the grand stone steps leading to the castle entrance.
"Of course you are," the guard replied, turning back with a professional but friendly smile.
The country wasn't large—only about two square miles, roughly the same size as Jake's estate back in California.
But the two properties couldn't have been more different. Jake's manor was overgrown with weeds and completely unmanaged, resembling an abandoned wildlife preserve.
Here, however, everything was immaculate, magnificent, and elegant. It was no exaggeration to say that every architectural detail in Genovia radiated artistic refinement.
Moreover, everyone here carried themselves with pride, as if being Genovian made them part of something special.
And because of its small population, Genovia consistently ranked among the top nations in the world for GDP per capita.
Jake and Mia reunited in the palace's formal drawing room.
Wearing red heels and an elegant red gown, she looked even more stunning after months of etiquette training and princess lessons.
"Oh my god!!" she exclaimed loudly, but then seemed to remember royal protocol, quickly composing herself—though her eyes still sparkled with excitement as she looked at Jake.
"My dear Princess!" Jake didn't hesitate, quickly closing the distance and, to Mia's delighted gasp, sweeping her up and spinning her around.
Immediately, Mia's laughter filled the room—pure, uninhibited joy.
"So this is your type," Matilda muttered, fidgeting with the hem of her dress.
The palace guards and attendants, recognizing an intimate moment, smiled knowingly and discreetly withdrew. This was proper royal etiquette, respecting the privacy of the princess and her guests.
"You've become even more beautiful."
"Thank you. You're even more handsome—and definitely more muscular."
The two embraced tightly for a long moment, followed by a rather extended kiss.
During this reunion, Mia's grandmother—the current Queen of Genovia—and her personal bodyguard, Joe, arrived. The Queen knew a little about the relationship between Jake and Mia.
"Your Majesty," Jake said somewhat awkwardly, placing his right hand over his heart in a respectful gesture. But his confident bearing prevented anyone from thinking less of him.
This was partly why Jake had come to Genovia in person. In terms of wealth, he was extraordinarily rich—he owned military vehicles, aircraft, literal tons of gold, and millions in cash.
Money provided confidence, and beyond that, Jake believed that this small nation, which primarily developed tourism and finance, didn't have sufficient military capability to threaten him.
With overwhelming resources and firepower at his disposal, why should he bow to anyone?
"Mia has told me about you," the Queen said with a warm smile, nodding to Jake. "Mr. Lancelot, thank you for your kindness to Mia. I sincerely wish you both happiness."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
This was the advantage of lighthearted comedy movie worlds—people had genuine values and positive outlooks, unlike darker film universes where everyone harbored shadows and secrets.
"This is the Queen of Genovia," Jake said, pulling Matilda forward from where she'd been standing at a distance.
"Hello, Your Majesty," Matilda said, seeming less reserved now.
"Oh, what a lovely young lady!" the Queen exclaimed, looking at Matilda with genuine warmth.
"Is this a friend of yours?" Since Jake and Matilda were clearly of different ethnicities, the possibility of them being siblings was ruled out.
Before Jake could answer, Matilda blurted out, "I'm his girlfriend!" She then shot Mia a challenging look.
Unexpectedly, Mia burst out laughing.
She took it as a cute joke.
"I'm serious! I'll steal him away from you when I'm older!" Matilda declared indignantly.
"We'll see about that," Mia replied good-naturedly, clearly not feeling threatened. Although she didn't consider a twelve-year-old girl serious competition, they were only five years apart. Who could say what would happen in four years?
five years was enough for a girl to become a woman.
A spark of rivalry seemed to ignite between them as their eyes locked.
Fortunately, Queen Clarisse intervened, diplomatically interrupting the standoff.
She needed to get to know Jake better. To become a royal consort, one didn't necessarily need to be royalty oneself, but one absolutely needed a respectable background and substantial wealth.
Matilda was taken on a tour of the palace gardens, while Jake and Mia were given time alone together.
"I can't believe you brought me competition the moment you arrived," Mia huffed, hands on her hips, glaring at Jake. The gesture looked adorably incongruous with her elegant princess gown.
Jake leaned in and kissed her softly, and Mia's irritation melted into shy pleasure.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Although Mia could see a future threat in Matilda's determined expression, she herself was still young. Right now, she was the girlfriend Jake had pursued so earnestly.
Then, at Mia's insistence, Jake briefly told her the story of what had happened in the Léon: The Professional universe. He himself didn't know exactly how things had played out in the world he'd entered—all he remembered was the original movie plot, and the basic outline of events.
"This sounds like something from a movie," Mia said thoughtfully.
"Isn't your ugly-duckling-to-princess story also like a movie?" Of course, he didn't say this out loud.
"Who was that corrupt DEA agent? Maybe I can ask my grandmother to help prosecute him through international channels."
"Someone already dealt with them."
"It was you, wasn't it?" Mia remembered—Jake had mentioned he was training as an assassin.
"Did you... kill them?" Mia covered her mouth in shock, instinctively taking two steps back from Jake.
Jake sighed. He knew that if he wanted Mia to gradually accept his extraordinary abilities, as well as the violence and moral ambiguity of his life, he had to reveal himself to her bit by bit.
Unlike Matilda, who had witnessed the darkest aspects of humanity firsthand and could fully understand Jake's world, Mia couldn't. Although she'd experienced some awkwardness and embarrassment during her transformation from regular teenager to princess, these were minor social setbacks. Her life had been remarkably sheltered. Killing was something completely foreign to her reality.
"I have to do this right, or the relationship I worked so hard to build will fall apart!" Jake thought, gritting his teeth and about to offer an explanation, when Mia asked, "Were you hurt? Did you have to fight those corrupt agents?"
In Mia's worldview, killing was wrong—but thinking of Matilda, only twelve years old when her entire family was massacred, how terrified and alone she must have been. If Mia had the ability, wouldn't she want to protect someone in that situation too?
Jake breathed a sigh of relief. Mia hadn't completely pulled away from him because of this revelation. Without speaking, he simply removed his shirt, revealing several knife and bullet wound scars across his torso.
Men often aren't good at expressing themselves with words, which makes them passive in relationships. Sometimes, showing vulnerability can be more powerful than any explanation.
"Do you think I'm a monster? Maybe you never really knew me at all."
"No, it's actually kind of badass," Mia shook her head, gently touching the scars on Jake's muscular frame. "They're like battle medals."
They were both moved by the moment, their eyes met, and they slowly leaned closer together.
Just as they were about to kiss, a loud, deliberate cough interrupted them.
"See? I told you—I'm his girlfriend!"
It was Matilda again, standing at a distance with her hands on her hips, watching them with an expression that suggested she'd been observing the entire scene like it was dinner theater.
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