《Living As the Villainess Queen》


 Chapter 0 Prologue

    Chapter 0 ¨C Prologue


    Moans were mingled with harsh, ragged breaths.


    The dim bedroom was made significantly warm by a tantalizing heat.


    Golden lights cast obscene shadows on the walls as a man and a woman could be seen deeply tangled in bed, moving in a sensual rhythm.


    He pulled up his upper body and held his knees close to her hips, enclosing his palms around the woman¡¯s ankles and spreading her legs wider¡­


    Every time he crushed deep inside, the man visibly tensed up. His broad shoulders and muscles splintered with sweat, as if with oil.


    His grip on the delicate ankles tightened. Like a weak bird whose neck was bitten by a fierce beast, the woman shook weakly and struggled to conform with the hot rush of pleasure.


    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±


    Eugene shook her head from side to side and moaned. In a helpless state, she raised her hand and scratched the crumpled sheet at the side of her head.


    As if he wouldn¡¯t allow even a moment of lax, he filled her in a fast pace every time he came in.


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    Their joined bodies were getting hotter and hotter by the second. Despite her occasional protests, he wouldn¡¯t budge even for just a little and, instead, continued his torturous exploit.


    She was not used to such conduct. It was her second time to be with a man, but her first night with him was more sexual than what Eugene had imagined.


    Her body was in a tight race¡ªshe could hardly breathe.


    At first, she didn¡¯t think there could be anything more. It turns out; she was mistaken¡ªthe man¡¯s capabilities were still unknown to her.


    He was an energetic man who surpassed Eugene¡¯s expectations. Today he drove her incessantly as if to say that today, she yielded a lot before him.


    When she thought she would finally faint, he loosened up a little, and she felt the unmistakable warm liquid drip from her folds¡­


    She breathed out as fast as she could.


    When she least expected it, he raised her ankle and kissed the soft skin of her calf, a surprisingly sweet gesture from a callous man.


    A bluish glow reflected from his dark eyes, which slowly turned black.


    Eugene¡¯s eyes were half-opened, lazily gazing at the man who hadn¡¯t yet moved from his position. The slow, circling caress the man made with his tongue irritated her ¡ª it made goosebumps erupt from several parts of her body.


    With her leg still captured by him and her buttocks lifted slightly from the bed, the warm liquid poured out and flowed through her hip bone.


    Every time he shoved, there was a sound of clashing flesh.


    The sheets on her back were damp with her own sweat. She felt wet and limp like a sponge soaked in water.


    As soon as she felt him slowly slipping out, Eugene sighed out of relief, thinking that the man had his fill and would then leave her to rest, only to be proved wrong the next second.


    The man grabbed Eugene¡¯s thighs and inserted his length once again without warning.


    Immediately, Eugene¡¯s stifled cries filled the room.


    The prickly sensation of scratching at her inner walls struck her sharply. The leg he seized was perched upon his iliac bone, giving him more access.


    Lowering his posture, he positioned his hand to the side of her face.


    His lips came down on her and covered her lips. Licking, turning her head to the side, swallowing her lips completely, he pushed his tongue deep into her mouth.


    The man, who had erect shaft pressed into her heat, surprisingly had a soft kiss, unlike the ferocious air of his lower abdomen. He soothed her sweetly inside her mouth and caressed her innermost thoughts with the tip of his tongue.


    Eugene moved her lips as well, participating in the dance that only the two of them knew.


    However, the affectionate kiss quickly turned nasty. His tongue rolled up and sucked hers, hard. At the same time, his shaft lodged below retreated for an inch and struck inside her like a stake.


    ¡°Mmpphh!¡±


    Her shocked body trembled, holding his arm next to her face. Once again, Eugene was helplessly caught up in the wild dance of his tongue.


    He coveted her persistently as if the world would end tomorrow. His desire struck her like a huge wave.


    He began to move, a sure sign of a beginning. The movement of her folds, spreading to the limit, felt uncomfortable and pleasant at the same time.


    A deep sense of pleasure ran from her lower abdomen to the top of her head.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Her body shook violently. Eugene closed her eyes tightly,a groan emitted from her throat.


    She couldn¡¯t bear the sensation and became anxious that her whole body would shrivel up if she didn¡¯t make a sound.


    The scorching weather made her body feel more feverish. The man was no exception, either. Sweat from his neck dripped down his sculpted chest.


    He bit her lips with eyes full of enthusiasm and licked her earlobes.


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    The whispering voice sounded thrilling, as if it was touching her very soul. She blinked her hot eyes open upon hearing the name.


    Eugene.


    It was her name.


    Her body, which was shaken by all means, however, was not originally Eugene¡¯s.

 Chapter 1 The Land of the Desert

    Chapter 1 ¨C The Land of the Desert


    Everything felt different and strange. It was scorching hot, and she could feel her forehead slick with sweat.


    When Eugene squinted her eyes open, she found herself lying down and was greeted with an unfamiliar sight¡ªsand scattered by the wind and the clear sky visible above her.


    Where am I?


    She willed herself to get up and buried her hands in the sand to support her upper body. Doing so, a handful of it which laid previously on her chests poured down.


    Then, her eyes were filled with wonder as she looked at the strange place she was in. An even morbid expression flashed across her face when she saw the clothes she was wearing.


    Lifting her arm, she looked awestruck at the back of her hand with loose sleeves surrounding it. The material of the gown was luxurious, but it wasn¡¯t to her taste.


    Am I dreaming? Eugene surmised, but the painful rays of the sun on her exposed skin told her otherwise.


    Taking her eyes off her hand, she looked again at the scenery before her. The red sand blew in the wind¡ªshe could barely see where she was.


    I¡¯ve never been here before, but I¡¯ve seen many similar landscapes in photos. Why am I in the desert?


    An idea popped in her mind, and when she opened her mouth, finding it ridiculous, she heard nothing but her own laughter. She was too overwhelmed to make out a word.


    Did she fly to the other side of the world?


    The desperate nature of survival awakened, and her mind became clear. She rose slowly and looked around, her legs wobbling beneath her.


    Everywhere she looked, it was a sandy, dull, and just dune. Standing confusedly, she began to walk. I don¡¯t want to burn myself to death, she thought. As soon as possible, she needed to find some shelter.


    Not long after she began to move, something made her stop her steps. Far away, something appeared to be moving. With crease on her forehead, she squinted her eyes to have a better look.


    She was watching keenly to find out who the figures were, but when they started to change in direction and charge towards her at a brisk pace, she began to panic. On instinct, she stepped back, unwilling to narrow the distance between them!


    She was on a frenzy, imagining the worst that could happen. Her face became thoroughly flushed when she thought they were armed soldiers rushing in the sandstorm.


    She ran and ran, but the gown kept her slow. Besides, it was much harder to sprint on the sand.


    It was not long when they came close to her just enough for Eugene to recognize them. The riders on horseback with grotesque forms of helmet stopped at a certain distance.


    The man in the lead jumped off his horse. He was a stout-bodied foreigner with disarrayed thick brown hair. If anything, he looked European, so did the men behind her.


    The man bent one knee on the ground and said.


    ¡°My queen.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eyes, which had been hardened with fear, went wide open. His language was definitely not in Korean. But she could understand it perfectly.


    Dumbfounded, she looked at him, blinking several times as the rush of sweat stung her eyes.


    She didn¡¯t know how to react. Noticing her unresponsiveness, the man spoke confusedly.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, Anika. Are you okay?¡±


    Anika?


    Eugene nodded slowly. It was the best she could do for now.


    ***


    Soldiers patrolled along the walls built high on the desert. The red sun hung along the horizon, its sizzling rays on the brink of sunset stretched over the endless sand.


    The fortress wall faces a desert on one side and a capital city on the other, where a kingdom was located. The desert facing the kingdom was called the ¡°Dead Sea¡± because it was nearly impossible to tell its end.


    There was no disarray in the soldiers patrolling on the wall at regular intervals. The kingdom of Hashi, ruled by the King of the desert, was famous for his strict military discipline.


    The soldier, who habitually glanced over the Dead Sea, turned his head again upon seeing familiar figures approaching the kingdom walls.


    The cloud of dust made from the strong hooves of horses mounted by men become more chaotic as the group run nearer and nearer the wall.


    ¡°His Majesty is coming back!¡±


    The soldier¡¯s cry was passed from one mouth to another and finally reached the people at the gate post.


    ¡°Open the gates!¡±


    The vicinity of the gate quickly became busy. There was tension and excitement on the faces of the soldiers and civilians alike.


    The vast stone gate was raised and opened by dozens of sturdy men who joined forces to lift it open. Among the soldiers, those of good physique and strength gathered at the wall and held the pulley handle connected to the gate.


    It has been almost a month since the King left the castle. After a long trip, his subordinates welcomed him warmly, chanting his name even from a distance.


    ¡°One! Two! Pull!¡±


    The stone gate was the sole entrance to the kingdom. It was held open only in specific periods of the year when the sun rose and on special occasions. The return of the King was a special exemption.


    By the time the stone gate was almost up, the King and warriors reached the wall and ran inside without slowing down.


    The straight road became clear immediately. The passers-by, who heard the news of the King¡¯s return, quickly stepped aside to make way for him. Suddenly, their works were disturbed, but no one complained.


    The King only brushed past the people who greeted him and cheered, but no one cared. On the contrary, everyone bowed to the retreating back of the King, who had already gone in split seconds, leaving only clouds of dust and sand on his trail.


    ¡°His Majesty is back!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been out a little longer than usual, Isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯m going to sleep in peace. The drought will be over soon!¡±


    ¡°I wish I could live without an unfortunate accident this year.¡±


    People who continued on their chores again spoke with a brighter dexterity


    The King was both the ruler of the kingdom and their guardian. No one disagreed with this.


    ****


    Everything happened so fast. In the next moment, Eugene found herself in a delicate chamber where her supposed attendants lead her into. All the way, she walked in a daze¡ªeverything surrounding her felt like in a dream.


    The good thing was, people didn¡¯t talk to her and kept their heads bowed down. Were they afraid of her that much?


    Eugene sat stiffly on the sofa, nervously biting her lips. Her eyes were full of tiredness after not getting a good night¡¯s sleep


    ¡°Jin Anika¡­¡± She now recounted the name of the role she must play from now on, the name felt strange to her lips.


    Her real name was Eugene. Her last name was Yu and her first name was Jin, but most people around spelled her name as ¡°Eugene¡±, making it more western-like.


    Eugene was an ordinary woman turning 28 years old this year. A simple office worker in Park Bong¡¯s office who was living on her own and striving hard to escape from a miserable life.


    A great deal had happened in just a few days. She fell in love with the novel ¡°Mahar,¡± which she created, and woke up into the body of someone else¡¯s body! In all honesty she didn¡¯t know what came to her, words just came out her and she just found herself writing the novel.


    Novel, of which none of the ideas and concepts she didn¡¯t know where exactly she got from.


    Why Jin Anika? Why her of all the characters?


    She lived in a different world and a different body overnight. Even so, she wasn¡¯t entirely complaining because her previous life was so hard that she didn¡¯t want to look back at it.


    But there was a severe problem. Jin Anika was a villainess in the novel and the last character that would perish in the name of justice!


    Mahar was a thoroughly socialized society. Thus the Queen of the Hashi Kingdom was at the top of the pyramid of identity.


    What happened to Jin Anika in the novel? Eugene shivered visibly as she remembered the end of the novel.


    Jin Anika, Queen of Hashi kingdom, became a public enemy and died from her husband¡¯s blade.

 Chapter 2 A Twisted Woman (1)

    Chapter 2 ¨C A Twisted Woman (1)


    Eugene got up and walked to the dressing table. In controlled breaths, she stared at the reflection in the mirror.


    No way.


    She drew her head closer and reached for the antique-looking mirror. In reaction, the woman in the mirror also reached out to meet Eugene by the palm of her hand.


    Eugene blinked her eyes hard and frowned. She poked her lips from side to side and then stuck out her tongue. Sitting on the sofa, she tilted her head obliquely with one hand on her chin and the other on the sofa¡¯s arms, brazing herself. The woman in the mirror did all the same things!


    It was then that her body was blasted with shock, unfathomably severe that she couldn¡¯t move a muscle and only stare long at her reflection. Her mind long understood it, but she refused to believe the bizarre thing that had happened to her until this very moment.


    The woman in the mirror was long-haired. Her straight jet-black hair hung down to her waist, and her eyes were undeniably black, too¡ªtwo dark pools full of mysteries staring back at her.


    Eugene was accustomed to the appearance of different people as she grew up. Strictly speaking, Jin Anika¡¯s appearance was different from that of Asians.


    Her hair felt light and soft; it didn¡¯t even feel attached to her scalp. Winding her fingers through a bunch of it, it felt like cascading waters slipping through her hold.


    Eugene felt intimidated. Her eyes were disturbingly black as if they were soaked in ink. The color was so deep, she felt like drowning in it. The irises of the eyes were almost indistinguishable from the pupils¡ªswallowed by the irrefutable black pupils.


    Her frame was close to Westerners. However, her bones were slimmer, and her physique was a bit softer than ordinary Westerners. She looked like a mixed-race fairy in fantasy operas, using Westerners as a basic form.


    Frankly, when she first saw her reflection in the mirror, her jaw dropped in an instant. It was not every day that she sees such beauty.


    The overall appearance was exquisite¡ªher slim, delicate limbs and spotless clear skin made her look innocent and pure while her naturally red lips created a sultry vibe. The improbable contrasting charms were in great harmony.


    There¡¯s no law that a villain shouldn¡¯t be a beauty, but¡­


    Eugene felt somewhat queer. The embarrassment of having imagined a vicious, mean woman to be as ugly as her soul and then embodying her, only to find out that she was eternally beautiful made her insides shrink.


    It¡¯s not so bad, she thought to herself. Her mind thought of worse characters that she could have possibly transmigrated into.


    Much better than being a slave. So what if she¡¯s a villain? At least she¡¯s beautiful and has a high profile.


    With this thought, Eugene felt better little by little.


    Jin Anika married the Fourth King and became Queen of the Hashi kingdom. In the long run, she met her miserable end in her husband¡¯s hands.


    Therefore, at this moment, Eugene was faced with a problem.


    Her expression, which briefly brightened up, became forlorn again. ¡°I don¡¯t know the current progress in the novel!¡±


    In any novel, the moment when a villain enters the spotlight is when she begins to commit an evil deed. But she was returned to the safety of her chamber with no fuss, so she assumed that Jin Anika hadn¡¯t yet enacted several crimes following the plot.


    ¡°Anika,¡± Suddenly, a soft voice broke the silence.


    Startled, Eugene turned to the door where the voice came from. A minute passed, and she still didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Anika.¡± The voice which sounded cautious and nervous called her again.


    ¡°Anika, the king has returned.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eyes went wide open.


    ***


    The horse carrying the King passed another gate into the inner city wherein the castle was located. There, a lot of people had come out of their houses and been waiting for his arrival.


    Kasser swung the reins of his horse around his hand and pulled it roughly as they neared the gate but, his horse named ¡®Abu¡¯ refused to slow down, and instead run in a pace faster than his owner wanted him to.


    Abu, the mighty black horse was admonished by the King several times. The thing was, his horse loved to show off. As ridiculous as it sounds, Abu enjoyed the warmth and attention from the people¡¯s welcome, so he ran faster than what the King¡¯s hold on his reigns told him to.


    Nearing the castle at a fast speed, Abu finally skidded his front hooves in fear of being reprimanded by his owner. It was not easy to suddenly stop with the built-up inertia.


    There were times when he was scolded for disobeying orders and speeding up or changing direction in advance. And he would receive greater punishment if he hurt someone, so the horse drastically buried his hooves under the dirt to halt himself!


    After desperate efforts, Abu managed to stop a few steps apart from the man who was standing at the front gate.


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    The watchmen breathed sighs of relief here and there. The sight of a mighty horse near them chilled them to their bones, but the man who was in a breathtaking distance from Abu¡¯s hooves displayed a cool, unbothered exterior.


    Chancellor Verus didn¡¯t even blink his eyes in a startle. People around him, specifically the ladies, whimpered in admiration to him.


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    A horse¡¯s hooves could cause serious injury. But he appeared nonchalant, showing off his laid back smile at the presence of the King.


    Kasser came down from the horse and took off his helmet. A mass of messy vivid blue hair previously squeezed by his helmet was now in full view.


    Everyone went down on their knees, for the King of the Hashi Kingdom had finally returned to his castle.

 Chapter 3 A Twisted Woman (2)

    Afterward, Kasser threw his helmet to the ground, and one warrior came quickly to fetch it.


    He then turned his head to Abu and struck the body of the beast with his big and heavy right palm. The red eyes of the helmeted horse were full of antipathy. He looked irritated and agitated when his owner scolded him.


    Narrowing his eyes, Kasser glanced at the red-eyed beast. His blue eyes visibly stretched vertically like a snake¡¯s.


    ¡°Tsk..tsk¡­I am very disappointed.¡±


    Slowly, the red eyes of the beast turned to the other side in shame, and Kasser¡¯s lips crept up. This was a short moment when he was able to see a submissive reaction from his superior and wild beast.


    Nonetheless, he cared about his horse and never forgot that Abu was a special fellow in a good sense and a bad sense. His loyalty relied on the superiority of power. Therefore, his coercive order was more effective than dealing with him with affection.


    Handing the reigns to one nearby servant, Kasser ordered to take over his horse. ¡°Give him plenty of food because he hasn¡¯t eaten all day.¡± Proper carrots were also essential to tame the wild beast.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The servant answered. Abu was excited by the food he was about to eat, so he went with the servant without resistance.


    His hooves bounced joyfully, like a child giddy for his treat, as he the servant led him into his luxurious stable.


    Despite seeing Abu¡¯s adorable behavior, Kasser kept a straight face.


    He took a quick step forward and glanced at his subordinates¡ªnot one man didn¡¯t have a horrified face. Indeed, he would never fall into a position where he would need to remind people of his authority.


    He was adored and feared by everyone at the same time.


    Verus stood side by side with the king who began to walk in wide strides. The servants tailed behind them and entered the palace¡¯s gates with vigor.


    ¡°I am glad to see the king has returned home safely.¡± Counsellor Verus greeted him.


    Kasser nodded and immediately got down to business. ¡°The meeting is an hour, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness, I have issued a call.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the recent news?¡± Kasser inquired.


    ¡°There is a message from the Priest saying that the drought will be over soon.¡± Verus answered diligently.


    ¡°And? Did something ¡®special¡¯ happened in the castle while I am gone?¡±


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    Verus¡¯ mouth, which was previously smiling faintly, became stiff in an instant. With great effort, he managed to display a relaxed expression again. His palms, however, started to break out sweats of tremendous anxiety.


    ¡°None, your majesty! I¡¯ll let everyone know in advance that the main agenda of today¡¯s meeting will be the strengthening of the wall¡¯s defenses. I must get ready. Your majesty, If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    Kasser simply nodded.


    Without hesitation, Verus stopped walking and bowed his head. When he raised his head long after, he could only see the back of the king¡¯s last servant following him.


    I¡¯ll tell you soon.


    He sighed in a swoon. Whenever the king went out into the desert, he always gave Verus full authority. The king¡¯s bestowed strong credentials to him were admirable, but the pressure was unspeakable.


    He together with other advisers of the king agreed to postpone informing him of the recent events in the palace. Come to think of it, he would be giving the king a day or two to resolve the kingdom¡¯s difficulties rather than losing his patience over his wife whose existence was a blasphemy!


    Fortunately, the missing queen returned unscathed. Verus snorted, ¡®Well. Isn¡¯t it a waste? It would have been better for the queen to disappear for good!¡±


    His habitual smile disappeared from his face as the woman came to his mind. He felt irked when he recalled her, the sole person who had made everyone participate in a search frenzy these past few days,


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    ¡°Why the hell did she do that?¡±


    The queen¡¯s disappearance left questions unanswered. As he could not even inquire her himself, he was sure that she had some vile motive behind this stunt.


    She was a twisted woman, and he hated her for this.


    It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t like her from the start. On the occasion of the royal wedding, he was even glad to attend and sincerely wish good fortune to the couple in the coming future.


    But as time passed, when he became aware of the queen¡¯s true nature, he became increasingly loathsome of her. The queen was the type of woman he disliked immensely. She only enjoyed power and refused to take responsibility, even abandoning her duty!


    It was just fortunate that the queen did not take part in state affairs. Still, he couldn¡¯t shake his intuition that her presence would harm the king and put this kingdom in jeopardy.


    * * *


    As what he habitually does upon returning from an expedition, Kasser proceeded to his chamber, intending to change his clothes. In a couple of minutes from now, he would grab something to eat before going straight to the conference hall.


    Yet, today was seemingly different. Kasser stopped on his tracks as soon as he entered his chamber. An old lady of ample physique bowed deeply with a placid smile before him.


    He continued with his stride and stood at the center of his chamber, stretching out his arms sideways. His servants then quickly stripped him of his armor, including the ones attached with his arms, legs, and chest.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Your Highness. Is there anything I can do for you?¡± Marianne, the old lady, bowed again and asked him casually.


    ¡°Verus lied to me. He told me there was nothing unfortunate that had transpired inside this castle in my absence.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, Your Highness. What bad could possibly happen to us inside the peaceful walls of this castle?¡±


    ¡°If you are telling the truth, then why are you here?¡±


    The blue eyes, clearer than his blue mane, stared at the old lady in question.


    Marianne gently turned her eyes to the king with a reassuring smile. Perhaps no one in the kingdom was more outspoken than her, and no one could afford to look at the king straight in the eye like she does.


    She was the king¡¯s nanny and was once the commander-in-chief of the royal court. She also took charge of the royal household for a long time in place of the absent queen.


    In a matter of truths, she was second only to the Prime Minister, but she had never wielded her power after the King¡¯s marriage to Queen Jin.


    It was because her presence seemed to be abhorred by the queen, who supposedly be the one to shoulder Marianne¡¯s responsibilities. Marianne declined to be in the position again, even though Kasser himself persuaded her several times.


    Since then, Marianne was hardly seen in the castle. She stayed quiet and was not even socializing. So her unannounced appearance before the king was unusual. If she had only intended to say hello and welcome Kasser, she would have chosen another day to do so.


    ¡°Your Majesty. You¡¯re overreacting. It¡¯s really nothing.¡±


    Kasser snorted faintly. Her presence told him the palace had been eventful these past few days.


    ¡°Speak, what is it?¡± He commanded in his authoritative voice.


    Marianne glanced at the king. ¡°The queen¡­.¡±


    Kasser clicked his tongue. ¡°I almost forgot about her. Who else died this time?¡±

 Chapter 4 Hunger Strike

    The plain accusation in his voice could be clearly heard, and for Marianne, it spelled only trouble. Her eyes widened in panic, and she frantically shook her head, hoping to retract her mistakes¡­


    ¡°Your Majesty. That is not the case¡­¡± she began but was interrupted once again.


    ¡°Then what is it? Enlighten me.¡± Kasser asked nonchalantly. Marianne nodded politely, bowing her head ever so reverently as she continued what she had been about to say.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid the Queen is rather uhm¡­strict,¡± she stated, the concern visible as he looked at her eyes. Concern for the people in the palace, concern for her life, the list goes on. Kasser let out a quiet scoff.


    ¡°The number of people she kills every time would be doubled if we left her to be ¡®strict.¡¯¡± He muttered irritably to himself, full knowing what the queen was capable of in his absence.


    The number of servants killed by the queen¡¯s corporal punishment had become an alarming number. Indeed, there was a cause of punishment for every crime committed, but in Kasser¡¯s eyes, none deserved the sentence of death for such trivial matters.


    With the queen trying to establish a new order in the palace only brought trouble to the king with his subordinates. Even her very presence in their remote desert kingdom left everyone aghast with what she had done.


    Kasser had tried to be firm, and had warned the queen, Jin Anika about the repercussions her punishments would bring upon her, just over a year ago¡­


    ¡°The moment I hear about one more person is dead because of you, I will not let it go unpunished!¡±


    Those were his exact words. But he could still recall the way she gazed at him, despite the clear threat in his tone of voice. The confusion was plastered on her face. She couldn¡¯t understand how badly she upset the king. But despite the surprise and confusion, the malice in her eyes remained the same. And it bothered him to no end.


    Ever since then, Kasser grew further away from her. Nothing could draw them close. They weren¡¯t close before, never had been, but the disgust he felt for her now was much more intense than it had been before.


    They were fortunate enough that the queen had heeded his warning. The number of punishments she doled were immensely lessened. But even then, the fear remained. The courtiers feared her so much, so they opted to stay silent, never voicing their concerns to the king.


    Yet despite this glaring problem, the King couldn¡¯t get rid of her. He needed her to give him an heir to the throne, despite his loathing for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard of any dead bodies being found.¡± he commented once again. ¡°But perhaps you found some again?¡±


    But Marianne denied, shaking her head in response, ¡°No, Your Highness.¡± she told him, relief in her voice, ¡°We¡¯ve found no dead bodies.¡± she went silent again, unsure of how to say it without being deemed as disrespectful. Kasser waited on her to continue to speak.


    She took it as permission to speak freely.


    ¡°Your majesty, if I may suggest,¡± she began, and Kasser looked at her with a raised brow. Her nerves got the better, but she swallowed them down to continue anyway, ¡°I suggest the queen be taken care of.¡±


    Blinking in confusion, Kasser¡¯s brows creased atop his forehead. It was such an unusual request for the sake of such a brutal queen¡­


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± he asked incredulously, hoping he hadn¡¯t heard her correctly, ¡°Take care of her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The queen has been skipping meals for over two days,¡± she informed him, and Kasser¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. It was unexpected of the queen to neglect her own comfort¡­


    ¡°And why is that?¡± he inquired further, but Marianne only shrugged her shoulders in equal confusion¡­


    ¡°We don¡¯t know, your majesty.¡± she said, ¡°The queen doesn¡¯t leave her chambers, and none of the female attendants could enter without her express permission.¡±


    Kasser appeared pensive for a moment before looking back at Marianne¡­


    ¡°Does that mean you haven¡¯t been able to enter as well?¡± Marianne nodded, and Kasser turned away, deep in thought. The confusion filled his mind and bothered him to no end, ¡°A hunger strike perhaps?¡± he muttered to himself before his eyes darkened¡­


    What is she up to this time?¡¯ He thought.

 Chapter 5 A Husbands Visit

    With all the armour pieces removed, his body felt considerably lighter, and all the servants had been dismissed after finishing their task.  But Marianne remained in her place, and the discussion continued on. Growing more heated by every passing second¡­


    ¡°Oh well, no one dies after just two days of starvation.¡± He finally stated, brushing off his concern for the queen¡¯s stunt. But Marianne appeared to be in disbelief he would allow such a thing to continue and scolded him like a mother would her child, ¡°Your majesty!¡± she exclaimed incredulously. She raised him better than this.


    ¡°I understand your distaste of her, but she had made her sacrifices as well.¡± she pointed out, ¡°The queen came all this way for you, all this way from her native land, where she had been born and raised.¡±


    ¡°Your majesty, you are the only person she could rely on in this place.¡± she finished softly. She was imploring him with her eyes to do the right thing.


    Kasser turned away from her gaze and remained in silence. And Marianne knew she needed to change tactics and let out a sigh, ¡°Your majesty, don¡¯t do it for the queen then, but for your subordinates.¡±


    ¡°The subordinates she kills?¡± he asked her, a fine pristine brow raised. ¡°The subordinates that are still alive.¡± she clarified, ¡°If they hear of how you treat the queen, others, who are not on your side might spin this into a weapon against your credentials, against your dignity.¡± She could tell she almost had him convinced,


    ¡°How well you take care of your queen could be seen as a reflection of how well you can take care of your kingdom. Do not let your emotions get in the way.¡± Despite her heartfelt words, the King remained impassive; indifferent to her plight and remained still as a statue.


    Feeling frustrated Marianne couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice¡­ ¡°Your majesty!¡± ¡°What would you have me do then?¡± Kasser finally said before he sighed and turned to face Marianne,


    ¡°What am I supposed to do with her?¡±


    ¡°All I ask is for you to check on her,¡± Marianne said, repeating the subject of their conversation, ¡°Just check on her, and see if she¡¯s alright.¡± Kasser stared at her for a moment before he turned away once more¡­


    ¡°I have a meeting to attend to in a while.¡± he finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll stop by her chambers after it.¡±


    ¡°But your majesty, meetings run for hours. Stopping by would take only just a few sec-¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± he all but yelled at her before calming himself down, ¡°Fine.¡± he repeated albeit a lot calmly than he did a second ago, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± and he swiftly left the room, if only to escape the incessant nagging Marianne was about to launch at him.


    Kasser snarled at the thought of the queen, and all the troubles she brought to him. The only love that woman has is for herself! He thought spitefully, yet Marianne¡¯s voice caught up to him as she called out one final bidding.


    ¡°Your majesty if you truly are to speak to her, speak softly and don¡¯t be furious at her!¡± Despite the logic behind Marianne¡¯s reasoning, he found it hard to keep calm, but he needed to before he¡¯d speak to the queen. It¡¯ll only take a few seconds after all. Still, one had to admire the persuasive abilities Marianne had. No one else could have convinced the king to check on the well-being of his loathed wife. But it made sense that she could. She was the only one to give him warmth after all.


    *


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    *


    Eugene hadn¡¯t butted an inch from her position ever since she¡¯s heard the news that the Fourth King had returned. Her eyes frantically glanced around her as she panicked in confusion.  What should I do? She thought.


    For more, visit /lig/htnovelworld/[.]com


    She could feel her own throat dry up, too filled with nervousness to even bother looking for some water. She had hoped she could avoid it even today, but it seemed like even her luck had run out. Suddenly someone was out of her door. ¡°Anika,¡± a cold voice called out, ¡°Open this door.¡±


    Eugene gulped as she turned towards the door. Cold dread filled her entire body as she knew exactly who it was. She couldn¡¯t turn the king away! When she uttered not a word of permission, Kasser continued.


    ¡°I¡¯m going in.¡± He announced, and the knob turned and entered the room. The ice in his voice was unmistakable, Eugene could hear it as plainly as she could hear her own harsh breathing.


    Barely able to stand up to greet him properly, the door swung with such force, she almost let out an involuntary squeak but sprang up in fright instead. The chair falling backwards as she did so.


    Kasser¡¯s gaze first fell on the empty bed, before travelling to the chair and finally meeting Anika¡¯s eyes. And yet what struck him as odd was the panic that her gaze now held as they locked eyes with one another, but with it was another expression he couldn¡¯t quite get a grasp with.


    Initially, he only planned to get in, converse for a while to gauge what she was up to, then get out.  He was confident enough the queen would not harm herself. She loved herself too much to do so!


    It would only not make sense for her to begin starving herself now. And looking at her now, perhaps she was only pretending. His doubts began when she had not come out to greet him upon his return. But the way she stared at him had him reeling in confusion, and all the more suspicious. He¡¯d never seen her sport such an expression¡­

 Chapter 6 Youd Dare Turn Away from Your King?

    Chapter 6 ¨C You¡¯d Dare Turn Away from Your King?


    ¡°Kasser, the King of the Dead¡­¡± Eugene muttered to herself softly as she saw the man that stood before her.


    She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him.


    He was like an adonis on land. His hair was of a cobalt blue. Where Eugene was from, such hair color was only made possible through dyeing. But in this world, the natural shine his blue locks gave off was different from what would be the effects if it had been artificially colored.


    She remembered writing down that most people who had lived in Mahar had naturally brown hair and brown eyes. Only a select few people vary from time to time.


    Which meant his hair was special¡ªit was a symbol of his identity and ability.


    All six kings Mahar have their own unique set of abilities. Which meant each king had a different color of hair, which would signify just what abilities they had exactly.


    And in Mahar, he who had the blue head, and blue eyes would be the successor of the king.


    As much as Eugene was thrilled to meet one of the most important characters in the story she had been creating and talk to him, she had to reign it in because she wasn¡¯t exactly in the best position to be doing so. She currently resided in Jin Anika¡¯s person¡­


    And in the story, Jin Anika was most definitely the villainess. Which meant she was King Kasser¡¯s mortal enemy. The bad to his good. Kasser would also be the one who would also take Jin Anika¡¯s last breath. She cursed herself for that.


    Why did I write it like that?! She thought to herself before she could feel the beads of sweat slid down her back. Is he going to kill me then if I mess up? She wondered worriedly¡­


    Kasser laughed dryly as he watched her. Jin Anika was definitely acting quite strangely than she used to¡ªwhich meant she was up to something, and whatever schemes she was having never bode well for him. It was as he had observed in the past after all, without fail. It wasn¡¯t bias on his part, rude as it may be, it was a fact.


    ¡°Well here I am,¡± he said to her as he swept his gaze around her room once more, before returning his eyes to hers, ¡°What do you want me to do now, I wonder,¡± he said, holding his head up in a fierce defiance, not wanting to be swayed to do her bidding.


    ¡°Wha¡ªI mean, yes?¡± she stuttered, and Kasser let out a scowl and paced back and forth like a tiger would its prey¡­


    ¡°Speak up!¡± he ordered harshly, ¡°If you have something to say, then say it clearly and with haste!¡±


    He was well aware that the tone of his voice was well above what Marianne had asked him to do, but her actions were beginning to irk him. He never liked the way the Queen held herself. Her very demeanor got into his nerves in every wrong way possible.


    Eugene could only blink some more before she shifted her gaze towards the floor. Why the King was so upset with her, she couldn¡¯t fathom. She could barely even remember at which part of this part of the story was, or what was happening.


    The more she stayed silent, the more Kasser grew irritated¡­


    ¡°Look at me!¡± he demanded, and her eyes snapped back up to meet him. He was openly sneering at her now, tilting his head as he continued to observe her.


    ¡°You¡¯d dare turn away from your king?¡± he asked her, the venom dripping from his voice.


    This new act rubbed him off in wrongs ways as well. It wasn¡¯t like her at all. Eugene knew she had to do something so as not to incur his wrath¡ªshe gave him a soft and gentle smile¡­


    The pleasantness of the smile took the king aback. It was odd to find her smiles pleasant. Usually, it only brought dread to his very existence. Her unnaturally onyx irises always held a certain coldness to them, that he could never find an ounce of warmth in it. Oftentimes, he could almost mistake her for a human-like doll; real in the flesh, but lacked the soul to live with.


    She smiled at him awkwardly, looking up at his face with innocence, and Kasser¡¯s eyes widened for a moment. But behind this smile was Eugene screaming in her head¡ªLeave me alone!


    ¡°News has reached me,¡± he cleared his throat and began again. ¡°You¡¯ve been skipping meals.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot on my mind lately.¡± she excused, ¡°But I¡¯m fine now, I won¡¯t forget to eat again.¡±


    Unable to hold his intense gaze, she looked down towards the floor once again, completely missing the change in his expression.

 Chapter 7 Strange

    She could feel her heart thudding in her chest, and for a moment, she thought it was about to burst. There was a heavy blanket of silence all over the room.


    The silence was deafening that Eugene could hear her own breath.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ tsk¡­ Anika, what crimes have you done now that you can¡¯t even look at me? Besides, why didn¡¯t you come out of the castle when I arrived?¡± Beyond Eugene¡¯s awareness, it was customary for the queen to welcome the king who has been out of the castle¡¯s walls¡ªthe only refuge from monsters of the desert.


    Kasser sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he continued to question her. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be news anymore if she had committed another crime. It¡¯s practically all she¡¯s ever done as queen, he thought to himself dryly.


    Eugene, on the other hand, was also getting aggravated by his incessant questions, ¡°Are you that offended I hadn¡¯t gone and rolled a welcome wagon for you?¡± Unfortunately for her, her annoyance wasn¡¯t well hidden from her tone of voice.


    Was it customary for everyone here to go out of their way just to welcome their High and Mighty King? Ha! Eugene scoffed to herself until she remembered exactly where she was¡­


    Immediately she began to apologize for her rudeness but still sporting an indifferent look, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I spoke out of turn.¡± she bowed, and Kasser¡¯s eyes shot up in surprise¡­


    ¡°Sorry?¡± he mumbled to himself. Never before has he seen the queen apologize for whatever fault she¡¯s made. Doubtfully narrowing his eyes, he continued to be wary. After a moment of scrutiny, he inferred it was sincere enough.


    He cleared his throat and spoke to her in a much more gentle manner.


    ¡°And what about your meals?¡± he asked, stopping her in the middle of another apology, ¡°Lunch¡¯s just passed, and dinner won¡¯t be for a long while. What can I do for you?¡± he asked, and Eugene hesitated.


    The mention of food brought her mind to some rice, and suddenly, her stomach rumbled loud enough for both of them to hear. Blushing for a moment, Eugene gulped down her embarrassment and tried to regain whatever dignity she had left.


    ¡°I can eat now.¡± she said eagerly, and Kasser nodded to her request.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stick around. I have a meeting shortly.¡± He informed her, ¡°I¡¯ll tell the servants on my way out.¡± She nodded at him in response.


    ¡°Yes.¡± she said, keeping her gaze trailed on the floor. As soon as she heard the door close right after Kasser left, she lifted her head in satisfaction. She couldn¡¯t deny that he had a sense of authority wherever he went.


    Because suddenly, the room felt so empty with him gone. Finally, Eugene breathed out in relief after holding it in for so long.


    All the warriors who had escorted her from the desert to the castle were low in ranking compared to her, the queen. They could never lift a finger against her, nor blame her for a fault.


    But the king was a different matter entirely. He was the highest authority in the kingdom and Jin Anika¡¯s husband.


    ¡°My husband¡­¡± she said to herself, before letting out a heavy sigh.


    She¡¯s never been in a relationship, at least not those romantic in nature. She couldn¡¯t even recall the last time she allowed herself to love, or be involved in a love affair. All her life, she had turned away and shunned the concept of a romantic relationship.


    And now here she was, married in a day!


    At the enormity of her situation, she just realized just how complicated things had gotten for her.


    They only had one interaction so far, and already she could feel that he was looking for any slips she might make in the future. Eugene could feel an incoming headache and groaned.


    How must I behave in the future?


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    Meanwhile, by the hallway towards the conference room, Kasser halted his steps. Consequently, so did the servants who were following him.


    So lost in thought he was, his servants caught him spacing out. He then turned towards them, and immediately, they curled in intimidation.


    ething was occupying his mind, and it wasn¡¯t the upcoming meeting he was about to have. This never happened to him before. His eyes flitted around the corridors, yet he couldn¡¯t find what he was looking for¡­


    Looking further, his gaze swept through the corridors, corners and stairs until it stopped at the sight of the queen¡¯s chamber door¡­


    His feelings were confusing him, but he was certain he wanted to find her, talk to her. He needed answers, answers only she could give him. He¡¯d be sure to stop by once again after the meeting.


    Strange, Kasser mused to himself.


    Indeed it was a strange day. The queen was physically the same, but her speech and actions say otherwise. Whatever this new scheme of hers was, he would surely be keeping a close eye on her this time.

 Chapter 8 A Queer Deal (1)

    Jin Anika knew her charms and talents just as well as she knew how to use them to her advantage. When he first saw her, she smiled rather wickedly as she surrounded herself with countless of men, from all walks of life, on her birthday.


    Kasser did not mean to be part of those men that had flocked towards her. At first glance, she had not seemed suitable enough for a life in the desert, and Kasser quickly deemed it to be a futile attempt. However, she had approached Kasser herself and had struck a queer deal with him, including a rather strange suggestion.


    ¡°Help me maintain a formal marriage for three years,¡± she told him, ¡°And in three years, you shall have your successor.¡± she finished, and Kasser hummed in thought.


    ¡°Why me?¡± he asked her, and she just gave him another mischievous smirk.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are interested in me,¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯ll make the three years of marriage a lot easier.¡±


    ¡°Why do you need a fake marriage?¡± He insisted


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when the deal is done without any trouble,¡± she told him.


    ¡°And what will you do after the baby is born?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that later too.¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad offer, don¡¯t you think my King?¡± she purred at him, ¡°After all, you need an heir sooner or later.¡±


    And with that, he struck the deal, and all Anika needed to do was to bear him his heir, for only she, her kind, can give birth to a child that will inherit his abilities.


    Ever since before, the four kings have always dealt with the struggle of succession. There came a time when the kingdom was put in jeopardy with the lack of successors to the throne. Fortunately, it was abated when Kasser¡¯s father had him; but even then, he was already in his fifties.


    The kingdom of Hashi was the farthest from the Holy city where Jin Anika came from. To reach it, one must cross a perilous mountain range, which meant only a few people would ever take such roads. Which ultimately resulted in less diverse people, and cultural exchanges, and lesser new blood to the current population.


    Due to its isolation, the Hashi Kingdom¡¯s culture had become frugal. Despite it being a luxurious and splendid aristocratic in nature, its culture remained undeveloped. It became a desolate periphery for the aristocrats residing in the castle who only lived for the joy of pleasure.


    The ultimate goal the king needs is a successor. And for that goal, that dream to become a reality, he must take Anika to bed. Anika, descending from the Holy city, led a rather affluent lifestyle, and it was common knowledge that people of her kind refrain from traveling to the distant desert kingdom.


    As what nature demands, Kasser would get older, and it was only a matter of time until things would be too late. He was already exhausted at the thought of searching far and wide for a way to produce an heir. It¡¯s like his father all over again¡­


    So back then, he figured it was a good deal. However, as time went on, he was beginning to have doubts about whether or not he was dealt with an easy solution, or was tricked.


    Before, at the start of their marriage, his mind was filled with thoughts on whether or not she was going to keep her promise, her end of the deal. But now, considering Anika¡¯s corrupt nature, he was filled with a different kind of concern¡­


    Would the child that would grow inside her be fit as my successor?


    Whenever anyone would ask if he had any problems, he would always remain vague. As if it was an automatic response to deny any form of help at all¡­But for years, he always had a gut feeling something was not right, but still, he chose to ignore it.


    It¡¯s been three years.


    Spinning on his heels, he made an about-turn and began pacing once again.


    Three years since they¡¯ve entered an agreement. Three years since they¡¯ve promised to each other. Sooner or later, he will find out what it is Anika planned to get out of with such a strange proposal to him. And whether or not she really will uphold her end of the deal. But to do that, he must make up his own mind, too.


    The late afternoon meeting lasted longer than he thought. There were barely any breaks at all.


    It was a chaotic meeting in summary. Although he had called for the meeting, it was not a formal meeting in actuality, and therefore there was no actual arrangement followed. There were too many participants this time, so many it was enough to fill up the entire conference room, which was by no means small. It consisted of not only the high ranking officials but also of those from the working-level officials, who¡¯ve yet to climb up the social ladder and improve their status.


    Anyone who was anyone was also speaking; sometimes some would do so out of turn. They¡¯d give out opinions without respect or remorse to the chairman, to the king. This type of meeting was certainly unique only to the Hashi Kingdom, seeing as social status should not be barriers in their culture.


    Despite their declining culture, the Kingdom of Hashi was tightly knitted. They were more united than that of any other kingdom. Their isolation in terms of geography and environment, had played a huge part in this¡ªsort of like a quasi-state. Their belief was strongly rooted in the saying: we can survive only when we unite.


    Those were the words that cemented their unity.


    The meeting lasted till morning. Twice a year, this meeting would be held, always after the dry season would end. This was in preparation to pave way for thorough planning of activities that would be held in the next couple of months.


    ¡°It seems to me, there are still some creases yet to be smoothed out.¡± he said, ¡°Let¡¯s adjourn the meeting for now.¡±


    And with that, the king had brought the meeting to a close.


    For the people who stayed up late till morning, they all looked pale. Soon people trickled out of the room peacefully. Too tired to put up such a fuss.


    It was only until everyone finally left the conference room, did Kasser plopped back on his chair and glanced over the scattered records left behind in the room. Flipping until the last page, Kasser let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, before pressing his fingers to his temple¡­


    He crossed the desert for nearly a month. And as soon as he comes home, he is met with a meeting that lasts until morning. He sighs, although his endurance was clearly different from that of his subordinates, he was still only human, he was still capable of being exhausted, and feel drained from those events alone.


    The general soon approached him, with some servants in tow.


    ¡°Your Grace, I had your bath ready.¡± they bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Alright.¡± He answered them as he finally rose to his feet.


    ¡°Would the king like to eat first?¡± the general asked him, and Kasser paused, mulling over his choices and his own body¡­


    I need sleep more than rice. Kasser thought to himself.


    ¡°Is the queen eating now?¡± He asked them instead, averting the question¡­


    Yesterday, when he left the queen¡¯s bedroom, he had ordered her to eat, but he¡¯s yet to know whether or not she took it to heart and actually ate some sustenance for her body¡­


    The general couldn¡¯t answer him right away, her eyes widened in momentarily. She was taken aback. The king never asked about the queen before, not even once. Not even to follow up on the queen¡¯s condition. Ever since they both married, she¡¯s had a feeling they were only ever invested in the beginning of the marriage, a honeymoon phase. After that, the king left the queen alone to her own devices.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, Your Highness.¡± she bowed in forgiveness, ¡°I¡¯ll check on the queen.¡±


    Fortunately for him, Kasser had not blamed the shock the general was experiencing. His request came out of the blue, and was out of character, even for him.


    However, it seemed to him, that even the courtiers have noticed just how dry the relationship between the king and his wife actually was.


    Despite having stepped down from her post, Marianne still took it upon herself to instill the discipline she had helped mold onto the king. Even to this day, her influence remains strong. So out of respect, despite the many things the courtiers wanted to say, they held their tongue as it would be rude, especially when it comes to the relationship of the king and queen.


    Although the credit also partially goes to the queen¡¯s excellent acting. Always appearing quite coquettish towards her husband, even under scrutiny in the public eye, helped convince the people their relationship was fine.


    For a while, Kasser had hesitated.


    ¡®It is time to talk to her.¡¯ He thought, finally making up his mind and turned to the general, ¡°I¡¯ll have lunch with Anika.¡±


    T/N: Hello everyone, I am back with another chapter! Wordexcerpt has been quite eventful this month with the outpour of new novels that we, translators, translate to the best of our abilities. In regards to this, Moon-er and I have published new books and we would really appreciate it if you leave reviews in novelupdates. Thank you so much.


    Living As the Villainess Queen


    This novel has the ¡®transmigration into the book as the villainess¡¯ theme, only it¡¯s in a western, desert setting plus there¡¯s immersive world-building and touch of fantasy. It¡¯s the same author from Lucia, one of the best Korean smut novel, but this time, our MC is more proactive. And there¡¯s sizzling, electrifying smut in this. This is a slow-burn type of novel to read for a literary experience.


    His Transmigrated Cannon Fodder Fiance (Moon-er)


    This novel leans more on the gag side, quite like Doomed to be a Cannon fodder. However, our MC is not demure at all. You¡¯ll see in the following chapters how she deals with vindictive antagonists¨Cthat is with a slap. She cuts to the chase and is not fond of playing mind games. But I find the male lead and her interactions the golden part of this novel. If you¡¯re interested in a cat and dog type relationship, you¡¯ll love this. But of course, our male lead becomes very pampering of our unruly MC.


    Where Is Justice for the Villainess? (Moon-er)


    Revenge type novel with a twist. MC is vindictive, screams FEMALE EMPOWERMENT (and she wields the sword with her mighty magic). And the story is heavily driven by plot and the romance is built up quite nicely with the male lead (one she makes a contractual relationship with, not that damned Albert). Although MC is more of a stoic, unsympathetic person, her emotions and character grow as the story commences. And in the long run¡­there will be smut as the sexual tension builds up.

 Chapter 9 A Queer Deal (2)

    Bowing her head in acquiesce, the general said, ¡°Of course, Your Grace. It shall be done so immediately.¡± And so the general left, the shock still reeling in his mind. It was still too early to pass judgement, in his opinion. It could be nothing, it could be something. But it still wasn¡¯t certain that the relationship between the king and queen was changing.


    Nonetheless, she could only hope.


    As General Sarah stalked the hallways, she ran into Chancellor Verus, who was returning towards the direction of the conference room.


    Sarah had become a general, at the expense of Marian. Though not as charismatic as her predecessor, she was still sincere and meticulous. Soon enough, concerns about Marianne¡¯s vacancy had dispelled and quickly settled down as Sarah took up her position as general.


    The two of them exchanged greetings as soon as they neared each other.


    ¡°Are you off to see the King?¡± the general asked, and Chancellor Verus nodded¡­


    ¡°Why yes general.¡± the Chancellor answered, ¡°Where is the king?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s off to the baths right now.¡±


    ¡°Well then, perhaps I shall come back at a later time.¡± And the chancellor began to retrace steps.


    ¡°For a moment chancellor,¡± the general called out, ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on telling anyone, but you are the king¡¯s most trusted chancellor, and as such, I thought you should know.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    She wanted to share the news with anyone but didn¡¯t want to end up compromising the king. Fortunately, Verus had proven to be a trustworthy person, and was knowledgeable about the real relationship between the king and his wife¡­


    ¡°The king, His Majesty, had just ordered me to prepare lunch with the queen,¡± she said, Chancellor Verus appeared pensive, but not at all surprised.


    ¡°Truly? Then perhaps he was finally taking Marianne¡¯s advice.¡± the Chancellor mused, and Sarah immediately understood what he was implying.


    ¡°Perhaps, but it was the king himself who told me, without any prompting from Marianne.¡± she exclaimed in a rather excited manner. The glee in her tone and that twinkle in her eyes could not hide her excitement at the prospect. And for the chancellor, it was news indeed.


    Three years have passed since the king had married the queen. And in those three years, their union remained utterly fruitless.


    ¡°Indeed, it is a rare occasion.¡± the Chancellor said, ¡°Thank you for sharing general. But I believe you have a royal lunch to prepare.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, chancellor.¡± Sarah said and bowed in respect before she left the chancellor on his own, completely missing the strange look upon his face as he watched Sarah¡¯s retreating back.


    ¡®Could it be that the king already knows of the queen¡¯s sudden disappearance in his absence?¡¯


    He stood in the corridor in solitude. His thoughts battling in his mind. If he were to disregard the natural wickedness the queen possessed, even he would not wish for the king and Anika¡¯s relationship to be acrimonious.


    For the country¡¯s future, and continued reign, the king must produce an heir soon. Even amongst spouses who never get along, a child is usually born early on, but that was the only extent of those spouses¡¯ relation.


    ¡®I¡¯ll talk to him later.¡¯


    He turned and walked in the direction Sarah had gone.


    *


    Advertisement


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    Another day had finally passed, without any untoward incidents, except for the occasional encounter with the king. Eugene, in her current situation, had stayed up all night, overwrought at the mere prospect of having to face Kasser, and would demand of her to fulfill her duties as his wife.Fortunately for her, she was safe that morning.


    Being queen gave her quite a leisurely position. None came to see or bother her, not even to remind her of any strict schedule she must follow.


    Eugene spent her entire breakfast sifting through, and organizing her thoughts.


    ¡°What did Jin Anika do while she was a queen of the Hashi Kingdom?¡±¡¯


    In her novel, she remembered that Jin Anika¡¯s character appeared quite late in the story. At first, she introduced a rather minor villain. This villain soon turned out to be acting upon the orders of the queen. And that was how Jin Anika was revealed to be the final boss. She appeared somewhere in the middle of the story to be specific.


    ¡°I should remember the details.¡± she muttered to herself. When she wrote the novel, ideas suddenly came popping to her head in disarray. Eugene gulped a nervous laugh, and goosebumps erupted from her skin as she realized something¨Cit felt as if someone was dictating her to write such a strange novel.


    It¡¯s a little late to regret now that she found herself in the villain¡¯s character.


    Until a thought occurred to her.


    ¡°What if I remake it now since it¡¯s my story anyway?¡± Yet, this was not feasible.


    So far, nothing had come to mind. Ever since Eugene entered the world she created, she felt as though she had ceased to become its author, and became one of the many pieces in the world called Mahar.


    It didn¡¯t help that she did not have much knowledge when it came to the Hashi Kingdom. While writing the story, she¡¯d only ever gone as far as thinking about what it should be called and where it was located.


    Now that she was in it, the world no longer seemed like a plateau, gone was the way she saw the world in the flat lines of the pages. Now it appeared encompassing and round.


    Mulling over this, the thought of Seongdo or the Holy City, where Jin Anika came from, struck her. Could she find some sort of refuge there?


    She also knew that outside the kingdom¡¯s borders, there lie six other kingdoms.


    But to cross from Hashi to Seongdo, there was still the unavoidable obstacle in the form of a mountain range. And then proceed to traverse towards the Sloan Kingdom. In simpler terms, Hashi was the farthest kingdom from Seongdo. Whatever happens in the kingdom couldn¡¯t really reach the other.


    She was in an isolated kingdom, surrounded by strange people. What¡¯s more, her fate was to die in the hands of Kasser, the very man whom Jin Anika married.


    Presented with these challenges, Eugene took a deep breath. She still couldn¡¯t understand how in the world she was transmigrated to a novel-world, not to mention, waking up in a villainess¡¯ body.


    But now, she was only sure of one thing.


    She won¡¯t back down.

 Chapter 10 Deja Vu

    ¡°Seongdo,¡± Eugene thought to herself. It means Holy City, or otherwise known as the center of the world. Each and every kingdom in this world has its own capital, its own royal family.


    Seongdo was also a small country, run by Sangje himself. Though the country was political in nature, it was, in fact, religious. Translating that to the real world, one where Eugene was supposed to be in, Sangje mirrored the Pope.


    But she knows that Sangje is not human. And as far as she went, she is certain she¡¯s the only one that knows. She knows because it was her idea, her creation. Just like the world she was currently in was born of her imagination.


    ¡®Should I seek Sangje?¡¯ She shook her head at the thought. She didn¡¯t feel much like it would help her situation. ¡®There is no guarantee that he will be able to help me after he knows my identity. Besides, I don¡¯t want to go to Seongdo, it¡¯s the center of all events.¡¯


    ¡°Anika.¡± a timid voice called out to her, and Eugene turned her head to the general direction of the voice. Having not said a word yet, the voice called out once again¡­


    ¡°Anika, may I have a word?¡± Eugene was mulling over whether she should. Not coming up with any reasonable excuse to avoid the audience, she decided to hear the person out.


    ¡°Come in.¡± No matter how she controlled it, her tone of voice and inflection were strange, which proved difficult when it comes to dealing with her subordinates. She¡¯s watched plenty of historical dramas in her leisure time, but it didn¡¯t change her speech one bit. She still spoke the same.


    The door creaked open, and in came the maid. She had a light brown colored hair, with eyes that shone with hazel. Her gaze was pointedly affixed on the floor instead of towards Eugene.


    Ever since she came into the world, Eugene has been greeted with an onslaught of endless strangers. She felt so overwhelmed at her new surroundings, new people, she was finding it difficult to grasp her new reality, to believe it¡¯s not all just fiction. Not to mention that the maids were all so similarly dressed, it was hard for her to differentiate who was who.


    But the maid before her was familiar. After all, she¡¯s served her and continues to do so ever since, making sure Eugene had everything she needed.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Eugene asked, and the maid bowed her head lower. She was shaking.


    ¡°Please forgive me for disturbing you, Anika, but the king sent a message.¡± The maid reasoned out, clearly misinterpreting it as a threat from the queen. Eugene noted how sweat began to form around the maid¡¯s temple, as well as the way she kept wiping and fiddling with her hands against her uniform.


    ¡®This hierarchy runs a tight ship.¡¯ Eugene mused to herself as she continued to observe the stiffness of the maid¡¯s posture towards her.


    But contrary to this thought, people around her casually calls her by the nickname Anika instead of her title¡­ ¡®What a really strange decorum¡¯.


    Finally, she took pity and responded, willing her voice to be a bit softer.


    ¡°What message?¡± she asked the maid.


    ¡°His Majesty, the king requests to have lunch with you.¡± she answered, still keeping her head bowed down, as was expected of her. The maid had used the word request, but Eugene knew it was an order from the king himself.


    Eugene mulled over that request for a moment, agonizing every choice she could do. However, reason won out in the end. If she was to play the part of the antagonist, then she should learn to think things through thoroughly and swiftly.


    ¡°I will.¡± She finally replied and went about her morning routine, which also included a light meal. It wasn¡¯t until a little while later did the dread finally crept in Eugene as she realized one difficulty.


    Lunch was quickly approaching. She could tell simply because the maids have begun to rush in and prepare the setting for the shared meal of the king and queen.


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    The other day, when Eugene woke up, she had been pampered and attended by the maids. If she was being honest, there was something satisfying in the way they waited on her hand and foot. Being queen, despite the main villain, was quite a pleasant experience. However there is one thing she did find uncomfortable; when their hands roamed her body¡­


    At least, the body she was currently borrowing.


    It¡¯s only been a few days since she arrived in this world, and yet here she was already enjoying the privileges and other luxuries given to her.


    It hadn¡¯t occurred to her, because of course, the clothes she had been wearing the past few days were not appropriate to be worn to have lunch with the king. As it turns out, the luxurious clothes she thought were good enough to be worn outside, were only indoor clothes owned by the queen. Naturally, another, and grander clothes were prepared by the servants for her.


    ¡®Is this real?¡¯ Eugene definitely felt as if she was in a dream.


    The dress was beautiful. It was made of silk, with sleeves that rustled as she moved. Her bodice was made of corset, adorned with glistening beads. The skirt billowing with every step she took. She couldn¡¯t imagine the fortune it cost for such a dress to be made and worn by her.


    ¡®Is this too much? Or is this just normal?¡¯ Because despite living as queen these past few days, she was still, woefully, novice to this entire thing.


    As she continued to be dolled up in preparation to have lunch with the king, she remembered another glaring problem she had¡­


    She doesn¡¯t know a single thing about dining etiquette in this world!


    ¡®What about table manners?¡¯ She continued to fret, thoughts endlessly running through her head for any kind of stock knowledge.


    She soon found relief in the fact that she at least have some experience with fine dining, considering she worked at a hotel restaurant for quite some time. Taking a deep breath, Eugene hoped that whatever she learned would not be a complete waste.


    Time was running out. Lunch was fast approaching.


    ¡°Anika, please come with me.¡± There was a man this time, fetching her. He was dressed differently from the servants, his expression hardened, with eyes that held wisdom gained from experience. He stood tall and proud despite his advanced age.


    There was only one word that came to mind who this was.


    ¡®General.¡¯


    The thought echoed in her head. It seemed like even the original owner knew this man as such.


    And so Eugene found herself walking the hallways with the General there to guide her. Her eyes flickered all around her, making sure not to lose sight of her guide, and wander off to who knows where. This was the first time she was seeing the inside of the palace. She had stayed in the queen¡¯s chamber all this time, after all.


    It had not a touch of the modern age, but Eugene found it fitting; there was a hint of uniqueness to it. The stone floors were made with geometric patterns, its surfaces polished and colored. The walls ran long and tall, supported with columns and full of antique reliefs.


    Despite having only serving as a passageway for people to come and go, the hallways was undoubtedly spacious. She mused that even if trucks were to pass through, there wouldn¡¯t be any problem at all. Everything was just that wide.


    ¡®I was expecting to feel embarrassed, yet I don¡¯t.¡¯


    She continued to admire the grandeur, but she was not at all overwhelmed. Somewhere, deep in her heart, she was, surprisingly, calm.


    She didn¡¯t even have to think about how to walk, she just automatically knew how to, her body moving so flawlessly and elegantly like a true queen. Naturally assuming a good posture, it seemed to remember everything simply by muscle memory alone.


    ¡°I think this is the way to the dining hall.¡± She suddenly blurted out. It all felt so familiar, including the entire layout of the place. Despite having not left the room since getting here, it seemed like she knew where to go after all.


    The man she was following suddenly turned around to look at her and said¡­


    ¡°Anika, I¡¯ll take you to the parlor where His Majesty instructed me to bring you.¡±


    Eugene nodded and felt a strange feeling wash over her.


    ¡®Why does all of these feel like a deja vu?¡¯


    T/N: May this year be filled with joy and prosperity for each one of you. Thank you so much for your support always.

 Chapter 11 Royal Lunch (1)

    Soon enough, they¡¯ve arrived in the parlor. Its walls were painted a dark blue hue. The door opened up, and Eugene went inside not long after.


    Kasser sat at the table, and woke up from his short respite as soon as Eugene arrived. When he did, they locked eyes instantly.


    Everytime I look at her, I was always overcome by intense loathing.


    Eugene averted her gaze. In her novel, it was Kasser who took Jin Anika¡¯s life. He was also the kind of person who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to retaliate against someone who certainly deserves it.


    However despite that, justice was not the only motivation the king had when he killed his wife. She remembered that Jin Anika had in fact, went missing after being embroiled in a tragic incident that had taken place in Hashi kingdom.


    It wasn¡¯t until later on in the story was it revealed that Jin had in fact caused the accident herself, while thinking she will die with it.


    Jin was also well versed in the dark arts through sacrificing human lives; the lives of the people in Hashi Kingdom. All done and possible through the power she gained by Mara.


    It was in his anger at this discovery that soon led the king, Kasser to kill her in a fit of rage. His murder of his wife was done in cold blood. Might as well have called it an act of revenge.


    Eugene sat down first, and Kasser followed. She did her best to ignore his intense gaze, which was undoubtedly on her.


    The King, on the other hand, was steadfastly observing the queen and noticed that she kept her head down low, her gaze never straying to him once. Not once did she smile that coquettish smile she always sent his way, despite him being unresponsive to it.


    The meal was already the table, ready for the couple began eating without exchanging a single word to each other, not even for greeting one another.


    All in all, it was a grim meal. Sarah continued to stare at the two royalties, and found that her eyes began to moisten at the poor display in front of her¡­


    What should I do with those two?


    Sarah had took it upon herself to be in charge of the preparation of the meal and had painstakingly worried about even the littlest of details. She had walked tirelessly up and down several flights of stairs, all for the sake of this lunch to be a monumental success.


    That¡¯s why, seeing these two ignoring each other made her very disappointed. Soon after, all servants and general present, Sarah included, were dismissed from the parlour. The king wanted to talk to his wife alone.


    Eugene didn¡¯t even have the time to look at her surroundings. She concentrated all her attention to her dish so as not to make mistakes. The utensils here were quite different from what she knew. Despite being similar to Western dinners, the dishes were all still strange to her.


    As she was eating, a thought suddenly ran through her mind her mind, coaching her on what to do¡­


    It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a mushroom. You can skim off the cream from the outside and cut it with a knife.


    She did what her mind told her to and no one seemed to look suspicious of her eating. She ate in slow bites, fumbling at her memory, careful to appear without hurry. She felt a sigh of relief as soon as she finished her meal.


    Because of her wariness, she didn¡¯t even get to enjoy her food. She couldn¡¯t even tell if the rice went to her mouth or to her nose. Still, even though she wasn¡¯t able to savor her food, she felt proud of her accomplishment.


    It was amazing that fragments of the original Jin Anika¡¯s memory remained in her..


    She doesn¡¯t really know where or what the original Jin Anika knew. Nor does she know where the key to that locked drawer. But she believes that if she looks and searches every nook and cranny, she¡¯ll get used to it eventually.


    Kasser put his glass down and indicated for the servants to get the empty plates and utensils away. It didn¡¯t take long for them to tidy up the place and soon only the two of them remain.


    ¡°You¡¯re suspecting I told Marianne everything she knew. In fact, I didn¡¯t clear those suspicions of yours at that time.¡± Kasser stated, frowning at the thought.


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    It had been half a year since it happened. Since there was a great clash with the queen.


    It was when the queen had asked, or rather demanded, that Marianne, the former general, be sent away. Had requested to place her not even near the castle but in remote areas of the kingdom¡­


    But King Kasser had denied the request.


    ¡°I can never do that.¡±


    He said that time.


    ¡°Her influence in the palace is great. She¡¯s only a general of the squadron? She might as well take my place!¡±


    Kasser couldn¡¯t understand why the Queen had hated Marianne so much, enough to send her away. Marianne, for all her accomplishments and former position, was only a powerless woman. But the real reason why people followed her, love her, was not because of the power she held, but the virtues she lives by.


    The queen had always regarded Marianne, and by extension, Sarah who was her successor, an eyesore. And Kasser did not know why for the longest time.


    ¡°Do you think me a fool? That I wouldn¡¯t know? You, the king confides to her everything. I won¡¯t be fooled, not by anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. No matter what you say, Marianne stays.¡±


    Kasser hadn¡¯t listened to the Queen. After the fight, both left each other with nothing but bitter feelings, and thus the queen and king became more desolate.


    ¡°It was my mistake.¡± He continued, ¡°We should¡¯ve compromised, instead of ending it like that.¡±


    Eugene stayed in rapt attention to his every word, despite not knowing what he was talking about. She needed to get the information, and what better way than from the king himself?


    ¡°Did you change your mind? I¡¯ll make sure Marianne doesn¡¯t enter this palace. Isn¡¯t this enough?¡± he asked her and Eugene frowned¡­


    Who¡¯s Marianne? The mere mention of the name did not give Jin Anika a clue. Kasser then frowned at her, and Eugene realized she must have spoken out loud¡­


    I don¡¯t think he appreciated that question. But who is Marianne?! Family? Lover?


    These thoughts rang through Eugene¡¯s head¡­


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 Chapter 12 Royal Lunch (2)

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± she finally answered him, and Kasser stared at her with narrowed eyes..


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± He asked which Eugene returned with a terse nod.


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t banish her from this palace.¡± She said with more certainty, this time, ignoring the ever prolonged stare the king was giving her¡­


    It was clear to her that this Marianne was an important person to the King, and for him to refuse to grant the wish of the Queen before indicated a strong connection with her.


    ¡°Am I hearing you right? You no longer wish for her disappearance?¡± He asked once again, and once again Eugene nodded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The room was suddenly filled with silence.


    ¡°Alright, if you say so.¡± Kasser nodded his head, but never took his eyes off of her. This made Eugene feel more uncomfortable, she wished that he would finally leave her alone, better yet, allow her to be dismissed already.


    What if I make more mistakes that would make him suspicious? She thought, worried that she¡¯d give herself away any moment now¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s rude not to look at the person you¡¯re conversing with.¡± Kasser pointed out with a narrowed gaze, ¡°Look at me.¡± He demanded, ¡°You¡¯re acting like a criminal, like you¡¯ve done something wrong.¡±


    Gulping in trepidation, she slowly raised her head and met the king¡¯s gaze head-on. She soon schooled her expression back to cool indifference.


    Deep inside, she was gawking at the sheer beauty the king naturally possessed. If they were back in her world, the real one she was supposed to be in, she could say without a doubt that people would pay a fortune just to look even remotely similar to him. He was that exquisite.


    Now that she could see him up closer than before, his eyes seemed even more striking. The vivid blue glinted against the light in the room, shining like a crystal clear skies.


    Still, this man was a killer, her thoughts warned. Despite his outward appearance, a monster lay hidden underneath that flawless skin.


    She soon shook her wandering thoughts away when he caught him send her a smile, or a smirk should she look closer. She could feel her eyes begin to narrow as she blatantly stared at him, her imaginary shackles rising, anticipating something to go wrong¡­


    ¡°Did you have a change of heart while I was away from the castle?¡± He asked, tilting his head to the side, unashamedly still looking at her.


    In retaliation and not one to be pushed around, Eugene gave him the most pleasant smile she could muster despite her wildly beating heart¡­


    She thinks her chest is about to burst¡­


    Of course, he is still Jin Anika¡¯s husband. Any change with her, he would surely notice.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, hoping it sounded confident, ¡°I wanted to change.¡± Kasser perked up, genuinely curious.


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°I want to make a difference for good. That is all.¡± Eugene finished, her breathing tensing ever slightly as the blue eyes continued to scrutinize her. Examine her, as if he could see what she was hiding with those sapphire orbs of his.


    Indeed, the king¡¯s eyes were somewhat different. The mere sight of him made her feel as if he could read her mind in great detail. Pull apart everything in her thoughts that make her, her.


    ¡°Is this the cause of your sudden change then?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend that you don¡¯t know.¡± He said, his irritation seeping in his tone, ¡°Our contract.¡± He finished and Eugene froze¡­


    ¡®What contract?¡¯ She thought frantically. None of this wasn¡¯t making sense. This wasn¡¯t in the plot at all!


    ¡°Whether you believe it or not. I didn¡¯t tell anyone about our contract.¡± Kasser continued, oblivious to her tumultuous thoughts.


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    What contract? Eugene, come up with something, please! She racked her brain, but nothing came to mind. This was certainly not written in her novel!


    ¡°It has been three years since we made the contract, three years since you came to this castle.¡±


    Three years? Eugene didn¡¯t even know the original owner¡¯s age, but it could be estimated that the King is at least three years older.


    ¡°What exactly is your point?¡± She finally responded, that was neutral enough. Enough to sound like she knew what he was talking about, but still uncertain what he was trying to tell her. ¡°Tell me so I can finally get on with it.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean to keep your promise?¡± he asked and Eugene could hear he was growing skeptical¡­


    ¡°Yes, I will keep my promise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the most pleasant thing I¡¯ve ever heard from you.¡± He said enthusiastically, and Eugene found herself frowning once again at his tone, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be sarcastic. Don¡¯t be upset.¡± He added, noticing her unpleasant expression¡­


    Eugene knew only one thing for sure. The relationship between the couple seemed bad. His expression and tone towards her was not the way a man acts towards his loved ones.


    Well, that¡¯s a relief. Eugene was glad of this. It was best he didn¡¯t have affection for her so that he won¡¯t take her sudden change seriously.


    I have to figure out why Jin married the king. There must be an important reason. As far as she knew, when she created the queen, she was just¡­ there, designated with the role of the villain.


    Kasser, on the other hand, had been expecting more resistance in their conversation. Surprisingly,his wife had seemed subdued and was agreeable this time¡­


    He understood that this wasn¡¯t Jin Anika¡¯s domain. She needed extra care, time to acclimate to the changes around her. Their ways were not her ways after all, marriage did not change that.


    The first of many wishes was marriage. A formal acknowledgment of their relationship. It had to be perfect for the public to see.


    Banishing Marianne was the only wish he had ever countered.


    But this wasn¡¯t all. As a queen, she was basically just a figurehead. She wanted the wealth, the luxury, and all the benefits that came with being queen, but none of the obligations that came with it.


    Whatever political sway she had, she used it all to her own advantage, no regard to the people at all. With it, she began to instill fear into the very hearts of their subordinates. She was criticized and discriminated by even the courtiers by ruthlessly disposing of several maids.


    His main goal with the lunch invitation was reminding Jin Anika of their agreement. She was yet to provide him the heir she had so promised.


    ¡°I had anticipated resistance, to be honest, which was why I had lunch take place in my parlor.¡± He continued, ¡°It¡¯s a refreshing thought, reaching an agreement without disagreements.¡± And then he smiled. It wasn¡¯t the first one he¡¯s made. He probably hadn¡¯t realized it, but Eugene could see the difference. It was the first genuine smile he sent her way.


    ¡°Anika.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°No need for pretenses.¡± He said, ¡°You¡¯ve been different lately.¡± He regarded. Eugene could only give him an awkward smile, she hoped it didn¡¯t turn out to be a grimace.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop. Is today the last day of the month? I¡¯ll go tomorrow.¡± He finally said, and Eugene felt something go off in her mind¡­


    Tomorrow? What does he mean?


    She panicked and missed the moment to respond naturally. This set Kasser to doubt her as he continued to stare at her, his sapphire orbs raking over her as he observed her. Eugene shook her nerves away as best as she could, smiling as naturally as she could with her current state of turmoil.


    ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡± Eugene forced out in response.


    Fortunately, her unresponsiveness didn¡¯t seem to bother Kasser. Eugene quietly breathed out a sigh of relief as they both continued the remainder of their meal.


    Soon they both came out of the parlor and went their separate ways without further acknowledgment of what had transpired. Not that much has happened anyway. Eugene quickly headed to her chamber, while Kasser went to his study.


    He sat on his desk, musing about the queen. He was so lost in thought, he hardly paid attention to what he was doing, the piles and stacks of papers left unattended.


    The lunch with the queen was certainly not what he had expected. Everything about her screamed differently; her expression, her poise, even how she responded. The more he recalled, the less she resembled the woman he once thought he knew.


    And the more he thought about it, the stranger the feeling in his gut was.


    It was as if she was an entirely different person. He thought¡­


    Gone was her wicked smiles, the fake laughter. What was presented to him a while ago as a very awkward Anika¡ªbut, for the first time, she seemed very much¡­ human.


    What happened while I was gone?


    Whether or not she had truly changed, or was only putting up a believable act, Kasser couldn¡¯t let his guard down. He must absolutely be certain. Which was why he knew he needed advice from someone he trusts the most.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Chancellor Verus stood before him.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t reported everything to me, have you?¡± he was quick to cut to the chase.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The man said so in a remorseful way, and Kasser narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°What happened in my absence?¡± He demanded. Frightful of the king¡¯s short patience, Verus quickly answered, making sure to answer as briefly and swiftly as possible.


    ¡°Your Highness, the stone gate was opened a few days before you¡¯ve returned.¡±


    T/N: Hi there. Please drop a rating or a review of LVQ in novelupdates. Thank youuu very much.


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 Chapter 13 When the King Is Provoked

    Kasser¡¯s expression hardened. The stone gate to the desert should have been opened only when he came back after being out to the desert.


    Verus took a breath before continuing.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find out where the queen was after she left the desert a few days ago. After a full day¡¯s search, the warriors were fortunate to have found the missing queen and brought her here into safety.¡±


    Bang!


    Kasser hit the desk hard with his palm and Verus flinched on instinct.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? How did the queen go out to the desert? You opened the stone gate for her? Without my permission?!¡± He exclaimed


    ¡°We didn¡¯t, Your Majesty.¡± Verus sputtered, quickly continuing to explain the situation, ¡°She climbed up the wall using a rope, so it took us a while to notice her disappearance.¡±


    ¡®A rope?¡¯ Kasser burst into a peal of mocking laughter. ¡°Are you saying that no one knew that the queen crossed the walls and climbed her way out?¡±


    Verus nodded and stayed silent¡­


    ¡°What a shame. The maids-in-waiting, how did the queen manage to slip from their notice?¡± the king inquired further¡­


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    ¡°She especially threatened the maids from her entourage to not come inside her chamber until they are called. No one dared to disobey the queen¡¯s order.¡± Verus said softly¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s an excuse on their part.¡± Kasser scoffed. He was undoubtedly furious, but his anger dissipated as soon as he remembered the tear the servants had for the queen.


    Even though she mellowed down with the harsh treatment a year ago since his threat, she still was ruthless in her attitude towards them. And the fear still remained, and it made the servants all the more eager not to defy her wishes if they made a mistake.


    ¡°How did you know that the queen was missing?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until late in the morning yesterday.¡± Verus answered, ¡°One general opened her door arbitrarily, as everyone became worried that she was starving herself by not calling a servant to bring her her meals.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I sent a search party to the desert.¡±


    Verus sent ten search teams comprising of ten men each into the desert. Sending warriors without the king¡¯s express permission was a risky decision for Verus to do. It was nearly the end of the dry season, which meant that monsters could be already lurking around the desert.


    Warriors were treasures of the kingdom. Verus would be held accountable if one of them was even hurt, worse, mutilated.


    ¡°Was anyone hurt?¡± The king asked, the tension settling at his jaw and Verus shook his head¡­


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    ¡°All the warriors returned unharmed, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kasser nodded. ¡°Where did the warriors find her?¡±


    ¡°The queen was walking the desert alone when they found her,¡± said Verus. ¡°It was Sir Sven who found her. He returned immediately to the castle, ending the search.¡±


    It deeply baffled him why Jin Anika would go through that length to escape the castle. What was her intention? He needed to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. Who knows what schemes Anika was orchestrating at this very moment?


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    ¡°Was she hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of any injury of the queen, Your Majesty. However, Sir Sven said she looked unstable when she returned home.¡±


    Kasser sneered at the thought. He had been played like a fool. This was not just another one of Jin Anika¡¯s ploys, she was trying to run away from her responsibilities. Trying to escape from him and the contract.


    ¡°Was it Marian¡¯s idea not to report this as soon as I¡¯ve arrived?¡± He growled at the Chancellor, who only remained silent and bowed his head in shame.


    ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kasser clicked his tongue. If he had heard the report as soon as he had come, he would have been furious and could care less if the queen did in fact starve.


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    At this moment, he only knew two things as a fact.


    First, Marianne knew how monstrous he could be if provoked, therefore she coerced everyone to hide the news from him, sending him to the queen¡¯s chamber had been a distraction.


    And secondly, the queen¡¯s sudden change in demeanor? Kasser chuckled mirthlessly. None of it is true.


    She had been playing him all along.


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 Chapter 14 Memory Loss (1)

    She could¡¯ve been attacked by Larks! Kasser thought in frustration. His brows furrowed, fists clenched so tightly, his knuckles turned white.


    Anika had always been sheltered, kept safe from any kind of harm or hardship. She would have been terrified had she encountered any Lark at all. But if she did witness, or encountered such horrific events, it would explain the sudden change.


    If she did have such experience, her sudden change could be somehow validated. A near-death experience can certainly change a person, no matter how wicked they were to the core.


    When one finds themselves clinging onto dear life, their life flashing before their very eyes, you would wish you could take back all your wrong deeds as you realize life could be so much more¡­


    Larks¡­ Kasser could feel the cold rage coursing through his veins at the thought of them.


    Larks refer to red-eyed devils that haunt Mahar. During the dry season, it falls into a deep sleep but when this time of peace is over, these monsters rush out of their nesting dens and start roaming around, looking for prey. Active period is how the people called when Larks begin their hunts.


    These monsters come in many forms¡ªfour-legged reptiles, gigantic worms and many more. They also come in varying, yet giant sizes. Despite this, the one thing Larks had in common was its hostile nature to humans.


    If the queen and her party had been attacked by Larks, she would probably still be safe. It was widely believed that a Lark cannot hurt Anika because of where she came from; Seongdo, the Holy City.


    But this was no more than just a vicious rumor as no one actually saw a Lark spare the queen from his appetite. And no one in their right mind would dare put the queen, Anika, into the desert in active period simply to verify its authenticity.


    None were that cruel.


    Witnesses from so long ago had testified though, that none of these Larks had been seen anywhere near, or in Seongdo, Anika¡¯s hometown and country.


    But why did Anika go out to the desert in the first place? What was her purpose? Kasser thoughts were only filled with a multitude of questions, one appearing after the other the more he thought about it.


    The queen had recklessly escaped through the desert. But why? No one knew what goes through the queen¡¯s mind. What¡¯s more unusual was that Anika was notorious for hating the desert she was forced to live in. She hated the coarse sands, she hated the endless heat.


    Unfortunately, that was exactly what the kingdom of Hashi was. A desert kingdom. And with the harsh desert came an even far more dangerous foe in the form of Larks especially in active period. But come the dry season, the desert was but a treasure.


    Always at the end of the active period and the beginning of the dry season, the king would cross the desert to reach a small oasis situated at its middle. It was an altar of offering; built on the oasis and as per tradition, the king must visit without fail.


    He remembers the queen accompanying him once on one of his many trips to the altar. It happened around the dry season in their first year of marriage.


    It was an unpleasant experience. There was no smile on her face at its whole duration. She wanted to immediately return to the palace. She made her distaste for the desert so clearly, he never brought her along any time after that.


    And she never went back out of the desert.


    ¡°What did the queen do before she went out to the desert? Was there anything strange?¡± He asked one of the palace hands.


    ¡°There was none, Your Majesty. The queen went about as her usual routine.¡± Kasser huffed out in frustration.


    ¡°Go and summon General Sarah for me at once.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    No one person, especially someone like Jin Anika, would go and do the one thing they hate for absolutely no reason. Kasser resolved to look more deeply into each and every activity the Queen had before she escaped to the desert. And the general would be sure to aid him in his investigation.


    *


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    *


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    When Eugene managed to return to her bedroom, she began pacing back and forth her room During her conversation with the king, she knew absolutely nothing in what he was talking about. Not a hint or clue was revealed to help her.  It didn¡¯t matter how hard she tried to rack her brain, or in this case, Anika¡¯s, nothing came to mind.


    I may have her body and mind, but I don¡¯t think I can manipulate them freely at all. She nervously thought. She kept fiddling with her hands, but knew she needed a change of tactics. She can¡¯t go about this passively, after all, charging headfirst blind to what she was doing.


    After further musing, she resolved to call for one of her maids, Zanne, one who was assigned to cater to her whims and needs.


    ¡°You called, Anika?¡± Zanne said softly as soon as she arrived. When she had been summoned, she felt fear coursing through her veins. The blood draining from her face with the thought of the queen. She was utterly terrified.


    Eugene had never experienced being so frightened of someone who held authority over them, but she can at least relate to her. She¡¯s been exposed to numbers of employers who were troublesome, even in modern society with all the laws protecting workers. It was simply an unavoidable thorn. It was also why she wants to ease the girl¡¯s fright, if ever so slightly.


    ¡°Come and sit.¡± Eugene sat down on the couch and beckoned to Zanne, patting the space beside her, but Zanne seemed all the more frightened. Her metaphorical shackles rising at the thought of going nearer. She was shaking¡­


    She was expecting the worst.


    ¡°H-how dare I sit down wi-with¡ª¡± she stuttered, buy Eugene interrupted.


    ¡°Sit down.¡± She ordered. She hadn¡¯t meant to make it sound like an order, but it came out like it. She was thankful that Zanne, did in fact, sit down beside her¡­


    Even if she was almost dangling at the edge of the seat when she did. She did her best to keep the farthest possible distance from her.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± Eugene asked her.


    ¡°I¡¯m 19 years old.¡±


    At first, Eugene tried coercing Zanne to relax by asking her personal questions, including her age, family and when she became a maid in the castle. Despite her unwavering caution, Zanne was able to give brief and concise answers when she was asked.


    It took a while, but soon enough her quick and short answers soon became longer, more in-depth, and Eugene could tell she was beginning to thaw the girl¡¯s well-built caution due to fear. If anything, her tense expression was soon easing up, so she took it as a good sign.


    ¡°Zanne.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Zanne was stupefied. She couldn¡¯t believe that the queen remembered her name! This was not the first time she entered the queen¡¯s chamber, but not once did she summoned her by name. It seemed like a miracle.


    ¡°I want you to help me.¡± Eugene said, cutting to the chase and told her without hesitation. Instantly, Zanne¡¯s eyes widened. What help could she provide the queen?


    ¡°After I came back from the desert, I had a little problem,¡± Eugene said. This was a gamble on her part. One she wished would work out in her favor. ¡°My memory¡¯s a little¡­messed up.¡± She finally admitted.


    T/N: Double updates! My dearest readers, if you have time, please drop a rating or a review of our LVQ in novelupdates. You always have my deepest thanks.


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 Chapter 15 Memory Loss (2)

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zanne looked incredulous. For a moment, she thought the queen was playing with her. But judging by Anika¡¯s somber face, she was truly serious. She was having trouble remembering.


    ¡°I especially have mixed memories of people. So I¡¯m going to ask you some questions. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this conversation. Swear to me.¡± she said and Zanne shakily nodded


    ¡°Yes, of course, Lady Anika.¡±


    ¡°I remember her name, but I don¡¯t know what kind of person she is. Um¡­Marianne. Do you know her?¡± She asked.


    When the name came out of the queen¡¯s lips, it brought dread to Zanne. She gulped tensely. ¡°Yes. I¡ªI know who she is.¡±


    ¡°Will you tell me everything you know about her? I think I¡¯ll remember when I hear information concerning her.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Lady Marianne was the former chief general.¡± Zanne finally answered. Displaying such genuine curiosity, Anika had prompted the young woman to tell her everything she knew. The words kept flowing out of her mouth without fail, explaining to the best of her abilities everything she knew about the former general.


    She knew so much, because Zanne idolized Marianne. She looked after her when she was so young. Hadn¡¯t condemned her for her mistakes, nurtured her, and guided her ¡¯til this day. She looked up to her, and it pained her greatly when Marianne had to step down from her position.


    As she listened to Zanne, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but be swept away by the girl¡¯s obvious adoration. Eugene was also in awe as she listened more to who this wonderful woman was. She sounds so remarkable.


    ¡°Lady Marianne was an excellent chief general.¡±


    When the words slipped her mouth, it was as if something came crashing down, and Zanne clamped her mouth shut. She fell to the floor in fright and knelt, her forehead touching the hard floor, begging for pardon for her words¡­


    ¡°Forgive me, I didn¡¯t mean to offend Lady Anika!¡± She pleaded. Eugene, on the other hand, was taken in surprise at the sudden change of mood. Not until she remembered her conversation with the king.


    Jin Anika hated Marianne. She mused before her brows scrunched up in thought, But why?


    She was still dumbfounded at the sudden change in the maid¡¯s tone and words, Zanne furiously regrets admiring Marianne in front of her. The maid¡¯s former confidence gone in an instant.


    At her current information, Marianne was a woman of character and tremendous abilities. But these words were only coming from Zanne. If Zanne had been tricking her, she would¡¯ve blundered. But she hadn¡¯t, and she didn¡¯t look like the type to kiss one¡¯s shoes for the benefit of it. She obviously believed and held Marianne with high regard.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I told you to speak. Come on, sit down again.¡± Eugene tried to ease the young woman, and Zanne got up and sat on the sofa once more. Her hand was on her chest, as if to calm her beating heart.


    ¡°Did I hate Marianne that much?¡±


    ¡°I,- I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. What happened between us?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen you two together.¡±


    She wanted to ask for more details, but she cut it short as soon as a loud ruckus was heard outside her chamber doors.


    Both girls immediately turned their heads in the direction of the doors. The shouts and calls were muffled, but they could make out a few of the things being shouted¡­


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Please calm down, Your Grace!¡±


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    The door opened with a bang. With so much force, cracks appeared at its hinges, along with where the door hit when it swung.


    When Eugene saw Kasser coming in, she got up from her seat in absolute surprise. The king was livid. If anything, he looked like he was about to kill Eugene on the spot. His eyes glared at Eugene, making chills travel up her spine.


    ¡°Your Highness, please calm down¡­¡± The general who trailed behind him, pleaded.


    ¡°Get out!¡± The king commanded in a snarl.


    ¡°Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°I have something to talk to the queen. Everybody, out!¡± Everyone flinched at his tone of voice. General Sarah looked at the king and queen alternately with her misty eyes, then she bowed her head and withdrew from the room. Zanne, who was still around, quickly followed the general in hurried steps. When everyone went out and the door closed, Anika¡¯s chamber was engulfed in tensed silence.


    ¡°Anika.¡±


    Kasser clenched his teeth; he was steaming with so much anger he couldn¡¯t control it. It seeped through his voice, it made Eugene want to tuck tail and run as far away as possible.


    He called in people to investigate the queen¡¯s whereabouts on the days before her disappearance. According to reports, the queen¡¯s routine was monotonous. She was almost confined to her study every day. But there was a place where Anika would stop by every few days¡ªit was the royal treasure house.


    As a treasure house, it was only natural to post guards to guard it strictly from anyone who wanted to enter it. Within its walls lay the rarest treasures available to the kingdom of Hashi. Its treasures so rare, no price could ever match it. And with Anika as queen, its access was easily accessible to her.


    However, the treasure house was rarely opened.


    The securing warriors banned entry and exit from the treasure house except when taking out treasures for national events or regular inspections. Yet, the queen demanded free access to the place whenever she liked for just a simple stroll.


    ¡°A woman likes beautiful things and the same goes for me. Give me your permission. The treasure comforts me. I see it as a reminder of Seongdo.¡±


    Unlike Seongdo, Hashi kingdom lacked cultural facilities to see. The queen¡¯s eyes, familiar with the culture of the grand and eventful Seongdo, were always left unsatisfied. She demanded that a treasure house would be a spectacle and was best fitting for her.


    The treasure house of the Hashi Kingdom was quite famous. Word circulated that the pillars were made of jewels; solid gold in different sizes.


    This was not entirely true¡ªthis rumor was exaggerated. The Hashi¡¯s treasure house pillars were not made of jewels, but stone. Such imaginations could only be applied to the treasure house of Seongdo.


    The queen promised not to touch the treasures, and admire them with her eyes only. At the beginning of their marriage, Kasser couldn¡¯t refuse his wife¡¯s request and conceded.


    ¡°Alright, but you can¡¯t take anything out of this treasure house.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As I said, I¡¯ll just look at it.¡±


    Since then, the queen has been constantly in and out of the treasure house at least once every two or three days. She didn¡¯t touch anything as promised and the regular inspection of the treasure house was all right.


    As time passed, the queen¡¯s entry into the treasure house became less and less of a concern. Now no one cared about the frequent opening and closing of the treasure house because of the queen. In the beginning, Kasser would call an official to inspect the treasure house thoroughly, but he had not done so for quite some time.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that Anika would betray him like this.


    The one with the biggest fault was naturally the official who neglected the inspection. However, the vast treasures it held were over tens of thousands. It was impossible to expect him to be able to inspect the treasure house every two or three days.


    After finding out the frequent visit to the treasure house, Kasser quickly took off to inspect the treasures himself. If it had only been a piece of gold she stole, he could have overlooked it. But no, it was the kingdom¡¯s national treasure she dare took from them!


    When he entered the treasure house, his sight was immediately drawn towards the empty spot on which the treasure used to stand. Embarrassment and shame quickly washed over him. He failed his kingdom. He failed his people. He failed his ancestors.


    A queen stealing her country¡¯s treasures! Ha! This was a first in the entire history of the Hashi kingdom!


    ¡°Was this your plan from the beginning?! When you asked me to open the treasure house, was this what you intended?!¡±


    As Kasser approached quickly, Eugene backed away in surprise. Her leg tripped over the chair leading her to stumble back, but Kasser caught her flailing arm in just the nick of time and prevented her fall. He yanked her arm towards his chest and looked down at her bewildered and frightful eyes with intense rage.


    With their faces a couple of inches away from each other, Eugene could hear his ragged breathes as he continued to seethe, speaking to her through gritted teeth.


    ¡°How dare you do this? What do you take me for? Where did you put it? And why did you go out to the desert?!¡± He demanded, and Eugene could only hope he wouldn¡¯t kill her yet.


    T/N: Y¡¯all, she¡¯s in big trouble! (-_-)


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 Chapter 16 Confession

    Eugene stared at his fierce blue eyes, a sight she could never get tired of.


    Clear blue energy swirled on his pupils like waves rushing in chaos. It was horrifyingly mysterious¡­


    Praz¡­


    With only six people in the world having this power, a king¡¯s supernatural Praz could only be passed through lineage.


    The king¡¯s successor would have this supernatural ability, but his control would be unstable and his power far short compared to that of his father. The heir apparent was only able to inherit his ability intact when he ascended the throne, upon the death of the previous ruler of the fleet.


    Intense energy flowed out from his body, one Eugene could feel blatantly. His skin was scorching hot, which ever so slightly touched her bare skin, and would perhaps leave marks aftermath.


    But seeing such fantasy she only wrote in her novel, Eugene felt an indescribable strange sensation. She gazed up at him in a daze, her eyes fixated on his¡­


    She found herself enchanted by the swirls of energy that danced in his eyes until such time it united to form a figure and stretched long like the eye of a snake¡­ It didn¡¯t stop there, it also swelled as if it would pop out of his very eyes.


    Then the temperature rose¡­


    And it became too much for her body to bear.


    It was only at this moment that Eugene felt absolute pain¡ªone only Praz could cause. Her imminent death quickly filled her mind which was previously on a haze of admiration over her creation.


    Her creation that could take her life at the snap of his fingers.


    On instinct, Eugene threw herself away from him with fright. Her sudden action made Kasser get ahold of himself, and the energies dwindled until it disappeared into thin air.


    Kasser looked down at his hand with a rather embarrassed look. This was the first time that he lost control of his Praz since he took the throne.


    Terribly frightened, Eugene¡¯s eyes rose sharply. Did he intend to kill her just now?


    From the moment the king entered her chamber in a fit of unmistakable anger, it was apparent that Jin Anika had done a terrible crime, for which Eugene would be forced to carry the punishments.


    But now, seeing Kasser exercise his deadly power against her, her emotions got the best of her and she did what any other person would do in her position¡ªshe screamed out loud.


    ¡°Are you comfortable blaming others for everything you do?¡± Kasser¡¯s deep voice snapped her out of her panic.


    ¡°What?¡± Eugene, finally coming to her senses, questioned him.


    ¡°If you scream like that, people outside would get the wrong idea.¡±


    It was naturally impossible for Eugene, who used to reside in a completely different world, to grasp the situation around her in such a little time. With the previous slips of Anika¡¯s memory in her, she wondered if she could possibly remember everything.


    Yet, even if she used all her imagination to reason, she would only be blasted by a splitting headache.


    How much she racked her brains out to make a plausible script before she called Zanne to her chamber was immeasurable. Then, this happened which brought her another mystery to solve just yet.


    From the way his eyes intensely locked with hers, penetrating her very soul,  she could tell that Kasser was getting frustrated by the minute. Though she tried to understand his position, she also felt resentful of the fact that she was criticized for a thing she didn¡¯t do.


    She¡¯s in the queen¡¯s body, but even if she wrote the character herself, this novel-world went out of her expectation in totality.


    For sure, she didn¡¯t want to be in Jin Anika¡¯s shoes. The look on the face of a man who was brimming with hatred made her realize even more.


    ¡°I have always known your impudence.¡± Kasser shook his head in dismay. ¡°Are you in the position to yell now?¡±


    ¡°Is the king comfortable in using Praz against people when he gets angry?¡± She was quick to retaliate, conveying his own words to get to him.


    With such strong conviction, Kasser stared at her incredulously. ¡°That was a mistake.¡± He regressed, followed by a sigh.


    Afterward, they fell into an uncomfortable silence. Yet, endless thoughts of each other swarmed their heads, leaving them no peace inside.


    Finally shattering the silence, Kasser asked her curtly, his countenance a bit restrained than before. ¡°Let¡¯s talk calmly,¡± then he made himself comfortable in her sofa which was quite too little for his large frame.


    As he offered so, Eugene was hesitant in sitting with him. With his size, he took up most of the space on the sofa. Therefore, sitting beside the king would mean being in close proximity to him¡­She remained standing, she felt fine at this position, she thought.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Kasser to notice her refusal, hence, he threw her one icy glare as if to say ¡®Sit down, your king commands it.¡¯


    Adamantly, Eugene¡¯s knees gave way beneath her, and she willed herself to sit next to him. The soft cushion slightly sinking under her weight.


    Kasser took a long breath, controlling his simmering anger and clenching his teeth inwardly. In complete opposite to the air he emanates, Eugene was now as cool as a cucumber.


    She was tired of pretending she knew everything¡ªdoing so would only put her life on the line.


    Who knows? Jin  Anika might have done a great crime punishable by death. In reluctance of taking responsibility for her actions, she had me transmigrated into her body¡­


    And here I am¡ªpossessing her flesh and blood!


    Anika was treated as a very special being in Mahar. Only the Sangje would be able to judge her and convict her of her crimes.


    Even though Jin Anika¡¯s sins were revealed in the novel, the king only killed her when the Sangje allowed a trial-free punishment.


    ¡°I have something to tell the king.¡± Eugene uttered, looking at him in the eye, expressing sincerity. ¡°It¡¯s very sudden and you might not believe it.¡±


    She made up her mind. She was going to give the king the false excuse she had given Zanne. After much thought, she came to the conclusion that the simplest way to escape the grudges brought by Anika¡¯s doing, was to confess her ignorance.


    Memory loss.


    It was an excellent excuse¡ªor she hoped it was.


    T/N: Yay! Another chapter for today. ????You can show your support to LVQ by clicking this ¨C> novelupdates, and leaving a rating and a review. Thank you so much!


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 Chapter 17 You Are My Husband

    Chapter 17 ¨C You Are My Husband


    ¡°After I came back from the desert, I started having problems with my memory.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s twisted expression grew subtle. He leaned his back on the sofa with his arms folded. A mixture of ridicule and contempt reflects on his face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I gave you everything; you live at your convenience. Yet, this is how you repay me?¡± He stared down at her. ¡°Do you find me gullible? Does this kingdom look ridiculous to you? How far are you willing to show your worst self? You must be thinking how great this excuse you made is.¡±


    He sneaked his gaze away from her face, just by looking at her made him sick to his core. ¡°I overestimated you. Now I only see that you are mad as a hatter.¡±


    Belittled with such words, Eugene could only sigh deeply in resignation. She didn¡¯t expect it to be easy to convince him anyway, but she still felt aggravated when thrown with such mockery.


    Just like the king, Eugene had thin patience. Her mouth moved without her accord, and she spoke bravely what her reason behested. ¡°Won¡¯t you please listen to me with an open mind?¡±


    She referred to him as ¡°you¡± casually¡ªsuch conduct towards the king seemed uncalled for.


    ¡°You¡ªyou are my husband.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Kasser was astounded. You. Husband. He never expected to hear it from the queen.


    Anika always maintained a subtle distance from him. She never called her ¡°husband¡± to remind him of the private, contractual relationship they had.


    For this, he sometimes questioned himself. Was it good that he married her at all?


    Seated in a position of grave responsibility, he must have an heir for the kingdom he dominated. And most of all, he didn¡¯t want to leave a stain on his just-started reign. In the last three years, she gave him nothing but problems but he had been patient.


    Marriage to her was similar to biting one¡¯s teeth, he could only hope that this would somehow come into fruition.


    Now, it was clear to him that the queen was lying to escape the situation. Considering the record provided by the generals, she was the prime suspect.


    When he found out that the national treasure had disappeared, his hands felt numb, the feral desire to kill the theft filled his senses. If the queen were in front of him that very moment, he would have snapped her neck in a second.


    His fury was too strong for him to overcome and therefore explains him barging into his chamber in an uproar.


    ¡°Tell me more.¡± He commanded.


    ¡°As a person living in this world, there is some kind of basic common sense left in me. Institutions, customs, things like that. I can talk and read. But I don¡¯t remember anything about me.¡±


    ¡°Where did they find you?¡±


    ¡°I was lying in the desert when I opened my eyes. Some people showed up and called me ¡°Queen¡±.¡±


    ¡°They called you ¡°Queen¡±?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s sheer astonishment made Eugene think of what she chose to ignore these past few days. She hasn¡¯t heard anyone call her by her title. Instead, everyone called her Anika.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be called queen?¡± She inquired for which Kasser only responded with a dismissive shake of his head. She wanted to ask more about this matter, but the king spoke once again;


    ¡°They were the search party that went out looking for you. What happened after that?¡±


    ¡°I tried to remember. But I couldn¡¯t do my best. I could remember several names and faces of people, but there are only a few of them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone noticed.¡±


    ¡°I barely made contact with people. Over time, more people will find me strange.¡±


    Kasser realized by looking at her how different her expression and way of speaking. Can it be that she is really telling the truth?


    That can¡¯t be right.


    Still, Kasser couldn¡¯t believe her. The queen was a very shameless woman after all. Early in their marriage, to get what she wanted, she has not been unruly.


    But, Kasser remained resilient, so she changed her tactics and acted blatantly ruthless.


    Everyone has two faces to a certain extent, but  Kasser had never seen anyone like her go back and forth.


    ¡°Are you alone when you opened your eyes from the desert?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You were accompanied by maids when you left the castle. Now they¡¯re all missing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Eugene opened her mouth with a startled look. ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Five. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    Eugene shook her head from side to side. She didn¡¯t have a clue.


    This is the reason why she couldn¡¯t think of anything familiar with the maids serving her these past days. They were not Jin Anika¡¯s maids.


    ¡°What happened to them then? Are you looking for them?¡±


    ¡°At this time?¡±


    ¡°Why does time even matter? People are missing, and we have to find them!¡±


    Kasser frowned as he looked at Eugene who was fretting so suddenly. ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know? The dry season will be over in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately you remember what a dry season is.¡±


    Eugene nodded.


    Mahar is alternated between the dry season in which the monsters, Larks, sleep and the activity period when they appear.


    ¡®They might be already dead. Jin Anika¡­. What have you done?¡¯


    Sympathy for the maids who didn¡¯t make it back to the kingdom spread a sense of woe in Eugene. Even though she had never seen those maids before, she still felt uneasy and terrible for the loss of lives¡­


    They were extras in her novel¡ªcannon fodders whose death was insignificant to the plot.


    ¡°What compensation will they receive?¡± She asked, her eyes hopeful.


    ¡°Compensation?¡±


    ¡°If they indeed don¡¯t come back, their families should be given their deserved compensations.¡±


    However, this idea of her amused Kasser, for he suddenly burst into laughter.


    ¡°They broke the king¡¯s rules and went out into the desert, putting my battle in jeopardy. Even if they come back alive, they won¡¯t escape death here.¡±


    ¡°But they can¡¯t break disobey a queen¡¯s order.¡±


    ¡°Should you be worried about yourself now, not about the maids?¡±

 Chapter 18 My Queen

    Embarrassed, Eugene turned speechless as she came to realize how the king was only playing with her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± She sounded offended; the urge to strangle the man before her was strong.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t.¡± He looked haughty, with his arms folded and his chin slightly raised.


    Eugene¡¯s face twisted in bewilderment. ¡°Then why did you pretend to believe me?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to hear your excuse. If we switch positions, do you think this lame reason can convince you? And just because you act like you don¡¯t remember anything, you are faced with a crime only you are capable of doing.¡±


    Eugene shrugged off her shoulders as if to say that if he doesn¡¯t believe her, then there¡¯s nothing else she could do.


    She had nothing to say nor had the energy to convince him anymore. With her eyes drooped, she spoke gloomily.


    ¡°What did I do? You said something was missing. What is it? Please tell me the details. Maybe something comes to my mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The missing national treasure was an artifact handed down to generations of the royal family. It¡¯s a historical treasure, a priceless object, which the riches of the world could never buy. Fortunately, the absence of the treasure does not mean an imminent danger to the kingdom.


    New novel chapters are published on /lightnovelworld[/.]com


    In truth, not many people know of its existence as it was kept secret in the first place. Therefore, the person who stole it was rather familiar with the treasure trove¡ªJin Anika had been visiting the treasure house often.


    Rather than reclaiming the treasure, Kasser found the situation far more interesting¡ªmore interesting now that his bewitching wife was involved.


    If she is indeed lying, I never knew her acting was this great.


    The queen was adept at making fake laughter. However, she has never acted as convincing as she was doing today to make the lie seem sincere.


    Her deception, Kasser was not ignorant of. Yet today, why does he feel doubt in his heart?


    When he heard her talk about the rightful compensation for the lives that were lost in her expense, Kasser began to have qualms. She indeed acts like a different person.


    Come to think of it, it was also the first time that he had such a proper conversation with the queen. Before, whenever they talk, it was either just a formal greeting or a heated disagreement.


    ¡°My queen.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­Yes?¡± Eugene looked up at his expressionless face. She didn¡¯t know that Kasser called her ¡°queen¡± to observe how she would react to being called the title.


    Watching her clueless response, Kasser said nothing and remembered Anika¡¯s reaction when he called her ¡°My queen¡± after their marriage.


    ¡°Please call me Anika, Your Highness.¡±


    As ironic as it may sound, Jin Anika hated to be called ¡®Queen,¡¯ and everyone in the palace knew of this.


    ¡°If you indeed don¡¯t remember anything, what contract were you pertaining to over our lunch together?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Eugene broke out in a cold sweat. Her situation seemed to be getting more and more twisted. Finally, she answered with a look of resignation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really know what you were talking about.¡±


    ¡°Then, you have no idea what our contract is?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°But what if I say I have no intention of breaking the contract because of your sudden loss of memory?¡± He pronounced the last words with absolute sarcasm showing that he didn¡¯t believe Eugene at all.


    ¡°Do we have our contract written and signed on paper?¡±


    ¡°No, but you swore on your name.¡±


    In Mahar, an oath by name had the same effect as the law. People of Mahar believe it would be better to die than be shamed from breaking a pledge. For them, honor is worth more than one¡¯s life. It was quite a contrast with Eugene¡¯s original world where swearing under one¡¯s name is null without documents supporting it.


    To blend in this strange world, Eugene had to abide by its rules. Therefore, the contract was for her to continue despite her reservations.


    Especially now that the party that signed the contract is gone, and she had to carry out the contract even though she didn¡¯t know what it is.


    Jin would not sign a contract that wouldn¡¯t hurt herself. There¡¯s no way I would be hurt by fulfilling whatever it is.


    ¡°Then¡­I can¡¯t help it.¡± She said dismissively.


    ¡°It seems you still have common sense even after losing your memory.¡±


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    Eugene frowned. Praise or ridicule, she hated the way he spoke to her. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips while looking down her hands resting on her lap.


    Kasser suppressed a laugh that exploded with an idle cough. Her sullen expression revealed her innermost feelings. The queen he knew never looked like one.


    ¡°Tell me, Your Highness, what is our contract?¡± With a determined voice, she asked the king courageously. But, Kasser wasn¡¯t able to answer back as an urgent voice suddenly intervened.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s Marianne.¡±


    Just now, he stormed in with rage and drove everyone out. Perhaps General Sarah rashly called someone who could abate the tension. And who would it be but Marianne?


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it for now.¡±Kasser got up from the sofa. Eugene looked up at him with wondering eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯d meet Marianne.¡±


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you just invite her in?¡±


    ¡®Just so I could see who she is.¡¯ Eugene thought cleverly to herself.


    ¡°Would you like to meet her? Do you remember Marianne?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°I need time to think. Would you rather talk with Marianne and discuss your situation with her?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Alright, but let me talk to her first alone.¡± Kasser then left. Eugene stared blankly at his broad back, and in no time, she was left alone.


    ¡°Oh, what is it? What contract is it? Someone has to tell me! I can¡¯t just sit here like a prisoner waiting for a verdict.¡± Eugene lamented to herself.

 Chapter 19 An Heir in His Arms

    Kasser went to the treasure house and, upon finding the national treasure missing, visited the queen for a confrontation. As a result, he spent most of his day away from his work, which piled up during his expedition outside the kingdom.


    He hardly finished his dinner and stuck himself to work at his study for the rest of the day.


    ¡°Your Highness, Marianne requests for an audience.¡±


    Kasser put down the documents he was looking at and prompted the general to let Marianne in. She came later than he had expected. Could it be that she and the queen had a lot to talk about?


    ¡®Well, this is indeed strange. Anika could not stomach being in the same room as Marianne before.¡¯


    Marianne¡¯s face was subtle. After rendering her salute, she raised her head. She, who always had a clear purpose looked disoriented.


    ¡°Did you talk well with the queen?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°What about her so-called ¡°rightful compensation¡± for her missing servants?¡±


    Marianne stared at the king and sighed. Your Highness, it¡¯s a serious matter. You should take this situation severely.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, what¡¯s the problem? Do you think Anika is lying?¡±


    Marianne could not answer. The queen claiming she has memory loss was ridiculous. But what¡¯s even more perplexing was that Marianne sat opposite her and talked for nearly two hours. The queen!


    It was like the high-handed, arrogant, hostile queen completely disappeared. Besides, he never heard of Anika having a twin.


    Marianne busied herself by looking for doctors after speaking with Eugene. She asked several doctors about the symptoms of memory loss, and whether losing one¡¯s memory can change a person¡¯s personality at all. But no one gave a helpful answer.


    ¡°Have you ever called her Queen?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What is her reaction?¡±


    ¡°Calm. She didn¡¯t act violently.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny? You know how obsessed the queen is with the title. If the queen were faking her memory, she would have given up her obsession. It¡¯s not easy to give up on something that¡¯s very important to her.¡±


    Jin Anika never allowed anyone to call her ¡®Queen¡¯. She was very proud of the fact that she was Anika. She firmly believed that it was an insult to call her by her title instead of her adored name.


    From then on, everyone became careful with their mouths, but still, there were quite a few mistakes made by the maids at the beginning of the royal couple¡¯s marriage. They were punished severely for calling her with the title, and several of them were beaten to death.


    ¡°Do you believe that the queen has lost her memory?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I, for one, is not good at reading people.¡±


    If she¡¯s lying, he¡¯ll surely find out. How long will it be possible to hide one¡¯s true nature?


    If proven that she was trying to deceive the king, then she would be in debt of greater punishment. Kasser saw this as an opportunity. Now, he would have the leash to hold her tight. She couldn¡¯t afford to act out of her newly built character.


    Whether it¡¯s just an act or not, the current Anika was much better than the original queen. The former queen never runs out of clever narratives if she thinks anything was against her. So any conversation with the queen only ended in futile attempts.


    And now, for the first time, he felt like he had a decent conversation with his wife.


    ¡°Even if she lost her memory, she still knows the important pieces of information about the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t feel that there was a problem with that when I spoke to Anika.¡±


    ¡°Then, what else are you worried about?¡± Marianne looked at Kasser¡¯s gloomy face and couldn¡¯t help but ask what was bothering him.


    ¡°What else am I worried about? Now that she acts like that, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to wait longer to hold an heir in my arms.¡± Kasser evaded Marianne¡¯s eyes upon saying so.


    ¡°Your Highness, next month is exactly three years since your marriage. When are you going to give me good news?.¡±


    ¡°Next month? Not the month after?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, how could you forget?¡±


    Kasser, who was quietly counting the dates, became quiet. His brows scrunched up as he tried to recall.


    ¡°It¡¯s next month,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°The anniversary date for your national wedding in the kingdom is in two months, but you wrote your marriage certificate in front of Sangje first.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Kasser lamented. He was under a really ridiculous illusion. As Marianne had said, a marriage certificate bestowed by Sangje validated their marriage before the actual ceremony which followed the month after.


    And next month would be the third anniversary of his marriage to Jin Anika.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s the next month or the next. Your Highness, it¡¯s about time you have your successor.¡±


    ¡®No, that¡¯s very important.¡¯ Marianne knows nothing of the contract.


    Kasser answered only inwardly. Three years after marriage was crucial to the marriage law. Couples who are fruitless after this period are eligible to annul their union.


    Their marriage was a problem from the beginning.


    In the commencement of the contract, Kasser prepared a fake marriage certificate to be given to the Sangje and, therefore, he traveled towards Seongdo. Then he returned to the kingdom and held a national wedding ceremony.


    However, the two did not spend their first night in the arms of each other. No, within the three years of their marriage, the royal couple still hadn¡¯t copulated. No one would believe it, and Marianne, who¡¯s been nagging Kasser, would probably faint if she hears of this.


    Of course, this fact was a secret that only the king and queen knew. As agreed, no one in the castle knew of the contract, except the parties involved.


    That¡¯s what the queen wanted. They pretended to be married even if they were not.


    There must be a reason why she needed her status as queen, a reason why she proposed a quaint contract.


    She offered to tell him the reason when their contract ends. Yet, Kasser was not interested, for he only needed a successor. It was only now that his curiosity got piqued when the queen starts acting out of her character.


    Has the queen ever intended to run away before I came back?


    After their marriage, Kasser spent almost three years in his reconnaissance in the desert. Therefore, he had not seen Anika for long and didn¡¯t have the chance to sleep with her to fulfill the contract. Besides, she strictly set a bargain between them¨Che must not touch her. not until she says so.


    If the queen was not willing to keep her end of the deal, she should have taken her chance while Kasser was away from the castle. She could have just disappeared somewhere and come back after three years to claim the annulment of the marriage.


    But why did she choose to roam around the desert for days?


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 Chapter 20 S*x Education

    If she desired to reach Seongdo, Anika could have gone to the nearest kingdom¡ªthe Sloan kingdom. The King of Sloan could never refuse if she asks for personal protection, for whatever lies she makes.


    Odds would then be in her hands¡ªthey cannot question a person who claims to not remember anything, after all.


    He recalled the behavior of the queen over the past three years. As the queen of this kingdom, she had no sense or will to lead her people. Then, what is then her purpose of marrying him? Was she only after the wealth and convenience of being his wife?


    But, she already had those even before she married him!


    Everything appeared vague to him that Kasser could only massage his temple in annoyance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such presumptuous things, Your Highness! You have to try. You only sleep in the queen¡¯s chamber once in a month, but still, I heard that you are always occupied. When do you plan to build affection between you and your wife? When will your people see your successor?¡±


    Kasser answered simply. ¡°Are you going to give me s*x education now?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Marianne reprimanded like a mother would her son.


    Although his face remained stoic and aloof, a small grin crept its way up the king¡¯s perfectly sculpted lips. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll try to make good news soon.¡±


    Marianne¡¯s eyes grew round. It was the first time she heard this optimistic answer from the king. She spoke with a joyful look.


    ¡°You promised.¡± Kasser nodded. Not for the sole purpose of reassuring Marianne, but he was indeed determined.


    Whether the queen is suitable as a mother of his apparent heir or not, he had decided that such matter must not be discussed with Marianne. He needed a successor. There is no reason to waste the last three years of patiently wishing for one.


    Mother?


    He looked at the woman who stood as his mother ever since. A grateful look flashed across his face.


    I grew up well without one.


    *


    *


    *


    It was only in the late afternoon when Eugene realized what the king meant when he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go tomorrow,¡± during their grim lunch yesterday.


    ¡°So, tonight¡­ the king will visit me?¡± She asked  Zanne incredulously, her throat felt parched suddenly.


    Zanne answered with a nimble nod.


    ¡°Yes, Anika. It¡¯s the first day of every month.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean to say that on the first day of every month, the king visits me in my chamber?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Sometimes he¡¯s busy with politics so he let you know that he can¡¯t come. But, there was no word of any meeting today so he might visit you tonight, Lady Anika..¡±


    ¡°Did I ever refuse?¡±


    Zanne blushed at the question. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    What a rush this is!


    Since they were married, they will naturally act like a couple, but Eugene was not prepared for any of this at all. Drowned in her thoughts, she almost forgot Zanne¡¯s presence.


    I only dreaming? Not long from now, the king would visit her and expect that she gives herself to him.


    Moreover, no matter how bad the royal couple¡¯s relationship could have been, the man is irrefutably Jin Anika¡¯s husband¡ªnot hers. It felt as if she was having an affair


    ¡°How can I resist¡­¡± she started to ask Zanne but swallowed her words in the last moment, feeling uncertain of how her query might sound to her. A queen must never feel this way towards the king.


    It would be better to talk to the king in person than to express her concerns through Zanne, she surmised.


    Maybe he would understand¡­


    After a tumultuous conversation with the king, she conversed with Marianne, who came after a while over a cup of tea.


    Marianne was a decent, and amicable person. She must have heard from the king that Anika had lost her memory, for she acted considerate towards her. Unlike Kasser, Marianne listened to her sincerely and willingly.


    Her attitude of humbling herself before the queen, a sure sign of sincere respect, was unpretentious.


    After a long conversation with her, there were a few keywords that became imprinted on Eugene¡¯s mind, in her recognition to the woman.


    Former chief general, acting queen, and the king¡¯s former nanny.


    These were enough to give Eugene a sense of what position Marianne holds in this kingdom. And she now knew why Jin Anika loathed Marianne.


    Jin Anika was a character with a lot of personality problems. She was an ill-natured, outspoken chauvinist who used others for her own good.


    It would not have been possible for her to tolerate Marianne, who had an unobtrusive presence as the chief general.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure Marianne had a very bad relationship with Jin, but she¡¯s very warm about the way she treated me yesterday.¡¯


    At this moment, only Zanne, the king and Marianne know that the queen was having a problem with her memory.


    Zanne was also a woman, so, Eugene felt comfortable in asking her questions. But with her being a maid only, there was a limit to what she knew and could do.


    She was only certain that the king was constantly occupied with his royal responsibilities.


    I¡¯d better get Marian¡¯s help. I need her advice.


    ¡°Zanne.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady Anika?¡±


    ¡°Send an errand to the former chief general and tell her I ask her to come and visit me tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I will, Lady Anika, as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Did you talk to the former chief general yesterday? You seem to have a lot of respect for her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    It was almost too sudden¡ªthe serene face of the servant quickly morphed into a look of absolute trepidation, realizing her mistake.


    Immediately, with a pale face, she knelt on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Anika. Forgive me.¡±


    Eugene looked at her in confusion. Despite her being shaken, she was able to make out a few words¡­


    ¡°Anika, you forbid everyone to call you of your title instead of your name¡­ If one makes mistakes, you¡ªyou¡­¡±


    Zanne didn¡¯t need to continue as Eugene understood right away what she trying to say. Several maids died in the past because of this petty reason.


    Eugene would be lying if she says that this does not bother her one bit¡ªshe blames herself somewhat¡­


    I, who can¡¯t hurt a fly transmigrated into a villainess, who punishes people until their bodies give up¡­


    Is there anything more ironic than this?

 Chapter 21 Amorous Lover

    Anika is a valued person in Mahar, but she abuses the privileges given to her too much.


    She¡¯s a girl with jet-black hair and mysterious dark eyes that people couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to. But what made her different from the many was that she was born with special abilities.


    People like her were rare¡ªthere¡¯s a slim chance that one person having the same abilities as Anika is born in a year. Therefore explaining why she was treated so importantly.


    After she was born, she did not inherit her parents¡¯ last name, but instead, it was the state who gave her her name ¡°Jin Anika¡±. She was baptized by the upper echelons, with her life bound to be easy¡ªall her living and educational expenses supported by the state until her very death.


    Only her kind could produce a successor to the king. Like the king¡¯s ability, ¡°Praz,¡± Anika was gifted with the power ¡°Ramita¡±.


    Eugene looked down at her hand and thought of these facts.


    If the king¡¯s ability was the power of destruction, Anika¡¯s superpower was the power of creation. For this reason, her ability was recognized as much more sacred.


    However, Anika¡¯s psychic abilities were weak compared to the six kings of Mahar.


    Yet, this won¡¯t always be true¡­For Anika hungered power more than anything else.


    Eugene recalled what she had written from memory.


    ¡ªAt first, Jin Anika was naturally weak with her Ramita ability. Soon enough, her body started craving the darkness until she finally found her ultimate strength by combining forces with the evil.


    *


    *


    *


    Before Eugene knew it, the day was over.


    She took a longer-than-usual bath, being waited on by the maids. The bathwater, which has petals afloat its surface was fragrant, soothing her nerves.


    The hands of the maids were rubbing and oiling her skin, preparing her for her night with the king. The very thought embarrassed her.


    Tonight, she was dressed differently from her usual nightgown.


    No, what she was wearing was far from that of a nightgown, but rather, she found herself donned in a scandalous piece of clothing¡ª a sheer and thin dress that barely covers her naked body.


    As soon as the maids left, Eugene sat down still on the sofa and pondered her next actions for this situation she was facing.


    I can just say that I don¡¯t want to do it.¡¯ She comforted herself.


    ¡°Anika.¡±


    She turned her head in surprise. An authoritative voice came from outside her door.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s you.¡±


    A moment later, the door opened wide. The king walked in and gestured to the following servants behind his back. Without fuss, the servants bowed their heads and marched away, leaving the two of them alone in her chamber¡­


    Kasser approached the queen, who now stood by her sofa with her head bowed down. He stopped a couple of inches away from her. Then, he stared down at her intensely, imperceptibly irked by her modesty, which he still believed was only a facade.


    ¡°Would you rather bump into a Lark in the desert than look at me?¡±


    Upon hearing so, Eugene lifted her head but kept her silence, not knowing what to say.


    Kasser said, sitting on the sofa.


    ¡°I thought we still have time, but there was a mistake. We have to wrap up our contract now.¡±


    Even though Eugene felt embarrassed, she was still relieved that Kassser did not once look at her skimpy outfit. Instead, he chose to gauge her first with a conversation.


    He is not a gentle person, after all.


    In Eugene¡¯s novel, the Four Kings were the good against evil, but they are certainly not good men. He is not also a hero who cries out for justice. Much of his motive for chastising Jin Anika was personal revenge. Kasser was arrogant and cynical. He didn¡¯t get along very well with the other kings.


    ¡°You say you don¡¯t remember the contract, so I¡¯ll have to go back to that. Three years ago, we made a deal.¡±


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    Kasser explained the deal between the two of them. The contract itself was rather simple, so the explanation ended quickly.


    Eugene asked with a puzzled look, saying nothing for a long time.


    ¡°A¡­a child?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my successor.¡±


    Right after hearing about the unexpected contract, Eugene broke out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Next month will be the third anniversary of our marriage,¡± Kasser spoke indifferently like he was only discussing the weather in front of her. ¡°We have a little more than a full moon left.¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t expect me to have a baby in just a day, do you?¡± She laughed out loud, finding the contract impossible to be fulfilled in a month.


    Am I missing something here? Is he an alien creature just like the ones in a Sci-fi movie? Would his successor grow abnormally fast inside me?


    However, these thoughts went down the drain as soon as she saw his dead-serious face.


    ¡°But this is so sudden¡ª.¡± complained the panic-stricken Eugene.


    ¡°As I said, I have no intention of breaking the contract. And I don¡¯t have time to consider your situation.¡±


    Looking at him, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but be filled with confusion. If one listens to him and calculates his body language, it was more like he was telling her, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together without any tension.¡± rather than, ¡°Let¡¯s have a baby.¡±


    Are these people just weird, or is their culture always like this?


    In the novel, Eugene included soft emotions such as love and friendship. Kasser was far from being an amorous lover.


    This guy is weird. This, I¡¯m very certain of.


    T/N: I encourage everyone to join us on discord and get real-time notifications upon every chapter release of LVQ. Just head to #novel-roles and browse through the list of novels, and finally react with the assigned symbol for LVQ. Thank you!


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 Chapter 22 One Cold Night (1)

    Finally, Eugene knows the nature of the contract Jin Anika has made three years ago with the king. But the shock of its knowledge still has her mind reeling at what was expected for her to do. But this was not the time to despair. She must be smart about this. Shaking her fear away mentally, she steeled her resolve and looked at the king with a tight smile and cold gaze.


    ¡°My king, you know I barely remember making this agreement.¡± She countered confidently, her poise held up high as she tried to make him see reason. ¡°How can I be certain you aren¡¯t fooling me in return?¡± She asks, narrowing her gaze in suspicion.


    Kasser did not appreciate her insinuation.


    ¡°I swear by my name that I have not lied,¡± Kasser said, one of his pristine brows rising as a clear sign of a challenge. But Eugene needed no further assurance.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then,¡± Eugene trailed off before she continued. This was a rather uncomfortable topic after all. ¡°Did we use contraceptives before?¡± Eugene knew this was a scandalous inquiry, but she found it rather queer for a couple to remain fruitless despite having three years of marriage.


    Nevermind the animosity between the spouses.


    Normally, the king would have been annoyed already with the onslaught of questions. But now that she claims she has forgotten everything, Kasser remained calm and patient. Unfazed by the inappropriate questions.


    He stared solely on Eugene, his eyes barely hiding such intensity from within him. He found it surprising, her confusion; it was borderline amusing to see her fumble and act so differently from how he was used to interacting with her.


    ¡°We never used contraceptives.¡± He answered her plainly, and his lips quirked ever so slightly upwards as she racked her brain for more excuses as to why they remained childless.


    ¡°If we haven¡¯t used birth control in three years, then¡­¡± She gulped nervously as dread started to creep in. ¡°Am I expecting now?¡± She looked to him inquiringly. Her confusion so apparent with his expression. But the king¡¯s reaction was not in the list of how she expected him to react at all.


    He was grinning rather amusedly at her, and she felt sorely made fun of.


    ¡°You and I have never slept together.¡± He finally supplied, and Eugene¡¯s eyes widened as the realization has finally dawned upon her.


    ¡°What do you mean we didn¡¯t sleep together?¡± She asked incredulously, disbelief apparent at the inflection in her voice, ¡°You mean not once in three years?¡±


    Finally, Kasser broke out laughing. She was far too amusing and he could no longer hold it in. Wiping a tear from the corner of his eyes, he finally calmed down enough to continue their amicable conversation.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said, we don¡¯t have much time left.¡± He started as the laughter finally died out, ¡°It¡¯s been almost three years since we¡¯ve been married.¡± He looked at her somberly.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t consummate our marriage now, an annulment is not a far off possibility.¡± He said, looking at her in a way that made her feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. But it wasn¡¯t the world¡¯s weight she was carrying¡­ ¡°Unless you give me an heir of course.¡± he finished.


    ¡°But I heard that you sleep here on the first day of every month,¡± she asked, still rather skeptical of it all.


    ¡°I just slept,¡± he answered her dryly.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°In your bed,¡± he quipped, ¡°With you.¡±


    Eugene turned and gestured to her bed with her pointer finger.


    ¡°Over there? With me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s wide enough for two people to lie down.¡± He said nonchalantly.


    Eugene seemed rather shocked.


    ¡°Anika, it was what you wanted¡­This arrangement is part of the contract that you, yourself, has asked for.¡±


    ¡®So¡­they weren¡¯t a real couple at all.¡¯ Eugene thought, and a sudden wave of relief washed over her. That meant that she didn¡¯t have to put up an act as an affectionate wife after all. But despite this knowledge, she still has a looming problem at hand¡­


    She still needed to get pregnant, and soon.


    ¡®How on earth would I escape this?¡¯ she chuckled dryly to herself. ¡¯I am not even on earth in the first place.¡¯ she thought ruefully.


    When Eugene finally snapped out of her musings, only then did she realize that she was staring blankly into space and chortling to herself. Kasser, on the other hand, had watched her expression change to that of awareness. Upon knowing that she¡¯d been watched, she leaned back against the sofa and tried to appear calm and regal, schooling her face into a cool expression for good measure.


    But all this still didn¡¯t escape Kasser¡¯s notice, if his quiet chuckle was anything to go by after that. He certainly hadn¡¯t expected to live to see the day when the queen would be the one to bring out the laughter in him continuously.


    Before he had informed her of his intent to fulfill the contract they¡¯ve made three years ago, he had come up with a bunch of scenarios on how it would turn out, none of them ended up well. This, however, was not even one of his unlikely expectations.


    ¡°Do you want to do it tonight?¡± He said rather calmly.


    ¡°What? Oh, I, uh¡­¡± Eugene couldn¡¯t help but be flustered. She wasn¡¯t ready!


    Seeing her hesitation, he quickly amended his statement


    ¡°Do you need more time to prepare?¡±


    At last! Eugene sighed in relief and gave him a terse nod.


    It was fortunate that Kasser had no intention of sleeping with her today anyway. He just made sure to visit and discuss the contract between them. Consummation of the marriage can wait, and he wasn¡¯t in that much of a hurry that he could afford to wait until Anika was indeed ready.


    ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t forget. We only have remaining fifteen days.¡± Still, he needed to impress the importance of doing it soon.


    ¡°¡­.Yes.¡± she replied softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s better you not think about it so you can sleep well.¡± He told her upon noticing how troubled she was of the ultimatum he just gave. It would do them no good if she was too tense through it all. Not the least enjoyable.


    Besides, he was willing to wait until Anika is ready.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    And with that, their conversation came to a close. Eugene calmly went to her bed and watched him from a distance as if he were some strange being¡­


    ¡®They just slept in one bed? Three years? How did he manage to do it when a beautiful woman is next to him?¡¯ she thought in confusion.


    It didn¡¯t take long until Kasser followed her. He lied down on the bed, his long limbs stretched out languidly on the soft mattress¡­


    Jin Anika¡¯s beauty was quite exquisite. The maids couldn¡¯t hold a candle against her. They were all pretty, but always fell short right next to the queen. They were no different from the average woman in her original world.


    ¡®It could be either because he¡¯s a man with sexual disabilities, a man who really cares about Anika, or a man who keeps his promises thoroughly¡¯


    That was Eugene¡¯s last thought before her eyes fluttered to a close, and prayed that the silence that reigned in her chamber would lull her to sleep as soon as possible.


    Chapter 23 ¨C One Cold Night (2)


    Chapter 24 ¨C Soft as a Feather (1)


    Chapter 25 ¨C Soft as a Feather (2)


    Chapter 26 ¨C Between Reason and Desire (1)


    Chapter 27 ¨C Between Reason and Desire (2)


    Chapter 28 ¨C Throes of Passion (1)


    Chapter 29 ¨C Throes of Passion (2)


    Chapter 30 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (1)


    Chapter 31 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (2)


    Chapter 32 ¨C Making Amends (1)


    Chapter 33 ¨C Insatiable Thirst

 Chapter 23 One Cold Night (2)

    Despite the peaceful way they¡¯ve ended things a while ago, Eugene hardly slept a wink, her senses hyper-aware of the fact that another person was on her bed. She kept tossing and turning, refusing stubbornly to turn towards the man sleeping beside her.


    Still, what Kasser had said was true; the bed was spacious. If one was adept at sleeping without the habit of rolling around, they wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the other person sleeping with them at all. Still, it was endearing to her the way he only stuck to the edge of the bed, agonizingly close to falling.


    It was fortunate that he slept like a corpse. So still and hardly moving to change sleeping positions.


    ¡®It¡¯s an incomprehensible contract. Why did Jin Anika insist to remain untouched by the king? What is her purpose?¡¯ she couldn¡¯t help but think.


    Anika was a woman who had every means to an end. It was so unlikely of her not to sleep with the king. If she disliked pregnancy and avoids it, there were always known methods of contraception.


    It was common sense that if you strived hard to get the title which would help in whatever plans you have, you¡¯d sell yourself to the most powerful person in the kingdom, gain his trust and use it to your advantage.


    The king would definitely fall for her charm, but Jin Anika did not even bother to try. Something did not add up to this.


    ¡®She is not a naive character who¡¯s obsessed with purity¡­¡¯ the endless thoughts forced Eugene to blink her eyes open in frustration, ¡®There must be a reason why then that she¡¯d preserve her purity. But for what?¡¯


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t figure it out, even after thoroughly thinking through the novel she wrote. No plausible explanation still came to mind.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what Jin Anika¡¯s purpose was. Right now, I¡¯m the one with a huge problem.¡¯


    She¡¯s the one who has to produce a child and to do that, she had to be intimate with the king. There was no artificial insemination in this world or any other way to get past this.


    It felt like an impossible task for Eugene, who had no intention of marrying, let alone giving birth. With these reflections keeping her restless, she thought that she would stay up all night.


    But as the minutes passed by, exhaustion slowly kicked in and she finally fell into a deep slumber.


    ***


    It was pitch black¡­.Her whole body was tied up.


    She tried to scream for help, but her voice didn¡¯t come out. With her arms tightly wrapped around her torso, she was helpless and immobile.


    It was suffocating. She felt sick at the stench that permitted in the air. And most of all, her limbs cried in pain and agony.


    In her ears, inscrutable whispers which sounded like echoes of incomprehensible spells rang repeatedly¡­


    ¡°Anika!¡±


    Eugene opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that someone was panting hard, as if trying desperately hard to breathe¡­


    It wasn¡¯t until later that she realized that it was her. The king¡¯s face was dimly visible above her¨Che held her shoulders tightly and looked down at her. Concern written on his face.


    Struggling, Eugene opened her lips and tried to say something. However, her jaw trembled uncontrollably. Not only her jaw, but her whole body shook violently as well.


    Tears fell through her eyes, rolling endlessly down her cheeks, dampening them. The horrible sensation that she had never experienced before has yet to leave her, further causing tremors to erupt from her body.


    She could hardly breathe properly, her veins turning blue by the second.


    ¡°Anika. Breathe slowly. Mind the energy flowing inside your body and move along that path.¡±


    Eugene could only shake her head. She couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying.


    ¡°Hurts¡­it hurts¡­¡± she gasped painfully¡­


    Kasser felt a surge of panic seeing her in such pain. He had never seen her so defenseless and weak before. If he left her to be in a state of shock, she would suffer from internal injuries and would be ill for several months.


    He raised her upper body by putting his hand underneath the small of her back and embraced her struggling body tightly.


    And slowly, blue streaks hung over his blue eyes. His pupils, along with the streaks, formed into vertical slits just like that of a feline.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you. Focus. Calm down and breathe slowly. You have to get out on your own.¡±


    As soon as he injected some of the Praz into her body, her energy gradually drained out.


    ¡®What happened? It¡¯s never been like this before.¡¯ Rather than being absorbed by force, it felt like his power helped Eugene in its free will¡­


    Eugene could suddenly feel her breathing calm down. Prior to this, she felt subjected to boiling lava, making her insides hurt unbearing. But with Kasser¡¯s help, a cool breeze seemed to calm her down a little.


    She, instinctively, embraced the surge of comforting energy surrounding her.


    Watching her deal with his power, Kasser¡¯s brow creased to a frown. It was not long before Praz, who had escaped from him, poured back into his body. Like an excited child, it revolved around him before finally merging with its master.


    He consciously suppressed his energy and advised her.


    ¡°You feel like you¡¯re drowning right now in a swamp. Think of it as clear water instead, then slowly and free yourself¡­¡± he directed.


    Gradually, her convulsing ceased. Her constant twitch also toned down, diminishing over time that passed.


    With its end, Kasser found Eugene still snuggling into him as a child does in his mother¡¯s arms. However, he could not find it in himself to push her away, not at this time with what she had just experienced.


    ¡®People¡¯s body temperature¡­¡­is it naturally this high?¡¯


    Her body felt hot like boiled water.


    The strange position bothered him. The skin of the other person felt strange¨Cit was smooth and soft, unlike his and the warriors who had callous skin.


    She was so delicate.


    He sighed with dismay as his body began to entertain his primal instincts. It also didn¡¯t help that she was wearing a thinly veiled gown that hardly prevented him from actually feeling the body beneath the cloth.


    In an attempt to pacify his yearning, he averted his thoughts to the bizarre happening that took place a while ago.


    Having seen her gasp for air, Kasser felt a myriad of emotions surging through him, and he thought he had lost control of Praz for a while. But he was fascinated after witnessing his Praz alleviate Eugene¡¯s struggle.


    ¡®That can¡¯t be right.¡¯


    Apparently, a little while ago, his Praz did something it wasn¡¯t known to do.


    This power belonged to a king, its master, the only one who could control it. And, it only moves on its own when the king¡¯s life is in danger.


    Although Praz was not a living organism, Kasser sometimes thinks otherwise. It¡¯s a unifying power that acts on his flurry of emotion. Somehow, it understood him.


    It¡¯s like Praz had perceived that the queen was in danger and moved to protect her. It didn¡¯t protect anyone before except for the king.


    Her body drooped underneath him. The tremors also stopped. Kasser looked into whether she was confused.


    Eugene knew she was clinging to him like a koala hanging from a tree, but she could care less right now on what she looked or acted as of the moment.


    ¡°What was it?¡± The king asked.


    Visit /l/ightnovelworld[/.]c/om for the best novel reading experience


    Her parched mouth felt rough. She felt as exhausted as a person recovering after a severe illness.


    ¡°The dry season is over.¡± He continued.


    ¡°Every time the dry season is over¡­Does everyone feel that way?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know with others. But someone with a special ability can sense it.¡±


    ¡°Special abilities, like Praz and Ramita?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Did you also feel it then?¡±


    ¡°Of course. When the dry season is over and into the activity period, it¡¯s like waves of energy coming inside me. I trained you not to be swept away by these waves but it seems like you forgot.¡±


    As they continued to converse, Eugene eventually leaned her head on his chest. Every time he spoke, his deep voice rang with vibrations which she found pleasing to the ear. Her anxiety subsided and she became more and more comfortable in his arms.


    The same goes for Kasser. His vigilance over the queen was all but diminished at this moment. This was because of his Praz, which was pleasantly purring in his body. It was a cold night in the desert and he was enjoying the warmth Eugene exudes from her body.


    It never once occurred to him that Praz could affect his feelings this way. He had only ever considered it as a subject of control rather than communion.

 Chapter 24 Soft as a Feather (1)

    ¡°It still feels weird.¡± She wheezed rather pitifully as she struggled to speak, her sounding constricted. ¡°The air is getting,¡± she gasped, ¡°heavier.¡±


    Kasser, who was still holding onto her, soothed her by saying, ¡°That¡¯s just normal. You¡¯re doing well.¡± he whispered, his fingers running through her locks of hair, soothing her with every stroke.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it soon enough, then you won¡¯t have to worry any longer.¡± he continued, ¡°Think of controlling this energy as similar to riding a horse.¡± she looked at him, prompting for more, ¡°With practice, you will learn, and when you do, it will forever stay with you.¡±


    As the king spoke so confidently, Eugene can¡¯t help but only gawk at him in response. She felt shivers running up and down her spine just by listening to him speak, especially in that old-fashioned way, which she only heard being spoken in historical dramas.


    And in her entranced state, she couldn¡¯t help but blurt out¡­


    ¡°The way you speak is so different¡­¡± she muttered back softly, and Kasser¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion.


    ¡®Different? I have always talked like this.¡¯ he thought to himself before he shook his head in amusement. Eugene could feel the rumbles from his chest as he chuckled quietly at her¡­


    ¡°Now I believe. You¡¯ve really lost your memory.¡± He then looked at Eugene in silent contemplation and his gaze roamed around her face, watching every crease and every smooth line on her face¡­


    The latter also kept eye contact with him. And as time went on with her pain gradually fading, she began to take note about their current positioning; her laid head against his chest, with his big and warm arms supporting her back, spreading its warmth through the thin fabric of her clothes, which was the only thing separating their skin from each other.


    She knew that the king had only intended to help her calm down, and it filled her with a sudden rush of fondness for what he did for her, but she was no longer under any pain. She was beginning to come back to her senses, and slowly, yet carefully, she began to untangle herself from his arms, placing as much respectful distance between them as possible.


    We have never been this close before. Even if she indeed lost her memory, is it possible for a person to change entirely? Kasser thought to himself.


    Determined with putting as much distance as possible between them, Eugene naturally pushed him gently away and twisted herself out of his grasp. But suddenly, while she focused intently on withdrawing from the embrace, his hand on the small of her back drew her back close to him.


    Eugene let out a startled gasp; her eyes quickly snapping back to his sharp, blue orbs. She then began to blink towards him in confusion¡­


    ¡°In another circumstance, I would certainly think of you as someone else.¡± he began to tell her, and she couldn¡¯t help but suck in a breath¡­


    Haha. He¡¯s sharp. But, if I were to claim to be someone else, he will think that I¡¯m crazy. She mused dryly.


    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid to state that I still believe that the reason why you sneaked out of the castle, was because you planned to not keep your word with me.¡± he finished, eyeing her the same way as he did before. Even upon the mention of the possible betrayal, his voice didn¡¯t fail one bit. Kasser knew the nature of the queen. But what he didn¡¯t understand was why she chose to roam the desert.


    As vile as Jin Anika was, she was undoubtedly wiser than she was more wicked.


    ¡°Well, maybe.¡± Eugene shrugged her shoulders, hoping that half-heartedly agreeing would prompt him to let her go.


    Still, she made the character herself, she knew just how cunning Jin Anika could be. Anika would not hesitate in a heartbeat to throw away any degree of honor just to achieve her purpose or goal in mind.


    As she began nodding unconsciously to herself, in response to her musings, she began to feel rather disheartened. But when Kasser¡¯s expression morphed into something akin to suspicion, she quickly retracted back her words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean yes, but rather, it¡¯s a reasonable doubt.¡± she defended and still he eyed her with narrowed gaze.


    ¡°Does that mean that you admit it?¡± he asks her.


    ¡°Admit what?¡± Eugene asked back, feigning ignorance, and he narrowed his gaze even further. There was an unspoken warning in his eyes.


    ¡°Were you thinking of getting away?


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Then I can¡¯t help it,¡± said the king in resignation. As he said it, his hold to her waist loosened up and Eugene slightly stumbled backwards.


    ¡°You never allowed me to touch you before. I have always wondered why you chose to subject such a condition in our contract. But now that you claim to have lost your memory, it seems that I would never find out.¡±


    Tired of it all, Eugene snapped in frustration. ¡°I myself don¡¯t know the nature of my agenda.¡± She then smiled mischievously, ¡°Maybe because His Highness doesn¡¯t know how to make a baby?¡±


    Instantly, Kasser¡¯s possessed a gloomier face, if that was even possible.


    This remarks of hers appeared as a shallow provocation to him. But still, he was secretly upset hearing it.


    He had never been swayed by the queen¡¯s charm. Objectively, he knew that her beauty was undeniably remarkable, yet, she was as untouchable and as insensitive as a jewel displayed in a glass box. He felt fundamentally out of sync with her.


    But every time he sees the queen, who had lost her memory, he feels strange. She perked his interest the very moment she made an expression that was not like her at all. It was the first time he knew that her voice, which had no trace of the usual nasality, was pleasing to the ears.


    He managed to calm down the part of his body that responded while holding and soothing her awhile ago, but as they continued to converse now, his body started reacting to her once more.


    Therefore explaining his lower half being painfully rigid¡­


    His fire had already been half-stuck and would burst into a huge untamable flame if further fueled. This desire of him, which was against his will, irked him to no ends.


    He narrowed his eyes, brows knitting together and lips curling in frustration.


    ¡°You doubt my ability. That¡¯s a very dangerous remark, Anika.¡±


    Chapter 25 ¨C Soft as a Feather (2)


    Chapter 26 ¨C Between Reason and Desire (1)


    Chapter 27 ¨C Between Reason and Desire (2)


    Chapter 28 ¨C Throes of Passion (1)


    Chapter 29 ¨C Throes of Passion (2)


    Chapter 30 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (1)


    Chapter 31 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (2)


    Chapter 32 ¨C Making Amends (1)


    Chapter 33 ¨C Insatiable Thirst


    Chapter 34 ¨C Memories (1)


    Chapter 35 ¨C Memories (2)

 Chapter 25 Soft as a Feather (2)

    Chapter 25 ¨C Soft as a Feather (2)


    For a man to show off his capabilities to prove a point was beyond his comprehension, hence, this sudden situation Eugene put him into, he finally understood.


    He¡¯s a man of pride, after all.


    But he couldn¡¯t stand the soaring kicks of pride within. So, he grabbed her wrist¡­ and pressed her palm against the low of his abdomen.


    With her wrist enveloped by his warm hands, and her attention currently snatched by the shadowed face of the man before her, Eugene belatedly realized the identity of the hard flesh she was touching.


    ¡°Kyahh!¡±


    Eugene backed away with a short scream. The atmosphere surrounding them freezing in tension uncomfortably.


    She studied his face firmly while he, on the other hand, only looked grave with an excessive air of nonchalance. On instinct, she cradled her molested hand and threw him an accusing look.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± He asked.


    Looking into his eyes, Eugene could feel that he was nowhere near calm. His glimmer of desire was visible at this moment.


    The whole chamber was blanketed in darkness, so Eugene couldn¡¯t exactly see his eyes, could not dwell on its depths¡­ What do those cold blue eyes look like now?


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for thinking this way. We¡¯ve been in bed together for three years,¡± she stated as a matter of fact, rubbing salt on the wound.


    The man, who never expected to encounter this challenge on his manliness, reacted indecorously. This made an idea flash through Eugene¡¯s mind.


    Jin Anika had a reason to keep her virginity. Presumably, there was an important connection between her purity and her plan to pursue the power of Mara.


    Eugene cited situations in various cases. What if Anika¡¯s soul isn¡¯t entirely gone, but rather, just asleep inside her? What if she tries to take control of this body again?


    If the original owner demands to return to her body, Anika would have every right to do so¨Cbut there was no guarantee that Eugene would return to her original body. Not to mention, the possibility of her returning to her original world is thin.


    If Jin Anika would die, she would also meet her end. No one would wish to vanish like that. Therefore, she must find ways to prevent the worst and survive.


    Being intimate with the king could break Anika¡¯s plans and twist the story.


    ¡®Think realistically. There¡¯s a contract on your shoulders and you have no way out. And if you sleep with that man, there¡¯s a good chance that Anika won¡¯t accomplish her goals, of which the most definite one is to acquire Mara¡¯s power.¡¯


    Yet, there was still the problem of a possible pregnancy. Eugene couldn¡¯t imagine herself becoming a mother. But she had to do what she thought was right. Once Jin Anika accomplishes her dark plans, it would be all too late for the people of Mahar.


    Right now, she must take a risk.


    Eugene inched closer to him. She kept her head straight, ignoring his unmistakable erection below.


    ¡°You said that we still have a fortnight¡­¡± she started hesitantly, her hands trembling at the sides of her. Even so, her eyes conveyed pure determination. ¡®I will not lose my life by letting the plot take its course.¡¯


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe tonight¡­ uhm¡­.¡±


    Still, she couldn¡¯t make out the words. Speechless, she covered her burning face with her hands. How ridiculous would it sound for a woman to invite a man to her bed!


    In this briefest of moments, she changed her mind. ¡°Nothing. We should go back to sleep. It¡¯s nearing dawn.¡±


    She backed away timidly. But as soon as she turned her head in a sigh, her arm was seized by a strong force.


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    The next things she felt was the touch of soft lips against her own¡­


    Kasser captured her head effortlessly and skillfully slammed a kiss on her moist, inviting mouth.


    It was not gentle at all¡­


    As the gap between them completely disappeared, Kasser¡¯s desire heightened. He tilted her head to gain more access. His wet tongue slid in between her lips, sucking and licking like he couldn¡¯t get enough of her. Her head was bent back, with a strong hand supporting her neck.


    Then, she slowly felt him lower her to the bed beneath them¡­ As the center of gravity shifted dangerously, Eugene grabbed him unconsciously. And in a split second, she felt the soft mattress against her back.


    His tongue caressed her lips once more before Kasser broke the kiss. Eugene tugged at his sleeves which distracted him from his feast.


    At this moment, Eugene found herself lying on the bed with the king on top of her. Her hair was spread in disarray around her head, and her eyes reflected what little moonlight that had trespassed through the gaps of the window curtains.


    ¡°It seems that when you lost your memory, you gained a new talent of making people¡­really upset.¡± The deep-seated man¡¯s voice pierced her ears intimidatingly.


    ¡°How about the fortnight? Will we still¡ª¡± She gulped nervously. Her ears burned in embarrassment.


    Kasser understood what Eugene was trying to say. She doesn¡¯t want a repeat of this.


    ¡°Yes, I will not visit you on the fortnight if you don¡¯t wish so.¡± He was growing impatient by the second.


    She barely knew the man¨Cshe described the king in her novel rashly, not a bit detailed.


    Therefore, it would be best that she set boundaries as early as now.


    Besides, the purpose of this man in consummating was for their marriage to be not annulled and for him to see his successor through Anika.


    Even so, Eugene didn¡¯t want an animal-like sex. It was her first experience; she didn¡¯t want it to be a nightmare.


    ¡°Be gentle or else¡­¡±


    ¡°Or else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell everyone that you are terrible!¡± At her request and vain threat, he grinned boyishly which caused Eugene¡¯s eyes to grow round.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    They locked lips once more. At first, it was soft, appeasing and gentle. Their lips brushed against each other, soft as a feather.


    Somehow, the weight of the man above her felt good.


    Eugene felt more unrealistic now than when she first opened her eyes in the middle of the desert. She couldn¡¯t believe she was doing this intimate act with the man she met only a few days ago. What¡¯s even more surprising was that it didn¡¯t feel unpleasant at all.


    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯


    A thick tongue entered her mouth and rubbed the tender flesh inside. Her fingertips tingled at the moment his tongue began to move more intrusively.


    Eugene¡¯s first kiss a long time ago was fuzzy and clumsy, unlike this one. This was the first time she ever participated in a deep kiss¨Cwith a blatant desire to do more.


    She didn¡¯t know that tongue was such a sensory organ, in a sexual way, that is. The sensation of his tongue sliding against hers became wilder.


    The air became smoldering hot as a battle silently commence¡­

 Chapter 26 Between Reason and Desire (1)

    This chapter contains explicit scenes.


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±


    A groan escaped from Eugene¡¯s lips during the heat of the moment. Her eyes firmly closed, a strange sensation slowly spread from the tips of her toes and throughout her body. Kasser¡¯s warm tongue probed her mouth, even delving deeper, and she squirmed underneath him.


    Despite being long covetous of her lips, Kasser mustered the willpower to relent his attacks on her mouth and pulled away. He cast a gaze on her current state, his eyes smoldering at the sight before him.


    Her moist lips softly parted and her cheeks flushed red made her look like a seductress¡­ He found he wasn¡¯t able to take his eyes off of her. But even more so, he was deeply baffled by these unforeseen circumstances. When night came, he wasn¡¯t expecting anything out of the ordinary to occur.


    However, at this point, it was too late for him to stop. He had already been aroused, to the point that his loins strained beneath his trousers, wishing to be released from its entrapment.


    A strange sense of crisis like a storm shattered his reasons. He could only wonder where this intense surge of passion for the queen sprung from.


    In the end, his desire triumphed above reason. His mind refused to think of anything else except to have this woman in his grasp¡­to claim her as his.


    He lowered his head and had his lips pressed down on hers again. His hands, as if it had a mind of their own, began to caress her soft skin. From her lips, Kasser began to plant kisses across her cheek and then captured her earlobes gently between his teeth.


    His mouth then moved lower to trail hot kisses down her neck. And he noted that whenever his lips touched her skin, she would tremble every time. His actions made Eugene release another moan, and such a response naturally heightened the heat that came from within him.


    ¡®Ha, I must be going crazy,¡¯ was Kasser¡¯s only concrete thought at this moment.


    Softly and affectionately.


    If he ever submitted to his carnal desire, the queen would definitely not allow him to touch her a second time. And there was¡ªBe gentle or else. Her words from a while ago still ring loud and clear. But he was torn between his heightened desire and consenting to her wishes.


    When he remembered so, he realized that the queen didn¡¯t entirely change at all. As expected, she still makes difficult demands! Kasser didn¡¯t know how to be soft and affectionate, he was never gentle.


    If he followed his way, he would have already spread her legs and buried himself deep inside her right away. Yet, acknowledging her demands, he pressed down his thirst and moved slowly with all his efforts.


    His large hand went under her gown to grasp her soft mounds. With only slight pressure, he caressed her twin peaks gently, the tips hardening at the contact. Her smooth skin against his calloused hand felt such a wonderful contrast.


    The clothes that separated them now looked cumbersome to him and he impatiently unfastened the string on her chest. The strap, tied to a thin cloth, suddenly became loose and exposed the hidden skin. He breathed, finding himself freeze momentarily at the sight underneath him.


    But then his impulse took over and he dipped his head low. Slowly, almost testingly, he kissed her soft peaks and buried his nose, breathing the scent of her. Surprised by the sudden sensation, Eugene unconsciously arched her back. But it didn¡¯t stop there, he rolled her hardened tips around the tip of his tongue evoking another moan from her.


    ¡°Haah¡­¡±


    At first, there was a bit of hesitancy in his actions. But then, Kasser¡¯s caresses began to intensify with every second. He took her moistened tips between his teeth and gently bit. Finally, his head bowed deeper as he took her peak and sucked on it relentlessly.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Eugene buckled underneath him. She felt as if she was burning like hot honey was being poured all over her ¡ª her body couldn¡¯t help but heat up in anticipation for contact. The sound of his mouth against her chest mingled with her quivers and soft moans. Eugene suddenly found herself embarrassed at the immorality of it all, and her face burned further.


    His hands brushed over every part of her skin. She felt his palms sliding all the way down her waist and reveled in the exotic sensation of a man¡¯s hard and rough skin against her own smooth flesh


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    She felt heat pool between her legs with unmistakable urgency. If he touched her now, he would discover that she was already wet.


    Several times Kasser thought he had reached his limit. Yet, he held himself back, realizing he didn¡¯t want to rush an exquisite moment. He was genuinely absorbed in the act of slowly worshipping her body and was willing to put off the expected pleasure of a quick fix.


    Her mounds were now moist under his attacks¡­ and her soft moans blended with his barely concealed groans. Her hand slid across his palm, a surprising action that shook his core. Even with just the slight provocation initiated, it drove him into a state of extreme excitement.


    An unfamiliar emotion bubbled from him for the woman lying breathless beneath him. He wanted to delve more, deeper into her being.


    His eyes locked on her barely opened eyes, he wanted his caresses to go further ¡ª lower and down Eugene¡¯s inner thighs. He placed his knees between her, spreading her two legs apart and she suddenly opened her eyes to look at him like a startled deer. His lips stretched upward in amusement, feeling her embarrassment. After he was positioned, his hands began to move towards her lower abdomen, and underneath the flimsy underwear.


    ¡°Wait, wait!¡±


    Eugene tried to brush him away. But it was not enough to stop his fingers from going under her soaked underwear. His fingers tantalizingly rubbed her wet petals up and down and Eugene felt her resolve, and her knees, go weak. His firm fingers melted against her hot flesh and her face could only burn up further.


    From embarrassment or the blissful sensation, she was quite undecided.


    ¡°This, it¡¯s¡ª ¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Her words died at her throat as she was faced with Kasser¡¯s penetrating gaze like a hawk¡¯s. But it was far from the intimidating or cold stares they once exchanged, but a smoldering one. One that spoke of devouring her.


    Chapter 27 ¨C Between Reason and Desire (2)


    Chapter 28 ¨C Throes of Passion (1)


    Chapter 29 ¨C Throes of Passion (2)


    Chapter 30 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (1)


    Chapter 31 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (2)


    Chapter 32 ¨C Making Amends (1)


    Chapter 33 ¨C Insatiable Thirst


    Chapter 34 ¨C Memories (1)


    Chapter 35 ¨C Memories (2)


    Chapter 36 ¨C Doubts


    Chapter 37 ¨C Beasts of the Desert

 Chapter 27 Between Reason and Desire (2)

    (This chapter contains explicit scenes.)


    She bit her lip and turned her head sideways to escape from his stare. Yet, she could not run away from the pleasure that traveled to every corner of her body. At Kasser¡¯s touch, prickly goosebumps erupted on her skin; her body temperature gradually rising with a palpable desire.


    When Kasser felt her warmth seeping through his fingers, only then did he realize the extent of how much they had proceeded. Yet, at her sudden resistance, he found himself unable to express his mixed feelings.


    ¡°Have you changed your mind?¡± he spoke in a low, strained voice.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The long and firm fingers that were only touching her from the outside, suddenly plunged deep inside her heat, as if daring her to refuse his ministrations¡­All the while, he bit her jaw softly and licked her earlobe to stimulate her even more.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want this?¡±


    At the abrupt intrusion, Eugene shook her head from side to side. She didn¡¯t hate it. It¡¯s just that the changes that took place in her body¡­embarrassed her deeply.


    His finger, which moved in and out of her, clenched, stretching her hot walls and preparing her for what¡¯s to come. Her face burned up hearing the wet noises which grew increasingly louder in the chamber¨Cher lower region becoming slippery by the second.


    She could only close her eyes tightly and grip the sheets so hard her knuckles turned white. She felt ashamed that her body seemed to welcome him enthusiastically.


    ¡°Good.¡± He was heartily relieved. For a moment, he thought she would beg him to stop, which was an impossible task for him to do.


    His fingers slid out of her folds.


    But, at the next moment, he inserted it deeper. A pleasant tingle surges up inside her, making her jerk up at the flood of euphoria.


    She felt hot and damp all over. The imminent realization of being penetrated gave her fright. Still, she was too narrow, that she couldn¡¯t imagine how he could ever get inside her.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Eugene groaned intermittently, groping his strong arm at the side of her face for support. The sensation that began in her lower abdomen gradually heightened as if it was going up the stairs. Her head spin as she reveled in the tide of desire.


    Suddenly, the foreign object became thicker¡­Eugene yelped in pain! She felt herself stiff momentarily, and her breathing sharper.


    ¡°It hurts¡­¡±


    Kasser was puzzled for a moment. But upon seeing her disgruntled face, realization hit him like a truck. But how? I only put two fingers in her¡­


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t hurt. Something much bigger than this would go in here.¡± He grunted.


    Surprised by his blunt remark, Eugene pressed her lips and only nodded. At the same time, Kasser became more persistent in his actions¨Chis fingers started to move faster and rougher.


    And the strange discomfort gradually turned into a different sensation.


    Her legs opened wider on its own accord. As an indescribable feeling took over her body, Eugene didn¡¯t even notice that her underwear was already completely peeled off by Kasser¡¯s skillful hands. Nonetheless, she felt shame no more, and instead, concentrated on the pursuit of pleasure.


    ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡±


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    A rush of excitement began to take its course inside her. The euphoria that began in her lower abdomen quickly spread throughout her body. Her head tilted for a little as a groan found its way out of her throat.


    Thoroughly and surely, she never felt as debauched as she felt now. However, the short moment of bliss passed when Kasser retracted his fingers. Her nub twitched at the loss of contact¨Cshe surprisingly felt empty.


    After the storm, her senses dulled. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, calming the trembles which remained; the lingering sensation continuing to erode her.


    Then, she heard rustles of clothes¡­


    Kasser peeled of his sleeping apparel. While doing so, he eyed her exposed nakedness sharply. He then settled between her legs, his arms, with bulging veins, grasped her soft thighs not so gently as he wanted.


    When Eugene felt her legs being forcibly opened wider, her eyes snapped open, and she was greeted by his bare chest. Her breath hitched.


    It is really unfitting to describe a man¡¯s body as ¡°pretty.¡±


    His firm and lean muscles were densely packed. Eugene suddenly had the ache to trace every crevice with her fingertips. He looked strong, but this should not be a surprise. The six kings of Mahar were the strongest in this world, after all.


    Kasser was well-aware of the eyes full of wonder, that peered at him. She was so transparent in her adoration, her mouth forming an ¡°o¡±; resembling that of a pufferfish. This almost emitted a laugh from him.


    But, on another note, he disliked the light atmosphere. He was on the verge of bursting, his length which stood close to her heat, ached terribly.


    With one hand, he held up one thigh and put one hand beside her head. He dipped his head low and captured her lips, pushing his tongue intrusively.


    Bewildered at the rough gesture, Eugene quickly reacted with a gasp which gave him more access to her mouth. And with deliberate movements, he slowly rubbed his fully established fire against her small hole¡­


    He took out her tongue and met her eyes.


    Eugene felt a strange impulse as she looked at his eyes. He pressed his waist and pushed his manhood inwardly.


    ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Upon emitting this scandalous sound she herself was surprised to hear, Eugene slightly shook with embarrassment.


    Even though she didn¡¯t have experience, she heard a lot of things about this intimate moment. Now, her first experience was indeed painful because she couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. But she shook off this wariness and let herself relax a little. After all, if it¡¯s really painful, people won¡¯t do it.


    ¡°Ah!¡± As Kasser plunged himself deeper, Eugene felt pain that was almost unbearable.


    ¡®It hurts. It really hurts.¡¯


    Her pelvis was forced open and a huge wedge seemed to have penetrated her body. It became more and more painful as Kasser kept digging without relent. Her eyes welled up tears. When she blinked, tears trickled down to the side of her face.


    To soothe her,  short kisses landed on her lips, cheeks, and nose.


    A cold sweat on his back, Kasser slowly entered, waiting for her to get used to it. The tight inner walls were too narrow for him. But the feeling of touching her inside was insanely pleasurable.


    He managed to resist the urge to push all the way through. With great willpower, he stopped half-way through. Putting too deep in a woman for the first time could hurt


    ¡°Anika.¡± He kissed her trembling lips and sniffling nose.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±

 Chapter 28 Throes of Passion (1)

    This chapter contains explicit scenes.


    ¡°Then what shall I call you?¡± A mischievous smirk painted across his lips. ¡° Queen?¡± He nibbled Eugene¡¯s ear as he whispered softly.


    ¡°A¡­a name?¡± Eugene stammered by the sudden query. A query that Kasser only made to squeeze out a reaction from her. He wanted to tease her.


    But as he was greeted by her sheer confusion, he couldn¡¯t help but be amused. If he were to call her by her title from before she lost her memory, disagreement would be a certainty.


    But even then, this obsession of her didn¡¯t bother him at all. He was the King, after all. It¡¯s just unfortunate that Jin Anika was never tolerant of her subordinates committing this mistake.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Eugene. Call me Eugene.¡±


    Eugene answered quickly for fear that he would call her Jin Anika and ruin the mood for her in an instant. During this heat of the moment, she did not want to be called by someone else¡¯s name. She wants to hear hers.


    As a matter of fact, Eugene¡¯s name was pronounced similarly as that of the queen¡¯s¡ª¡°Yujin¡±. Therefore, if the king asks, she could just make an excuse of remembering the nickname she had as a child.


    ¡°Eugene,¡± he repeated for her, her name rolled off his tongue smoothly. And although he was definitely puzzled at the mention of the unfamiliar name, he didn¡¯t ask her any further. Whilst Eugene, on the other hand, felt shivers run up her spine upon hearing her name come out of his lips.


    When Kasser kissed her this time, Eugene¡¯s lips parted for a moment before nipping him lightly on his lower lip. A guttural sound came from Kasser¡¯s throat at her daring conduct, making her stomach twist and turn with a rising fire from deep within.


    Eugene hesitantly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, his muscles rippling sensually under her fingertips.


    Almost immediately, she clamped her eyes shut as she felt Kasser move, righting and placing himself between her thighs. She braced herself for what was sure to come. She could feel it making its way in unapologetically, until its buried all the way to the hilt in her.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Pain shot from between her legs and Eugene gripped onto his shoulders tightly. She knew it was painful, but it had not prepared her to feel as if something was splitting her open.


    With his every movement, every thrust, she could feel his stiffness poking in, breaking her down with every passing moment. But the pain was ebbing away, replaced by bouts of pleasure instead. And Eugene shuddered at her overwhelming feelings, threatening to burst out of her, as she clung onto his back, nails digging on his tanned skin.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± she gasped as they rocked rhythmically.


    The human body is really mysterious. At first, she dreaded of how long the pain would last, but as he kept going, it gradually became dull and tingling. Instead of screaming in pain, she found herself gasping for pleasure.


    Her eyes kept fluttering with every feeling. The warmth in her gut only growing by the second, as the scent of musk and sweat began to infiltrate her nostrils. Sounds of slapping flesh, along with moans and grunts filled the room.


    With what little strength she had, she firmly held onto him for support. Her hands kept slipping in sweat but it only made her cling harder.


    He suckled on Eugene¡¯s lips with such fervor. She predicts her lips will be swollen tomorrow. She felt so precious, so wonderfully full, even though she kept dreading this moment inwardly.


    With every move from him, she could feel that delicious friction, poking at her sweet spot. And the build-up continues, and she could feel herself getting overwhelmed as the pacing kept going faster, harder¡­He was stretching her as he continued to thrust deeply.


    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±


    Her insides squeezed and started to spasm. And Kasser plunged deeper and rougher.


    Eugene throws her head back, feeling herself blackout as a dam broke in her. She feels something gush in, warm and thick deep inside, as they ride out the throes of their passion.


    As the movement stills, she is well aware of the way her back is bent, along with her head arching behind her. She could feel her nether regions instinctually clamp down and relax in repeated manner. A sense of despondency came after the sensation of pleasure that swept through.


    She noticed a little bit later that the deep-seated foreign body remained inside her still. Her body grew limp as something hot spilled inside her.


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    Kasser watched her intently, his chest heaving visibly at the aftermath. Her serene expression was sending him into overdrive.


    Slowly, he pulls away from her, and she watches with lidded eyes as he rose up, his face hovering above her own. She feels a sense of excitement and embarrassment at the same time¡­


    But as he was yet to be satisfied, he seized her thighs and plunged himself deep, again.


    ¡°Ah! Stop¨C¡± she gasps but her scream was swallowed by his lips, as he thrust his tongue deep into her mouth with a thick, murky look.


    Their recent exchange of passion was not enough. His appetite for her seemed insatiable. He wanted to taste her hot flesh some more. But Kasser didn¡¯t want to spoil this night. He would not force her to do it again, not unless she asks him.


    He flung himself a few more times inside her before finally pulling himself out. Unsatisfied thirst resounded in his eyes as he looked down at her tired form.


    Her heartbeat wildly against her chest. He slowly bit the skin of her neck. Her flinching reaction provoked him. He clenched his teeth in the struggle against the desire to put his length back in and ravage her endlessly.


    Gathering his senses, Kasser resorted to caressing her forehead and combing her hair with his hands. She looked so tiny, he thought. His hand looked enormous at the side of her small face.


    A being so fragile, he could break her thin bones in a breath. A feeling of relief washed over him. He felt glad that he didn¡¯t hurt her, crushed her even, while he was so invested in his desire to devour her just minutes ago.


    Eugene closed her eyes and breathed hard. She didn¡¯t even want to move. She liked the feeling of his hands sweeping her hair soothingly. Eventually, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    ¡°Anika.¡± He called out but received no response.


    Kasser spoke again, sweeping his palm against her cheek gently, like she was a precious porcelain he was afraid to shatter by his immeasurable strength.


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    Still, he was answered by nothing but silence. Hence, he concluded that the woman in his arms had already fallen asleep. ¡°Rest well.¡± He murmured in her ears.


    Chapter 29 ¨C Throes of Passion (2)


    Chapter 30 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (1)


    Chapter 31 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (2)


    Chapter 32 ¨C Making Amends (1)


    Chapter 33 ¨C Insatiable Thirst


    Chapter 34 ¨C Memories (1)


    Chapter 35 ¨C Memories (2)


    Chapter 36 ¨C Doubts


    Chapter 37 ¨C Beasts of the Desert


    Chapter 38 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (1)


    Chapter 39 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (2)

 Chapter 29 Throes of Passion (2)

    This chapter contains explicit scenes.


    He put on his overcoat and pulled the rope to call a maid. Whenever the king and queen slept together, maids were never called at this time of night. Therefore, this was such a rare occurrence for the servants. One immediately came towards the royal couple¡¯s chamber nervously.


    ¡°Get me a towel.¡± He ordered nonchalantly.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    After a while, the maid came in with plenty of warm towels. She also put a tray of wet towels on the side of the bed and hurried off. Even if the light was dim, one could still tell the red hue on her cheeks as she noticed the heat filling the chamber. Nonetheless, from the moment she came in, she kept her head bowed down and didn¡¯t once spare a look to the spent queen on the bed.


    As soon as the maid left, Kasser began wiping his wife¡¯s body, which felt sticky with sweat. He carefully wiped her face, arms and legs.


    He had never thought of himself as a  gentle and caring person. Him doing this was ridiculous.


    What¡¯s even more ridiculous was how he was reacting to her unconscious state. Wiping her body filled him with a desire to touch her more. He had a handful of her wrists and ankles; his movements wary as he knew just how frail she was.


    Eugene was curled up on her bed. In order for Kasser to clean her sensitive part, he had to stretch out her legs. But to his surprise, his action was met with resistance.


    As soon as he uncurled her legs, she wriggled from his grasp and conformed again to her fetal position. Kasser raised his eyebrow and looked at her face, only to be met with her wide-open eyes. Surprise was evident in those dark irises of hers.


    He chuckled, ¡°Were you only pretending to be asleep?¡±


    Eugene shook her head, her cheeks flushed at the accusation.


    ¡°¡­I just woke up.¡± She supplied.


    She fell asleep only for a moment. And perhaps could have slept soundly all night, if not for the feel of the moist towel grazing her skin which stirred her up.


    Kasser tried again to stretch her legs but failed to do so, as she began to tense up on his touch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Eugene quickly picked herself up and took the towel from his hand.


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like it? Don¡¯t you want me to touch it?¡± There was a hint of anger in his voice.


    ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know?¡± Eugene quickly said. When she saw his somber expression, she realized he was indeed clueless about what she felt. She glanced at him, and muttered, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I am only embarrassed.¡± and sat with her back facing him.


    She could hear him laughing from behind and Eugene grumbled inwardly at the realization. Kasser, the powerful king, was anxious that she would say she regrets what happened between them.


    Such an irony.


    She wiped the inside of her sticky legs with the wet towel. Accidentally, she glanced at it and let out a startled scream.


    ¡°Uck!¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± was Kasser¡¯s concerned voice but didn¡¯t move a muscle to respect her desire for privacy.


    He waited patiently, looking at her back. But it was not long until his patience quickly ran out. He took her by the shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Her face turned completely red. She looked frightened at Kasser and hid what she had in her hand in a direction he could not see.


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    Eager to satisfy his curiosity, he drew his arm to dig around for what she was hiding from him. With the draft of the wind, it knocked the towel in Eugene¡¯s hand down.


    The two sets of eyes trailed to look down at the same time and saw red bloodstains marring the pure white towel.


    Eugene covered her face with her hands, burning with embarrassment. She looked up to him with teary eyes¨Cshocked by the amount of blood.


    However, this scenario appealed differently to Kasser. There was a serious look on his face. He had suspected it¨Cshe was too tight. Yet, her mischievous and coquettish nature made him think otherwise. At this moment, even if their marriage was a hoax, he felt a surging pride from within him.


    He laid her down and captured her lips in a searing kiss. The man weighed heavily on her fragile frame.


    A hand took her breast, and warm moist lips sucked on one of its peaks¡­ At the same time, his other hand started its descent towards her abdomen, caressed her inner thighs before finally touching her folds and pushing pressure on her most sensitive part.


    Eugene was distracted by the various stimuli he was suddenly feeding her. Not long after, she felt the unmistakable hard thing against her entrance. But before she could protest, he pushed his way through her inner walls.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    The friction inside her quivering walls felt blazingly hot and furious. He acted feral.


    This was not what they agreed to! Eugene punched him in the chest and shoulders.


    But to no avail, he instead captured her hands, put it above her head and pressed it down with his own, and the latter was left helpless. All her screams were swallowed by the lips that came upon her mouth. Biting her flesh and sucking her tongue, he kept ramming inside her incessantly.


    He was conscious of his overzealous state, but he could hardly stop. He understood for the first time those who covet pleasure.


    His reasons, no matter how firm and hard it was as steel, crumbled into dust at the sound of her moans.


    The air in the bedroom, which had cooled for a while, heated up another notch.


    Chapter 30 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (1)


    Chapter 31 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (2)


    Chapter 32 ¨C Making Amends (1)


    Chapter 33 ¨C Insatiable Thirst


    Chapter 34 ¨C Memories (1)


    Chapter 35 ¨C Memories (2)


    Chapter 36 ¨C Doubts


    Chapter 37 ¨C Beasts of the Desert


    Chapter 38 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (1)


    Chapter 39 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (2)


    Chapter 40 ¨C Second Night (1)

 Chapter 30 The Queens Invitation (1)

    After receiving the queen¡¯s message, expressing her desire to meet her again, Marianne naturally became restless. Even having witnessed Anika¡¯s drastic change, the summon of the once wicked queen still made her feel wary.


    As clear as day, the queen held a formidable grudge against her. At first, Marianne was not alarmed by this, hoping that keeping a low profile, which was what she was doing for the past three years, would somehow make Anika forget her existence.


    However, even after giving up her position, the queen increasingly troubled her by insisting that she be banished from the castle. This made Marianne think of leaving the capital quietly and going as far as she could, despite how much Kasser forbids it.


    With the constant struggle, her situation with Anika didn¡¯t leave her unscarred. Sometimes, she tended to belittle herself¡ªsaying to herself that the position was not at all suited for her. Unlike the chief generals in the past, she was not born with a noble status and had even entered the castle as a nanny. It just happened that the then Prince Kasser treated her as his mother, and Marianne was given a pretty high seat.


    When she was still in the position, she always worked with this mindset¡ªshe would step down as soon as someone who really suited her job arrives.


    When the prince, whom she raised like her own son, finally ascended to the throne and married, she could not ask for more. Marianne was willing to step down from her post as she felt like she already served her purpose. And she did.


    A simple woman that she was, she bore no greed inside her. The king¡¯s happiness was her only joy. Her last wish was to hug the king and see him once in a while. Yet, the queen despised her so much she chose to isolate herself that Kasser rarely saw her.


    When Anika claimed that she had lost her memory, Marianne hoped to somehow ¡°abuse¡± this chance in an attempt to make a new good relationship with the queen. Their upcoming meeting made her stay up all night tossing and turning on her bed. In the end, she hadn¡¯t slept a wink all night.


    Not wanting to disturb the queen¡¯s peace in the morning, she entered the palace in the early afternoon, about two hours after lunch. Upon arriving, she made sure to send an errand to the queen, informing her of her entrance. Then, she waited in the drawing room patiently, twiddling her fingers in anxiety.


    An hour passed by, but the news of the queen joining her, in her utmost disappointment, had yet to arrive.


    Contained in her seat, she watched servants after servants pass in front of her making her momentarily dizzy, when suddenly, a too familiar figure strode inside the room.


    It was not the queen though.


    Sarah came in and saw Marianne waiting anxiously by herself. ¡°Welcome, General Marianne.¡± She said while bowing her head in salute.


    Marianne¡¯s face hardened. ¡°General, I told you, a couple of times already, to quit doing that. Don¡¯t give me a salute.¡±


    Not a bit undeterred by her former chief¡¯s warn, General Sarah flashed a mischievous smile her way. ¡°You came to see the Queen today, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Marianne neither denied nor affirmed Sarah¡¯s query. Instead, her expression became clouded in dismay, which gave Sarah more than enough idea to what was happening,


    ¡°The Queen won¡¯t see you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± was her nimble response.


    Sarah looked around, and respectfully ordered the maids to depart the room the soonest. With only the two of them left, she sat opposite Marianne and looked at her gravely in the eye.


    ¡°You probably have to come back in the evening or tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The Queen is still on her bed.¡±


    ¡°Is she sick?¡±


    Sarah shrugged her shoulders and declared, ¡°The King came by last night¡­ She may be just extremely exhausted¡±


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    ¡°Oh¡­.¡± Marianne gave a startled look. This has never happened before. In the years of their marriage, every time after the couple shared a bed on the first night of every month, the words of the maids who cleaned the queen¡¯s bed-chamber came into Marianne¡¯s ear by chance, saying that the beddings were always neat and uncreased, as if Kasser had only risen from lying down all night.


    With this train of thought came a realization. She was so anxious to see the queen that she completely forgot that yesterday was the first day of the month. Hence, it was no surprise that the royal couple slept in one bed, following the kingdom¡¯s tradition.


    She must have been nervous about losing her memory, lest she would have not summoned me.


    She heaved a deep sigh, wishing that everyone must give the queen some time to adjust. And as a sign of respect, she also refused to drag on her surprise of the royal couple¡¯s recent night. Instead, she was satisfied that the queen¡¯s apparent exhaustion negated suspicions that Kasser had not yet touched his wife out of disgust.


    There was still hope for the two, and Marianne held tightly on it.


    She was ready for this conversation to be over when she noticed Sarah¡¯s bizarrely conflicted expression.


    ¡°You look crestfallen. Is there anything else you want to say?¡±


    Sarah sighed deeply. ¡°The Queen¡­ she bled last night it seems.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The look on both faces reflected horror. It couldn¡¯t be virgin blood! They have been wed for three years at most!


    Did the king hurt his wife? Or is she sick? Marianne sprang up to her feet and in frenzy, flopped down on her seat, struggling to regain composure. No matter how long she had cared for the king, she or everyone had no right to intrude on his secret and private affairs. However, this was alarming news.


    ¡°For goodness sake!¡±


    Marian sported a worried look on her face. Turning to Sarah, she asked in the calmest tone she could muster. ¡°How¡¯s the Queen? Did you call the doctor?¡±


    ¡°She woke up a little late in the morning, took a bath and had a meal. I only know that the maids who arranged the bedding said there were bloodstains on her sheets, which is quite perplexing. The queen, upon returning to her bed-chamber, slept and hasn¡¯t gotten up yet as we speak.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What must I do?¡± Marianne muttered after a long silence.


    ¡°When she gets up, ask her. Ask the queen if she¡¯s fine and if there¡¯s any dispute with her and the king. If she says nothing, don¡¯t inquire any further.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± She felt determined. ¡°If this happens again, you must tell me. Only by then would I speak to the king.¡±


    ¡°You can trust me on that.¡± Sarah quickly agreed and cast a gaze around the silent drawing room. ¡°Will you then come again tomorrow?¡±


    A shake of her head, Marianne gave a stern answer. ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait.¡± She thought she must recover her peace by today¡¯s end.


    ¡°But it might be long before the queen comes out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been called by the queen, and must not leave on my own accord, not until she says so.¡±


    Seeing that she could no longer change her mind, Sarah nodded and stood up to attend to her duties. ¡°If you insist.¡±


    Chapter 31 ¨C The Queen¡¯s Invitation (2)


    Chapter 32 ¨C Making Amends (1)


    Chapter 33 ¨C Insatiable Thirst


    Chapter 34 ¨C Memories (1)


    Chapter 35 ¨C Memories (2)


    Chapter 36 ¨C Doubts


    Chapter 37 ¨C Beasts of the Desert


    Chapter 38 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (1)


    Chapter 39 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (2)


    Chapter 40 ¨C Second Night (1)


    Chapter 41 ¨C Second Night (2)


    Chapter 42 ¨C His Touch (1)


    Chapter 43 ¨C His Touch (2)

 Chapter 31 The Queens Invitation (2)

    Everyone thought the queen was in her chamber, dozing off, but in fact, Eugene didn¡¯t fall asleep by the time she got up this morn. Right after breaking her fast, she retreated to the safety of her room, laid on her bed and indulged herself in peace and quiet.


    She stared blankly at the tip of her fingers as she suspended her hand in mid-air while she rested in a reclining position. Her body was squeezed to pulp from last night, she could only lie down and let her sore muscles recuperate at the time being.


    She breathed a sigh and murmured. ¡°What a dynamic life.¡±


    Her previous life was an eventful one but upon comparing it to her life in this world, it looked bland. In fact, no adventure movie would be more exciting than her few days here in the castle.


    Amidst letting herself dragged by the tide of events, the thought of suddenly coming to her senses, and finding herself awake in her original body never left her. Yet, over the days that passed, she kept on waking up in this chamber with the rays of the sun hitting her face as it rose proudly on the horizon of this world called Mahar.


    Most of all, everything that transpired last night was shocking in many ways. Many times she suspected that all of these are mere delusions, or perhaps a long dream, but Kasser proved her wrong.


    Last night was too real. He was too real.


    The vivid touch on her skin, the sensation of her hands slithering with sweat on his broad back, the sound of his ragged breathing against her ear, and the intense feeling of her body racking in desire¡ªthose could not be dreams.


    From last night¡¯s occurrence, she also ruled out the hypothesis that Jin Anika¡¯s soul might be hiding somewhere inside her body. Jin Anika seemed to value her purity, and she would have interrupted them if she could. Not once did she feel her taking over her body.


    She wriggled in discontent on her bed, and with it came the discomfort she felt from her strained muscles. She groaned with her every move. Jin Anika must have not liked sports very much¨Cshe was not fit at all. In fact, her whole body ached, just like when after Eugene first climbed a mountain.


    In particular, she felt sore in her nether part.


    With her body¡¯s protests in pain, she was recalled of the person deserving of her resentment.  Eugene¡¯s face took a contemplative air. She didn¡¯t expect a man of abstinence to debauch her like a beast.


    ¡°Ah! I must get up once and for all.¡± She shook her head. The more she dwelled on this plethora of thoughts, the more she felt her head throb. Quickly, she must dispel the memories from last night and train her attention to more important things.


    I definitely solved one thing. Now, that Anika¡¯s body was not pure anymore, one condition of accepting Mara¡¯s power has been broken.


    I must find out why Anika married the king. And I still have a lot to learn to adapt to this world.


    She pulled the rope near her bed. A moment later, Zanne came in with her head bowed down. Eugene then beckoned her to come near her bed.


    ¡°Zanne.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Anika.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell the former general that I wanted to see her?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In fact, she¡¯s already in the drawing room¡±


    ¡°How long has she been waiting? Why is it that no one told me?¡±


    Her voice, despite being soft, made the maid tremble in fear.


    ¡°I¡ªIt¡¯s just that no one wanted to disturb your sleep.¡± Zanne stammered pitifully.


    ¡°I¡¯m not blaming you.¡± Eugene pacified her by flashing a kind smile. Afterward, she picked her next words carefully. ¡°Please invite her in after a few minutes. I must make myself more presentable.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Anika.¡± She said, then proceeded to exit the door to do the queen¡¯s bidding. But before her figure disappeared entirely, Eugene called her attention and she quickly turned on her heels.


    ¡°In other kingdoms, they call someone with a position such as mine as ¡°queen. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in other kingdoms, but I think so¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. From now on, you must call me queen then, not Anika.¡±


    A stupefied look on her innocent face, Zanne stood frozen in her place. She clutched her gown tighter at her sides and seemed to not breathe due to tension.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Call me.¡±


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    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    Eugene gave an encouraging look. She thought she should try to pull out the infamous queen¡¯s image from the deepest pit.


    ¡°Q¡ªqueen,¡± was Zanne¡¯s mousy voice. Then, she closed her eyes, waiting for the queen¡¯s words of admonishment. But none of it came.


    ¡°Tell everyone to call me that way.¡± She said with a satisfied nod of her head.


    ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± and she headed off.


    Jin Anika was overly obsessed with the title Anika. Only when the title was changed, Eugene would have a place in this world.


    No matter what good I do, no one will still be able to talk to me straight. I¡¯m¡­ the queen.


    A strange shudder swept over her whole body. Having so much power in her hands, she must exercise but with caution.


    In this kingdom, as long as she doesn¡¯t commit a crime punishable by death, she need not fret over keeping herself alive.


    Who would dare touch the only woman who could give birth to a king¡¯s successor anyway?


    ***


    Eugene welcomed Marianne in her chamber. Since it¡¯s their second meeting already, she felt more at ease with having her around.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Anika.¡±


    ¡°Sit down.¡± She led her into a chair and sat afront her. ¡°I¡¯ve told someone else about this. I don¡¯t want everyone to call me Anika anymore.¡±


    Marianne looked at Eugene with astonishment. As if she had not heard Eugene for the first time, she gave a questioning look.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me Anika. Calling me with my title is enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do that, Your Highness.¡± Marianne smiled warmly and asked what Sarah told her to. ¡°How are you, Your Highness?¡±


    As she spoke, worry was etched on her face¡ªworry that was speared on the queen¡¯s health and her rocky relationship with the king. But, Eugene, unaware of the ruckus her blood-stained sheets made, thought that Marianne was only worried over her loss of memory.


    ¡°I am alright.¡± Eugene¡¯s words relieved Marianne.


    Beneath Eugene¡¯s cool exterior, internal chaos within her made her feel ill to her gut. She felt no pressure in talking to a young maid but confiding in a much older adult and a well-rounded person was an entirely different matter.


    ¡°Marianne.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen.¡±


    ¡°You were the king¡¯s nanny, the former commander-in-chief, and the person who holds an indispensable place in the king¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, my queen.¡± Marianne simply nodded and kept her calm. Her responses were direct as she had not intended to grovel for favor unabashedly. She was a person who was not very good at kissing her superior¡¯s feet¡ªa trait of her that Eugene admired at this very moment.


    ¡°It is because of these qualities of yours have I decided to summon you here. Marianne, you are the only person who could help me.¡± Eugene said her intention bluntly.


    ¡°My queen¡­Did you say you need help?¡± She asked with a skeptical look and added, ¡°What for?¡±


    Chapter 32 ¨C Making Amends (1)


    Chapter 33 ¨C Insatiable Thirst


    Chapter 34 ¨C Memories (1)


    Chapter 35 ¨C Memories (2)


    Chapter 36 ¨C Doubts


    Chapter 37 ¨C Beasts of the Desert


    Chapter 38 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (1)


    Chapter 39 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (2)


    Chapter 40 ¨C Second Night (1)


    Chapter 41 ¨C Second Night (2)


    Chapter 42 ¨C His Touch (1)


    Chapter 43 ¨C His Touch (2)


    Chapter 44 ¨C Crimson (1)


    Chapter 45 ¨C Crimson (2)

 Chapter 32 Making Amends (1)

    ¡°My situation. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to let everyone know what I¡¯m doing right now.¡± Eugene expressed her concern to Marianne.


    ¡°Yes, I agree.¡±


    ¡°Then I need someone to help me relearn everything I¡¯ve forgotten. Marianne, you can help me, right?¡± she asked, concern clearly written in her eyes, but Marianne seemed hesitant as she began to shy away.


    ¡°My queen, I lack enough knowledge¡­¡± she started, but Eugene took her hands and grasped it on her own¡­


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t refuse. I need your help more than anyone else.¡± she begged, and Marianne¡¯s tense expression eventually loosened up as she continued to observe Eugene in silence.


    ¡°If it¡¯s within my power then I will gladly do my best.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No. I must be the one to say my thanks to the Queen. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.¡± Marianne stated, bowing slightly towards Eugene.


    Eugene noticed that Marianne was referring to her and Jin Anika¡¯s uncomfortable past, but pretended not to know. She just wanted to get along well with Marianne and squeeze out any help she could get.


    ¡°My Queen, I¡¯m a woman who already left the castle. I need your permission to rebuild my position.¡± Marianne continued.


    ¡°I see. Then shall I speak to the king?¡± she asked her, and Marianne shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a burden to you, my queen.¡± she starts, ¡°You must speak to the king, only by your behest, and no one else¡¯s. Not even for others like me.¡± Eugene purses her lips together, as she thought for a moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, on second thought, it would be better if you talk to the king instead.¡± she answered within a heartbeat. Marianne studied Eugene, trying to see whatever underlying motive she might have had, but only came to one conclusion.


    ¡°Are you uncomfortable with the king?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    Eugene smiled awkwardly. She was still confused when she woke up in the morning.


    The night they shared was not unpleasant by all means, but it wasn¡¯t what she expected. Her cheeks grew flushed at the thought of last night. She didn¡¯t know how to face the man again. Which was why she wanted to avoid him for the time being if possible.


    ¡°He¡¯s a man of few words, that¡¯s why. I think it would be better if you talk to him.¡± she excused, hoping that would be the end of that.


    ¡°He may be aloof and callous on the outside, but the king has a very warm heart. He is just bad at expressing his feelings.¡± Marianne explained.


    ¡°I can attest to that. The way he speaks is harsh and his temper¡­¡± Eugene recalled the day the king barged into her room, yelling at her. She let out an involuntary wince as she recalled the unpleasant experience.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. His temper, I dealt with it all his life.¡± Marianne said softly, the ghost of their past echoing in her eyes. She looked so sentimental, so nostalgic, that Eugene couldn¡¯t help but let out a smile of her own. She was like a hedgehog¡¯s mother, whose child is covered in spikes, who bares them to anyone that threatens him. But even so, only she could see beyond that tough exterior, inert goodness lies within the king¡¯s heart.


    ¡°He confided in me.¡± Marianne added, looking at Eugene, ¡°He told me you¡¯ve lost your memories.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± she wanted to make an excuse, but instead she let out a sigh. ¡°I understand if you¡¯re suspicious and disbelieving in me,¡± she said, but Marianne¡¯s gaze on her was unwavering.


    ¡°True, I know the queen before, and she had no qualms in lying,¡± Marianne said, ¡°But right now, I don¡¯t think you are lying.¡±


    ¡°Then I have a question.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±


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    ¡°Your Grace and me, how is our relationship perceived as husband and wife?¡± Eugene knew they weren¡¯t real couples, but wondered how they appear to the public.


    ¡°In all honesty, my queen,¡± Marianne said, looking a little saddened, ¡°It didn¡¯t look good. Not at all. But once you¡¯re both in formal events or  council meets, you both would act very differently.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve been pretending to be good to each other, aren¡¯t we? For appearance¡¯s sake?¡±


    Marianne gave a cursory nod.


    ¡®Then there aren¡¯t many people who know they¡¯re not getting along. Well, Jin¡¯s not that stupid. It wouldn¡¯t be a good thing to openly show that you¡¯re having a bad relationship with the king.¡¯ Eugene thought to herself.


    ¡°And just before I met Marian the other day. Your Highness was furious. But he didn¡¯t tell me why. Do you happen to know anything about it?¡± she continued to ask.


    ¡°The king was angry that the queen left the castle without saying a word. I guess that¡¯s why he lost control of himself and stormed here furiously. He was only worried about you.¡±


    Eugene thought that Marianne¡¯s answer was not true. Would he have been worried about Jin? Or is he only worried that she won¡¯t fulfill the contract?


    The angry king came to complain that something was missing. When she said she lost her memory, she remembered the king¡¯s expression of disgust. He didn¡¯t feel worried at all about Jin Anika¡¯s well being.


    Marianne doesn¡¯t seem to know what the kingdom has lost at that very day¨Cthe maids whom Jin Anika brought with her to the desert.


    Eugene grimaced internally. It¡¯s like everyone was feigning ignorance about them. They  had been quiet since then. She heard no words about the maids; as if their lives were only insignificant.


    ¡°The maids¡­They went to the desert with me and went missing¡­¡±


    Eugene felt heavy at her heart when she thought of them. She felt more sorry for not being able to feel their absence due to the fact that she had not met them.


    ¡°Is there really no chance of them to still be alive?¡± Eugene knows the real answer, and it troubles her so, but still, she had to ask. She needed to ask. ¡°The king said that they¡¯re lawbreakers who won¡¯t escape death even if they come back alive.¡± she added, the quietness in her voice giving way to the fear in her heart.


    ¡°Is that how he said it? Word for word?¡± Marianne asked, looking a little disappointed with the king¡¯s decision. She¡¯s not in approval of that decision then.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll help me?¡±


    ¡°What can I do for the queen?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember, so I don¡¯t know their personal circumstances. One of them could have been married, one of them could have been the head of a family.¡± she began to speak frantically, worried about the family left behind by her servants she couldn¡¯t even remember. The Queen was not interested in their personal affairs from the start. She wouldn¡¯t have thought of that, after knowing how she was before. However, Marianne did not bother to point out this fact. She listened without a word to Eugene¡¯s ramblings.


    ¡°I want to make amends if they are having a hard time. I don¡¯t know what the procedure is and I don¡¯t think the king will allow it. Is this a difficult favor?¡± she asked, and Marianne couldn¡¯t help but smile at her earnestness.


    ¡°Your Highness, make the order and I shall take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Eugene said in relief, and the tension from her shoulders eased away. Marianne couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight pang on her chest. This was a miracle before her, for a person cannot change their ways completely. The loss of memory was an excellent way to start anew.


    They always did say bad things come with the good. Two sides of the same coin. Marianne could only hope that this time, things would begin to change and prove beneficial to the kingdom.


    Chapter 33 ¨C Insatiable Thirst


    Chapter 34 ¨C Memories (1)


    Chapter 35 ¨C Memories (2)


    Chapter 36 ¨C Doubts


    Chapter 37 ¨C Beasts of the Desert


    Chapter 38 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (1)


    Chapter 39 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (2)


    Chapter 40 ¨C Second Night (1)


    Chapter 41 ¨C Second Night (2)


    Chapter 42 ¨C His Touch (1)


    Chapter 43 ¨C His Touch (2)


    Chapter 44 ¨C Crimson (1)


    Chapter 45 ¨C Crimson (2)


    Chapter 46 ¨C Anika (1)


    Chapter 47 ¨C Anika (2)

 Chapter 33 Insatiable Thirst

    Now that the activity period had begun, Kasser walked along the outer walls since the early morning, all to the afternoon, patrolling the neighborhood. Among the activity periods that passed, today felt unusual.


    Soldiers gathered around the walls and busied themselves with making oiled arrows. They focused on what they were doing as the king passed by them from time to time.


    Larks wear a shield-like material filled with special energy all over their body that ordinary weapons could not breach. Therefore, the soldiers¡¯ attacks were carried out with the use of special oiled arrows or swords.


    However, since the effect of the oiled weapon was half a day long, the soldiers had to work constantly on replenishing its oils.


    Kasser stopped walking and stared out at the desert.


    ¡°The heat of the sun is different this time, my King.¡± Lester, the general who was assisting the king silently from behind, told him.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s definitely different from yesterday,¡± he replies


    ¡°The wind is soft. I always think, but it¡¯s absurd that the weather is better when you¡¯re stuck in a wall.¡±


    ¡°I think the weather that isn¡¯t severe at a time when we can¡¯t relax the most helps boost soldiers¡¯ morale.¡±


    Kasser smiled lightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s another way to look at it I suppose.¡±


    Lester was relieved that the king did not look uncomfortable. She assisted the king and went out to the desert together and returned a few days ago and belatedly learned of the queen¡¯s disappearance.


    It was overheard that the couple was not well-matched. But Lester thought that only a couple knew about it. So, she tried not to be curious about the royal couple¡¯s work.


    ¡®It must have worked out well. I¡¯m glad.¡± she mused in thought.


    Lester was a woman. The king is stingy in expressing his feelings, but she has been a mother for a long time, so she can understand his feelings to some extent.


    Kasser put one hand on his chest. He contemplated at the Praz that was crouching inside. At the beginning of the activity period, Praz was always keen to reveal his presence. But this time it was strangely quiet.


    ¡°Why is he so calm?¡¯ he thinks to himself.


    Since yesterday, the movement of Praz has been strange. It was not unusual in a bad sense. It was similar to the state in which a full beast was satiated, that it remains lounging, basking in the aftermath of his pleasure. But he couldn¡¯t understand more than that.


    When he pumped energy into her body yesterday, it was for the sole purpose of helping the Queen. It was an act prepared for some sacrifice. As expected, he should have suffered some internal injuries. Far from hitting, however, Praz turned out to be in better shape.


    The King¡¯s Praz and Anika¡¯s Ramita were polar opposites in their basic qualities. Destruction and creation, of course, did not fit together.


    Their abilities, much like water and oil, also affected their affinity for each other. So the king and Anika rarely attracted each other in a rational sense. It was also one of the crucial reasons why it was not easy for the king to produce their own successor.


    The Hashi Kingdom was already more difficult because of poor environmental conditions, much less the circumstances of their kings had compared to the other kings were even more serious. The kings courted Anika by all means they had in order to obtain a successor.


    That¡¯s why Kasser accepted the queen¡¯s contract offer without much resistance. Besides, the marriage between the king and Anika was a contract that weighed the benefits of each other on a very broad scale.


    He gazed at the desert and lost his mind.


    This activity is strange. He always felt something was starting to go off in a tight fit. But at this moment, he didn¡¯t have an ominous foreboding, which made it even more strange.


    Last night¡­


    All night long he lost his reason and was absorbed in coveting her. His blood curdled. No matter how many times he tried, the arousal he experienced could not be satiated. She was barely conscious, much exhausted with their nighttime passion.


    He woke up at dawn and found her deeply asleep. He agonized over whether to wake her up or not. Had it not been for the need to check since the activation started, he would have climbed back atop her body and continued where they left off.


    He didn¡¯t expect to be so absorbed in the Queen. He had not touch her in three years. How could he ever hope to survive three more years now?


    New novel chapters are published on /lightnovelworld/[/.]com


    For at this very moment, he couldn¡¯t keep the thought of her out of his mind. He felt a fierce hunger at the thought tasting her plump lips, and he felt an insatiable thirst to bask in her very presence.


    Chapter 34 ¨C Memories (1)


    Chapter 35 ¨C Memories (2)


    Chapter 36 ¨C Doubts


    Chapter 37 ¨C Beasts of the Desert


    Chapter 38 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (1)


    Chapter 39 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (2)


    Chapter 40 ¨C Second Night (1)


    Chapter 41 ¨C Second Night (2)


    Chapter 42 ¨C His Touch (1)


    Chapter 43 ¨C His Touch (2)


    Chapter 44 ¨C Crimson (1)


    Chapter 45 ¨C Crimson (2)


    Chapter 46 ¨C Anika (1)


    Chapter 47 ¨C Anika (2)


    Chapter 48 ¨C The Missing Page (1)


    Chapter 49 ¨C The Missing Page (2)


    Chapter 50 ¨C His Majesty¡¯s Pet (1)

 Chapter 34 Memories (1)

    Once the skies turned dark, Kasser returned to the castle. Never had he been this anxious about getting home before, except today. All day, how he had wanted to leave, but his duties kept him from doing so.


    It was quite late, yet, he summoned an attendant and asked her whether the Queen had already taken her dinner. Her reply was quite disappointing.


    ¡°Her Highness had an early dinner and is now resting, Your Majesty.¡±


    Deep inside, he had hoped that his wife would await his return. Seeking a meatier report, he summoned General Sarah.


    ¡°Is the Queen alright? She took a long nap, but is already in bed now.¡±


    Sarah was surprised by the fact that the King was aware that the Queen had resigned to her chamber the entire day. Nonetheless, her answer was professional, deftly masking her astonishment.


    ¡°I sent a maid to the Queen¡¯s chamber to ask her if she wished to see a doctor, but Her Highness said she is just fine. If she is still bed-ridden by the morrow, I would summon a doctor.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    With that the General took her leave and the Chief of Staff announced that someone wished for an audience with the King.


    Since the early afternoon, the doctor had been waiting for the King¡¯s summon. Kasser wanted to know more about memory loss, so on his way out in the morning, he tasked an errand boy to deliver a letter to the doctor, demanding that he visit him within this day.


    Currently, only a few, including the King, were privy to the Queen¡¯s amnesia. But Anika was yet to consult a doctor.


    Upon her return, the Queen had undergone a health check first and was told there was nothing wrong. Kasser did not intend to add to the number of people in the know, unless there arose problems with the Queen¡¯s health.


    Loss of memory was an unfamiliar territory and a serious ailment. If words of this go out, it could cause a stir among the subjects. A Monarch¡¯s health is the cornerstone supporting the kingdom. A slight tremor and there is every chance of collapse.


    ¡°One of the knights who had accompanied me to the desert has lost his memory. What do you know about such a condition?¡±


    Kasser blended the fib and fact in moderation.


    ¡°Did the patient suffer a major blow to the head?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t elaborate, but it seems so.¡±


    ¡°Memory loss is a condition that has often occurred. After a major blow to the head, the symptoms may continue for a few hours or days at the very least.¡±


    ¡°What about the condition of having no memory of who you are?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty serious. It¡¯s very rare. My belief is someone who has this won¡¯t regain memory for days or even years.¡±


    ¡°You mean, there is a chance that the person will have his/her memories back?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you a definite answer, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Memories¡­¡±


    What if I don¡¯t want her memories to return? He almost said it out loud. Kasser quickly reworded his thoughts.


    ¡°How do the patients get their memories back?¡±


    ¡°It can help if the patients are administered a shock therapy, it can act as a stimulus to trigger the memory. For example, it¡¯s a good idea to show them something they were attached to or let them venture to a place they most frequented.¡±


    Kasser was lost in thought. After a few more minutes of ¡®consultation¡¯, the doctor left the castle.


    Attachment¡­ Place¡­


    The first thing that came to his mind was the treasure house. The Queen had loved it so much that she had kept going in and out of it for these past three years.


    It was this very ¡®love¡¯, that catapulted her to the prime suspect¡¯s position, when the national treasure had been robbed. It was unclear if she¡¯d hid the national treasure in a secluded place or whether she had taken it out to the desert and lost it.


    Heaving a heavy sigh, Kasser rose from his desk and walked over. He stopped by the door leading to the balcony, simply standing there and staring out into the darkness. On this black night, a red moon adorned the sky. During the dry season, the yellowish, white-brown moon turned red when it entered its active phase.


    Throughout the last dry season, he suffered from an unknown sense of insecurity. Hence, he¡¯d ordered the stone gate to be lowered 10 days earlier than usual. He, along with his knights, was out in the desert for a month.


    That whole time, he had been anxious. He had a gnawing feeling that something big would transpire in the desert. However, his misgivings proved to be unfounded for nothing out of ordinary happened during his reconnaissance. On the contrary, a quite peculiar incident took place in his castle instead.


    The Queen¡¯s disappearance, return and memory loss, the robbery of the national treasure, it was all a big deal.


    Her disappearance was naturally masked by her return. It didn¡¯t matter where the stolen national treasure was. He¡¯d rather forfeit the national treasure than have her gain her memories back. He would lose her again.


    Well, on one hand, Kasser did feel sorry for the Queen who lost her memory but a part of him had hoped she¡¯d stay as she was right now. He didn¡¯t want her to go back to her former self.


    Her former mien, where is it now?


    But, in all truth, he must not fret over such things. What he stood to gain from the contract was an heir, not her.


    In the face of an unsolved mystery, he seemed to be fraught with unanswered questions.


    Last night was still vivid in his mind, for it was not just an intense carnal indulgence. The words he had exchanged with her, floated in his head throughout the day.


    ¡°Be gentle or else!¡±


    Her words flashed across his mind, his placid face broke into a grin. She spoke in an accent and a tone he had never heard of anywhere.


    It was a strange experience. He¡¯d never had such a casual conversation with anyone among peers.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    The Chief of Staff brought him back from his musings.


    ¡°Someone requests an audience with His Highness.¡±


    ¡°Send them in.¡±


    Soon, Marianne entered.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡±


    T/N: Apologies for the late update and thank you for your patience.


    Chapter 35 ¨C Memories (2)


    Chapter 36 ¨C Doubts


    Chapter 37 ¨C Beasts of the Desert


    Chapter 38 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (1)


    Chapter 39 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (2)


    Chapter 40 ¨C Second Night (1)


    Chapter 41 ¨C Second Night (2)


    Chapter 42 ¨C His Touch (1)


    Chapter 43 ¨C His Touch (2)


    Chapter 44 ¨C Crimson (1)


    Chapter 45 ¨C Crimson (2)


    Chapter 46 ¨C Anika (1)


    Chapter 47 ¨C Anika (2)


    Chapter 48 ¨C The Missing Page (1)


    Chapter 49 ¨C The Missing Page (2)


    Chapter 50 ¨C His Majesty¡¯s Pet (1)


    Chapter 51 ¨C His Majesty¡¯s Pet (2)

 Chapter 35 Memories (2)

    What greeted Marianne was the King¡¯s back, standing before the door to the balcony. She cast a fleeting glance at him and slowly approached. Before coming in, she had intended to nag him to soften his approach towards the queen, but Marian felt weak as the king looked somewhat disconcerted from behind.


    Kasser turned his head.


    ¡°You visited the Queen.¡±¡°Yes, Your Highness, I seek your permission. For the time being, I¡¯d like to serve Her Majesty.¡±


    ¡°And from whom did this idea come?¡±


    ¡°The Queen said she wanted my help.¡±


    ¡°What does she want you to do? You don¡¯t have to obey her if you don¡¯t want to.¡± He said dismissively.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. With the Queen¡¯s condition, someone should be beside her as her guide.¡±


    Kasser let out a soft laugh. ¡°You want to get along with her this time, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Marianne smiled awkwardly. ¡°If you allow me, I¡¯ll be the Queen¡¯s nanny while I¡¯m in the palace,¡± Marianne added. ¡°I will report to the King what I have seen and heard while I am serving Her Majesty. Besides, I ought to not disrespect her by turning down her order.¡±He trusted her more than anyone else so his reply came without a hint of displeasure.¡°Do as you please.¡±


    Marianne smiled and bowed her head.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°But remember¡­ they say it could be a temporary condition.¡±


    Instantly, Marianne¡¯s expression saddened. ¡°¡­Yes, but I¡¯ll worry about that when the time comes. I don¡¯t think she changed because she lost her memory. And besides, regardless of her condition,


    she is still the Queen


    .¡±


    Kasser could not agree with Marianne, that the essence was the same person. Even though they lived in humble circumstances, they had been married for three years. Marianne, who had gone out of town as soon as he got married, had many things she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Then, does this mean to say that you are going to stay at the castle?¡±


    ¡°It seems so, Your Highness.¡±


    Kasser nodded. ¡°When are you going to start?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Her Majesty¡¯s call¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention the national treasure..¡± When he first found out that the treasure was missing, he, in the fit of anger, accused the queen fiercely. And when Eugene asked him the thing she was accused of stealing, he refused to tell her.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention the missing national treasure to the Queen, unless she asks about it. I¡¯ll issue a mass *gag order if I have to.¡±


    *T/N:  A gag order means restricting information from being made public or passed onto any unauthorized third party.


    Marianne almost asked why, but reined in her curiosity and shut her mouth. The sovereign¡¯s will was resolute, what the king had already decided was to follow.


    ¡°It will be as you will, Your Majesty.¡±


    *


    **


    The next morning, Marianne sat before Eugene. After much thought, Eugene had decided to learn the ins and outs of being a Queen. To learn Anika¡¯s quotidian details and royal responsibilities, she needed a step by step approach. So, she began by walking herself through the Queen¡¯s routine, that is, her way of life before she lost her memory.


    Eugene had a hard time keeping a straight face. Not because there was a lot to do, but because Jin Anika didn¡¯t do anything!


    ¡°Um¡­the study¡­so you confined yourself to your study except for the time you ate and slept.¡±


    ¡°Are there other things¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°No, if anything else, I¡¯ll make room for you once a quarter. Tea with the noble-women, attending an official banquet about twice a year, apart from these there are a few other small events where you grace the occasion¨Cabout five times a year if you put it together.


    Eugene was too dumbfounded to speak.


    Aren¡¯t villains always diligent?


    How could she play so coy? No wonder I am so idle. The servants didn¡¯t mean to let me rest. It¡¯s just that, Anika didn¡¯t do anything at all!If you¡¯ve been at parties day and night, you could at least claim to have made a hundred concessions and worked hard on social activities. However, Jin Anika rarely met people.¡°Isn¡¯t the Queen supposed to do anything?¡±At a loss for the apt words, Marianne could only smile vaguely.I don¡¯t think so.¡°I spent most of my day in my study, don¡¯t you really know what I was doing there?¡±¡°Nobody but you could enter the Queen¡¯s Study.¡±


    ¡°Have I been reading all day?¡­.¡±


    Like a recluse, Eugene imagined Jin Anika reading books in her study. It was a far cry from the image that she had vaguely painted.


    Marianne picked up her teacup and brought it to her mouth, concealing a sneak smile. She felt like she was talking to someone who had never been here.


    ¡°Your hobby was collecting old books. The luggage you brought along to the Kingdom was filled with books.¡±


    ¡°Collecting old books¡­ I¡¯ll have to see the study first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Queen.¡±


    Marianne summoned Zanne and instructed her to lead Eugene to the library.


    The said study was quite far from the sleeping chamber.  With a maid in tow, she walked up and down the fleet of stairs a few times, passed along winding corridors and only then did she arrive.


    Eugene wondered whether the study was an important place for Jin Anika or it was just that ¡ª a study.


    This was because, until Marianne brought it up, Anika¡¯s study had never crossed her mind.  Sure enough, the way to the study was unfamiliar.


    When the corridor took a turn, two guards came in sight. They stood before a tall daunting door, looking very domineering. Zanne, who was guiding Eugene, stopped and bowed her head.


    ¡°The door at the end of the hallway is the study, My Queen.¡±


    The change in address didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Eugene. This time around, everybody ended their words with ¡°Queen¡±, perhaps to test if they¡¯d suffer an upheaval if they failed to address her thus.


    ¡°Why are there guards here?¡±


    ¡°You kept a lot of ancient books inside, you ordered that they be guarded at all times.¡±


    ¡°I may take a long time. You can go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Queen.¡±


    Standing before the closed study, Eugene drew a deep breath. When Marianne had apprised her of the Queen¡¯s Study, it struck her as though it might be Jin Anika¡¯s secret base. However, she was uncertain.


    Nonetheless, the access to her study was too easy for it to be a place where she practiced her dangerous tricks. No one else was allowed in, but it was impossible for someone, even Anika, to ignore the person who possessed the highest power, namely the King. Kasser could go in as many times as he pleased.


    Slowly turning the handle and pushing the heavy door, Eugene¡¯s eyes


    widened as she looked around.


    It was wider than she¡¯d expected. The first thing that caught her was the distinctive smell of books floating in the air. The room itself comprised high ceilings and built-in shelves that were full of books. A solid wooden ladder stood in the middle to help reach the top shelves.


    It was an antique study, the kind one would only see in pictures, a heaven for those who loved books.

 Chapter 36 Doubts

    ¡°Did she really like books this much?¡± Mumbling to herself, Eugene looked around as she walked deeper.


    The interior was of a hexagonal structure with a settee and a table in the center. She walked along the bookshelves that lined the walls, not paying mind to the titles. It seemed a very prosaic setting, a den of a typical bibliophile, until something caught her eye.


    One of the walls of the bookshelf had a slight depression. On a closer look, it turned out to be a dent¨Ca split, like a door.


    A secret space?


    Eugene¡¯s heart pounded. She snooped around to see if there was a lever or some mechanism to open the door, but found nothing.


    Throwing caution to the wind, she daringly pushed the discovered entrance wider. She thought it might be locked, but like a revolving door, she was able to push it with a scraping sound.


    Beyond the revolving door was a small room, its walls were also filled with books.


    Her eyes soon fell on a book that stood out. Walking to it, she reached out a hand to pull it out, drawing specks of dust as she did so. To her utter surprise, the book was too heavy and didn¡¯t budge until she yanked it with both hands. As soon as she got it out of the bookshelf, her body staggered downwards.


    Why is it so heavy?


    Book in hand, she left the small room and walked to the table near the settee where she placed the book of unexplainable weight. Sitting down, she took a careful look at the cover.


    The cover was made of leather with a precious stone resting on it. The inside felt too exquisite to be a plain paper. Is it made of parchment*?


    *T/N: A parchment paper is a stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal and used as a durable writing surface in ancient times.


    The use of paper was common in Mahar. But the books here were rather small and light because the printing technique was more advanced. So, the book that Eugene was now looking at, must be a very old book.


    She remembered what Marianne had said earlier. The Queen¡¯s hobby was collecting old books.


    A book like this would be very expensive.


    It was now understandable why she kept them in a separate small room. Her curiosity unsatisfied, she retraced her steps to the small room and ran her gaze across the thousands of books packed within this tiny space.


    These were all colorful old books embellished with jewels and written in gold. A layer of dust had accumulated on them as if they were untouched for some time now.


    As Eugene¡¯s greedy eyes wondered at the shelves of old books, they caught a glint of something. It was the shiny head of a cow with two horns drawn on the back of a book.


    She swallowed hard, retrieved the book out of the small room. Flipping the cover, the picture of the front page came into view, and Eugene took in a deep breath.


    The ox with two horns stood on its two feet like a human glaring at her; in its one hand was a bolt of lightning and the other, a long, red whip.


    Mara¡­


    Returning to the small room, Eugene then picked out a few more books dealing with ¡°Mara¡± from among the old books, before bringing them back to the table. Sitting down, she sifted through it.


    Is this a dangerous book?


    The little room was a little sloppy to serve as a secret place. Anyone who entered the study would be able to find these books.


    Her brows furrowed.


    These expensive old books in the small room could be bait.


    Looking at the tens of thousands of books that filled the wall, Eugene had an epiphany.


    Could Anika have hidden her most important book under the guise of an ordinary book?


    ???


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Queen is in her study.¡±


    Kasser took his eyes off the papers he was reading and looked up.


    ¡°Her study?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    He waved his hand with a slight nod. The servant bowed and retreated to a distance. He looked down again at the papers, but the letters were no more decipherable.


    Earlier that morning, in only a simple carriage, Marianne had entered the palace. After only a perfunctory greeting to Kasser, she¡¯d gone straight to see the Queen.


    All morning, he couldn¡¯t concentrate fully, all the while struggling with a pile of documents. His mind, all along, kept thinking of something else¡­ wondering what the two were doing. Therefore, to give himself peace, he had finally sent a servant to spy.


    Her study¡­ How could I have completely forgotten about it?


    New novel chapters are published on /lig/htn//ovelworld[.]com


    He sighed. The robbery at the treasure trove had greatly diverted his attention from Anika¡¯s study. If there was a place the Queen was deeply attached to, it was her study.


    ¡®No.¡¯ He shook his head. ¡®I should have considered her study in the first place.¡¯


    Except when she ate and slept, the Queen spent most of the day in her study. There was no way one could describe her daily routine without mentioning that place.


    The Queen worked hard on collecting old books. Even though he didn¡¯t care about it, he had only stumbled upon the Queen¡¯s hobby during his biannual inspection of accounts.


    The Queen¡¯s spending was huge, to Kasser¡¯s surprise, who was aware of the dizzying unit. But he had always refused to be involved or intervene in this affair of hers.


    With a solid expenditure history and the Kingdom¡¯s ample finances, he was able to afford to spoil her that much. The price of his efforts would be priceless after all¨Chis successor.


    Looking around the study might bring back her memories¡­


    He burst out into a fit of bitter laughter. It was funny that he actually believed the Queen¡¯s unilateral claim that she had lost her memory as if she were innocent. Now she could, perhaps, be lying or pretending to not know even though she¡¯d already regained some of her memories. And even if the memory loss was genuine, she may recover in a few days or months.


    He wanted to believe her, yet would constantly doubt her. This was because there was not even the slightest bond between the two to which trust could possibly foster.


    There was nothing between the two, just the parties involved in the contract. Really nothing.


    ¡°And besides, regardless of her condition, she is the Queen¡±


    Marianne had spoken those words without mal-intent. But Kasser had interpreted it as ¡®people don¡¯t change.¡¯ Then the present queen could, despite her abrupt change, remained vicious secretly and is only using her loss of memory to cover up her vile plans.


    Without her knowing, Marianne¡¯s words rather spiked Kasser¡¯s alertness.


    But after sleeping with the queen, he had mixed feelings. Sleeping with her was ¡®unwanted but had to be done¡¯, but why was he seeking it? He was intoxicated by the queen¡¯s charm, and neither he himself knew when he would sober up¡­


    He didn¡¯t expect the first night of their three years of marriage to make him feel so agitated. It felt as if he had fallen for the woman.


    Boom!


    A loud sound from afar pulled him from his thoughts.

 Chapter 37 Beasts of the Desert

    As soon as he heard the explosion, Kasser raised his head with a stiff look. He sprang to his feet, hurriedly opened the window and went out to the balcony. He looked skywards and saw yellow smoke rising from afar.


    Lark.


    The yellow smoke was a signal that a devious monster had been sighted on the walls of the kingdom.


    He let out a long whistle, looked down at the ground, seemingly waiting for something. When none came, he added special energy to the whistle. People couldn¡¯t hear it, but the sensitive beast sensed its Master¡¯s summons.


    Not long after, from afar, a black stallion could be seen galloping hither.


    Abu, the King¡¯s steed, wore no reins or saddle on his majestic back. He was never the one to tolerate anything that restrained him from moving unless it was his master who would put it on his back.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    The Chief of Staff rushed in. He was accompanied by a knight carrying a sword. The knight then went down on a knee before his King and with both hands, offered a sword.


    When the King hunts Lark, he injects his Praz into this weapon. Ordinary weapons would instantaneously explode or melt when subjected to the swirl of energy. Only the weapons of those who had the royal blood coursing their veins body could withstand it.


    Entering the activity period, the Kingdom had been placed under constant emergency security. His sword, which was kept deep in treasure houses during the dry season, was always on standby until the king needed it during activity periods.


    As soon as the knight offered up the sword, Kasser, grabbing the balcony railing with one hand, without hesitation, jumped down the far end.


    None of the onlookers were surprised.


    The blue energy surrounding his body shifted, and his Praz, in the shape of a giant snake wounded around the king¡¯s body. It slowed Kasser¡¯s fall and absorbed the shock as soon as his feet landed on the ground.


    ¡°Abu!¡±


    The black horse that was running towards the King, was getting enormous in size by the second. Two small horns appeared by both its ears, stretching out large; the mane was trimmed off, legs thickened and the hard horseshoe split, taking shape of ferocious claws. The only thing that didn¡¯t change was the crimson eyes of the beast.


    Kasser climbed onto Abu¡¯s back, which was now a huge black horned leopard. He grabbed its collar and arched forward as Abu took a giant leap.


    With just one leap, the beast had already crossed half of the castle¡¯s perimeter. In an instant, he had climbed over the walls, which was otherwise impossible in his original form, and landed on the street beyond.


    Contrary to what one might expect,  the people moving around the streets were relatively calm. The yellow flare had a low level of risk. Most of the signal bullets that burst during the active period were yellow.


    When a giant beast passed them, people stepped back, not in fear but awe. They stared at the majestic creature before them and saw no monstrosity. This beast assists the king in safeguarding the kingdom, after all.


    ¡°The King is on his way, so there will be a blue flare soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just a monster, if the King goes, that thing would meet its end.¡±


    Despite the curious chatterings, vivid atmosphere, the street looked peaceful as usual.


    The King soon reached the wall. No one greeted Kasser with a great deal of fuss over his arrival. It was like a state of war from the moment the signal went off. They all held their arms firmly and kept their respective positions.


    Abu, who kicked the floor and lifted himself high, pounced over the wall again. Just a few leaps and he had scaled up the high wall.


    Kasser looked around and quickly grasped the situation. Soldiers gathered closest to where he was, and there was a shout from Lester, the General who gave the signal.


    Tilting his head, Kasser looked at the outer wall facing the desert. A huge snake was creeping up the wall. Its body was as thick as a human¡¯s.


    The soldiers poured oil on their arrows. They raised their arrows in the air and prepared to shoot as the Lark scaled up further.


    Kasser frowned. Larks which had the form of a snake are tricky. If the shield around its body is broken, it will immediately spit out poison. Thus, it must be done quickly before then. Snakes could climb the high wall and the primary barrier would then be useless.


    Lester, who had spotted Kasser, shouted, pointing to the distant rear wall. Amidst the chaos, Kasser couldn¡¯t hear his men¡¯s voices clearly, but he understood, by their alarmed actions, what it meant.


    Are there two?


    There were times when two, or three attacked at the same time, even if they weren¡¯t creatures that moved in a herd. Kasser determined that the situation here was not urgent, so leaving it to Lester, hastened Abu to sprint along the wall.


    Soldiers had gathered on the wall opposite the first attack point. The snake, almost up, bobbed its head straight over the wall and brandished its tongue. It was half as big as the one he had seen earlier.


    In accordance with the law of nature, small creatures are weak and large creatures are strong, Lark was no exception. The bigger, the stronger and more dangerous it is. Not only that, but a bigger Lark is also more aggressive.


    The arrows bounced before reaching the snake¡¯s body. Kasser¡¯s eyes saw the shield around Lark¡¯s body. It was like a thin glass cover. Every time the lark was hit by an oiled arrow, there was a fine crack. But it¡¯s still a long way from being broken.


    Kasser jumped off Abu and unsheathed his sword. There was a bluish glow surrounding his body.


    ¡°Abu. Wait!¡±


    The beast stated his refusal by growling whimsically at Kasser. But like an obedient pet dog, the black leopard lay down on the spot. His claws that alternately tapped the floor indicated its unhappy feelings.


    Chapter 38 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (1)


    Chapter 39 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (2)


    Chapter 40 ¨C Second Night (1)


    Chapter 41 ¨C Second Night (2)


    Chapter 42 ¨C His Touch (1)


    Chapter 43 ¨C His Touch (2)


    Chapter 44 ¨C Crimson (1)


    Chapter 45 ¨C Crimson (2)


    Chapter 46 ¨C Anika (1)


    Chapter 47 ¨C Anika (2)


    Chapter 48 ¨C The Missing Page (1)


    Chapter 49 ¨C The Missing Page (2)


    Chapter 50 ¨C His Majesty¡¯s Pet (1)


    Chapter 51 ¨C His Majesty¡¯s Pet (2)


    Chapter 52 ¨C A Stroll in the Garden (1)


    Chapter 53 ¨C A Stroll in the Garden (2)


    Chapter 54 ¨C A Mere Pawn (1)


    Chapter 55 ¨C A Mere Pawn (2)


    Chapter 56 ¨C Where Did You Go? (1)

 Chapter 38 Leave No Stone Unturned (1)

    ¡°Everybody back off!¡±


    The soldiers bowed in unison and obeyed their sovereign¡¯s express command. Kasser was ready with his bow and aimed at his target. In a split second, the arrow swiftly bolted and struck the Lark¡¯s torso. With one blow, the shield surrounding it broke, creating a sickening shattering sound.


    In retaliation, the beast, sensing a crisis, turned aggressive. Opening its mouth wide, it maneuvered its tail in the direction of the source of its undoing, Kasser.


    The blue energy swirled in Kasser¡¯s eyes. As he stared at the Lark, his pupils stretched out, like a feline¡¯s, making him look inhumane. With the incoming blow, the Praz in his body revealed its presence. Blue energy rolled up from the King¡¯s flesh and a majestic Praz, in its serpentine form, materialized.


    Transformed into such, the Praz devoured the Lark¡¯s head. It made for a grotesque sight. Sticky fluid mixed with chunks of flesh splashed all over.


    Nimble on his feet, Kasser then severed the snake¡¯s head with his Praz infused sword. This would arrest the regeneration of the snake. One could not kill these monsters by only beheading and stabbing them in the heart. Rather, the King¡¯s attack would only paralyze it for a moment.


    To kill a Lark, one ought to find its Achilles¡¯ heel. Its nucleus.


    However, since the nucleus was too small, the odds of destroying it were slim. Fortunately, Kasser was able to spot the nucleus, for only a king could. He raised his sword, right above the dimly shining spot in the center of the snake¡¯s torso, then decisively struck it.


    The snake wriggled and went limp. Heaving its final breath, it disintegrated into fine dust that scattered in the wind¡­ Its remains¨Cits head and the bodily fluids that were smeared all over Kasser¡¯s body, also turned into powder.


    It simply vanished without a trace. A vain end.


    Even after defeating the Lark, Kasser was given no room to breathe. A squad of soldiers on a different part of the wall was doing its best to hold off another Lark just yet. It was precisely in moments like this, that he wished he could duplicate himself into multiple copies and tackle several matters of priority simultaneously. Without losing a moment, he mounted Abu¡¯s back and made a dash to the other wall immediately.


    ???


    Eugene walked out of the study in sheer astonishment. The explosion was so loud, it had penetrated the thick walls of the study. But the sight of the guards rooted in their post, displaying a serene facade, calmed her down. It didn¡¯t seem like a big deal at all.


    As she made the turn to exit the corridor leading to the study, what greeted her was Zanne, casually standing by a corner. It seemed like she had been waiting, despite being told to leave earlier.


    Sensing the Queen¡¯s presence, Zanne straightened herself and bowed her head.


    ¡°Have you been standing here waiting for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Queen.¡±


    Eugene frowned. The words she wished to say, ¡®I told you I will just call you if necessary. You don¡¯t have to torment yourself by waiting here.¡¯, died in her throat¡­afraid that poor Zanne might interpret her words differently.


    No matter if Zanne just misinterpreted her or was just afraid that she would offend the Queen by leaving her unattended, Eugene understood the predicament of her subordinates. Jin Anika ruled with an iron fist, discipline was drilled in their bones; this explained why they were wary of Eugene.


    ¡°I took a rough look at the study. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Very well, My Queen.¡± Zanne meekly followed Eugene.


    Walking towards her chamber, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but notice that the corridors lacked the usual manpower. In fact, there was no one else but the two of them in the corridor.


    ¡°I heard an explosion. What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked in a low voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sign that a Lark has appeared.¡±


    At the mention of the hideous creature, Eugene¡¯s calm went haywire, her heart raced. The conclusive difference between Eugene¡¯s world and Mahar was the existence of this very Lark. These monsters were a formidable foe of mankind living in Mahar.


    When asked if the human race¡¯s ultimate goal was the absolute extermination of Larks, few would say, ¡°Yes¡±.


    When the period of activity had elapsed and Lark was out of sight, the ¡°seed¡± left behind by it was collected and used by humans during the dry season. Seeds had become essential resources that enriched human life. The dry season was the time for humans, and the active period that of Larks. In this way, Mahar was a world where humans and monsters coexisted.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Queen. A yellow flare appeared, so there is no need to worry too much. Larks have yet to breach the wall.¡±


    ¡®There must be a signal system based on the risk rating.¡¯


    Eugene thought she should ask Marianne for more details. If there was anyone whom she could confide to, it would be Marianne, the woman who raised the king and expected nothing in return.


    Besides, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for a Queen to rely on her subordinates. If she were to appear vulnerable and in need before a servant, the latter might soon defy her authority¨Cand abuse her kindness.


    It was what people did to her in her previous life.


    Eugene put on a tight smile. She felt bitter in her own heart, that she saw malice in almost everyone. Even in the timid mouse, Zanne.


    This was because she had received more ill-will than goodwill in her original world. Before crossing over to Mahar, Eugene¡¯s life was the embodiment of the jungle¡¯s survival of the fittest.


    And here, she had fallen into a strange world and allowed only a short time to recover from the shock. The strong urge to survive never left her, even after her unforeseen transmigration.


    Chapter 39 ¨C Leave No Stone Unturned (2)


    Chapter 40 ¨C Second Night (1)


    Chapter 41 ¨C Second Night (2)


    Chapter 42 ¨C His Touch (1)


    Chapter 43 ¨C His Touch (2)


    Chapter 44 ¨C Crimson (1)


    Chapter 45 ¨C Crimson (2)


    Chapter 46 ¨C Anika (1)


    Chapter 47 ¨C Anika (2)


    Chapter 48 ¨C The Missing Page (1)


    Chapter 49 ¨C The Missing Page (2)


    Chapter 50 ¨C His Majesty¡¯s Pet (1)


    Chapter 51 ¨C His Majesty¡¯s Pet (2)


    Chapter 52 ¨C A Stroll in the Garden (1)


    Chapter 53 ¨C A Stroll in the Garden (2)


    Chapter 54 ¨C A Mere Pawn (1)


    Chapter 55 ¨C A Mere Pawn (2)


    Chapter 56 ¨C Where Did You Go? (1)


    Chapter 57 ¨C Where Did You Go?(2)


    Chapter 58

 Chapter 39 Leave No Stone Unturned (2)

    Returning to her chamber, Eugene summoned Marianne. When she learned that she was asked to come in because of the explosion, Marianne anxiously queried.


    ¡°My Queen! Did that surprise you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s no big deal. If anything, everyone seems to be calm.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t have to worry. Now that His Majesty has gone over, a blue flare will come up soon. The first signal is a warning alert, and once the danger is cleared, they will fire a blue one.¡±


    ¡°Does His Highness always lead the troops?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Queen. Day and night, he attends to the Kingdom¡¯s security. Once he steps forward, there is stability with minimal damage.¡±


    Marianne¡¯s words expressed her respect for the King, not as his nanny but as his subject.


    Eugene nodded in assent. Not all kings took the lead in the hunt for Larks.


    Take King Ferred. This Dark King in the novel, was vexed with the hunt for Lark. King Yeowang liked to flaunt his strength, so he went hunting only strong Lark for his own satisfaction. They were not tyrants, but neither were they saints.


    ¡®Then, Kasser must be a good king.¡¯


    Eugene¡¯s novel did not feature the King as a martial one, because the Kingdom of Hashi was only mentioned by geographical names and the main focus was the Holy City. In the novel, he was a strong warrior rather than a Martial King.


    ¡°Do you distinguish the flare signals by color?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Queen.¡±


    Thus, Marianne went on to explain the system of the flares. Yellow was for spotting the Larks outside the walls, green when it was completely over the walls, and red when it was seen in the city.


    The yellow flare exploded several times a day when there were many Larks roaming which was usually once every four days. There were times when there were no green signals during the activity, an average of three or four times.


    A red flare implied human casualties. The walls were manned by heavily armed soldiers who could quickly deal with the beast, the probability of Lark appearing on the streets of defenseless beings, was low.


    ¡°How many times does red flare appear during the activity?¡±


    ¡°At least a couple of times.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Eugene was embarrassed because the number was more than she¡¯d imagined. Marianne¡¯s words meant that there were always casualties during each period of activity.


    ¡°Have you ever had a red signal recently?¡±


    ¡°No, My Queen.¡±


    Looking carefully at Eugene¡¯s face, as if she didn¡¯t want to miss the other¡¯s slightest reaction, Marianne asked, ¡°Have you looked around your study? Are you able to recollect something?¡±


    ¡°It was strange, as if I have never been there before. But ¡­.¡±


    ¡°What was the problem?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I found a strange book. Mara¡­ with a strange picture¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Marianne just smiled, not in the least perturbed. ¡°Some of the older books have such things.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay to have a book like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a taboo, but books are just books. I heard that books about Mara are especially popular with collectors because of the many colorful illustrations.¡± Marianne explained.


    ¡®Oh, I see.¡¯ Eugene gathered a clue from Marianne¡¯s words.


    ¡®Jin Anika, you sure used your brain. Collecting those books, so no one would suspect you if you were to include a book on Mara.¡¯


    Eugene was certain. The study was an unmistakable ruse. There must be a secret altar somewhere in it. Jin Anika wasn¡¯t simply digging for knowledge about Mara out of academic curiosity. She must have found a way somewhere to reach the forbidden power and was going to be the incarnation of Mara in the future.


    ¡®Of course, I won¡¯t let that happen!¡¯


    Eugene reined in her impatience. If she went around looking for an altar, chances were she might find one. By doing so, memories of Jin might slowly surface to her mind. Jin Anika couldn¡¯t have hid it carelessly. Eugene felt determined. She must leave no stone unturned.


    ¡°You said I brought a lot of books when I came to the Kingdom, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It was so, My Queen.¡±


    ¡°I want to find a way to distinguish between the books I brought and the ones I collected after.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the Queen has arranged it separately, but you can¡¯t remember it now. If so, would you like to check your expenditure? You won¡¯t have to go into details, but you¡¯ll be able to figure out the cost of buying the book every month.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Soon after, Eugene was able to receive the budget and expense details allotted to the Queen this year.


    ¡°I brought you this year¡¯s data that you can peruse quickly. More detailed specifications over the past few years need time to sort out.¡± Half the year had passed, so the data Marianne brought over was about a half-year¡¯s worth.


    ¡®Money is the standard unit. What a relief!¡¯


    Eugene roughly knew the value of gold, the largest unit of currency, even though she didn¡¯t know the price of daily necessities.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll take a slow look at it myself.¡±


    ¡°Very well, My Queen.¡±


    Once everybody had withdrawn, Eugene meticulously went through the papers. Her face grew stiff and her lips slightly flinched. The hand on the document itself gave way.


    ¡®Crazy. Two books and this price? An old book is almost worth a house!¡¯


    Jin Anika rarely socialized, so she didn¡¯t spend much money on luxury such as clothes and jewelry. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t use her resources at all, but spending hundreds of millions a month for books was simply overwhelming. Such a waste of money! Not only that, all that money came from the royal treasury intended for the Kingdom.


    ¡®What a b*tch! You bought books with the money the King gave you, learned Mara¡¯s tricks with the knowledge you gained from them, and gained strength by sacrificing the people of the Kingdom!¡¯


    Would other kingdoms allocate this much money to their queen? This huge amount could feed hundreds of people for years.


    ¡®Because the Kingdom is prosperous? Was that why Jin Anika married the King?¡¯


    Boom!


    Eugene raised her head in surprise. She jumped up and ran to the window. Looking out, she saw blue smoke spreading in the sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡±


    About the people living in a world where monsters appeared every day, Eugene could finally understand how they remained calm. It was because there was a King to protect them at all costs and at all times. Feeling a strong sense of relief, Eugene let out a small laugh.

 Chapter 40 Second Night (1)

    ¡°Hurrah!!!¡±


    ¡°Long live the King!¡±


    ¡°Long live the King!¡±


    The chants were deafening. The air was rife with fervor, the hearts were zealous.


    Besides a few unavoidable casualties, the Kingdom had not suffered much. The atmosphere was boisterous as soldiers, with pride, celebrated their victory against the larks. Their chants were a tribute, an extension of their belief that their victory was made possible by the eminent presence of their King.


    Kasser¡¯s gaze swiftly ran across the soldiers hailing him. His calm indifference did not reflect any self-pride or delight as the hero that led the Kingdom to victory. Since the time he ascended the throne, this was his first battle. He dared not be complacent or relaxed, for he knew not how many larks awaited him the coming two months. So, to him, today was only just the first step, the first days of those two months. Today, he was more mindful than joyful.


    That said, he was never the one to dampen spirits by letting his men know of his thoughts. He was certain they were aware, and were living in this moment, throwing the thoughts of the impending danger to the back of their minds, extolling him as their leader. And perhaps, in doing so, even preparing for the future.


    Thus, he let them be, let his men bask in this triumph, for in two months¡¯ time, some would be severely injured while some would be out of sight forever.


    A sacrifice is a sacrifice.


    His wish was not to lose any of his people; truth was, it was only a wishful thinking. It was between this wish and truth that the next two months lay.


    He turned to face the vast expanse of the Dead Sea, turned again to look at the Kingdom on the inner side of the wall¡­it¡¯s streets¡­buildings¡­homes.


    This was his Kingdom. His people.


    The treasure that he has to protect all his life, was right here.


    The larks that lurked around the desert were monsters that were too dangerous for people to manage. It was rare for snake larks the size of people to creep into other kingdoms. But in Hashi, they were commonly found.


    Without him, without the King, the people of the Kingdom of Hashi would die fighting these monsters. And before they knew it, the kingdom would soon perish. It did not take much to imagine how wretched the kingdom would be without their King. Albeit, it was terrifying to survive without a king.


    There must be an heir. An heir who would protect the Kingdom at all costs when I¡¯m gone.


    As he deliberated, surmised and arrived at this conclusion for his kingdom¡¯s situation, his thoughts slowly drifted to his father, the Former King.  Today, he was able to finally understand his desperation to give birth to a Crown Prince, even if it meant marrying that woman.


    I am no different.


    He sneered at himself. The Former Queen wasn¡¯t a good person, an irreplaceable queen, or even a good mother to her children. And none of these were the reasons his father married her. Neither was it love. The sole reason, the only driving force was sustenance. It was no different then, it was no different now.


    I am wasting my time.


    He felt he was entangling himself in trivial things, losing sight of his priority. What did it matter if the Queen had actually lost or was pretending to lose her memory? As long as she could give birth to an heir, it did not matter what was up in her head.


    The price of losing his three-year patience and the national treasure was a fortune. He did not have time to sit around and be emotional. An heir was no privilege, but a prerequisite.


    With that, the last bit of skepticism that bothered him all day, finally left him, and only determination stood in its stead.


    ???


    ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    As Marianne entered, she carefully studied Eugene¡¯s face before opening her mouth.


    ¡°His Majesty has sent a message.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty plans a visit here tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Eugene could not finish her words. It was obvious what it meant. He wasn¡¯t going to lay side by side on her bed with her like last time. Last time¡­.


    Yes, about that last time¡­ She, in fact, was a little hurt.


    Two days ago, after their first night, he had not shown even a glimpse of himself, not even once. It felt like, when he had strode out of her chambers, he had forgotten all about her and her existence, not to mention what they had had just then. It was like she never existed¡­in his world.


    Oh, how humiliating and annoying when a man abandons you like that!


    But now, it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Upon receiving Marianne¡¯s message, she¡¯d recalled the troubles that came with the active period.


    This is a tragic period that implicates one¡¯s fate of life or death. A lark may kill the King, let alone his family, and he had no way of knowing when. Once she thought about how worried the King must be about the Kingdom¡¯s safety, she could finally understand him. A monarch¡¯s shoulders bore the weight of his entire people, and a good ruler was liable to his people.


    Seeing that Eugene had fallen silent, Marianne seemed to have discerned something.


    ¡°Are you reluctant, Your Royal Highness?¡±


    Eugene slowly nodded her head. Mind you, she felt pity for the man, but that didn¡¯t mean that she was comfortable meeting him.


    The two set aside their distant relationship and spent a rather obscene night. Their night of intense passion had overlooked the void between them. It was this chasm that had left Eugene embarrassed.


    ¡°Of course, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Marianne?¡±


    Eugene called out to Marianne who was ready to leave.  ¡°Is it okay¡­ to turn him down?¡±


    Marianne smiled.  ¡°Your Royal Highness, intimacy should never be forced upon another, even in a marriage. It is imperative that both sides agree. If you are reluctant, then of course, you may refuse.¡±


    Eugene concurred with Marianne. But the social class that existed in this kingdom dictated otherwise. Besides, he was the King.


    But wasn¡¯t Marianne his nanny? All along, Eugene had felt Marianne was a very conservative and orthodox woman. Having spent years under the imperial roof, she would be a stickler for etiquette, social, moral and especially those pertaining to the connubial bed where it was taboo for a woman to refuse a man.


    It seems that she was mistaken.


    ¡°May I dare ask, did His Majesty do something wrong?¡± Marianne asked curiously.


    ¡°No, it is just my problem.¡±


    She nodded, understanding Eugene¡¯s situation. ¡°Then, I must leave the Queen to her peace.¡± As Marianne left the bedroom, she tutted.


    His Majesty must have done something wrong. Why else would the Queen that lost her memory refuse to meet him? If His Majesty didn¡¯t do something, he must have certainly said something wrong!


    It was what Marianne thought was the King¡¯s one flaw. He preferred to speak directly, even if it meant that the listener was left ashamed. No wonder, he never bothered to fix it.


    One thing that Marianne had been particular about while raising this royalty was to instill in him compassion. She had especially made sure he did not grow up bearing deep prejudice against women owing to his mother.  Whatever happened with his mother, it didn¡¯t mean every woman was as such. To her uprooting the unpleasant memories of his childhood, his experiences with this ¡®good for nothing¡¯ mother, were tantamount to his well being. Marianne had worked hard to instill in him a neutral view of women. It was so that he was not deprived of certain affections that brought meaning to life.


    His actions and behavior always came off as perfunctory, lacking the humane aspect to it. Interacting with people, expressing himself and all those ¡°emotional aspects¡±, were unlearned. Neither had she taught him, nor had he learned on his own. Truth be told, this was not her forte. If one were to ask Marianne what was the thing she regretted the most, without batting an eye, it would be this very social inadequacy that she failed to ingrain in the King.


    Chapter 41 ¨C Second Night (2)


    Chapter 42 ¨C His Touch (1)


    Chapter 43 ¨C His Touch (2)


    Chapter 44 ¨C Crimson (1)


    Chapter 45 ¨C Crimson (2)


    Chapter 46 ¨C Anika (1)


    Chapter 47 ¨C Anika (2)


    Chapter 48 ¨C The Missing Page (1)


    Chapter 49 ¨C The Missing Page (2)


    Chapter 50 ¨C His Majesty¡¯s Pet (1)


    Chapter 51 ¨C His Majesty¡¯s Pet (2)


    Chapter 52 ¨C A Stroll in the Garden (1)


    Chapter 53 ¨C A Stroll in the Garden (2)


    Chapter 54 ¨C A Mere Pawn (1)


    Chapter 55 ¨C A Mere Pawn (2)


    Chapter 56 ¨C Where Did You Go? (1)


    Chapter 57 ¨C Where Did You Go?(2)


    Chapter 58 ¨C You¡¯re Complicated (1)


    Chapter 59 ¨C Youre Complicated (2)

 Chapter 41 Second Night (2)

    The next morning, Marianne again delivered the King¡¯s message to Eugene.


    ¡°His Majesty would like to have lunch with Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Lunch?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Although she said that without a hitch on the surface, inwardly, Marianne was nervous to hear Eugene¡¯s answer, if she refused a meal, it meant that she refused the King. But when Eugene replied with a ¡®Yes,¡¯ she finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    As she let her maids help her dress for lunch, Eugene recounted her last invitation to a meal with the King, and how nervous she was. It was only a few days ago, yet what she felt now was completely different. She was neither nervous nor uncomfortable.


    A sudden thought flashed her mind.


    I am adjusting to this world too fast. Is it normal?


    Even considering that it was a world she had herself created, where she was someone else, she could easily take in this odd situation.


    Jin Anika¡¯s obscure body fitted Eugene like it was hers. She was surprised when she first saw herself in the mirror, but now, she was rather calm. It felt like it was hers all along¡­


    Moreover, Eugene was not a person that adapts to her surroundings very easily. This was indeed, bizarre.


    Shortly after, Zanne entered.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, the Grand Chamberlain, is here to escort you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I am ready.¡±


    ???


    Lunch was in the living room, just like last time.


    By the time Eugene arrived, Kasser was already waiting. As he saw her enter, he rose from his seat. His eyes never left her, seeing as she continued walking into the room. He was noting her every step, movement, and gesture. If one were to ask him why he was doing this, he wouldn¡¯t be able to answer. But, he soon returned to his senses, and by the time she was standing before him, he¡¯d settled his mind.


    ¡°Thank you for accepting my invitation.¡±


    Fixing her eyes on his face, she replied, ¡°Thank you for your invitation.¡±


    ¡°Have you been well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡± After a while, she added. ¡°And you? Have you been well, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been.¡±


    The two exchanged a rather courteous greeting. Kasser did not garnish his words, which left Eugene to return his address to him simply.


    Is this an act of solicitude, or is he just being him? His solicitudes were difficult to spot as he seemed so modest.


    Actually, when Eugene was scanning the list of antique books, the Queen¡¯s Expenditure, she had realized something¡­


    When Kasser had first mentioned the contract to Eugene, all he had said was, ¡®Execute the contract we agreed to complete in three years.¡¯ He had, quite rudely, as a matter of factly, refrained from explaining the contents of the contract.


    A man of flattery, perhaps an eyesore, nonetheless, one who was easy to read. On the contrary, it was the likes of the Desert King, who kept to things themselves, that were difficult to predict.


    The servants walked in to serve the food, which was different from the delightful feast served a couple of days before. While their masters focused on their dishes without exchanging a word, the servants exchanged tensed looks with one another.


    When they were done eating, Kasser asked the servants to withdraw. Eugene glanced at the last maid as she closed the door behind her.


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    Eugene jumped and turned to face the King. Suddenly, she was bombarded with memories from that night.


    That night¡­. she had begged him to call out her name¡­


    Thinking back, she was astonished by her own boldness. How could she have demanded that of a King! What was she thinking? Wait. Was she even thinking?!


    She had a sudden urge to scratch her head¡­ her childish behavior mortified her.


    But it wasn¡¯t unpleasant. She¡¯d liked the way her name sounded through his deep voice.


    As soon her gaze met his, Eugene looked down.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


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    Being left alone in the room with him, she felt too nervous to look directly at him. She thought of how a man with such sharp, handsome features could turn so cruel. Images from that night kept flashing in her mind.


    Kasser gazed at her and finally decided to breach the silence.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be ill. Then why did you refuse to meet me last night?¡±


    Eugene was so startled with his direct words that she lifted her head and stared at him. He cleared his throat to continue to talk.


    ¡°Did I¡­¡­ not satisfy you?¡±


    Eugene could not understand his words at first. Shortly, her own words came back to her mind.


    Be gentle or else¡­I won¡¯t sleep with you again!


    Eugene fluttered her eyes with panic. How is one ought to respond to such direct comment?


    ¡°If I am the reason why you do not wish to have intercourse, then please explain further so that I can understand.¡±


    ¡°Ex¡­Explain?¡±


    ¡°I must know the problem to resolve it.¡±


    Eugene was unable to understand her own feelings, let alone explain it to someone else. It was not that she did not like him. Only a bit embarrassed.


    If one asked what more is there to be embarrassed about even after spending a night with him, Eugene would not be able to answer. A person¡¯s feeling was complicated, not something one could explain using a single word.


    ¡°You¡­are not the problem. It is me.¡± She said dejectedly.


    ¡°What is it about you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you pregnant?¡± Kasser suddenly said.


    ¡°What?!¡± Eugene responded with confusion. ¡°That night was my first.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Then how would I know I¡¯m pregnant already?¡±


    His gaze pierced her bewildered ones. ¡°Exactly. If you do not have the special talent to predict whether you are pregnant, why are you refusing to have intercourse? Are you not willing to proceed with our contract?


    Eugene looked at him blankly and mumbled.


    ¡°The contract¡­¡±


    Ah, now was she able to see clearly! This man was only interested in an heir to his throne. The sex that night was solely an act for him to gain a child.


    What is wrong with you?! Her face flushed with shame and humiliation. She chided herself for thinking otherwise. It was not like she did not know. It was just that; she refused to face it.


    She had to own up to the fact that she had already started to disrupt Jin¡¯s plan. She was not to put any other meaning into this. But she had done the complete opposite of it and fallen for his charms.


    Eugene settled herself down and forced a smile on her face.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. I just had a lot on my mind. I lost my memory, remember?¡±


    T/N: Another chapter later. :3 Sorry for the late update, was bedridden.

 Chapter 42 His Touch (1)

    When her words fell, Kasser¡¯s eyes sunk, his gaze lackluster. Realization hit him like a basin of ice-cold water poured over his head. Indeed, he was being assertive and had even forgotten that she was ill. The pain and suffering of losing memories was unfathomable. Hence, his desperation in putting a baby in that belly of hers was truly inconsiderate.


    ¡°I apologize. I was being thoughtless.¡± He spoke softly, clearly remorseful of his action.


    ¡°No. Even with my situation, I have to keep my end of the contract.¡± Eugene¡¯s voice was reserved as she spoke to the King. Her gaze landed everywhere but the royal face.


    ¡°Is your memory¡­the same as it was?¡± He couldn¡¯t shake off this suspicion. Had she regained her memory and is only putting on an act now?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Not quite satisfied, he added, ¡°Is there something you remember?¡±


    The whole time that they conversed, not once did his calculating gaze leave her face. It was as if he had placed her under intense scrutiny, looking for cues to call her bluff. Afraid that if he so much as blinked, he would miss the golden opportunity.


    With a slight shake of her head, Eugene mumbled, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry. I won¡¯t rush you anymore.¡± He ran his hand through his disheveled hair and dismissively said so.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. His Majesty can come tonight as he pleases.¡±


    As soon as her words fell, their eyes met. To give his actions some justification, Kasser started to explain, but before he could utter a word, Eugene beat him to it. Having enough of the scruples, she all but raised her voice.


    ¡°We are uncertain of when my memory will return. Doesn¡¯t His Highness think we should hurry? What if I get my memory back, and I change my mind?¡±


    Like a stone, the King only stared at her, not knowing how to react to her sudden outburst. Seeing that he remained unresponsive, Eugene interpreted his silence as an answer.


    He must have agreed.


    With the pressure becoming unbearable, Eugene stood from her seat and forced herself to say, ¡°Can I leave now Your Highness?¡±


    He gave a short nod. Turning around, her back facing the King, dejection instantly laced Eugene¡¯s straight face. In the first night they shared, everything was new and painful, but she thought she had made a deep connection with him back then.


    Turns out, she was wrong.


    She suddenly felt flustered at the foolish misconceptions she rather indulged in her head after that night. Today, reality had slapped her with evidence that it was all her wishful thinking and nothing more.


    A forlorn figure, ambled down the empty halls, only the sounds of the sandals hitting the ceramic floor rang through the air¡­


    In this quiet moment, she began to think of this fate she never knew she would suffer. Thanks to Jin Anika¡¯s body, she now had an exquisite appearance and high status. But these bestowments were not without a curse. She had to take on all the bad things in Jin¡¯s life as well. The good came not without the bad.


    If she had to guess, it was highly likely that the King abhorred Jin Anika. She was not interested in playing the role of a Queen¡ªspending a lot of money on her hobby and beating the maids to death. Clearly, she was not cut out for such atrocities. Perhaps, these few facts alone must have given the King a good enough reason to loathe her.


    And no matter how much memory I lose¡­ I¡¯ll always be Jin in his eyes.


    It was harder to mend a broken relationship than it was to build one anew. The relationship between Jin Anika, who betrayed her husband, and the King, who slayed his wife with his own hands, was beyond saving.


    She knows not if she could resolve this complicated problem alone.


    What a relationship! I¡¯m just glad he still doesn¡¯t see me as his enemy.


    Eugene was not optimistic that in this world, she would taste a happy ending. There was a possibility that Jin had committed an irreversible monstrosity that she herself could not fix, to say nothing of Eugene. However, there was no way to ascertain this conjecture.


    That said, there¡¯s one way to survive in this kingdom and avoid meeting Kasser¡¯s sword¡ªan heir. As long as she bore him the child he sought, she could breathe easy¡­hopefully.


    Oh, I feel like absolute trash!


    She smiled wryly at herself for thinking of her child as a means to an end.


    * * *


    Tonight, the room was dimly lit, adding to the anticipation of this quiet and restless night.


    Eugene sat in the middle of her wide bed, awaiting the King¡¯s arrival. She couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what she felt at the moment, but she was indeed jittery. As if in testimony, at every sound coming from the door, she couldn¡¯t help but jump.


    Now, she was even more nervous than she was on the first night he visited her. That night¡­a day filled with thoughts of delaying their consummation of the marriage, served as a precursor, That night, amidst the throes of passion was apprehension, mistrust, and defiance.


    But, tonight was different. She knew exactly what would happen in the next hours to come.


    ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty has arrived.¡±


    As if on cue, when the door swung open, and the King¡¯s huge frame came in view, the tension in her heart reached its peak. As his gaze found her, he sent all the maids out of the room.


    Now, only the two and a silent night remained.


    As he walked in confident strides, never once peeling his eyes away from her, Eugene¡¯s heart pulsed. He finally approached her and sat on the bed. For some time, he didn¡¯t breach the silence, simply lowering his eyes and looking at Eugene¡¯s anxious form. Just when things reached their culmination, looking at her squarely, he broke into a smile.


    ¡°Where is the woman who yelled at me to come tonight?¡±


    At the sound of his voice, Eugene looked up and nestled close to the corner of the bed. ¡°I did not yell.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, tell me. We don¡¯t have to do anything tonight.¡±


    ¡°I do¡­I want to.¡± She insisted.


    No more words were needed. Silence regained its footing.


    Like a panther approaching its prey, lithely and decisively, Kasser¡¯s form languidly crossed the distance between them. The closer he crouched, the faster Eugene¡¯s heart beat¡­


    Instantly, a red hue suffused Eugene¡¯s cheeks. Why is this man so natural?


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    Chapter 62 ¨C The Protagonist

 Chapter 43 His Touch (2)

    To level his gaze with hers, he crouched a bit lower. As he reached her, he put his hands next to her thighs, leaving her no room for escape. She could hear her heart beating like marching drums, yet she did not avert her gaze from his.


    Then, their noses touched.


    Eugene closed her eyes, slightly turned her head to the side, evading the man before her.


    Yet, before she knew it, she felt his lips meshed with hers. She gasped, and in this opportune moment, his tongue intrusively slipped through.


    She felt him slowly wrapping his tongue around hers. Her brows knitted tightly, receiving his ministrations. He sucked lightly and then broke their kiss. His arm snaked around her shoulders, while the other found the small of her back.


    Surprisingly, he held her in an embrace and skillfully laid her down on the bed, giving her a moment to steal a shallow breath.


    Tonight, Kasser seemed to be very careful. His actions and gestures were measured and considerate. Even as he lay atop her, he distributed his weight evenly so as not to hurt her. Then, he sought for her lips and pushed his tongue deep into it.


    The King was satisfied with the kiss. He no longer felt the resistance from that night. He bit her lips and rubbed her tongue with his. Saliva mixed as their tongues entwined. The errant moan that escaped her throat aroused him.


    His hand slid up from her ankle to the inside of her thigh, stroking her slim legs with the palm of his hand. His fingers traced along her skin as he caressed the soft flesh beneath her underwear.


    When he peeled his lips from hers, her eyes flew open at the fingers that rubbed her below. Looking at her trembling lashes, an urge of mischievousness hit him. He kissed her lips lightly.


    ¡°Is this alright?¡±


    ¡°Is what alright?¡± Eugene twisted her leg and her waist, passively grabbing his hand. But then, his hand remained attached to her heat.


    ¡°I was really aroused that day,¡± he said in a guttural voice while he stoked her.


    With a flushed face, Eugene stared at him.


    ¡°The next day, I took a nap¡­ fell asleep early in the evening. It was so difficult to hold back.¡±


    Her eyes relaxed. A faint thought surfaced through the crevices of her mind¡­Perhaps, he wasn¡¯t indifferent to her after all?!


    His fingers dug deeper into her underwear and Eugene was brought back from her brief moment of distraction. She realized, her body was amazed at his touch.


    His fingers entered her, gently stroking her insides. She pursed her lips tightly and gulped hard.


    ¡°Hng¡­ ¡±


    He captured her lips once more, and sucked her soft tongue. It felt like extracting sweet juice from a fruit. And yet, no other fruit had ever tasted as good.


    On his way to the Queen¡¯s chambers, he had promised himself that this was just something he had to do to get a successor. Tonight, he wouldn¡¯t hold himself back like the first night. By the time he stood outside her door, he was quite resolved.


    And yet, in this moment, he could feel all his sense of reasoning begin to falter. The determination was dissipated, the rationality long gone.


    He was perplexed by his seething desire. This avarice was devouring him. He didn¡¯t want to ever stop kissing her. Their lips met narrowly. His patience was almost completely gone. Even her breath smelled sweet.


    As he stroked her, the slippery nectar from her heat soaked his fingers. The sticky texture was delicious. He was unsure if he felt this way from touch, taste, or a mixture of the two.


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    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°No¡­I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He raised his finger and pushed it in further. His finger slipped in easily¨Cshe was ready for him.


    Eugene¡¯s eyes were quivering, the barely suppressed desire flashed in her eyes.


    ¡°Oh¡­ ¡±


    Reflexively, Eugene put her arms around his neck. Drowned in a violent kiss, saliva trickled down her chin.


    He bit and swallowed her tongue, sometimes he moved his tongue in and out, like he was thrusting. At the same time, his fingers rubbed her nub and moved in the same gesture. Faint wet sounds resounded in the silent room.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Eugene let out a quiet scream. Suddenly, he relinquished her lips and captured her bosom. As he sucked with passion, a strange feeling surfaced as the warm and moist lips wrapped around her mound. He nibbled on her peaks, licking and lapping with his tongue.


    Muffled moans and short breaths escaped Eugene¡¯s mouth. Little pleasures spread all over her body. His fingers pressed against the v*ginal wall and rubbed, causing a frenzy in her lower abdomen.


    Eugene closed her eyes and enjoyed the growing pleasure. She was looking forward to what would come next, and wanted to enjoy the more fuzzy state of life.


    His hands explored her whole body. His touch was soft but got harder when the tension was about to be released.


    ¡°That feels good.¡±


    Right then¡­


    He stopped everything¨Cnot even a kiss. She knew what was next.


    His hands, as if to punish her for thinking otherwise, quickly rubbed her cl*toris hard. For a moment, her mind went blank.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    A short, intense orgasm surged through her nether regions. Eugene raised her chin, through gritted teeth, let out a faint groan. Her back arched as her head rang. The feeling of liquid pouring out was vivid.


    Eugene¡¯s whole back touched the bed again. She was nervous when her relaxed body felt his thighs. His kisses and caresses were great. However, the pain that she felt when he entered her was still vivid in her mind.


    She looked up at him with fright as he opened her thighs. He grinned when their eyes met.


    She blinked quickly. It occurred to her that he might ask, ¡®Should I stop?¡¯. If he did, she would definitely nod.


    T/N: Hello everyone. WordExerpt recently launched a new mature novel (18+), Apollo¡¯s Heart. It¡¯s one of my works and has an interesting plot, please do check it out!


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 Chapter 44 Crimson (1)

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know¡­¡± Eugene said, holding her breath.


    Pain was subtle, but it was the feeling of being penetrated¡ªit was almost unbearable.


    Gradually, Kasser entered her, mindful of her expressions as he did. He wanted to be as gentle as possible¡ªhe reined in his urges. His back muscles tensed as he slowly trudged forth, fighting the impulse to push in all at once.


    Gritting his teeth, he buried himself inside her fully¡ªfor the first time, he went all the way in. Last time, it had hurt her so much that he hadn¡¯t inserted himself completely.


    The feeling of her tight inner walls enveloping him was fantastic. He had yet to reach his peak, even so, his whole body had already tingled. He was glad that he hadn¡¯t known this pleasure until now. Who knew, if he had tasted it at a young age, he may have thrown away everything for it.


    He slowly pulled out and pushed back in slowly. Feeling swept away, he let out a guttural moan.


    His back, a golden hue, glistened with sweat as his muscles rippled with his every move. He stepped back a bit and dug in again, allowing her to get used to this sensual rhythm.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡± Eugene was shocked every time she felt a stirring inside. When he pulled out, it was a little easier to breathe, but when he pushed back in again, she always lost her breath.


    In the next instant, he¡¯d pulled out almost entirely, suddenly making her feel empty. But then again, she would shriek at the intense feeling of him rushing back in, pounding at her ravenously.


    His eyes flashed as his pace sped up¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    He pushed in, stretching her, and piercing her deep. Her walls convulsively throbbed, inevitable spasms she couldn¡¯t control. His rhythmic thrusts and the ensuing feelings¡­ Unable to withstand these, Eugene let out a cry.


    ¡°Ah! Ahhh!¡±


    Her whole body trembled every time he drove in. The tips of her fingers tingled, eyes felt numb. No resistance, she had succumbed to him.


    Looking down at the woman in disarray, Kasser¡¯s eyes burned with heat. Someday¡­ one day, he wanted to do this with the lights on. He wished to see her fair skin turning crimson. He wanted to watch her every expression¡ªpain, pleasure, exhilaration¡­ He wanted to miss nothing. His grip on her hips tightened as a creeping sensation reeled in him. Just a little more¡­ Eugene¡¯s moans filled the chamber.


    When pleasure racked her, Eugene¡¯s eyes flew open. She couldn¡¯t breathe¡ªher body in a tight race. She threw her head backward, and her waist naturally arched upwards, making it look like she was offering her mounds to the king. She was thrilled by the pleasure coursing from her head through her toes¡­


    Her moans made his blood boil with desire. With the tide of overwhelming sensation that hit her at once, she closed her eyes tightly. Tears spontaneously flowed down while her body trembled with chills. Her walls spasmed for a long time. Over time, the trembling gradually subsided.


    Then her body slowly drooped, his manhood, which was deeply embedded inside her, was slowly pulled out.


    Eugene caught her breath; her chest heaving up and down repeatedly. Her head was hazy; her whole body exhausted.


    Then, she felt soft lips touch her forehead, her lidded eyes, and finally, her lips.


    Her brows furrowed. Looking at Kasser¡¯s eyes filled with vivid energy, she had a feeling¡­


    ¡­ This would be a long night.


    ???


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    Eugene opened her eyes, greeted by an onslaught of light. As always, the place beside her was cold, the warmth left with the person. Face deeply buried in the pillow; she blinked slowly. Her body sank heavily.


    One, two, three¡­


    Eugene counted the days in her head.


    Oh my god! Three weeks¡­


    It had been exactly three weeks since her transmigration¡­Three weeks since she found herself lying in the middle of the desert. The first few days were agonizingly slow but the days thereafter, passed in a blink of an eye.


    With her daily routine being monotonous and dull, she couldn¡¯t even recall the things she did. Almost every day, she woke up near noon, washed, ate, took a nap, and ate again. Then, before she knew it, the evening would have arrived.


    Today, she was exhausted beyond words. She just sat in the library, mindlessly flipping through a few books. She still hadn¡¯t gotten close to finding Jin Anika¡¯s secret lair. No matter how many books she had gone through, the numerous angles she had considered and conjectured, it was all for nothing.


    Sigh. It¡¯s all because of him.


    For nearly two weeks after their second night, he¡¯d visited her chambers every night without fail.


    Since the beginning of the active period, there had been no day without a single yellow flare. He would run to the wall every time.


    She heard that he fought monsters every day, presided over state affairs, and went out to patrol once or twice a day. And yet, at night, he would use the remainder of his energy to Eugene.


    Hence, it was only her, who couldn¡¯t keep up with his physical strength, suffered. She understood his desire to have a successor. A king needed someone to pass the crown to. But at this rate, she¡¯d die before she could even get pregnant, let alone give him a baby!


    Not like this. I can¡¯t do anything.


    Eugene sat up gently.


    Today, I don¡¯t want to see anyone.


    There were more than a few times when her heart considered staying in bed and hiding under the covers, hoping she would get the much needed respite. But her rational mind knew, this was her wishful thinking, for there was no place that could conceal her from the King. It seemed like she was destined for sleepless nights and exhaustion.


    The King and Queen¡¯s sleeping quarters were separate, but as of late, Kasser seldom used his chamber.


    Her cheeks turned crimson just by thinking of how his visits must appear in the eyes of the people in the Palace. Maids had to clean up messy sheets every day, see his traces all over her body every time they attended to her in the bath.


    The maids would naturally gossip. Argh¡­ It¡¯s really mortifying!


    Needless to say, there was obviously a lot to talk about with the King and Queen, who hardly used the bed once a month, now meeting every night. It was, inadvertently, a much publicized event, with everyone privy to the sovereigns¡¯ private matters.


    No matter how hard one tries, one just cannot prevent the whispers.


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 Chapter 45 Crimson (2)

    If she wished to continue living as a queen, Eugene had to give up on some things to enjoy the benefits of having a high status. For one, there was no such thing as privacy for the Queen. There was always someone¡¯s eyes and ears lurking in the shadows. It seemed, a queen¡¯s life was for everyone to watch and comment.


    But she was glad for one thing¨CJin¡¯s known laziness.


    No one bothered her or woke her up until afternoon. Eating and sleeping alone, the Queen had a lot of private time. Living like this was fun, but it got Eugene thinking¡­ Is this okay?


    She wanted to carve a place of her own, not be kept by a man. It was not that she¡¯s ambitious. But neither was she resigned to living out her days as a wastrel.


    My body feels strange today. She tried to pull the string to call the maid and pressed on her belly with her hand.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    I know what this pain is. Eugene lifted up her pajamas and snuck a peek.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Sure enough, there was blood smeared on her thighs. She had begun menstruating.


    Eugene looked down at the bloodstain, looking like a girl who had just hit puberty.


    This was her first menses in this new body. Even if the soul changes, the body does not care and steadily continues with its natural functions.


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    The vivid red blood put her in shock.


    I¡¯m not dreaming now. This is reality.


    She had almost brainwashed herself. She thought that if she played the role, she would be able to adapt¡­and eventually accept it even.


    But there was a time when it was very difficult too. It felt like walking on a soft downy and then suddenly stepping on a rough stone field. The harsh reality had jolted her, yet she had brushed it aside and tried hard to embrace this role, this life.


    Closing her eyes, Eugene took a deep breath.


    It¡¯d been less than a month since she fell into this world. Things took time, so why the haste?


    ¡­I¡¯m not pregnant.


    In that moment, she actually realized just how apprehensive she was about getting pregnant. Pregnancy and childbirth were a sure way to solve many problems. She knew it in her head, but it still wasn¡¯t an easy thing for her heart to commit to.


    But apart from being relieved, it was hard to believe that she wasn¡¯t pregnant.


    We did all of that, so why then am I not pregnant?


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    Eugene mumbled and buried her face in her hands. The passion they had so eagerly indulged in these last few nights didn¡¯t bear fruit, it seems.


    The purpose of their nocturnal ¡®tryst¡¯ was explicit. It was not for pleasure or confirmation of affection, but for ¡°breeding¡±. Though barbaric, it was the truth of the matter.


    The man did his best to impregnate her. The number of times he poured his semen deep into her womb could not be counted. Although she¡¯d be exhausted at the end of it all, she still loved the afterglow.


    Eugene shook her head with a flushed face, as if shaking off the mixed feelings. She pulled the string quickly and called for the maid.


    ???


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    Eugene smiled awkwardly. After breakfast and lunch, she was embarrassed to receive a morning greeting.


    Marianne never missed a day¡¯s greetings, whether it was morning or evening.


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    ¡°The King is a great man.¡± was the only words of Marianne that sank in Eugene¡¯s troubled mind.


    Though lacking in emotional empathy, Kasser was not haughty or humble. As a responsible ruler, he was able to gain the trust of others easily. He had an aura of dependability, which reassured his subjects.


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    On the other hand, Eugene¡¯s defensive personality made it difficult for her to get along with anyone. When she was young, there was a time when she easily trusted people. Foolishly naive and gullible, in the long run, she had received her dues.


    As Eugene got hurt by people over and over, she chose to distance herself from them, seeking refuge in building walls around her. In the end, no matter how she wanted to breach these walls, it remained standing. Having tasted pain and sorrow multiple times, she found herself unable to open up to people.


    However, she felt comfortable with Marianne, who she had known for less than a month now. It was unexpected for her as well. But there was a sense of ease and respect in her interactions with the woman, that she didn¡¯t feel the need to be cautious just like how she used to. Perhaps Marianne was a good servant, no matter who the Queen was.


    But how did Jin Anika become Queen¡­she is truly evil.


    Jin Anika was the youngest daughter of a wealthy and reputable family. Her family was the gentle and affectionate kind, who unconditionally doted on their youngest daughter. She knew no hardships or grief, and was brought up like the pearl in one¡¯s palm.


    Therefore, there was no way to explain Jin Anika¡¯s vicious and vile persona. How and why she turned into a villain that she was, was something that still baffled Eugene. Since she had no recollection of the things that had transpired, she could only make some calculated guesses.


    Perhaps, I¡¯m overthinking.


    Sigh. Even the devil cannot repent and be reborn a new man. Perhaps, Jin Anika was indeed a psychopath. So far, all that Eugene had gleaned about her, pointed in that direction. But then, what was the meaning behind her transmigration then?


    Maybe I was put here to unearth the truth¡­


    ¡°My Queen, I¡¯m here to deliver reports pertaining to your order.¡±


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    Being abruptly shaken out of her reverie, Eugene blinked with puzzlement. She couldn¡¯t understand what Marianne was talking about.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you had instructed me to look into the family affairs of the missing maids and compensate them for their loss.¡±

 Chapter 46 Anika (1)

    ¡°Ah, that!¡± Although Eugene acknowledged, she didn¡¯t think she had bestowed them a favor. After all, no compensation would ever bring back the lives that were lost.


    ¡°The transgressors defied His Majesty, and therefore deserved to be punished. However, as Your Royal Highness has decided to be lenient, we have provided financial support to the family of those offenders by covering the funeral costs. They were immensely grateful and thank you deeply for your forbearance and benevolence.¡±


    Eugene stilled. She felt awkward to receive such praise without doing anything. But there was nothing she could do about it anyway. ¡°Very well. Thank you.¡±


    Her decision to spare them was brought about by a tinge of sympathy in that spur of the moment. She had as soon forgotten all about the decision she had made. Let alone compassion, she wasn¡¯t a person kind enough to feel sympathy towards a group of people she¡¯d never met. Not only that, but this could also be considered an act of rebellion against the Desert King, who firmly believed that the people she¡¯d helped were sinners.


    ¡°Will the financial support be of any help?¡± Though she was willing and more than able to provide it, she was uncomfortable with the thought that money could replace the grief and pain of the family of the deceased. She wanted to rest assured and in so doing placate the speck of guilt forming within her.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, your financial support is only a small part of the kindness you have spared for the sinners. Disobeying the King is a serious offense and not without dire consequences.¡±


    According to Marianne, holding a funeral for a felon was against the laws of the Kingdom. Tainted by association, a criminal¡¯s family was to be disregarded by society, thus compelling them to live the life of an outcast. Instead of facing the never-ending censure and opprobrium, some would choose to leave the Kingdom, while the more sensitive ones death.


    Upon being given money and a funeral, the families should be able to continue living their normal life.


    As she pondered over this carefully, Eugene felt this arrangement was not all that bad either. At least they could have a semblance of respect as they live the rest of their lives.


    Today, there was one other thing that she came to terms with. She was someone who had lived a life without offending anyone, and at the same time, without caring too much about anyone. So the fact that she could influence someone¡¯s life just by issuing a simple order, startled her. Such was the power of a queen.


    A Queen¡­


    The weight of responsibility suddenly hit her. She¡¯d never lived with a responsibility half as big as this. She now held in her hands more power than she¡¯d ever thought she¡¯d have as a Queen. Perhaps this was the reason she hadn¡¯t felt like a Queen until this very moment. Up until now, she had not involved herself in the matters of the Kingdom. She seemed to have had a slight taste of it.


    Do I need to be more serious?


    ¡°Does His Majesty know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he does.¡±


    ¡°He does?!¡±


    ¡°It is impossible to carry out your order without reporting it to the King.¡±


    Eugene was at a loss for words. If the King knew, why wasn¡¯t she suffering any consequences? Didn¡¯t it mean she had defied him too? Let alone apprising him, she had issued a direct order behind his back and the order was even carried out. She hardly knew what to say and could only manage to ask a question in that regard.


    ¡°Did he¡­ say anything?¡±


    The Desert King believed that not only the person but the entire family was sinners too, deserving nothing but death. She thought that by asking Marianne to carry out the task, it meant the King wouldn¡¯t have to know what she was up to.


    Alas! She hadn¡¯t made herself clear, that¡¯s why her order had made it to the King¡¯s ears.


    ¡°No. And since everything has already been done, His Majesty will not say furthermore. There will be no cause to worry.¡± As she spoke, Marianne carefully studied Eugene¡¯s face. Her eyes moved searchingly as thoughts raced in her mind. The Queen¡¯s reaction was beginning to confuse her as well.


    How had I gotten away with this? Eugene mused to herself.


    ¡°Is anything worrying you, Your Royal Highness?¡± Marianne tried to probe.


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    ¡°It¡¯s just not like him.¡± Eugene¡¯s confusion was very evident in her voice as well as her mien. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would forgive them.¡±


    Marianne put on a gentle smile as she pointed towards the truth. ¡°Well, it was you, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s confusion slowly slipped into clarity¨Cthe King indeed chose to acquiesce with her order and spare her of his wrath.


    ¡°Perhaps the King chose to remain silent to save face?¡± Eugene suggested. It may have been merely a formal gesture of consideration, she thought. It was better for the royal couple to have few disagreements, especially over matters of the Kingdom. A harmonious King and Queen meant a stable reign. There was no other meaning to this.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t help feeling proud of how things came out. Her words carried weight, she held authority and Kasser hadn¡¯t vetoed her. She sipped her tea to hide the grin spreading on her face.


    ¡°One more thing, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Marianne pulled out a scroll, unveiling a piece of paper. On the paper was a drawing of a middle-aged man from his shoulders up, facing directly forward. His hair and pupils were colored in, but the whole drawing was missing significant details, and thus seemed incomplete.


    Looks like a montage, Eugene noted.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, do you remember this man?¡±


    Eugene shook her head.


    ¡°This is Count Wacommbe. He owns a business that only deals in precious collections and artifacts. You bought a collection of antique books from him.¡±


    Quite fascinated, she studied the picture a little harder. The face in the drawings didn¡¯t look familiar at all, but maybe if she met him again in person?


    ¡°Do you have any memory of him?¡± Marianne pressed.


    ¡°No, my memory is still the same.¡±


    She was only able to recall small fragments when she met certain people. Marianne, Chief General Sarah, and the two Chief of Staff. Also, she hadn¡¯t even met anyone else, so there was no way of telling how much of her memory had revived even if it were just fragments.


    She was finding it hard to recollect Jin¡¯s memory and was starting to doubt if there was even a way. Spending the whole day in the study that Jin Anika had spent the most time in clearly did not help. But there were no other ideas that were popping in her mind currently.


    ¡°You do not have to remember everyone, Your Royal Highness. However, there are a number of people that are important that you have some memory of. So, I have decided to help you by bringing you their portraits.¡±


    ¡°Ah, what a good idea.¡± Eugene was delighted and impressed. Marianne was a person who found things to do without being asked. It showed how diligent a person she was.


    ¡°I will bring one or two portraits a day,¡± Marianne promised.


    ¡°You can bring more than that.¡± Eugene wholeheartedly encouraged her. ¡°I can remember more than two people.¡± She assured her.


    Marianne looked disappointed, almost even embarrassed, to let Eugene down. But she had to come out with the truth.


    ¡°It takes a rather long time to draw the portraits, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Oh, of course. I forgot that photographs don¡¯t exist here.


    XD

 Chapter 47 Anika (2)

    Still, Eugene was quite eager to start on this task. ¡°Do you have to make them?¡± she asked. ¡°Are there no pre-existing portraits?¡±


    ¡°Borrowing a private portrait is a rather difficult job, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°How did you draw the portraits? Surely they don¡¯t each pose for you!¡±


    ¡°There are artists that can draw people by only a verbal description of people¡¯s faces.¡± Ah, so it is indeed a montage.


    Marianne began giving details of Count Wacommbe¨Cage, family members, and other relevant information. Eugene queried about how often the Count visited the Queen and the process involved in buying the antique books.


    ¡°I can only inform you about the basic procedures. I do not know what conversations or dealings you have with the Count.¡±


    In return, Eugene nodded. I don¡¯t have any intention to buy more books from him, but I reckon it is worth meeting him in person. Jin Anika must have had a preference for these books. I might get a hint.


    ¡°Do I wait for Count Wacommbe to visit to meet him?¡± Eugene was much too anxious for that and hoped the answer was a negation.


    ¡°You can summon him. However, the Count is presently in the Holy City. He will be back only after the active period.¡±


    Right at this moment, Marianne¡¯s words were punctuated with a loud¡­


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    Boom!


    Instantly, two heads turned towards the source only to see a signal flare. Marianne scurried over to the window, as she peeked, she looked relieved.


    ¡°It is yellow, Your Royal Highness.¡± She sighed. The news brightened Eugene¡¯s face as well.


    Signal flares were fired frequently, and Eugene had learned why it was a relief to see a yellow flare. It was difficult to live a daily life full of surprises and fear.


    Fortunately, there had been only yellow signal flares so far.


    Interestingly, the larks did not show themselves at night, appearing only between sunrise and sunset. This was why the signal flares were only fired into shining daylight.


    It was also why people stayed indoors during the day and filled the streets at night. Ironically, the rate of human crimes during the night in the active period was quite high.


    Is he running towards the castle wall now?


    She had not seen a Lark yet. It was known that larks did not harm Anikas, but it was a crazy thought to want to watch a lark out of curiosity. To some people, larks were a matter of life or death.


    ¡°I will leave you to it, Your Royal Highness. You seem tired; I will let you take a nap.¡± At this point, Marianne had spotted Eugene fighting the yawns trying to escape her mouth.


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    Eugene smiled and shook her head. She may have been tired, but the signal flares had woken her up abruptly. Though her body was ready for rest, her mind wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave with you. I want to go to the study.¡±


    Though Marianne was concerned for Eugene, she wouldn¡¯t dare go against her wishes. She answered with a smile. ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot,¡± Eugene added abruptly as she stood up from her seat. ¡°Do you know anything about Ramita, Marianne?¡±


    ¡°Ramita¡­ Your Royal Highness?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have anyone to ask. Is there a book I can look for about Ramita?¡±


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    Ramita, the power of Jin Anika.


    Jin Anika must have had some sort of powers, even if she was weak. But Eugene had no clue how to feel and use these powers. She thought she could learn through a book or a manual, something; perhaps, Jin Anika referred to.


    Marianne seemed hesitant, which was highly unlike her.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, if you want to know about Ramitas, you must go to the Holy City. There, only the ones that have been blessed with the permission of the Sang-je can have access to a special library. There may be a couple of books that can help you.¡±


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    ¡°There may be? Are you not sure? What if there is no such book?¡±


    ¡°Then you can visit the gods. You are an Anika. Any Anika can request an audience with the Sang-je.¡±


    Requesting to meet the Sang-je was a privilege of Anikas. Even the King was expected to gain permission to meet the Sang-je beforehand, but Anikas had the liberty to meet as they pleased.


    But Eugene did not plan to go to the Holy City. She did not want to meet the Sang-je.


    ¡°You will remember once your memory comes back, Your Royal Highness.¡± Marianne carefully studied Eugene¡¯s face. The King¡¯s Praz and Anikas¡¯ Ramita were sacred abilities. One was not allowed to talk about it carelessly.


    Marianne made up her mind and slowly opened her mouth to say something more. ¡°I am not sure if I am correct.¡±


    This was enough to catch Eugene¡¯s attention.


    ¡°An Anika sees their Ramita through water,¡± Marianne finished.


    ¡°Water?¡±


    ¡°I do not know any more than that,¡± Marianne assured her. ¡°It is just something I have heard. His Majesty will know more about this.¡±


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    Marianne mentioned the King carefully. She didn¡¯t pretend to be ignorant of how Eugene would feel about the suggestion. She only mentioned him, thinking that the King would be able to answer Eugene¡¯s questions.


    Marianne wanted to make more opportunities for Eugene and Kasser to spend time together. But she did not want to push things too far. The two seemed to be getting along lately. The King had visited the Queen¡¯s chambers ten days in a row. It had never been like this before. Marianne made sure that no gossip spread around the palace about this. She knew that any disturbance from the outside would only make things worse.


    Eugene didn¡¯t betray any feelings or answer Marianne¡¯s proposal of counsel. It was clear to Marianne that the conversation had come to a close, and she followed Eugene out of the bedroom in silence.


    When they reached a split in the corridor, she released Marianne, saying, ¡°You do not have to follow me. Go and spend your time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    When she heard this simple reply, Eugene smiled awkwardly as she watched Marianne bow her head. She could not stand the extremely formal language spoken to her in the Palace.


    After a few moments, Marianne lifted her head. She watched Eugene disappear as she turned at the end of the hallway. She had mixed feelings. She never felt so peaceful, yet she felt as if she was standing on thin ice. Some mornings her heart would sink without any specific reason. She felt that things would go back to how they were overnight.


    ¡°Marianne.¡±


    Marianne jumped and turned to see Sarah standing behind her. Sarah glimpsed at the hallway that Marianne was facing, but saw no one.


    ¡°Anything is bothering you?¡± she asked.


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    ¡°Nothing. Why are you here? The Queen is in her study.¡±


    ¡°I came here for you, Marianne. The King is looking for you.¡±


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 Chapter 48 The Missing Page (1)

    She had barely taken a few strides when Marianne stopped in her tracks, unable to contain herself any longer. She turned around and addressed her superior.


    ¡°General Officer Sarah?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Is everything under control?¡±


    Sarah was careful to remain composed as she said, ¡°You do not have to worry about it.¡±


    But Marianne knew better. Just because Sarah said, it didn¡¯t mean that there was indeed nothing for her to worry about. She¡¯d always upheld her duty¨Cthe Queen being her prime concern. And although she was a diligent worker, this time she felt like it was more than a duty. She was surprised at her own feelings, more so because this feeling was towards this Queen.


    The Queen¡¯s memory loss, only a few were privy to this secret. There was a lot of uncertainty looming around this, in terms of both people and circumstances. For instance, after the incident, the Queen had become a completely different person. It felt like the former Jin Anika was evicted from the body, and someone else took her place. Although it was an absurd logic, reality pointed towards it. That said, it would only be a matter of time until people realized this disparity and rumors would begin to spread like a plague.


    The Queen being the subject of gossip, was not ideal. Let alone her image; it was detrimental even to the harmony of the Kingdom. Marianne worried not only about what would be imagined to be true but also how the story would be distorted as it passed from person to person. Hence the need for secrecy, for the fewer ears heard, the fewer mouths babbled.


    As a measure, the entourage of servants was minimized. Those few were handpicked and monitored constantly. Also, Marianne did not want to expose the Queen to a lot of people just yet. Not only because the Queen needed to get acquainted with the goings-on and the past, but also needed to get acquainted with herself. And this needed time. So, the less the exposure, the fewer the errors.


    It was General Officer Sarah who was responsible for selecting the servants. She had observed the due precautions during the process and had them all under her constant gaze.


    ¡°And the girl?¡±


    Marianne¡¯s concern was Zanne, the new servant that served the Queen at the forefront. She appeared to know her place and never crossed her line, but the skeptic in Marianne found it all too good to be true.


    Sarah did not need Marianne to mention her name to understand who she was referring to. They seemed to be in perfect sync with each other¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°She is a quiet and calm girl. You do not have to worry about her.¡± Sarah assured.


    ¡°One ought to be shaken if the surroundings provoke them.¡± Marianne countered solemnly.


    Zanne was a young girl and had already become one of the most important servants in the palace. Marianne knew the nature of those around her was bound to jealousy. Hence, she felt the need for extra measures to protect her.


    ¡°Do not worry,¡± Sarah said, ¡°I know who I work for.¡±


    Marianne realized her mistake. Sarah was the current Chief General Officer, and for Marianne to speak to her in such a manner, was to take liberties she had no right to. Despite Marianne¡¯s misstep, Sarah was gracious, speaking carefully and respectfully to shield Marianne from humiliation.


    Marianne smiled. Sarah was very responsible and passionate about her work. Marianne trusted Sarah, which was why she had passed on her position to Sarah three years ago.


    ¡°I worry too much. I must be getting old.¡± Marianne returned her empathy with humility and good nature.


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    ¡°The servants seem to be enjoying more of their time. It is a good change. Or, perhaps it is just me.¡± Sarah mused.


    Since the Queen¡¯s change, the palace staff had become easier to handle; they had released the rudest of the servants, who were also the Queen¡¯s favorite.


    Looking at Sarah¡¯s face etched with worry, Marianne felt somewhat sorry for the general. She hadn¡¯t thought placing her as General Officer after the King¡¯s marriage would put her under so much stress. But to her, at that time, she was the apt candidate for the job.


    The Queen¡¯s orders were obviously more important than the General Officer¡¯s orders to the servants. Whenever the two orders conflicted, the dignity of the General Officer would be at stake as the servants chose to ignore her orders. And Marianne was unaware of the mess in hierarchy among the staff.


    Ah, I cannot imagine the mess the Queen must be in, Marianne thought. She had been taken aback by the Queen¡¯s question on her ability, the Ramita. Forgetting about Ramita meant the Queen was in a more severe condition than she expected. Also, the Queen behaved less and less like her former self.


    I feel guilty for wanting these days to continue forever.


    Brushing aside her thoughts, Marianne quickly headed over to the King¡¯s office. As she arrived, Chancellor Verus stepped out of the office. The two gave each other a nod as they passed.


    Chancellor Verus tilted his head as he walked down the hallway, thinking over the strange events of late. There¡¯s something amiss in the Palace these days¡­


    He had heard the former General Officer had returned. This meant¡­ the royal couple must be in danger or why else would she frequent her visits?


    A King is both the owner of the kingdom and the head of the family. All the power one could wish for was his. That made the process for recruiting a contributing staff member to run the Royal Family rather flexible. But being right under the monarch¡¯s eyes meant being under a constant watch and called for extra caution. It was a double-edged sword, indeed.


    Is His Majesty using the former General Officer to control Her Royal Highness, the Queen?


    The tumultuous relationship between the Queen and the former General Officer was quite notorious among the Palace Staff. Everyone knew of their everyday battles in the confines of the palace walls. However, no one would have imagined the return of the former officer was connected to the royal couple, as most staff were under the impression the couple had a good relationship. Chancellor Verus was one of the small numbers of people that knew all the details.


    But why is it so quiet? This must be the calm before the storm.


    Chancellor Verus had expected huge concern from the King at the report of the Queen¡¯s disappearance. At least, he wanted him to be concerned. But the King¡¯s attitude towards the news was indifferent. He believed that if there was no sign of improvement in the relationship between the royal couple, the King should have the Queen assume full responsibility for her duties.


    But for some reason, there hadn¡¯t been a single announcement regarding the issue, even up until now.


    A Kingdom needs a happy royal couple. In his heart, Chancellor Verus knew this to be true, but still could not condone the King¡¯s behavior. He let out a long sigh and tried to push the subject to the back of his mind. Why waste precious energy when he was powerless in this regard?


    ???

 Chapter 49 The Missing Page (2)

    The meeting Kasser had called Marianne was a private one. Marianne was not unused to these kinds of meetings, being one of the King¡¯s most trusted staff members and all, but the slightest change in routine was enough to set her on edge these days. She had to admit¡ªthese were her most trying times.


    ¡°Did you show it to her?¡± Kasser asked even as she entered.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°She does not remember, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t recognize Count Wacommbe?¡± Kasser clarified. There seemed to be a hint of surprise in his tone.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. She did not recognize him and did not realize that Count Wacommbe is at the Holy City.¡±


    Kasser had summoned Marianne to discuss the portraits she¡¯d just shown to Eugene. These portraits looked easy, but time and money were spent to bring them about. To draw the portraits, skilled and reticent artists were required to be secretly recruited. Then, an equally adept and reticent person would provide the description for the artists. This required financial resources and accurate information, therefore the help of the King.


    At first, Kasser disapproved of her request. He did not want to pressure the Queen, but Marianne had strongly insisted.


    ¡°Your Majesty, things tend to go out of control the more you try to control it. I believe it is best to lead the Queen to recall her memory slowly.¡± Marianne had advised.


    Kasser inevitably approved her request but was unhappy that the first portrait she chose to show the Queen was Count Wacommbe¡¯s.


    Count Wacommbe was a regular guest of the Queen. They met during their time in the Holy City. Even more, he was the Queen¡¯s dealer for antique books, a deep obsession with Jin Anika. Marianne was certain the Queen would be able to recognize this man.


    She did not recognize him? The King let out a sigh of relief. This was the result he had been hoping for.


    ¡°Did the Queen look as if she was trying to recall something? Do you suspect she was hiding anything?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, Your Majesty. If I may, has Your Majesty sensed any progress with the Queen? You have been spending a lot of time together these past few days.¡±


    Kasser was speechless. Yes, he spent every night in the Queen¡¯s chambers. No, he was still unprepared for a confrontation. He had spent a greater number of nights with the Queen in the last three to ten days than he had over the last three years.


    However, he had nothing to tell Marianne.


    The hours he spent with Eugene, he spent learning her body. The moment he entered her room, he would sweep her into a passionate kiss. Soon after, he would find himself climbing on top of her¡­


    The nights he spent with her were too short, and it was impossible to spare a minute of conversation. He would enjoy her until she would push him over, begging that they rest in peace.


    Yet, it seemed like the time they shared was worthwhile. Kasser now knew her better. He could now distinguish Eugene¡¯s facial expressions ¨C the glint in her eyes when he kissed her, the squirms when he caressed her, her flushed face when she peaked, the languid one when she was spent. And, if she was annoyed, he had to keep his hands to himself and let her sleep. Though they¡¯re merely expressions, to him, they were the windows to understanding her. Perhaps, even getting closer?


    Kasser put aside his emotions and wore an unreadable expression as a front to Marianne. He could not explain any of the scenes that were going through his head. It was better that he rather looked concerned.


    Marianne spoke as if she understood. ¡°No one can know unless Her Royal Highness speaks the truth.¡±


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    Kasser cleared his throat before he spoke, trying to regain a rather normal tone. ¡°Report immediately if you suspect anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Marianne anxiously left the office. She had lied to the King. She did suspect something, but for some reason, she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to loosen her tongue and report it.


    The Queen¡¯s memory didn¡¯t seem to be any better. But¡­


    At first, she was amazed at how much the Queen had changed and was glad to earn her trust. But now, it all felt wrong. The Queen was overly calm despite the fact she had lost her memory. She didn¡¯t show a hint of confusion or despair. The doctors claimed that memory-loss patients often suffered from an unstable state of mind, and therefore constantly needed someone around to take care of them.


    However, the Queen did not show any of the symptoms the doctors anticipated. If anything, she was more upbeat and curious. Asking questions about her past, the Kingdom, spending time in her study and even giving orders; how could someone with an unstable mind do so?


    Even her mannerisms had changed- speech, gestures, movements. Could memory-loss affect habits as well?


    It wasn¡¯t a worrying observation, so Marianne didn¡¯t want to report to the King and create unnecessary concerns. If Marianne had served the Queen for a long period, she would have clearly been suspicious. However, she had been away for a long time and did not know the Queen very well.


    Any of the servants that had worked close to the Queen had all gone missing. There was no one to inform how much the Queen had changed clearly. Thought of the Queen consumed Marianne as she walked, trying to convince her guilty conscience of her right doing.


    ???


    The King¡¯s servant visited Eugene that night. Being on her period, she was able to turn the servant away easily.


    Eugene slept in her bed alone for the first time in a long time. It looked like she had found her much-needed respite. Tonight, she slept like a baby.


    The next day, she woke up early, stretching her body. As she did so, she was surprised to feel as light as a feather.


    Oh, I feel amazing!


    She was in her best condition despite being on her period, and this was a first.


    Eugene¡¯s body was typically battered during her period. She had the worst stomach cramps and had to rely on pain killers all week. Before the week was even over, she would have undergone a nightmare of pain. But in Jin Anika¡¯s body, she felt a slightly heavyweight in her lower abdomen, but that was all. There was no other discomfort and not the dreaded cramps. She liked this change a lot, and it showed in her actions.


    Today, Eugene started her day in a cheerful mood. She pulled out a pile of books from the very back of the bookshelf, hoping to find a secret door. When she couldn¡¯t, she placed the book back and moved on to the next shelf.


    She was about to pull another pile of books out, but then thinking of something, let out a sigh, and walked around the study with her hands on her hips instead. The study was huge and full of books. If she went on like this, it would take her forever to finish. She had to find a faster way.


    However, she had no idea what she was looking for. It felt like seeking a needle in a haystack! She flopped onto the sofa in the middle of the room for a break. On the coffee table was another pile of antique books she had pulled out of the small room adjacent to the study.


    Eugene opened a book with a symbol of Mara on its cover.


    Maybe I should be reading this book. I do need to learn about Mara.


    It was a world that Eugene had herself created, but there were a lot of things she did not know. She only had knowledge about major events and the people involved¨Cthe things she wrote.


    As she continued to live in this world, she realized that there were considerable gaps and differences between what she had written and what welcomed her when she transmigrated.


    Focusing on the whole instead of the details wasn¡¯t helpful at all.


    Finding a comfortable position, Eugene began to study the book of Mara. She was relieved to be able to read it with ease; this way, she could bridge the gaps and hopefully find clues.


    Some time into the book, her hand paused at the turning of a page. She seemed to have spotted something odd. She furrowed her brows and flipped the page front and backward, searching. A small gasp emitted from her lips as she noticed one thing. A part was missing¡­


    ???


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 Chapter 50 His Majestys Pet (1)

    The residual strip at the bottom of the page served as the lone evidence that a part had been intentionally ripped off. The cut was very neat, it could¡¯ve only been done using a knife.


    Was this deliberate? Or an accident? What was on the page?


    As she looked at the mutilated page, Eugene¡¯s eyes suffused with excitement. Finally, she knew what to look for. She had found her very first clue. The next two days saw Eugene scouring over piles of books until she happened upon another with a page ripped out in the same ¡®clean-cut¡¯ manner. Well, thought it wasn¡¯t much, at least her hypothesis was proven right¡ªthe who, what, when would only be an eventuality.


    I have to figure out what was on the missing pages. Perhaps, a couple of days would be enough to look through all these books.


    Though she might have been able to complete her search in a few hours, Eugene did not intend to spend all day in the study. Non-stop flipping through thousands of books could strain her and dull her senses, and she might overlook some missing pages and with that, her chance of solving this puzzle faster. The best approach now was a systematic approach, albeit slower.


    Besides, she needed time to settle too.


    She reckoned spending the remainder of her day exploring the palace wouldn¡¯t hurt. After all, her arrival into this world was in a blink of an eye, and chances were she would return to her original world in the same way, at any moment. Before this was all over, she wanted to relish her indefinite stay.


    Thus, she decided to take a detour to her bedroom. Instead of taking the usual route, she made her way down to the first floor. She had been through this path before, but for some reason, this had been her first to notice a small door¡­


    Acknowledging her surroundings meant that she had slowly adapted to this place. Without the slightest hesitation, Eugene approached the door. She had Zanne following her, so she wasn¡¯t afraid of getting lost. Throwing caution to the wind, today, Eugene gave it her all.


    The door led to a long outdoor passageway, lined with marble columns. And at its end was yet another door.


    As she walked along the corridor, Eugene stopped to admire the sky. This was her first time outdoors since entering the palace. The palace was large enough that she hadn¡¯t felt the need to go outside before. Since the active period started as soon as she had come into this world, she hadn¡¯t even considered it. But today, she felt fresh and invigorated. It could be because of her little discovery, which made her feel pumped up.


    Just then, she remembered the palace was not only beautiful indoors, but it was surrounded by equally impressive grounds. The flowers, topiaries, and statues in the gardens were meticulously done. She had never seen it, though.


    Why not spend a couple of hours in the garden? It¡¯ll be safe since it¡¯s still inside the palace.


    Eugene looked over her shoulder to where Zanne was, a few paces behind. ¡°Is this corridor a dead end?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, this corridor is rarely used, but is not a dead end.¡±


    Eugene nodded and gingerly stepped out of the passage and onto the ground. As her foot touched the earth, she felt the softness beneath her shoes. She liked the feeling and went about exploring the area around. Laidback, she strolled around the vast garden until something in the distance caught her eye.


    Standing there¨C tall, impressive; lush, velvety black from head to hooves¡­ It was indeed a beautiful horse. However, it had no business being here in this garden. And yet, here it was, living so freely within such an authoritarian place with unbending rules. It looked truly free, without any restraints.


    ¡°Zanne, do you think that horse escaped the stable?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, Your Royal Highness. It¡¯s always left there to roam freely.¡±


    Just then, Eugene noticed something. She knitted her brows. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a rein¡­ is it tamed? Does anyone own the horse?¡±


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    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness. His Majesty.¡±


    Of course! Now it all made sense to Eugene. Whose else, but the King¡¯s steed was allowed to move around freely?


    What a surprise! He doesn¡¯t seem like someone who¡¯d keep pets. He must really love this horse.


    ¡°Will it harm us?¡±


    Zanne shook her head and answered, ¡°No, Your Royal Highness, but¡­¡±


    Before she could even finish, Eugene had started to take furtive steps towards the horse, absolutely disregarding the maid¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t want to scare the beast. Even so, when the beast noticed her approaching, its instincts responded before it did. It stood still, as if frozen in its place but on high alert.


    It was indeed a beautiful horse. Eugene was so enticed that she just couldn¡¯t resist taking a few steps closer.


    Once again, Zanne helplessly warned her. ¡°Your Royal Highness! It is best if you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    And once again, Eugene ignored her words of caution.


    She had once seen a picture of horses in an equestrian beauty pageant. There were several good looking ones, but by far, this one was the most beautiful. It had a compact and muscular body, unlike any. It was clear that the horse was of a pure breed, chosen with excellent care. Along its elegant, long neck, its mane swayed in the breeze. A warm beam of sunlight reflected off the smooth and silky strands. Its bright red eyes were like rubies. This horse was a sight to behold!


    ¡­Red?


    Eugene immediately froze. The eyes that met hers were clearly red. Red eyes were one of the attributes of Larks.


    ???


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 Chapter 51 His Majestys Pet (2)

    Chapter 51 ¨C His Majesty¡¯s Pet (2)


    Kasser had finally finished signing off documents he had been working on since the morning. He had had difficulty concentrating on his work today, thus taking more time than usual to finish. Even so, this long day had drawn to a close.


    He leaned back in his chair, rubbing the tension from his forehead, finally able to relax.


    The Chief of Staff, standing by his beck and call, took this as his cue. He quickly rushed to the King and asked, ¡°Shall I bring some tea, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    With a bow, the man exited the office in hurried steps. Kasser slowly rose from his seat to stretch his stiff legs. He had been glued to this chair all day and wished for a breath of fresh air. So, instead of taking the usual route of going through the door, this royalty climbed through the window and stepped onto the balcony.


    The sky was clear, without a speck of cloud. He stood there looking at the walls lining the city.


    There could be a signal flare at any moment.


    The active period meant that he was always on the edge. With his mind always on the lookout for the slightest signal or disturbance, it was so hard to concentrate. Working from sundown till the crack of dawn, taking short naps during the day, just to get his usual amount of work done. To Kasser, the active period had always been so.


    But ever since he began spending his nights with the Queen, things had changed. Working during the day became inefficient, and the papers he had to tend to, kept piling up on his desk. Now, they had even formed a small tor in his office.


    This was precisely why he had gone back to his routine of working through the night, postponing his nocturnal rendezvous with the Queen. He had to. And now that he had done so, the pile was beginning to become manageable again, but even so, he hated every second of it.


    For now, Kasser just needed to enjoy a break. A few minutes without a care¡­ letting his mind wander to wherenot. He took a deep breath and looked towards the clear sky¡­ he felt calm within. He then shifted his gaze to the serene garden below.  But somehow, he couldn¡¯t find the peace he was expecting to see¡­


    Perturbed by the sight, he clicked his tongue in disappointment.


    Abu had the form of a stallion, but in its essence, was still a dangerous Lark. Every member of his staff knew this, explaining their fear for Abu. He had ordered Abu not to walk freely around the gardens, but never did Abu take his orders seriously. This beast was as unrestrained as its master.


    Also, Abu and enclosed spaces were a big no-no. He was a creature suited to wander unbridled and haunt the desert. This mischievous beast, however, was wise enough to never cause trouble. Thus, the man and the beast had come to a tacit understanding- Abu would wander unhindered, Kasser would turn a blind eye.


    Standing in the balcony, Kasser had spotted Abu. Right now, he fixed his gaze on Abu, following as he trotted around the spacious garden like he owned the place. His attitude and demeanour didn¡¯t lose to the monarch himself- majestic and gallant. Though Kasser did not fear Abu himself, he became worried when he saw two people approaching the beast.


    Eugene?


    Kasser¡¯s brows knotted as he recognized one of the two figures. Of all the people, he had least expected it to be her. He was piqued. Finding her in the garden was in itself a surprise, to say nothing of what she was doing right now.


    Oblivious to the eyes tailing her, Eugene was gingerly walking towards Abu, slowly getting nearer and nearer¡­


    How fearless!


    No one knew that Kasser had vowed he¡¯d never forgive Abu if he were to ever hurt a human. Therefore, Abu had always avoided people. It was another matter that people themselves steered clear of Abu, but for his part, Abu had upheld his share of the bargain up until now.


    Which was why it was so out of character of the horse to remain still in his place, as if waiting for Eugene to get closer.


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    Anxious that Abu might hurt Eugene, Kasser wasted no time and started heading for the door, but instantly stopped upon a passing thought. To go down, he would have to walk through several corridors and cross flights of stairs. That was indeed a long way! Besides, the sight of a sprinting King would draw attention, which was the least he needed right now.


    Kasser glimpsed behind him, checking for presence. If he just jumped down the balcony, it would be quicker. There was no one near the window and servants would never dare to obstruct him. He was about to leap.


    Suddenly, in that moment, Marianne¡¯s face resurfaced in his mind. The woman had raised him and instilled in him the conduct a King must abide by. And using Praz for personal reasons was not one of those¡­


    After years of teaching, he had grown up to be an obstinate, principled man. He never allowed irregularities in anyone, much less himself. But three years ago, he had violated his strict principles for the very first time and struck a secret agreement with a woman. His excuse for this was that he desperately needed an heir to the throne. He had used the same excuse when he hid the news of the missing national treasure.


    The King gripped the balcony railing. He let out a short breath and jumped off. And but naturally, a blue force enveloped his rapidly plummeting body.


    ???


    A rare breed of horse, indeed.


    As she sank deeper into her trance, she noticed another unique feature- two tiny horns sticking out next to its ears. The more she looked, the queerer she found it.


    Hence, Eugene was giving the horse a thorough look, examining it from head to hoof, when she caught its eyes staring back at her. Surprisingly, Abu was equally curious about the delicate human who daringly approached him.


    The horse did not have the calm nature of a herbivore. Eugene felt as though she were dwelling on the eyes of a person, not an animal.


    ¡°Hi there! What is your name?¡±


    Eugene cooed to the horse as if it were a harmless stray cat. But the horse tilted his head as if he was responding, which tickled her curiosity further.


    ¡°Do you understand what I am saying?¡±


    The horse blew his nose as he bobbed his head up and down. Eugene couldn¡¯t believe what she was witnessing.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, Zanne! Did you just see that? The horse just answered!¡±


    When she received no reaction, she turned to look behind her, only to see Zanne¡¯s startled, pale face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Do not get any nearer, Your Royal Highness,¡± the maid said nervously.


    ¡°I thought it didn¡¯t hurt people?¡±


    ¡°It is still a dangerous animal, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°The servant is right.¡±


    Recognizing the owner of the voice, Zanne jumped in surprise and bowed her head. In cue, Eugene¡¯s head jerked to the source of the voice and met Kasser¡¯s blue orbs.


    Taking big strides, Kasser now stood between the horse and Eugene.


    ¡°You-Your Majesty.¡± Eugene stammered.


    Kasser seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Eugene had never bumped into him unplanned before. She had heard that he usually didn¡¯t step out of his office during the day. He didn¡¯t eat his meals at a set time, so she would often spend time eating alone in the vast dining room. At nightfall, she always met Kasser in the confines of her dark bedroom. She had sometimes wondered if he even lived in the Palace.


    But in the daylight, Kasser presented a different sight altogether. His eyes and hair were of bright color, a clear stand-out from the normal dark mane and eyes of people. It was like a pop of color in a black-and-white photo.


    For some reason, Eugene couldn¡¯t bring herself to look directly at him. Instead, she locked her gaze on the horse over Kasser¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I heard it was your horse.¡± She continued. ¡°Am I mistaken?¡±


    ???

 Chapter 52 A Stroll in the Garden (1)

    Chapter 52 ¨C A Stroll in the Garden (1)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he would harm me and besides, I have yet to touch him¡­¡±


    Eugene could feel Kasser¡¯s eyes on her. While he kept looking at her without even blinking, she thoroughly avoided it by training hers on the horse and the horse alone.


    Sure enough, a gruff voice hurriedly interrupted her. ¡°I am just concerned, as this animal is not a normal horse.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can tell. No ordinary horse would have a pair of horns sticking out of its head. I just wanted to see it up close.¡±


    By now Eugene was certain this horse was a lark. But that didn¡¯t diminish her curiosity or invoke fear. If anything, she wanted to know more about this feral creature.


    Seeing how she¡¯s deliberately avoiding his gaze, Kasser was dissatisfied. Since there was no subtle way of resolving it, he decided to address it directly.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness¡­¡±


    Eugene had to swallow the ball of nerves in her throat before answering. ¡°Yes?¡±


    She tilted her head upwards, his scrutiny now impossible to disregard. Their eyes met and Kasser instantly felt better. All the dissatisfaction from earlier had disappeared. His stiff face eased.


    This walk was a spur of the moment thing for Eugene. And this was her first time in the garden. To an extent, she was aware of the challenges surrounding the active period and with that could vaguely discern how hectic Kasser¡¯s schedule could be. In other words, this royalty should have been buried behind a mountain of work without a moment to spare. And yet, he was standing right before her, in this garden, at this time of the day talking about his pet. However, up until now he hadn¡¯t supplied any explanation to his abrupt appearance. So, this time she decided to address it.


    ¡°Am I not allowed to go near him?¡± Her eyes widened for a fraction. ¡°Does he bite?¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t, but¡­¡±


    The Queen had never shown interest in Abu before she lost her memory. It wasn¡¯t just her, it was everybody. People feared Larks as much as they feared death. Needless to say, they avoided him like plague. As for Jin Anika, she had her set interests, which did not include Kasser let alone Abu.


    Did she think Abu was an ordinary horse?


    Kasser wasn¡¯t sure how much of her memory was lost. At first, she only seemed to be struggling to remember her recent past and the people around her. But now she seemed to have forgotten even the most basic things like her minimum to nonexistent interest in anything but ancient books.


    Although he was baffled about the things she did not remember, Kasser still pleased at how she was taking an active interest in Abu. In a corner somewhere, it felt like she was taking interest in him. It left a warm feeling within.


    He held a tight grip on Abu¡¯s reins, to prevent him from attacking Eugene before gesturing to her to come forward. ¡°You can come closer now, if you want to.¡±


    Zanne had yet to recover from the sight of Abu. Seeing how the Queen was boldly meeting the dangerous beast, and all alone, her courage had long bid her adieu. Presently, this loyal being was standing still in her place, feet firmly nailed to the ground in fear.


    However, her Mistress was a stark contrast. As if she was waiting to hear those very words from Kasser, she drew closer and did not stop until she was only an arm¡¯s length from the beast. It was only now that she realized what she saw up until now from a distance, was an illusion. This majestic creature was unlike any other in form, stature, and attitude.


    Ah, this animal is bigger than I thought.


    Whether it was her original world or this, Eugene had never seen a horse from this close before. She knew even less about them. That said, although she had no idea how big a horse was supposed to be, she was sure that Abu was a tad larger than the others. She marveled at this gorgeous creature. She wished to know more about it.


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    ¡°What is his name?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Abu.¡±


    ¡°Abu? How adorable.¡± She slowly stretched her arm and gently stroked his nose. ¡°He is very soft. Aren¡¯t you a good boy, Abu?¡±


    Her admiration for Abu reflected on her face and without warning, Eugene broke into a brilliant smile. Her eyes were gleaming with mirth and pure fascination.


    Kasser was blinded by her radiance. Never had he seen her thus. He just couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of this beautiful woman. He wondered why he was noticing her beauty only now. He was remorseful.


    Well, this was at the human end. The beast was no less intrigued.


    From the time he had spotted Eugene, Abu had been on high alert. While the naive her was admiring him, this clever one was assessing her. Although he did not want to break his vow to his master and hurt her, that was not the only reason keeping him from doing so. He was curious about her, the way she was first surprised and then charmed by his presence, he too was. So when she was approaching him, he was in anticipation too. When his Master tightened the reins so she could come closer, he was excited. And when her soft hands touched his nose¡­


    So right now, upon noticing his Master¡¯s enthrallment, Abu decided to take the reins in his own hands. He suddenly blew his nose with a snort, startling Eugene into jumping and pulling her hand back.


    But as well-behaved as he was, Abu immediately licked her palm as if in apology. Caught off guard, Eugene let out a muffled cry at the tingly sensation. The two looked at each other, but only for a brief moment.


    Then, the horse slowly inched closer, rubbing his snout against Eugene¡¯s hand, watching to see if she¡¯d recoil again or accept his affection. Accept him¡­


    Eugene¡®s eyes lit up and she took a brave step forward. Encouraged, Abu now rubbed his snout against her face.


    Her pure and delightful laughter filled the quiet garden air, her glowing face was equally enchanting.


    ¡°He¡¯s a very gentle boy, Your Majesty.¡±


    The King stared at Abu, perplexed by his actions. It was no secret people were never fond of Abu. And Abu had always been more than willing to let them know the feeling was reciprocated. Never had this beast been soft. Nor had it tried to ingratiate itself with anyone.


    Kasser was also confused by the compliment given to the beast. He would never call Abu a gentle creature, but rather, a very mischievous one. Abu often pulled rude pranks on people, finding pleasure in the fear that spread on their faces as he growled. Unleashing terror, giving a damn, and putting his status as the King¡¯s steed to full use- this was characteristic of Abu.


    But what was transpiring before his very eyes, had him wondering if the beast was suffering from a memory loss too.


    With every passing second, Abu seemed more bonded to Eugene. He buried his face in her hair and let her rub his mane with her small hands. He would sniff her hair, lick her cheek and go back to burying his face in her hair. All the while, his horse was acting so out of character. To say nothing of him being treated like thin air. Kasser was irked.


    When he could not stand it anymore, he clenched his hand tightly and pulled Abu¡¯s reins, forcefully turning his head away from Eugene. Abu glared daggers at his Master, who in return, ignored him and talked to Eugene instead.


    ¡°What brings you here today?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I just wanted to take a walk outside. It¡¯s a beautiful day today.¡± Eugene looked around as she replied. She seemed to melt into the nature around her, while at the same time, glowing to outshine it.


    Kasser pulled again on Abu as he started to rub against Eugene once more. Abu blew out of his nose in annoyance. He was acting rather strangely. Kasser did not understand why he was so friendly to the Queen. In the past, they would treat each other with disinterest and lived in their own world, never crossing into each others¡¯.


    But today, it seemed like they were bosom buddies. And this was the first time they had ¡®met¡¯. Kasser could not put a finger on these bizarre turn of events, but if he were to decisively say what was that one thing that might have triggered this phenomenon, it would be her loss of memory.


    He continued to watch her silently and reminded himself of the old Queen. What was before his eyes was nothing like that old one. As delved deeper into his musings, at one point he felt his body stiffen. It was that recurring fear within.


    What would happen when Jin Anika regains her memory?


    ???


    T/N: So cute! >.


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    Chapter 71 ¨C Early Deaths (1)


    Chapter 72 ¨C Early Deaths (2)


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    Chapter 73 ¨C Significant Changes in the Palace (1)


    Chapter 74 ¨C Significant Changes in the Palace (2)


    Chapter 75 ¨C A Noble¡¯s Etiquette


    Chapter 76 ¨C Between Two Towers


    Chapter 77 ¨C Change of Heart (1)


    Chapter 78 ¨C Change of Heart (2)


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 53 A Stroll in the Garden (2)

    Chapter 53 ¨C A Stroll in the Garden (2)


    As this painful thought crossed his mind, Kasser could only shrug it off. Well, it wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world. He felt things would just return to the way they were before. She would return to being the same person with the same face and emotions¨Cspeaking and acting differently¡­ indifferently.


    But what was Kasser supposed to do with his heart that had just started to grow fond of her? He was flustered and couldn¡¯t stand to mull on this any further.


    ¡°How are you feeling, by the way?¡± he asked, trying to strike a conversation.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Any stomach or back pains?¡±


    Is he asking about my period pains? Eugene wondered.


    ¡°Well¡­ it differs from person to person. Some have a lot of pain and are confined to their bed. But I don¡¯t usually have too much pain. You seem to be well informed on these matters..¡±


    ¡°Well, I was taught about it before,¡± Kasser said honestly.


    ¡°Taught? By whom?¡± Eugene was greatly surprised that this cold and unfeeling man before her was privy to the physical ordeals women were subjected to. But, where did he learn this?


    ¡°Marianne.¡±


    ¡°What did Marianne tell you?¡±


    ¡°As a child, I was scolded a lot¡­ whenever she experienced one of those.¡± Kasser told her sheepishly.


    Eugene burst into laughter. She could imagine the King give short responses to Marianne as she scolded him, just like a mother would her child. Today, Kasser finally looked like a normal human being, not a domineering King.


    A warm feeling spread within as Kasser watched her laugh. He felt a sense of accomplishment, even if she was laughing at him.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind¡­ may I join you for a walk?¡± He became a little bolder.


    Kasser wanted to talk to her more, get to know her better. He did spend time with her, but that was at night. They had never had a proper conversation before. To be fair, who in a sane mind would engage in a conversation when in the throes of passion? By the time he was satisfied, she¡¯d be exhausted. And no matter how much he wanted to, he could hold no conversation with a slumbering beauty.


    But today was different. It felt like he had been presented with his very first opportunity to talk to her.


    You are a little insensitive, Your Majesty, Marianne¡¯s voice flitted past Kasser¡¯s mind. He was determined to redeem himself.


    ¡°Are you not busy?¡± Eugene asked with concern.


    Kasser instantly thought back to the pile of papers on his desk, but still shook his head. ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then. Let¡¯s walk together.¡±


    But before they even took a step, Eugene turned around to Zanne and instructed her to wait there. She didn¡¯t want to hear his stiff manner of speaking whenever the staff was near. She hoped she¡¯d see more of the real, unguarded Kasser.


    The two walked in an awkward silence not knowing what to say until Eugene mustered the courage to break it. She decided to talk about what was troubling her mind.


    ¡°Your Majesty, about the help I offered to the missing servants¡¯ families¡­¡±


    ¡°What about it? Is there more?¡±


    ¡°No, I just wanted to thank you for it,¡± Eugene said, sincerely.


    Kasser looked at Eugene, trying to understand her, searching her face for truth. ¡°Well, it was your doing, not mine.¡±


    ¡°If you had not allowed it, then it wouldn¡¯t have been.¡± Eugene smiled as she said, ¡°And I thank you for that.¡±


    Kasser did not know how to react, so he continued to stare ahead. It was the first decent conversation they were having and a walk at it, so he was finding it hard to calm his heart.


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    Eugene let out a soft laugh when she noticed that he was embarrassed. She decided to cut him some slack and changed the topic.


    ¡°What lovely weather!¡± she remarked.


    Not even a month had passed since she first rose from the desert sand under the hot sun. The Kingdom wasn¡¯t placed in the middle of the desert but at the edge, and the weather was completely different from what she had experienced in the desert. She knew that the weather changed between the active and dry periods. But she didn¡¯t expect the difference to be this huge. Those days, it was as warm as a late summer period.


    ¡°Does the weather change this much in other countries, too?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Mostly, yes. Flack, for instance, has a drastic temperature difference like us.¡±


    The Kingdom of Flack was the southernmost of the Holy City. It was a place surrounded by snowcap mountains. The Kingdom of Hashi was situated on the opposite side.


    ¡°Have you ever been?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Do you plan to ever?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ll never have a reason to go in my life,¡± he answered pensively.


    Eugene¡¯s novel opened with the Desert King walking on heavy snow to arrive at the Kingdom of Flack. The Desert King went there to be sure of the Queen¡¯s authenticity. He needed to be sure she was not a doll controlled by a Mara and he had to do it in person.


    When he arrived, he learned that it was Jin Anika, the Queen herself, who¡¯d led the death of numerous people of the Kingdom of Hashi many years ago.


    ¡°Is there anywhere else you¡¯ve been?¡± Eugene continued to press.


    ¡°I have been to Slan.¡±


    The Kingdom of Slan was between the Kingdom of Hashi and the Holy City. He must have meant he walked through the kingdom.


    It was obvious when you thought about it. During the active periods, the King was bound to the Kingdom, protecting it. But he didn¡¯t look like a person who would put off his work and go on trips during the dry period.


    I wonder if I¡¯ve distracted him from work.


    In Eugene¡¯s novel, the story revolved around the Holy City, but the King hunted down Jin Anika, and visited all five Kingdoms. It was a classic adventure novel. The readers would beg the characters to sit and wait at a single spot, rather than scampering about and venturing to different places.


    ¡°Do you want to visit different kingdoms?¡± Kasser asked, curious after Eugene¡¯s questions.


    Kasser soon realized that he had never thought about what she was interested in before. They had never talked about it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to now,¡± was Eugene¡¯s response.


    Now? What did she mean about now? Did she mean that she may want to later?


    Later¡­


    There was no ¡°later¡± between the two. The contract with Jin Anika lasted until she gave birth to his child. After that, they had not arranged further promises. When he signed the contract with her, he wasn¡¯t interested in where she intended to go after the birth. He highly assumed that she would leave the child behind. Just like his mother.


    But this was all in his mind, and he never thought to ask her explicitly. Initially, he knew what her reply would be. But now, he wasn¡¯t so sure of what she might say. But he was sure that she could change her mind after her memory came back.


    ¡°Oh, what lovely weather,¡± Eugene raved again. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that I can¡¯t walk around during the day because of the larks.¡±


    ¡°¡­you think about leaving the palace?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t sneak out, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Eugene assured him.


    ¡°If you would like to leave the palace, you can do so at night.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Eugene lips tugged into a huge smile. Kasser¡¯s hands shook a little.


    ¡°I never said you couldn¡¯t go outside.¡±


    ¡°Well, I assumed so because it¡¯s the active period.¡±


    Kasser shook his head. ¡°Nobody is restricted during the active period. Only the desert is off-limit.¡±


    ¡°So I don¡¯t have to ask for your permission?¡± She reconfirmed.


    ¡°Only if you promise not to climb over the walls.¡±


    He was alluding to what Jin Anika had done a month ago and Eugene pouted a little before breaking into a small smile. It was interesting to get to know Kasser. He was strict, but he could loosen up, too.


    ???


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    Chapter 63 ¨C Hidden Meanings


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    Chapter 65 ¨C The Missing National Treasure (2)


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    Chapter 67 ¨C Come With Me


    Chapter 68 ¨C Faith in the Monarch (1)


    Chapter 69 ¨C Faith in the Monarch (2)


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    Chapter 70 ¨C Lurking Dangers


    Chapter 71 ¨C I Am the Queen


    Chapter 72 ¨C Early Deaths (1)


    Chapter 73 ¨C Early Deaths (2)


    Chapter 74 ¨C Significant Changes in the Palace (1)


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    Chapter 75 ¨C Significant Changes in the Palace (2)


    Chapter 76 ¨C A Noble¡¯s Etiquette


    Chapter 77 ¨C Between Two Towers


    Chapter 78 ¨C Change of Heart (1)


    Chapter 79 ¨C Change of Heart (2)


    Chapter 80 ¨C The Town Square (1)


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 54 A Mere Pawn (1)

    Chapter 54 ¨C A Mere Pawn (1)


    The Kasser before her now was completely different from the character she had created in her novel. There, he was a self-righteous man, used to giving orders rather than asking for opinions. A true royal¨C cold, unfeeling, and ruthless. He was valiant and decisive.


    But the man she was looking at seemed¡­ attentive, a bit shy even and clumsy at small talks. That sheepish grin, how he avoided her gaze after mentioning his ¡®lessons¡¯ from Marianne and his willingness to join her on a walk, were a stark contrast to the nonchalant sovereign she had come to know these past few days. But then again, what had she seen beside his virility.


    Do not forget, he¡¯s not what he appears. There are more sides to him that he has yet to reveal.


    As she cautioned herself, Eugene took several peeks at the man next to her. Compared to the first lunch they shared, they seemed to have grown immensely closer. When she counted the days since they¡¯d first met, she was amazed at how fast she¡¯d become intimate with him. It was rare for her to get along with someone this quick. Perhaps the time they spent touching each other¡¯s body had helped them develop their relationship quickly.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t allow you to go by yourself. You must bring a guard with you.¡± Although Kasser¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t curt, his words were firm. He seemed concerned about her safety, and she understood.


    ¡°I know that, of course.¡±


    As if on cue, a loud, BOOM thudded right then. The pair instantly looked towards the clear blue sky where a yellow mist was starting to spread.


    Ah, the sword¡­ Kasser furrowed his brows as the scene of one of his retainers rushing to his office with his sword in hand flitted past his mind. It was just that he wasn¡¯t in the office; he was here, in the garden. He had to leave immediately to fetch his sword. But it would be better to have them throw it off the balcony.


    ¡°Abu.¡±


    Kasser gestured to Abu to transform. He had been dutifully following the King and Queen all this time. Eugene thought he acted more like a pet dog than a horse. She was amused by his docile side.


    Thrusting his head back, Abu started to shake his body in wide motions. He started to expand¡ªhis long neck and snout shortened, his legs thickened. The small horns by his ears protruded to reveal a much larger one.


    Eugene held her breath while she witnessed the black horse transform into a black panther. There was no trace of a horse in the garden; only a huge panther with paws big enough to cover her face stood before her. It looked fierce yet majestic.


    Kasser hopped onto Abu¡¯s back, only to realize his mistake. Most people were horrified upon witnessing Abu¡¯s transformation for the first time.


    In his haste to get to the wall, he had overlooked the most important factor¡ªhis companion. He nervously looked over his shoulder, wondering how he should assuage her fear. But all he saw was a woman clasping her hands in front of her chest, in complete awe.


    As much as he was surprised at the sight, he was relieved. In some corners in his heart, he even felt¡­ a little proud. However, he quickly collected himself. He realized, since he¡¯d to rush off, he had to leave her behind all alone. There were no servants walking past the garden, no one to protect her and walk her back to the palace.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll send a servant to you right away.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Just go.¡± Eugene¡¯s answer was firm in the hopes of sending him off quickly. ¡°I know my way through the palace. I¡¯ll bring myself to safety. Now, go!¡±


    With a brief nod, Kasser gently kicked Abu¡¯s ribs, signaling him to take off. With only a couple of leaps, Kasser and the beast were already far from Eugene.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t stop her jaw from dropping. Shivers went down her spine as Abu¡¯s transformation flashed past her eyes, again and again. She knew about the spirit beast of the Desert King. In her book, the King¡¯s spirit beast was a black panther. However, she had never characterized it to transform from a horse into its spirit form much less depict the actual transformation. She had only ever mentioned it briefly. The Desert King always summoned his steed with a whistle. And in this world, it had a name! Abu¡­


    She¡¯d only set the relationship between the Desert King and his spirit beast as a master and subordinate. But the fact that the animal had a name meant that there was more than a tight bond between the two. Here, she had even borne witness to it¡ªwhen Abu had obediently followed them around the garden and Kasser had gestured to him after the yellow flare.


    Not a word was exchanged, yet the master and beast were in perfect synchrony.


    Why is it different from my novel? She couldn¡¯t help but wonder why only select details remained true to how she had created it. This was a thought that kept troubling her for a while now. She had thought she was in control of this world, but it turned out she didn¡¯t know everything about it.


    ???


    The lady in the portrait had her hair tied up high in a bun, as in the Mahar, only those who were unmarried did. It was more of a tradition, rather than a legal obligation.


    ¡°This is Countess Moriel.¡± Marianne introduced the lady in the portrait to Eugene.


    ¡°I think you have mentioned Countess Moriel before, haven¡¯t you Marianne?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    The lady in the portrait appeared to be in her mid to late twenties. She had very sharp features; a very slim face with almond eyes, resembling a cat¡¯s. Her thick red hair caught Eugene¡¯s eyes. She¡¯s very pretty. Her hair must bring her confidence.


    The people of Mahar had brown hair, so many envied those with colorful hair. Not only did they find their own hair dull, but they also looked at colorful hair as that of nobility and yearned for it. In a hierarchical society, people looked up to those in the upper echelons. But they never bothered to dye their hair.


    In Mahar, one¡¯s external features were the most important factor that showed one¡¯s identity. On the ID card each person received once they reached adulthood, their hair and eye color were noted with great precision, as every shade of brown had different names.


    Hence, the hair color the people of Mahar were born with symbolized their destiny. Hair dying was illegal. Only criminals who wished to hide their identity would dye their hair. Therefore, hair dye wasn¡¯t even invented, let alone sold.


    Eugene had never written her novel in such detail. These were Marianne¡¯s teachings. As she continued to learn more and more about Mahar, she felt more and more distant from the world she had created. It was a world designed with an infinite amount of intricate details, which in Eugene¡¯s eyes, was far too much for one person to build. She didn¡¯t regard herself as a creative genius.


    She believed this wasn¡¯t a fabricated world, but that it existed somewhere in the vast universe¡ªeven before she had written the novel.


    For all she knew, all this time, she only stood as a pawn in the game the original queen had instigated.

 Chapter 55 A Mere Pawn (2)

    Chapter 55 ¨C A Mere Pawn (2)


    ¡°She is stunning,¡± Eugene finally said.


    ¡°Is she?¡± Marianne replied, casting a glance at the portrait the queen held so carefully.


    ¡°Yes. She looks younger than her age. Did you say she was 32?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful! I mean, if the portrait correctly resembles her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the portrait does her quite the justice, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow.¡± Her likeness was exquisite. She couldn¡¯t imagine meeting Moriel in person.


    As Eugene examined the portrait thoroughly, Marianne grinned and said, ¡°I think you are more stunning, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Eugene thought of Jin Anika¡¯s face and slowly nodded. ¡°Yes, I agree.¡±


    She suddenly realized her mistake. She¡¯d praised her own beauty! But Marianne looked as if she was expecting the comment, which made it more awkward for Eugene.


    ¡°So, she¡¯s the Queen of high society, you said?¡± Eugene deftly changed the topic.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, she¡¯s just well known in high society. The term ¡®Queen¡¯ can only be used by you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Of course.¡±


    Marianne continually corrected Eugene whenever she faltered. Especially when Eugene made comments related to a sensitive topic such as the hierarchical society of Mahar. Marianne was an able teacher, patient and wise.


    To Eugene, Mahar was a whole new world along with its customs and traditions. Needless to say, she was not used to their culture and hierarchy. She didn¡¯t grow up in a society with such strict social divides. Yes, there were some norms that needed to be observed, but they were quite forgiving.


    ¡°You told me I was not interested in high society, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Would my lack of interest be one of the reasons the Countess was able to make the high society revolve around her?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Royal Highness. It is the most important reason. How could the Countess distinguish herself if you were there?¡±


    ¡°Clearly she must have eloquence and charm.¡±


    ¡°That becomes a minor feature of the Countess in your presence, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t say or do anything?¡±


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, you are the only person that can stand beside the King.¡±


    ¡°And also because I am an Anika.¡±


    ¡°That is right, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Jin, an Anika and a Queen, was almost worshiped by the people. Eugene realized that Jin¡¯s status was higher than she thought.


    The word ¡®King¡¯ symbolized a much greater thing in Mahar than on Earth. Here, a King was the holy ruler and savior. The throne was passed down solely to blood descendants, therefore a decision made by the gods. A King who hunted Larks and protected the people was crucial to the Kingdom and its people.


    The person that stood beside this crucial King was the Queen, Jin Anika. No wonder people still accepted her as Queen even though she was a crazy and wicked woman.


    ¡°What was the Kingdom like before I became Queen? Was high society ruled by the Queen?¡±


    Marianne was hesitant to answer. ¡°It has been a long time since a Queen took part in high society, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Even when the former queen was alive?¡± Eugene asked, with curiosity.


    ¡°Yes¡­ and the former queen is still alive, Your Royal Highness. We are yet to hear her obituary.¡±


    ¡°She is still alive? Well, then where is she?¡±


    ¡°She lives in the Holy City, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    This time, Marianne¡¯s answers were short. She was usually quite detailed with her answers. Eugene realized this was a very complicated topic and decided not to ask too much about the former Queen. If I need to know, then someone will tell me, she thought to suppress her curiosity. Every family has a complicated past, and she knew it wasn¡¯t appropriate to ask too much.


    ¡°If a Queen has not appeared in high society for a long time, shall I continue to keep my distance? I don¡¯t want to disrupt anything already in order.¡±


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, it is not in order. A state of chaos is merely at bay. If I may, I would like to describe it as a group of hyenas crawling across a meadow without a lion.¡±


    Marianne was gentle, but also tough. Eugene gave a sheepish grin.


    What am I supposed to do? Eugene got the feeling that Marianne wanted her to take part in high society. But she was comfortable where she was. Meeting people was already tiring, but high society members? There was bound to be trouble if she associated with them.


    No one would criticize her for continuing to do nothing. But she was curious. Where Eugene lived, she had heard of the society for the wealthy, but there, it had nothing to do with her.


    In the society of this world, she imagined the tense atmosphere and endless competition between the members. She thought of the powers she had, and the order she would bring just by her appearance.


    It sounded fun. It didn¡¯t matter to her that she wasn¡¯t joining for the purest reasons.


    ¡°Marianne, I would like to attend their first party when the dry season starts.¡±


    Marianne smiled broadly. ¡°Of course, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    With that, Marianne continued with their session of learning with two other portraits, delivering the relevant details.


    In Mahar, drawing and possessing a portrait of another person was perceived as incredibly rude. A man would be accused of sexual offense if he had a portrait of a woman in his possession.


    ???


    You can show your support to this novel by dropping a review on its


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    Chapter 56 ¨C Where Did You Go? (1)


    Chapter 57 ¨C Where Did You Go? (2)


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    Chapter 60 ¨C I Cannot Lose Her (1)


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    Chapter 61 ¨C I Cannot Lose Her (2)


    Chapter 62 ¨C The Protagonist


    Chapter 63 ¨C Hidden Meanings


    Intriguing Pluto ¨C 12 chapters for $15.99


    Chapter 64 ¨C The Missing National Treasure (1)


    Chapter 65 ¨C The Missing National Treasure (2)


    Chapter 66 ¨C Princess of Sloan Kingdom


    Chapter 67 ¨C Come With Me


    Blazing Sun ¨C 16 chapters for $25.99


    Chapter 68 ¨C Faith in the Monarch (1)


    Chapter 69 ¨C Faith in the Monarch (2)


    Chapter 70 ¨C Lurking Dangers


    Chapter 71 ¨C I Am the Queen


    Glowing Sirius ¨C 21 chapters for $45.99


    Chapter 72 ¨C Early Deaths (1)


    Chapter 73 ¨C Early Deaths (2)


    Chapter 74 ¨C Significant Changes in the Palace (1)


    Chapter 75 ¨C Significant Changes in the Palace (2)


    Chapter 76 ¨C A Noble¡¯s Etiquette


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    Chapter 77 ¨C Between Two Towers


    Chapter 78 ¨C Change of Heart (1)


    Chapter 79 ¨C Change of Heart (2)


    Chapter 80 ¨C The Town Square (1)


    Chapter 81 ¨C The Town Square (2)


    Chapter 82 ¨C Entirely Different Person


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 56 Where Did You Go? (1)

    Chapter 56 ¨C Where Did You Go? (1)


    The culture, tradition, and events of Mahar¡­ Eugene was pensive as she watched Marianne patiently roll up the portraits one after another. While she compared her world with the one she¡¯d been thrown into, a question suddenly popped in her mind.


    ¡°Marianne, you told me that high society gatherings are not held during the active period.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Is it prohibited?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Then are the nobility restraining themselves from holding them?¡±


    Eugene thought back to what Kasser had said, that no one was restricted from doing things during the active period. All they had to do was be cautious during the day. It was harder for her to believe that the nobles, known for their luxurious and extravagant way of life, also restrained themselves from holding gatherings.


    Since the Larks normally did not lurk after sundown, she thought, it did seem like a perfect time to throw a party for the elite.


    ¡°It¡¯s more of a realistic measure, Your Royal Highness. Besides, no one in high society has status enough to hold the gatherings during the active period.¡±


    ¡°So, by the near end of the dry period, they head to the Holy City and return only when the dry period starts again, right?¡± Eugene said, to make sure she¡¯d understood Marianne correctly.


    ¡°That is right, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°So this handful of nobles form high society, huh? Then, is Countess Moriel also in the Holy City now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Eugene remembered that Count Wacommbe would also be back as the dry period started. When Marianne left, she fell into deep thought.


    What did the other lower class and the peasants think of the high-class nobility as they left the kingdom every active period for safety?


    Perhaps, some criticized them, but surely most were envious and wanted to leave with them to safety. The Holy City was safe from the Larks, so the nobility was essentially on refuge.


    However, not all were blessed with the privilege to be one among them. People admired the nobility; dressed like them, ate like them, and even talked like them. They were the celebrities of the kingdom. As much as they inspired awe, they inspired jealousy too.


    The culture of the kingdom is completely dependent on the Holy City.


    As Eugene delved deeper, she realized it defeated the purpose of culture, as nothing was indigenous to the Kingdom of Hashi. On the contrary, it was completely influenced by the culture of the Holy City. In a way, this kingdom was living in its shadows.


    Holy City¡­ the heart of Mahar and the center of all six kingdoms. It was here that the highest of the nobility came together and exchanged their cultures with the others. But because of this very reason, prohibiting the movement of people during the active period wasn¡¯t going to be a solution to enriching the culture within the Kingdom of Hashi. It was only going to isolate it.


    But there was no other way to prevent people from traveling to the Holy City other than a forceful measure. If a Lark enters the kingdom walls, someone dies. It was logical for people to move to safety if they could afford to.


    And if one had the means, more so.


    But there was no denying, this move was sending wrong signals among the masses. So, far things seemed quiet and acceptable, but the seed of temptation had long been sown. It had only yet to sprout.


    Hmm¡­ How can I keep these nobles from keep moving in and out?


    Even after thinking for a while, Eugene couldn¡¯t come up with any good ideas. Instead, she was vexed. It made her sick, thinking about the selfish nobles. Greedy, insensitive and self-centered¡ªwords which best described the so-called nobility of Mahar.


    How dare they while the king himself is risking his life every day to save the kingdom. It¡¯s so selfish!


    She suddenly smirked. She realized that she was thinking like the queen of this kingdom and the wife of the king. This was a novel feeling, but somehow she wasn¡¯t repulsed by it. She resumed her musings.


    Anyways, the king is too devoted to his duty. How can he drop everything and leave as soon as the signal flare hits the sky?


    At least the Larks didn¡¯t show themselves during the night. At that note, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but imagine the king dressing up to leave in the middle of s*x as the signal flare lit up their room.


    He would definitely do that. Eugene broke out into laughter at her own thoughts.


    She recalled the scene when Kasser was riding his spirit animal. It was the first time she saw the king leave for battle, the whole aura and the air had suddenly changed from casual to valiant in a matter of moments. This was why she had been fidgety all day, unable to keep calm until she saw a blue flare leap into the sky.


    She¡¯d spent the last few nights sleeping by herself. Although she was energetic, her mind was full of thoughts, giving her a headache. If he had forced her to sleep with him even during her period, he would¡¯ve been an ass.


    But he hadn¡¯t shown himself these past few days and it only irked her.


    At first, when it had all started, she was skittish about his presence, but his absence left her in no better state. She was unable to understand her feelings, even less his actions.


    Again, she wondered if he only thought of her as a body that gave birth. Resigned, her thoughts began to take a familiar road of doubts and¡­ resistance.


    I should stop expecting more from him. I am not in a romantic relationship, I¡¯m just a person that has a contract with him.


    He had invested three years into an expensive and unhappy marriage in hopes that it will produce an heir to the throne. Determined as he was, nothing was going to stop him from getting what he wanted.


    Jin signed the contract knowing well that she can get anything she wants as long as she gives him a baby in exchange.


    And that, she would do. Nothing more.


    Gradually, her mind went blank. Eugene gazed blankly into space. Her heart felt empty; emptier than the desert that welcomed her when she first opened her eyes in this world.


    ???


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 57 Where Did You Go? (2)

    Chapter 57 ¨C Where Did You Go? (2)


    As she was leaving, Eugene summoned a servant.


    ¡°Is His Majesty back yet?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Before sundown, the king left the palace. He left quite often. The one thing that set Kasser apart from the other monarchs was that he did things on his own, rather than giving orders and delegating. He had never shied from his responsibilities. This enabled him to grasp the happenings better, but kept him away from the palace most times nonetheless.


    Now that Marianne had laid bare the ¡®nobleness¡¯ of the nobility, Eugene¡¯s heart went out for Kasser. He was that lone, selfless warrior, who refused to abandon his duties, his people no matter the adversity. How many put others before oneself? And how many of those were nobility, let alone a monarch? Indeed, he was truly worthy of being the king.


    On the table sat an intricately carved small wooden box. After a moment¡¯s thought, Eugene opened it and looked over the assortment of tea leaves within. Picking one, she handed it to the pageboy.


    ¡°Bring this to the Lord Chamberlain, he is to brew the king a cup of tea upon his return.¡±


    These tea leaves were a gift from Marianne. She¡¯s said it was good for relaxation. Surprisingly, it tasted good and had cleared Eugene¡¯s head after only a couple of sips. She was not much of a help in sharing his responsibilities, the least she could do was help him relax.


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Left alone, Eugene sat in front of her dressing table and started scribbling in her diary.


    Ever since her arrival in Mahar, she had maintained this diary. Each day, she wrote down her day before going to bed. It was her secret diary, so she wrote in Korean. She felt safe that she could write in a language that no one could read in the Mahar.


    At the beginning of her diary was a to-do list.


    ¨C Organize events for high society meets. Maybe some tea and biscuits?


    After a while, she put away her diary in the drawer in the dressing table. As she stood up, she caught her reflection in the mirror.


    For the first couple of days, every time she saw her, she would be surprised by the unfamiliar lady standing in front of her. But now, she had become the lady. Although she had grown used to this body, it was not without worries. Beset with mysteries, intrigue, and whatnot, most of her time in this world was spent in unraveling and conjecturing. But of all the unanswered questions, the one hounding her the most was also the simplest.


    Jin Anika¡­ If I am in your body, where did you go?


    And where is my body?


    Eugene meticulously retraced the moment she was summoned to the Mahar.


    On that fateful day, back in her world, she was at the dead center of a game of cat and mouse. She was being chased by some moneylenders and their lackeys. After several near misses and thank gods, she had ended up in a cul-de-sac, trapped. She looked around her for an exit route in vain. Neither was there an open door for her to sneak into, nor a wall that she could climb over. She knew she was done for, and resigned to her fate at the hands of her hunters.


    It was against that moment, when all hope was lost, that she saw it.


    At first, she was sure she was dreaming¡­ A large black hole had appeared on the brick walls of the alley, it sure did not seem ordinary. The hole was pitch black, making it impossible to see its end. It was big enough to fit only one person. It felt like a gate to hell, beckoning her to plunge into.


    An awestruck Eugene was shaken awake by the sound of footsteps from the corner of the alley. Before her was a hole, behind¨Cher end. She wasn¡¯t sure if this hole was real, where it led to or if it even had an end.


    But she was sure of one thing- she couldn¡¯t afford to be caught.


    Whatever lay within that hole, she reckoned, was more acceptable than the fate that was awaiting her here. It was better for her to disappear into the unknown so her family wouldn¡¯t have anybody to rip money off of.


    She braced herself and without looking back set foot into the hole. Her life¡¯s greatest gamble towards life, not death.


    To her utter surprise, she didn¡¯t violently plummet into the bottomless dark abyss, but floated comfortably. She didn¡¯t feel any panic, only pleasantly closing her eyes and giving in to her surroundings. That was the last thing she remembered doing. As for the things that came after, she was absolutely blank.


    After an unknown amount of time had passed by floating in the hole, she realized she hadn¡¯t died or fallen into hell. As she¡¯d wished, she went to a world where nobody knew her.


    The hole¡­ That was definitely the route. Maybe it¡¯s a route only for spirits to go pass?


    The body might have perished in the hole.


    Jin Anika, I don¡¯t have anywhere to go. And f you come back, there is nowhere for you to stay.


    At first, Eugene had planned to change the future for Jin Anika. Now, her desire to live as ¡®Eugene¡¯ grew more and more, and she no longer wanted to live for Jin Anika.


    Eugene folded her fingers into a tight fist. She had so much power in her hands, but it all belonged to Jin Anika. Was stealing the powers of an immoral person justifiable?


    Whether or not she felt guilty, she was going to hate herself every day for the rest of her life.


    But I¡¯m not in reality. This is a fictional universe in a novel that I created¡­ No. How can this not be a reality when it is so real? Marianne and Zanne are each living their own lives.


    She pulled her hair as her thoughts grew more and more complicated until she finally stood up.


    There¡¯s nothing I can do today. I¡¯m just going to sleep and leave tomorrow¡¯s worry for tomorrow.


    Eugene stomped her feet and walked to her bed. She sat there as she uncovered the sheets, determined to have a good sleep.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡±


    It was a servant outside her door. No one came to her door at this time of the day, so she froze.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    The door opened and the servant stepped inside.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, His Majesty is here for you.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡°Now, in my room?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t his first time paying a visit without notice, but the last time was a special occasion and his visit tonight was very late. But he was the king, how could she question or refuse him entry?


    ¡°Show him in.¡±


    The servant left and Kasser entered moments later. He was still dressed in his full formal attire. He must have just returned to the palace. The two walked to the sofa and sat down.


    ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    ¡°No, I was just about to go to sleep. Is there a problem? What brings you here so late?¡±


    Kasser couldn¡¯t answer her question. He would¡¯ve also liked to ask that himself, for he didn¡¯t know why he came here either.


    Earlier, as soon as he¡¯d returned to the palace, he had gone straight to his office. For the last several days, he¡¯d spent his nights finishing off his work and he planned to do so tonight as well.


    While he was immersed in his work, the things that had happened inside the palace during the day were long buried in those piles of paper. He had dived so deep into the world of perusing and signing, that he didn¡¯t hear the knock on the door and was jolted awake when the Lord Chamberlain stood before him with a tray in hand. Confused, he shot him a questioning gaze.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness sent you tea.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t his first time receiving a cup of tea. In fact, the queen had often sent tea or biscuits to him. It was a formal gesture. During the early times in their marriage, Jin Anika was pretty affectionate, sending her greetings every morning and night and at times, even delivering refreshments to his office herself.


    ???

 Chapter 58 Youre Complicated (1)

    Chapter 58 ¨C You¡¯re Complicated (1)


    Time has an inconspicuous way of changing things. It is especially so with feelings.


    Back then, Kasser was often displeased with the queen¡¯s attitude. Be it her talks or mannerism, there was nothing to fault her. She was impeccable. Yet, it invoked in him a gnawing feeling that she harboured an ulterior motive. And thus, he had never once lowered his guard.


    On one such occasion, when Jin Anika brought him tea, he decided to get it off his chest and be done with her permanently.


    ¡°If you want anything, just tell me. You should not do things behind my back.¡± He was giving her a chance to lay her cards bare.


    The queen grinned, she looked so pure. ¡°My king, I get bored easily. I¡¯d like to see the treasure house.¡±


    Kasser was ambitious but even more so logical. He had never indulged himself in flights of fancy. Be it matters pertaining to the kingdom or personal, he had the knack of knowing his limits. Although her facade was genial and courteous, he knew in his heart that it was impossible to mold the queen to his liking. As he gave in to her every demand, her vicious behavior somewhat dwindled. His efforts to avoid sparking an argument with her, a war of nerves, played a big part.


    When she spoke of her demands, Kasser listened to her every word. If this was the only thing he could do to assure himself that she would not stoop to evil means to procure her wants, then why not?


    In that respect, Jin Anika was transparent. By-and-by Kasser distanced himself from her, their interactions were fewer and fewer. He even left the kingdom, trusting that she would not do anything horrible now that her demands were satisfied.


    Yet, despite the privileges he bestowed her, she still brutally stabbed him in the back. She stole the national treasure and ran away. However, when she returned, her memory was gone. There was no way to know the truth of what had happened and what had driven her to do it.


    Upon her return, Kasser was torn on how he should deal with her. Should he be angry, doubt her or simply bury the past as if it were nothing?


    And today, her gesture of sending tea shook him while he was already off-balance. Why did her behavior, which could hardly move him in the past, feel so special? You¡¯re the same person after all.


    He immediately found himself striding out of his office, not knowing a destination or purpose. When he came about, he found himself standing before in the queen¡¯s chamber.


    And right now, she was looking at him in puzzlement, trying to perhaps understand the reason behind his visit. Her dazed eyes, furrowing eyebrows¡­ oh, she looked so lovely.


    ¡°Your Majesty, is everything alright?¡±


    He stood before her silently. Neither had he answered her, not did it seem like he had heard her. He seemed to be lost in thoughts. But seeing the hour he had chosen to visit, she was still inclined to interpret his silence¡­ He was here for the same reason he¡¯d graced her chamber the last few nights?


    Eugene took a few deep breaths and called out to him again, trying to bring him out of whatever that was keeping him.


    ¡°What is it, Your Majesty?¡±


    Well, Kasser at some point wanted to ask her what she meant by sending him tea. But when he looked at her, it seemed an unnecessary question. Even so, what came out of his mouth shocked him too.


    ¡°Can I have a cup of tea?¡±


    Eugene was confused. He¡¯d come to ask her such a simple question in such a grave manner?


    ¡°¡­Now, here?¡±


    Kasser nodded.


    Somehow, Eugene felt that there was more that he wished to say, and with every moment, it pressed greater and greater on her self-possession. She decided to be candid about it, after all, this was not the time for a guessing game.


    ¡°What is going on? Don¡¯t drag it on, please. That¡¯s even scarier.¡±


    Her face was full of life as she spoke. Her stance was demonstrative of him trying her patience. Hands on waist, eyes narrowed, looking him straight in the eye¨C Kasser couldn¡¯t keep from staring.


    He was born a prince and became a king. He grew up in the hands of a nanny without any brothers or friends. This heir apparent had been put on the pedestal right from the moment he was born. He was the highest authority in the kingdom. Irrespective of age, gender, status, they were all required to acquiesce. Bowing and nodding at every turn. Whether he was right or not, whether they agreed or not; no one dared to defy him. It was so when he was a prince more so now that he was the sovereign.


    Because of this, he had no chance to experience the various highs and lows of being in a mutually respectful relationship with anyone. No one had treated him as an equal nor had he felt the need to either.


    However, this queen who had lost her memory had an expression he had never seen before. She didn¡¯t hesitate to show her feelings in front of him. It was strange for him to see honest feelings, but it looked good. He had a vague feeling that this was how it would feel to be¡­  ordinary.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. I couldn¡¯t drink the tea you sent me. If we go to the office now, it will be cold.¡±


    Eugene looked at him for a moment finding it a little odd. Nonetheless, she called her maid, gave her the tea leaves, and ordered her to bring the tea to a boil. With that, the two were left in silence until the maid brought in the teapot.


    ???


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    Chapter 62 ¨C The Protagonist


    Chapter 63 ¨C Hidden Meanings


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 59 Youre Complicated (2)

    Chapter 59 ¨C You¡¯re Complicated (2) 19+


    Eugene poured the tea into his cup and Kasser picked it up without a word. Watching him drink, she felt confused. Why would he leave his work for just a cup of tea? She could hardly tell what he was thinking. Did he want to see her and just couldn¡¯t admit it?


    Neither of them said anything. There was a subtle air between them, but nothing could bring them to speak. Nothing they thought of was worth the conversation. They just remained at a proper distance, stealing glances at the other.


    ¡°Thank you for the tea.¡±


    Kasser laid down his empty cup. Instead of immediately standing, he took a moment to sort through the complication in his mind. He wanted to spend more time with her but couldn¡¯t think of what to say.


    What came to mind instead was a job that needed to be done as quickly as possible. He sprang to his feet in spite of himself, and Eugene quickly followed suit to see him off.


    He started to walk away but stopped. His dithering manner was palpable. Looking at his back, Eugene felt her heart beat faster.


    She reached for him but fell short. Regretfully, she lowered her hand again the moment Kasser looked back. Their eyes met.


    Eugene embarrassedly dropped her hand and took a step back. But Kasser quickly took the initiative and stepped forward to close the distance himself. She took another hesitant step back, but he strode up and wound her waist with one arm.


    He lowered his head. Unable to fight the energy, his lips lightly met hers.


    Eugene could turn his head or push him away. But inwardly, she hesitated. What do I want to do?


    While she hesitated, Kasser carefully bit Eugene¡¯s lower lip as if asking if he could go on.


    Eugene smiled. She¡¯d already spent countless nights with him and even formed a deep physical relationship. The kiss that came with a fresh feeling was embarrassing albeit enjoyable.


    He showered her smiling lips with several kisses, passionate yet gentle. Eugene let out a laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a complicated person.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s blue eyes sank and shook. ¡°¡­ that¡¯s what I want to say.¡±


    Not allowing her the time to retort, Kasser swallowed her lips completely. His tongue sank deep into her mouth, sauntering around her tender flesh.


    Eugene closed her eyes. His lips reeked of the tea he had just had. As she let go of herself, the tips of her fingers flinched on his shoulder.


    ¡°Uh-¡±


    Her waist was crushed against his and her body clung closely to him. One of his hands held her under her chin. The two overlapping lips interlocked with a slight gap.


    By now, the two were well-acquainted with each other¡¯s bodies and remembered the pleasure that stemmed from meeting their end of the contract. It started with a willow kiss and quickly escalated into a dense one.


    He wanted to bite her small, fluffy tongue. Its sweet taste had remained on his lips and had not disappeared even after several days had gone by. He curled Eugene¡¯s tongue and sucked it hard.


    In an instant, a tingling sensation climbed up her back. Her knees buckled as her legs lost their strength. Thanks to his arms, which held her tightly around her waist, Eugene was now leaning completely on his chest instead of falling to the ground. She could well feel the bulge stabbing her stomach. But, she was still on her period.


    Her eyes were spinning. Kasser held Eugene in his arms and laid her on the bed. Eugene gasped for breath while his lips fell away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it yet.¡±


    ¡°I know. I won¡¯t go all the way.¡±


    On the bed, Kasser held her hands. He intertwined their fingers together and kissed her knuckles, then her fingertips. After swallowing one of her fingers completely, he tickled it with his tongue.


    A tingling sensation climbed up her arms, leaving trails of goosebumps on its way. Her body flinched on its own and her eyes flew open. She was greeted with the sight of his blue hair. And underneath that vividly colored mane was a pair of intense blue eyes, reminiscent of a clear, cold winter sky that seemed to pull her.


    She suddenly felt his body temperature rise sharply while he gently pushed on her shoulder until she laid down.


    Before she knew it, his hand slid into her pajamas and clasped her breast. He held it hard and gently pressed it with his fingertips. The tip rose solidly as his thumb rubbed back and forth over her nipple.


    He kissed her on the cheek, on her ear, and put his lips deep under her chin.


    ¡°Yo¨CYour Majesty. Stop¡­¡±


    Her body began to heat up. Her lower abdomen was pulled and her vagina tightened. Eugene was likely to commit an indecent act of putting her vagina on his thigh and rubbing.


    ¡°Just a little more.¡± His deep voice seemed to come from somewhere below.


    One-piece pajamas with buttons could not be taken off the top alone. As he unbuttoned, only one of her breasts was revealed. He groped her right breast, still concealed in her pajamas, and sucked the exposed one.


    Eugene quivered. His hot, damp mouth enveloped her breast and sucked with vigor. Blood rushed up to her back. He licked the aroused nipple and bit it softly. The other breast was firmly held by his strong hand.


    Eugene¡¯s arm hugged his head. The constant stimulus curved her waist. Her whole body chilled with pleasure in her lower abdomen. It was nearly the end of her menstrual period and she couldn¡¯t let herself be ravaged just yet.


    ¡°Stop¡­ stop,¡± Eugene cried out desperately.


    After a final suck and persistent bite, his lips reluctantly relinquished her breast. But he still kept gazing at it, with a longing.


    ???


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    Chapter 71 ¨C I Am the Queen


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    Chapter 77 ¨C Between Two Towers


    Chapter 78 ¨C Change of Heart (1)


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    Chapter 80 ¨C The Town Square (1)


    The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99


    Chapter 81 ¨C The Town Square (2)


    Chapter 82 ¨C Entirely Different Person


    Chapter 83 ¨C Amusing Arguments


    Chapter 84 ¨C A Chancellor¡¯s Grievances (1)


    Chapter 85 ¨C A Chancellor¡¯s Grievances (2)


    Chapter 86 ¨C Oil and Water (1)


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 60 I Cannot Lose Her (1)

    Chapter 60 ¨C I Cannot Lose Her (1)


    Despite the yearning eyes gazing intently at her mound and her own rising sensuous appetite, Eugene steeled herself and covered the front of her pajamas with trembling hands¨C the message was loud and clear.


    A dejected Kasser then laid down on his stomach, leaning slightly on his side, so he didn¡¯t completely crush Eugene who was underneath him. He burrowed his face in the crook of her neck as he laboriously breathed.


    ¡°How much longer do I have to wait?¡±


    ¡°A few days¡­ more¡­¡± Eugene mumbled, trying to rein in her desire but his teasing breath on her neck wasn¡¯t helping.


    However, Kasser was barely able to decipher it. It was hard as it is for him to regain his normal composure¨Chis arousal from their previous heated encounter was left unsated. And now, he could only hold her in his arms to calm his urges and that was not helping.


    It took him great determination to bring down the excitement even after moving his large frame a little farther from her to cover only half her body. But even then, he didn¡¯t let go of her.


    As time went by, amidst the silence of the night, their breathing gradually grew calmer. The hot air also cooled down significantly and the ambiguity faded.


    ¡°Your Majesty. You¡¯ll fall asleep at this rate.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t even changed his clothes, unlike Eugene, who was already dressed to go to bed. Besides, she wasn¡¯t sure what he was up to.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get up yet.¡± He murmured, his helplessness evident in tone.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± She reckoned that his member was still swollen stiff inside the confines of his trousers. She couldn¡¯t help chuckle, thinking as to how he was having to battle it out with his nether region that seemed to have grown a mind of its own.


    Hearing the unmistakable sound, Kasser raised his head. ¡°Who are you laughing at?¡±


    ¡°No one. Are you all right?¡± She tried to steer the topic. However, the amusement on her face betrayed her feelings.


    He let out a small sigh. He couldn¡¯t believe he was in such a helpless state¨Chaving a hard time controlling his seething passion. He felt like a foolish child. Even so, he was not embarrassed for it was not entirely his fault. But he was unsettled when his ¡®partner in crime¡¯ was drawing pleasure from his pitiful plight.


    After much thought, Eugene suggested a solution that dumbfounded this monarch.


    ¡°Ummm¡­ They say men know a way to make it die down quickly. Like¡­ singing a somber song.¡±


    There was one thing that didn¡¯t change after she lost her memories. She has no problem with her confidence! Kasser mused.


    Jin Anika had always been confident and bold, even in the presence of her husband, the king. It was entirely understandable for she was an Anika and had the Sang-je¡¯s support. However, after losing her memory, she no longer sounded as arrogant as she used to. Moreover, she didn¡¯t lose composure over the informal manner in which he talked to her. He knew she genuinely didn¡¯t mind, for she was allowing everyone to address her by her title.


    ¡°You know such random things. How come you remember things like that?¡±


    His words had hardly fallen when he regretted saying them. Marrianne nagging him to speak softly to the queen flashed in his head.


    Eugene shook her head; it was a silly knowledge she¡¯d gleaned in her previous world. She veered the topic and said, ¡°I need to hurry and get my memory back. There is still no sign of progress. I¡¯ll try harder.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    He regretted it even more. He vowed never to bring up any words related to her memory again.


    When a gnawing silence drowned the chambers, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but shatter it. ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


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    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to sleep here?¡±


    No sooner than the words left her lips than Eugene realized how misleading they were¨Cshe only meant to ask if he would like to keep lying next to her and leave at the first rays of dawn like what he usually did.


    In her current situation, she had no intention of seducing him. But she¡¯d spewed out such an invitation while in an intimate position. Hence, it was bound to carry the wrong impression¡­


    ¡°What I meant¨C¡±


    ¡°The bed is wide enough for two.¡± Kasser finished it for her.


    ¡°¡­. yes.¡±


    Unbidden, a smile began to form on her lips. She liked his mirthful retort. She didn¡¯t know him that well, but at least he wasn¡¯t someone who made others feel uncomfortable. All the initial awkwardness, it seems, had begun melting away. And neither seemed to mind.


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    Pressed between his taut torso and strong arms, his rhythmic, lax breathing sounded like a lullaby. It soothed and warmed her. Gingerly, her fingertips found her lips¡­ the feel of his soft lips still lingered. A glimmer flashed through her serene eyes.


    Whether it was a way to bear a child or to satiate his lust, it was amply clear he could get whatever he wanted. Even so, it didn¡¯t stop her from enjoying everything she did with him. Most of all, she found comfort in basking in his body heat and to be nestled in his arms.


    This was all well within the purview of the contract.


    But why¡­ why does her heart beat like crazy by his mere presence?


    Eugene couldn¡¯t quite say it was just physical attraction on her part. She gulped hard¨Crealizing her heart could be led astray by a small gust of wind.


    ???


    Quite some time had passed by, and yet sleep eluded her. In fact, her mind refused to let her. The more she tried to rein in her errant thoughts, the more they ran amuck. At last, Eugene resorted to staring at the black ceiling and willing herself to sleep.


    It feels just like that day.


    She recalled the first day of this month when she had shared the same bed with him. Just like tonight, they had laid side by side that day. The nights that followed were wreathed in intense carnal activities. She would fall asleep exhausted, their bare bodies entwined with one another. It¡¯d happened so often now that it already felt awkward to lie down apart from each other.


    ¡°Are you asleep?¡± Eugene asked, very softly. A clear answer came right away.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t sleepy, there is something I¡¯m curious about. It could take longer. Should we discuss it tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    However, right then, for reasons unknown, her thoughts traversed in a different direction. She had a deep urge to know the man, to see what was behind the stoic facade.


    I hear your mother is still alive?


    Why is that person living in the Holy City? Why does nobody talk about the former queen?


    Is his mom someone he longs for or a scar he wants to forget?


    A string of questions they were, sitting on the tip of her tongue, and yet she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask one. A faint line existed between the two, crossing it was perilous. Not that she lacked the courage to ask. It was only that, she was afraid a cold refusal would be the answer.


    ???


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    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 61 I Cannot Lose Her (2)

    Chapter 61 ¨C I Cannot Lose Her (2)


    Hence, she asked him instead, ¡°Do you feel Praz inside your body?¡±


    A soft drawl came as a response. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°How? Is it a vague or a concrete feeling?¡±


    Kasser¡¯s eyes flew open, his head turned to look at her face. Eugene had also turned her head towards him. Since it was pitch dark, with the windows covered by heavy draperies, they couldn¡¯t see each other¡¯s gaze even as they locked eyes.


    When he didn¡¯t answer right away, Eugene uttered sheepishly. ¡°Is it perhaps a question one shouldn¡¯t ask?¡±


    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been anyone who asked me that question.¡±


    ¡°If it is too much trouble to answer¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it. I just know. Just like how I can¡¯t see your figure right now, but I can ¡°see¡± you and know you are there.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then do Anikas feel Ramita the same way?¡±


    ¡°I heard Anikas are a bit different.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Excited Eugene¡¯s voice rose. She turned on her side and propped her head on her knuckles.


    ¡°It awakens when you come of age.¡±


    ¡°Awakens?¡±


    ¡°You are an Anika. You don¡¯t even remember this?¡±


    Eugene looked at him, at a loss for words. She let out a deep sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t feel it in me. I guess I lost Ramita too when I lost my memories.¡±


    Ramita was affiliated with the owner¡¯s soul, they shared a deep bond. She reckoned this body had lost this skill upon the transmigration and because of this, the two were disconnected.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be.¡± Kasser smiled. That¡¯s impossible!


    Ramita is an ability one is born with. Just like a king and his Praz, a non-Anika cannot gain Ramita and in the same manner, an Anika can never lose her Ramita.


    ¡°There are Lark seeds in the repository, right? Do you have all its types according to its grade?¡±


    Lark seeds of different grades weren¡¯t stored together. In fact, they weren¡¯t even in the capital. It took half a day to get to the nearest repository.


    Those vicious monsters were dormant in the seed stage. These seeds would be collected and used as an energy source of oil and electricity.


    And the repository was where the collected seeds were preserved¡ªit needed thorough care so as to not wake them up. On a few clumsy occasions, the seeds did wake up even when it wasn¡¯t the active period. It happened only when a person¡¯s body fluid touched it.


    Hence, it was taboo for people to touch the seeds with their bare hands. Even a single drop of sweat would break the seed and wake up the Lark; lives would be lost.


    ¡°One must go to the repository to get a seed, right?¡±


    ¡°A seed? Why do you need one?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if I could use the testing method using a seed.¡±


    ¡°Testing?¡±


    ¡°Testing what grade my Ramita is¡­¡±


    Ramita is the power of creation. Thus, it could germinate, not crack the seed. If an Anika touches a seed, it would sprout and become a tree. Also, the seeds from that tree would grow regular seeds instead of becoming Larks¨Cit turns the eggs of monsters into plants.


    Seeds of Lark came in a motley of colors, which also denoted their grade. For example, a Lark from a red seed would be weaker than the one from a yellow. As Anikas¡¯ Ramitas had disparities in their abilities, they could only germinate seeds that were lower in grade than theirs¡­


    For this matter, Eugene was not in the know of her Ramita¡¯s grade. It was only the Sang-je who could identify it for her. That meant she had to wait until the end of the active period. But, there was one method which didn¡¯t need consulting the Sang-je, who was in the Holy City, far away from the Kingdom of Hashi.


    An Anika could make deliberate contact with a seed to measure her skills. But she must touch the lowest grade seed and work her way up, grade by grade.


    Truthfully, this method was not without risk and a fatal one at that. For one, Eugene didn¡¯t know the extent of her skills. So, if she were to touch a seed beyond her skill level, the seed would break instead of germinating. And it didn¡¯t take a genius to know what would ensue. So, this easy method had best be avoided.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying you are going to find your grade by touching seeds?¡± Kasser asked to check if he¡¯d heard her right.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is this perhaps some kind of a jest?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How could you think of something like that?!¡± Kasser was alarmed. He couldn¡¯t fathom how she was willing to risk herself just to determine her skills! He wasn¡¯t afraid of the Lark wreaking havoc, but her, literally, in the mouth of death!


    Eugene looked away. She knew it would be a problem and a huge one at that. She would be risking not just her life, but many others as well. Even so, she would rather do something than remain unaware. And if it came with a risk, so be it. But¡­


    ¡°Nevermind. I know that it would be dangerous¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t be unreasonable.


    ¡°The danger isn¡¯t the problem.¡±


    Kasser let out a huge sigh. His reaction was worse than expected, so Eugene breathlessly studied his mien.


    ¡°Ramita is a skill you can¡¯t use lightly.¡±


    Kasser was about to say why she didn¡¯t know but swallowed his words. Her memory loss was more severe than he thought. He didn¡¯t expect her not to remember even that. She was clearly not feigning it.


    ¡°Is there a reason you need to find out your Ramita grade right now?¡±


    ¡°Not really¡­¡±


    ¡°If your memory doesn¡¯t return by the end of the active period, I could perhaps¡­ help.¡± He stopped speaking. If it was the Sang-je, he could recover all her lost memories. Even though he was not a doctor, as long as he could communicate with Jin Anika, it was likely he could find a way.


    This meant that he had to send her to the Holy City.


    What if she recollects her memories¡­ I cannot lose her.


    There was no doubt she would never return to the kingdom. Kasser felt the pit of his stomach blocked. There was an inexplicable feeling in his chest¡­ like someone was choking him.


    ¡°You are saying I have to meet the Sang-je.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Eugene sighed and laid back down and sighed. She didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°Ramita grading must be only known by an Anika herself or the Sang-je. That is the rule,¡± Kasser said through gritted teeth.


    According to the Sang-je, an Anika, whose existence is precious, shouldn¡¯t be discriminated against by her Ramita grade. Hence, this information must be kept confidential at all costs.


    Some were allowed to be curious, but there was no reason to insist on making the grade public. This was because, in reality, an Anika¡¯s Ramita grade did not really matter.


    ???

 Chapter 62 The Protagonist

    Chapter 62 ¨C The Protagonist


    The Holy city was protected by the Holy Spirit of the ancestors rendering it absolutely safe from the hazards of Larks. The seeds awakened naturally around them, with no other reason but to exist. And as they served their own purpose, thus, an Anika¡¯s power was not needed to germinate them for growth.


    ¡°I¡¯m only saying this because I¡¯m worried, Jin Anika. You don¡¯t need to do anything you are unsure of,¡± said Kasser, the inflection in his tone telling her he was concerned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to test the seed. I won¡¯t.¡± She reassured him.


    He looked into her eyes and when she didn¡¯t flinch or look away, he was relieved.


    ¡°It¡¯s for you. Ramita is water.¡±


    Eugene recalled Marianne¡¯s words. For Anikas, their Ramita manifests as an image of water, unique only to them.


    ¡°Water?¡± She repeated. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Ramitas are divided into classes by the image of water they see. It¡¯s odd to explain this to an Anika who would know best¡­ but I¡¯ll give it a go, assuming you don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    He looked at her and saw her thankful smile, so he began to explain as best as he could¡­


    ¡°Anikas are awakened when they reach the tender age of ten. Around this time, they experience a dream-like vision. Therein, they can estimate the power of their Ramita through what they see.


    Some may see a reservoir, others a pond or even a well. But a simple fact is that the larger the body of water in their dreams, the higher the class and the greater the Anika¡¯s powers.


    However, Ramitas are still finite, just like any body of water. One must always be mindful of how much they use it, lest their Ramita runs out.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± Eugene mumbled quietly deep in thought as a slight shiver ran down her spine.


    She¡¯d originally thought the Class of Ramitas was only known to the Sang-je. Was this another deviation from the novel¡¯s plotline, the one she had written and believed she knew the best?


    This was one of the most important details in the story!


    Why don¡¯t I know any of this? She plunged into frustration. What about Flora? She wondered.


    Flora was the main character in her novel. She was the only Anika powerful enough to fight against Jin Anika, who had become an incarnation of the dark force, Mara. Flora¡¯s Ramita was mighty, and yet, her Ramita wasn¡¯t spared for the sole reason of defeating the Army of Mara. Nobody, not even the Sang-je, warned her about the excessive use of her Ramita.


    Was Flora different? Was she special because she was the main character?


    ¡°Then, what happens when you use all the powers?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it wouldn¡¯t be ideal.¡± Kasser continued. ¡°Ramitas are what you are born with. It¡¯s a part of you. If that part of you goes empty, it will most probably create imbalance¡­ one you cannot bear.¡±


    ¡°Like when you use up all the groundwater and the surface begins to cave in?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a perfect analogy.¡±


    Eugene paused and thought things over, but was just unable to hold in her frustration. This was a novel she had created herself. Why didn¡¯t she know anything about it?!


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why I can¡¯t remember anything.¡± She whispered in vexation.


    Kasser mistook this as exasperation over her memory loss. And it hurt him that he couldn¡¯t comfort her with all his support, especially since part of him did not want her to regain her memory. He liked her now, unlike when she was back then.


    Oblivious to the man in her presence, Eugene was lost too deep in thought. To her knowledge, Jin didn¡¯t have any Ramita in her. Eugene wondered what kind of water body Jin had seen in her dream in this version. Perhaps a small puddle?


    It was a good strategy that the Sang-je kept the class of Ramita in each Anika a secret. The Ramita Class would interfere with their social class, and it would have been turned into a competition between the Anikas to determine who held the greatest amount of Ramita.


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me of something.¡± Eugene broke her train of thought. ¡°I know it was long ago, but do you remember when you said that something went missing? What was it? Did you find it?¡± she queried.


    Eugene waited for an answer but was given none. ¡°Your Majesty? Are you asleep?¡± she asked once more.


    Still no answer. Eugene decided it wasn¡¯t something urgent enough to awaken someone with a busy day ahead.


    I¡¯ll ask him later. She turned to lie on her back.


    She knew despite their first impression, Kasser wasn¡¯t the kind of person to be easily upset. Something important had to have gone missing. But he never spoke of it again, which she found a little suspicious. Right now, they¡¯re not at the point where she¡¯d ask him candidly.


    Eventually, her brooding turned her eyes heavy, softly nudging her towards sleep. However, she found that she couldn¡¯t. Not entirely. She even tried counting sheep until she hit a hundred, but she didn¡¯t grow tired. She had had a full night¡¯s sleep every other night recently, but tonight sleep seemed to be evading her like a prey its hunter. As she thought about the reasons behind this bizarre happenstance, it dawned upon her.


    There was only one thing that was different about tonight¡­


    She flushed with embarrassment, unable to believe that she couldn¡¯t sleep because she hadn¡¯t had s*x!


    This can¡¯t be it! I¡¯m just not tired enough! She told herself. I should take a long walk or something tomorrow.


    Eugene decided to focus on something else to help her sleep. Soon, her thoughts drifted back to the Ramita¡­


    Water.


    Eugene imagined herself floating on the tranquil waters of a lake. Her body soon started to relax and her mind calmed down as if ready to fall asleep.


    In fact, she thought she had, but suddenly knew she wasn¡¯t any longer.


    Oh no! Why did I wake up again? She mentally groaned.


    Her eyes were still closed. But she felt her body begin to waver, the sound of water splashing sending alarms through her mind. This wasn¡¯t right. Something wasn¡¯t right!


    Eugene snapped her eyes open and gasped at the sight in front of her.


    Clear blue skies soared right above her. Nothing but the endless skies, reflected by the water she was stepping on.


    What is this? Where am I?


    The sky and water stretched out as far as her eyes could see until at the farthest end nothing but a thin line where the sky met the sea. She was floating listlessly on nothing but the water cushioning her from underneath.


    The jarring sight made her nervous, as Eugene shot to her feet, shrieking in surprise. She looked around frantically, desperate to make sense of where she was, but saw nothing else but the water around her that splashed as she moved about.


    Eugene looked down at her feet. The water wasn¡¯t too deep. It only came up to her ankles.


    Am I dreaming? As she wondered, she closed her eyes tightly, then reopened them slowly. This time she found herself staring back at the ceiling in her own bedroom.


    Huh? Eugene closed and opened her eyes once again. She was still in her bedroom, in her bed, only now she was alone. Odder still, she wasn¡¯t sure if she was dreaming the whole time or not.


    She replayed her conversation with the Kasser in her head. He came to her and they laid side by side, talking until they fell asleep. That much was for sure. The evidence was in the body-shaped dent left on her sheets, the way it creased and the way his half was bunched up beside her. The king was usually up early, so it made sense that he left long before she woke up.


    Eugene sat up with a numb head. If it was merely a dream, it had been a very vivid one.


    Some see a reservoir, others see a pond, or even a well, the king¡¯s words rang in her mind.


    Could it be? It couldn¡¯t. It was just a dream. What she saw was very realistic because she had pictured it quite clearly and right before sleeping.


    But what if it wasn¡¯t just a dream, but a dream that showed the powers of her Ramita?


    What the heck did I see?!


    ???


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    BROWSE OUR TABLE OF CONTENTS OR BECOME A PATRON NOW!


    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 63 Hidden Meanings

    Chapter 63 ¨C Hidden Meanings


    By now, it was routine for Kasser to always pull out the silver platter located to the right of his desk before he¡¯d get any work done in early mornings. The platter held a multitude of letters, promptly delivered by the Grand Chamberlain. Scanning the pile of envelopes, he stopped as soon as he saw a single letter with a golden wax seal.


    Only the Sang-je used gold wax, which would mean this was an important letter.


    These letters were more often than not advisories or notes to the knights and were sometimes categorized as classified, different from the everyday mail he would see on the silver platter.


    He quickly snatched the letter, set aside the platter, and hastily unsealed it. As he read through the contents, his face slowly drained of all color before he froze completely.


    ¡°Grand Chamberlain!¡± He called out, and the doors to his office, which was connected to the Grand Chamberlain¡¯s smaller office, promptly opened.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± The Grand Chamberlain took a step forward as he replied, bowing in greetings.


    ¡°When did this mail come through?¡±


    ¡°It was this morning, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Who brought it in?¡±


    ¡°It came early in the morning by a mail coach. There was nothing different in the time, or the postman, Your Majesty. Would you like me to acquire further details?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No. That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± said the King before he gestured the other away.


    Then, Kasser reread the letter. Trying to commit the letter to memory, dissecting it with great care.


    There was no doubt in his mind that it was indeed the Sang-je himself, who¡¯d signed the letter. After all, using the Sang-je¡¯s signature had to undergo a series of procedures to assure authenticity and confidentiality. This was more time consuming than a normal seal.


    The king would then receive the letter, delivered by the Sang-je¡¯s knight before the knight would head back with a reply from the receiver to his master.


    It¡¯s not a confidential letter, but¡­


    In hindsight, there was nothing special about the letter. It was but a general greeting. However, Kasser wasn¡¯t close enough to exchange personal letters with the Sang-je. He did not feel any need to develop a certain friendship with the Sang-je either. Kasser had married and didn¡¯t need anything further from him.


    The Kingdom of Hashi traditionally was literally and figuratively far from the Holy City. Other kings frequented the Holy City. Some spent the active periods in their own kingdoms, and when the dry periods commenced moved to the city.


    But the King of Hashi never left his kingdom, save a few occasions to visit the Holy City: when the Sang-je had summoned, and for his marriage.


    Kasser never felt comfortable staying in the Holy City. But ever since he was crowned king, he had to visit the Holy City during the start of every dry period. He also needed to get married to procure an heir to the throne. And the best part of being married was that he no longer had to visit the city as often.


    He re-read the last line of the Sang-je¡¯s letter.


    The gate of the city is always open and will never turn you and your sufferings away. Please convey my regards to Jin Anika as well.


    It was merely a formal expression. It was no secret that the Sang-je treasured the Anikas, so it wasn¡¯t unusual that he would send his regards.


    But this letter wasn¡¯t an ordinary letter.


    The Sang-je would always send out two letters a year, a letter of encouragement before the start of the active period, and a letter of consolation right after the active period. As he had received this letter since he was a prince, he assumed that all the other kings received the same letter.


    He pulled out a letter of encouragement he received earlier that year. On the bottom of that letter was the same line. It always said¡­


    The gate of the city is always open and will never turn a blind eye to your sufferings.


    Kasser then ordered the page to bring in all the letters from the Sang-je he had ever received as king. He spread out the letters on his desk, comparing them and carefully noting the closing line of each and every letter.


    Without fail, they concluded with the same sentence every time. He never paid much thought or attention to that final line; he didn¡¯t regard it as the main message of the letter after all.


    How odd! He mused to himself as he studied the latest letter he¡¯d received.


    Now that he was reading the line carefully, he realized that they weren¡¯t words of comfort. The words held a greater purpose as if some sort of demand¨C the kings were required to report to the Sang-je if anything was wrong with the Anikas they were with.


    Maybe I¡¯m just over-analyzing this? He didn¡¯t have anything to report to the Sang-je, nor did he need his help.


    Except for the queen¡¯s memory loss.


    But that was something that he made sure no one outside the palace knew about. There was no way the Sang-je would suspect something had happened in the Kingdom of Hashi. He¡¯d always finished his letters with the same remark. It was nothing new.


    Nonetheless, Kasser couldn¡¯t ignore his intuition, the one that¡¯d kept him alive to this point, which told him there was more to this line.


    He sat back down and took out a piece of parchment and pen, as he decided to reply, thinking the Sang-je would send a more direct letter if there was anything he needed to say. His hand hovered over the paper in thought, before he wrote down with smooth and swift strokes, articulating everything in a formal and respectful manner.


    As he wrote the letter, Kasser pretended nothing was amiss, and that Jin Anika had certainly not lost her memory. Then, he outlined with great care his gratitude at receiving the unexpected letter. He included words of flattery, and a few more which held no meaning to him if only to prompt a reply from the Sang-je.


    He needed to be careful.


    ???


    You can show your support to this novel by dropping a review on its NovelUpdates page. Moreover, you can join this book¡¯s channel on discord to participate in discussions.


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    Chapter 69 ¨C Faith in the Monarch (2)


    Chapter 70 ¨C Lurking Dangers


    Chapter 71 ¨C I Am the Queen


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    Chapter 72 ¨C Early Deaths (1)


    Chapter 73 ¨C Early Deaths (2)


    Chapter 74 ¨C Significant Changes in the Palace (1)


    Chapter 75 ¨C Significant Changes in the Palace (2)


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    Chapter 77 ¨C Between Two Towers


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    Chapter 80 ¨C The Town Square (1)


    Chapter 81 ¨C The Town Square (2)


    Chapter 82 ¨C Entirely Different Person


    Chapter 83 ¨C Amusing Arguments


    Chapter 84 ¨C A Chancellor¡¯s Grievances (1)


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    Chapter 85 ¨C A Chancellor¡¯s Grievances (2)


    Chapter 86 ¨C Oil and Water (1)


    Chapter 87 ¨C Oil and Water (2)


    Chapter 88 ¨C Late-night Shenanigans (1)


    Chapter 89 ¨C Late-night Shenanigans (2)


    Chapter 90 ¨C Deep in the Realm of Desire (1)


    Chapter 91 ¨C Deep in the Realm of Desire (2)


    BROWSE OUR TABLE OF CONTENTS OR BECOME A PATRON NOW!


    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 64 The Missing National Treasure (1)

    Chapter 64 ¨C The Missing National Treasure (1)


    May the holy light of Mahar always be with you.


    Kasser wrote the last line, and once he was done, put the pen down and began to fold the parchment in half while summoning the Grand Chamberlain. When the Grand Chamberlain arrived, he handed the folded letter to him.


    ¡°This is a letter for the Sang-je,¡± Kasser said, ¡°Make sure it is personally delivered by our postman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The Grand Chamberlain bowed as he dismissed himself before setting out to carry the orders.


    Kasser estimated that the mail wouldn¡¯t take more than ten days until the Sang-je would receive it. It was the average a regular mail by coach would take after all. However, in the active period, it could take over a month to deliver.


    Kasser didn¡¯t take too kindly of the Sang-je meddling in his marriage and his kingdom. He didn¡¯t owe him enough to tell him everything happening in the Kingdom of Hashi in great detail, so he left things in the letter ambiguous at best. He was certain because of this, the Sang-je would prod, asking more and more about the wellbeing of Jin.


    If worse came to worst, he¡¯d send out an invitation to the Holy City. That way he could salvage the situation.


    Whatever I do, will cause trouble. Rhythmically tapping his fingers on top of his desk, he mulled things over.


    He may not want the queen¡¯s memory to return, however, he knew better. It wasn¡¯t ideal or safe for Jin Anika to stay that way, especially when she¡¯d forgotten the ways of an Anika. No one could teach her that, only the Sang-je.


    If the queen agrees to travel to the Holy City¡­ His thoughts began to trail off.


    He could always prevent her from leaving during the active period, explaining to her how dangerous travelling could be. But it was not possible to do so when the dry period began. He wouldn¡¯t have a viable reason to hold her back. He was certain that she currently did not plan to break their contract. She was cooperating now, and he¡¯d no reason to interrogate her any further. After all, there was no use to questioning her of things she couldn¡¯t remember.


    However, should she head back to the Holy City, recover her memory, she¡¯d most likely revert to her cruel, conniving self. Therefore, the probability of her breaking the contract would be exponential. She wouldn¡¯t even think about returning to Hashi by then. He couldn¡¯t force her, especially an Anika, to leave the Holy City for his kingdom. The Sang-je would no doubt respect her wishes, and even protect her if push comes to shove. He¡¯d always be at their side, protecting them.


    And while divorce wasn¡¯t a foreign concept, the procedures weren¡¯t as simple. It would only mean he¡¯d need another Anika to give birth to an heir for his throne.


    It would only complicate matters further. As he thought things through, he let out a groan as he pulled his hair in frustration. He slumped over his desk, cradling his head in his hands.


    Everybody knew that the queen was an Anika. Wasn¡¯t that enough? It shouldn¡¯t matter if she couldn¡¯t sense her Ramita, although he understood her desire to learn about herself. It was simply human nature.


    Looking back, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he recalled Eugene¡¯s words from yesterday. How did she come up with such an idea? Touching the seed? I have to emphasize that she can¡¯t do that. Ever! He added as an afterthought.


    The Grand Chamberlain peered at Kasser and approached him slowly.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Baroness Wais is requesting to see you,¡± said he, bowing his head lowly in reverence.


    Kasser straightened up and nodded.


    ¡°Send her in.¡±


    Soon, Marianne entered the room and bowed her head. Marianne had been re-employed as a nanny and a tutor into the palace and was bestowed the title of Baroness.


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    As a woman not of noble birth, she wouldn¡¯t be holding a title. However, when she served as a General in the palace, she had been given an honorary title, which was revoked when she left the service.


    Kasser wanted to permanently assign a noble title to Marianne when she first left, but she had declined repeatedly. Thus, she was called ¡°former general officer¡± for a long time, until finally agreeing to accept the title of Baroness.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Her Grace plans to leave the palace after sundown tonight. I believe she has discussed this with you before.¡± She apprised him.


    Kasser nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I have. Where will she go?¡±


    ¡°Her Grace has not revealed a destination. She desires to keep it confidential. I have come to you to ask your advice on assigning guards around her.¡±


    ¡°If it is confidential, then you shouldn¡¯t assign too many.¡± A couple of his guards who were skillful yet covert during their duty came to his mind.


    ¡°I am not sure if what you have planned would suit what Her Grace has in mind.¡± Marianne told him pointedly.


    Kasser frowned. He didn¡¯t understand where she was heading with this.


    As if sensing his confusion, she sighed and rephrased her words.


    ¡°I merely believe that the queen has her own plans if the frequency of her visits is anything to go by.¡± She straightened up. ¡°If I may, Your Majesty, I think it would only bring more trouble picking out a different guard every time she exits the palace gates.¡±


    ¡°And what would you suggest, Baroness?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be best to let the queen pick the guards herself. It¡¯s important that she gets along with them well. Especially when they would be spending a significant amount of time together outside the palace gates.¡± She pointed out, amidst Kasser¡¯s sonorous tapping of his fingers on top of his desk.


    ¡°Does she have anyone in mind?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Majesty. I believe that you should discuss this with Her Grace. Perhaps at noon, today?¡±


    Kasser let out a deep sigh, finally grasping Marianne¡¯s intentions. ¡°So, you want me to have lunch with her?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, Your Majesty. I am simply¨C¡±


    Before she could finish, she was cut off with a wave of Kasser¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Fine, I will have lunch with the queen today. I¡¯ll send a page to her.¡±


    ¡°Please do not mistake me, Your Majesty. Her Grace did not send me here today.¡± Marianne insisted, and Kasser nodded, humming in agreement as he went about his morning duties.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡± He knew if it were the queen¡¯s desire, she would find him and speak to him directly herself.


    With this thought, he realized that he was predicting her actions with his knowledge of the type of person she was. For the last three years of marriage, he hadn¡¯t even had the interest to know such information. The queen, he thought of now, was the queen with memory loss.


    He knew she was still the same person. But for some reason, he kept considering them as two completely different people. At some point, he had stopped suspecting she was pretending to have trouble remembering anything.


    Not long after Marianne left, Kasser paid a visit to the national treasure storage; his first visit since the incident of its disappearance. Under the King¡¯s orders, the storage was guarded tightly by the soldiers. They were paired in teams, leaving no space for anyone to sneak in without getting caught.


    When Kasser showed himself, the chief inspector bowed deeply.


    ¡°I suspect you haven¡¯t had any unwanted visitors?¡± He inquired as soon as he arrived at the door.


    ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡± The chief answered with a display of confidence. ¡°No one has dared.¡±


    ¡°And no one has entered the storage?¡±


    ¡°It is so, Your Majesty. As you ordered, no one has been permitted to enter, even for general inspection.¡±


    ¡°Open the gates.¡± Kasser commanded.


    ???

 Chapter 65 The Missing National Treasure (2)

    Chapter 65 ¨C The Missing National Treasure (2)


    The chief inspector unlocked a heavy padlock, opening two large stone walls that gated the treasure storage. On the other side of the stone gate, was an endless hallway.


    Kasser stepped inside, his steps bouncing against the walls of the hallway. It had numerous doors to each side of the hallway, and behind each door were treasures of varying sizes and values.


    He continued to walk until he reached the end of the hallway. In front of him was one of the many rooms, but its contents were not only that of a national treasure but also a collection of the most priceless of treasures, including a diary that contained the knowledge of the early days of the establishment of the kingdom. It also had the old seal of the state, the first commemorative coin of the kingdom, along with many others which held great significance over the course of history.


    To others who dared steal from his treasure vault, when coming to this room, they may only be a bunch of cheap trinkets. But to Kasser, these items held great historical value.


    He paused in front of a stone. It was carved into a small sculpture of two hands which were in a cupping position, one palm delicately cradling the other. It was a testament to the sculpture¡¯s skill and talent for the sculpture captured the softness of the hands, despite being carved into stone.


    However, the treasure was not the sculpture, but what the hands held. Or, supposed to be holding.


    The treasure was about the size of an egg. It appeared to be black, but according to legends, it appeared that way because of the rich crimson blood that had hardened over it.


    What made the queen dare to¡­ he quickly cut off his thoughts before they turned towards a darker road.


    The treasure the sculpted hands once held, the one that went missing, was a seed. But this seed had been bathed in blood and had thus failed to germinate. There was nothing left of the seed to grow.


    The records from so long ago, before official records had even begun, had told of a Brobdingnagian Lark coming to the Kingdom of Hashi. It had attacked the kingdom, slaughtered, and bathed the streets with blood.


    But the Lark did not stop there. It stole the seed, which Kasser¡¯s ancestors had harvested, which was eventually retrieved after its defeat.


    In the stories handed down from generation to generation, the treasure was referred to as the Lark¡¯s seed. Kasser was skeptical to believe the tales back then. He knew from experience, a Lark¡¯s seed was no larger than his pinky finger.


    If it was truly a Lark¡¯s seed, then he couldn¡¯t imagine just how huge the Lark actually was.


    Through generations, the treasure was introduced as a seed of a Lark. Kasser was never sure if he believed the story. Normal Lark seeds he had seen were small. If it was a true Lark seed, the monster it housed was abnormally large.


    Is it appropriate to hide the national treasure that has been stolen?


    He was still unsure as to why it was stolen. He thought he would feel more comfortable if an actual valuable treasure had been taken. He stared at the empty hands for some time before he finally turned and left.


    Once again, he warned his guards to secure the entrance. He watched the stone gates close and fasten by the padlock. Once he was satisfied that the storage was secured, he turned on his heels and left the vaults.


    ???


    The royal couple had lunch together in the living room, as always. They ate quietly, and the gears in Eugene¡¯s mind kept turning as the silence between them continued. When she had finished, she spoke up.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have something I would like to say.¡±


    Kasser met her gaze in a pointed manner and gestured for everyone to leave the room. The servants left without a word, leaving the two alone at the dining table.


    No longer did the servants feel nervous at the thought of leaving the two monarchs alone together. They could see that something between the two had begun to change, which was a positive development.


    ¡°We can count on this location for every lunch, huh?¡± Eugene couldn¡¯t figure out why the two never ate in the dining room.


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    ¡°Well, the dining room isn¡¯t quite the place to have a conversation.¡± Kasser replied as if reading her mind, leaning back in his chair to face her more properly.


    Eugene pictured its high ceilings and nodded in agreement. Voices echoed across the room, and it was too large to feel secure in. Sensing her apprehension, Kasser decided to change the topic.


    ¡°I heard you plan to leave the palace after sundown.¡±


    Eugene snapped back to the conversation at hand. ¡°Yes. I wanted to discuss with you which guard to take with me, but there¡¯s another matter I¡¯d like to discuss first,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°The Ramita¡­¡±


    She began, but trailed off, his brows furrowed. Eugene watched him carefully, mindful of any change in his expression before she proceeded. And it was clear to her that something was indeed bothering him.


    ¡°You said that the Class of Ramita is determined by the depth and width of the image of water in an Anika¡¯s dream. Ranging from a well to a pond.¡± She began fiddling with her fingers. ¡°I wanted to ask, does a pond have a higher class since it¡¯s wider?¡± she asked, leaning forward slightly.


    Kasser chuckled mirthlessly.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t something I can tell you.¡± He answered, sighing in resignation.


    Eugene frowned. ¡°And why not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough knowledge on Ramitas. All I know is that the depth or width of the water doesn¡¯t matter. Anika isn¡¯t something that you assess.¡±


    The queen, Kasser knew before she lost her memory, would never let anyone speak of Anikas in her presence. Anikas generally had high self-esteem, however, hers wasn¡¯t natural pride, it was overconfidence.


    But now she brought Anikas up herself. He wondered how she would react when her memory returned and she¡¯d recall these conversations.


    This was also one of the many reasons he wasn¡¯t doubtful of her faking her memory loss. Before, she always rubbed him off in the wrong way, making his blood boil like a fiery sea. However, now, he found himself seeking her out. Her presence now was like a breath of fresh air. Especially after his earlier visit to the treasure vault.


    What¡¯s so great about Anikas? Eugene mused, sulking a bit when she found no more answers. She, herself, was living as an Anika, but she couldn¡¯t understand their elitism.


    Perhaps because there wasn¡¯t much reason to begin with on how Jin Anika became the main villain. She had only ever been so sure of her worth, that when it was proven otherwise, she lost the will to fight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful with what I say in front of others.¡± She persisted. ¡°Please, I¡¯m sure you have an answer.¡± She implored.


    Kasser sighed and thought about it long and hard, trying to recall all that he was told.


    ¡°Well, it must be the well.¡± He decided.


    And Eugene frowned¡­


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°A well is deeper than a pond.¡±

 Chapter 66 Princess of Sloan Kingdom

    Chapter 66 ¨C Princess of Sloan Kingdom


    ¡°Then what about the largest body of water an Anika can see?¡± Eugene probed, refusing to leave it at that. ¡°Surely you must have an idea? Tell me, a lake? A river, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Jin, I already told you.¡± Kasser sighed, rather helplessly. ¡°There is a limit to what I know.¡±


    Eugene frowned and sighed exasperatedly.


    ¡°I understand that I need to see the Sang-je if I want the answers to my questions. But I don¡¯t want to see him.¡± She murmured. ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± she asked him, pleadingly.


    Kasser frowned, shaking his head in utter defeat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to see the Sang-je?¡±


    ¡°To see the Sang-je, I would need to go to the Holy City.¡± She answered, as if it was all the answer he needed.


    ¡°And you do not want to go to the Holy City?¡± he asked in confusion.


    Eugene sighed. She didn¡¯t know how to express herself at the moment, nonetheless, she tried.


    ¡°I¡¯m still getting used to my surroundings. I think leaving the kingdom and exploring new places will simply be too overwhelming.¡± She stated her reason.


    Kasser found himself inwardly rejoicing at this fact. Instantaneously he nodded in approval, wracking his mind for ways in which she could seek the knowledge she wanted without having to meet the Sang-je, or going too far. One that would bring the least ramifications to his kingdom.


    ¡°How about meeting another Anika?¡± Kasser suggested.


    Eugene perked up.


    It was perfect!


    ¡°Who?¡± She gasped, leaning forward in her eagerness.


    ¡°The princess of the Kingdom of Sloan.¡± Kasser replied.


    Eugene nodded enthusiastically, suddenly remembering a specific man.


    Yes, she remembered now! When she wrote her story, there was a character in his fifties, much older than most kings in her story. He was the King of Sloan, King Richard.


    King Richard was wise and gentle yet firm. It was because of this character that she was able to further her story, otherwise all the five kings would have only wanted to fight one another, and then her story would be just about wars.


    The thing that set King Richard apart, was that he refused to take part in any conflict. He was older than them, and thus saw the younger kings¡¯ clashes akin to children quarreling over toys.


    As for the other five kings, they held great respect for the wizened old king, even seeking out his wisdom, heeding to his advice, especially when it came to their petty squabbles. He was the sole reason none of the fights between the other kings ever turned into war.


    Honestly speaking, it¡¯s King Richard who should be hailed as the hero of Mahar. Eugene felt, the more she thought about the story she wrote.


    Richard had a grown-up son, but princes could not take part in the battle with the Larks. The prince¡¯s Praz would only fully develop when the preceding king died and they¡¯d finally ascended the throne. Until then, their powers would never reach their full potential, and thus be useless in the battlefield.


    Should the prince die, the Kingdom of Sloan would be in grave danger.


    That¡¯s why the prince would always assume his father¡¯s throne whenever the king would be out for battle. She remembered never giving any of the kings any formal role in the story, they¡¯re only ever mentioned in passing.


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    Richard¡¯s son would be a good man, without a doubt.


    ¡°If I do agree to meet them, does that mean I have to visit the Kingdom of Sloan, myself?¡± she asked.


    Kasser nodded. The Kingdom of Sloan was not far from Hashi, so he didn¡¯t find it a hassle.


    ¡°You may go and visit them,¡± said he, ¡°Or, you could invite them over to Hashi.¡± He suggested.


    ¡°I think I¡¯d rather invite them over.¡± Seeing him nod in agreement, she asked out of curiosity, ¡°When did the Prince of Sloan get married?¡±


    ¡°Last year.¡±


    ¡°Then, the princess¡¯s age¡­?¡±


    ¡°She is two years younger than you.¡±


    Eugene said nothing else, still looking a bit lost as her brows furrowed.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Kasser carefully asked.


    ¡°I think¡­ I might know her. I mean obviously, I don¡¯t remember clearly,¡± Eugene said nervously, backtracking a little.


    Anikas were known to be born every couple of years. But there was a period when no Anikas were born for a long time. The first Anika to be born after that period was Jin. So Jin and the Anika born before her were 10 years apart.


    The Holy City held a huge celebration in the year Jin was born, after all it had been many years without the birth of one. Moreover, in the year Jin was born, another Anika was born, making that two Anikas within a year.


    Those two Anikas were Jin and Flora.


    Flora, the protagonist. What does she look like? Eugene couldn¡¯t help but muse.


    And though Anikas have always been treated with utmost respect and care, none received as much love and interest like Jin and Flora did. It was even rumoured that even the Sang-je would send them his regards every morning before starting with his morning duties, which was very different to the treatment the succeeding Anikas¡¯ received. They¡¯d been easily neglected and not much care nor love was given.


    If the princess was two years younger than Jin, the two would have spent their childhood together in the Holy City.


    ¡°Were you two friends?¡± Kasser asked curiously.


    Jin wasn¡¯t your average wicked woman, she was the wicked woman. She would have spent her days in the Holy City as the queen bee and enjoyed harassing others, even in her youth, even when the said victims would be fellow Anikas.


    Flora wasn¡¯t someone that Jin could bully easily, so an Anika two years younger than her would have been the perfect target for Jin to torment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she would accept the invitation. We¡­ didn¡¯t exactly get along, at least that¡¯s what I remember.¡± She told him weakly, Kasser nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Well¡­ I-I think I could have been mean to the Princess of Sloan back in the days in the Holy City.¡± She finally blurted the truth.


    Kasser chuckled. ¡°How bad could you have been? The princess is also an Anika, just like you.¡± He pointed out.


    Eugene shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe gossip, or bullying.¡± She mumbled as she thought. When she looked up, she could still see the amusement glistening in the king¡¯s eye. A sudden realization befell her.


    He wasn¡¯t taking me seriously!


    Wow, he really doesn¡¯t have any tact, does he? She huffed in thought. He may have a tough exterior, but he wasn¡¯t cruel. He was practically caring. He didn¡¯t talk as any  lover would, didn¡¯t treat her how husbands should, but he hadn¡¯t done anything untoward either.


    Upon that note, she found herself smiling.


    In her novel, Kasser had as many flaws as much as he had strengths. Whenever he opened his mouth, he¡¯d spit out harsh remarks that made others uncomfortable. He¡¯d simply tear down their pride like paper walls, and would feel no remorse, especially when they were wrong.


    But the Kasser in front of her wasn¡¯t offensive at all. He wasn¡¯t that kind of person right now.


    The character in her novel and the man that sat across the dining table were very different. So different, that suddenly, she felt like Kasser was much farther than he actually was.


    ???


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    BROWSE OUR TABLE OF CONTENTS


    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 67 Come With Me

    Chapter 67 ¨C Come With Me


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll send over an official invitation. Unless there is an inevitable reason, she won¡¯t reject the invitation, so don¡¯t worry. Whatever feeling she has towards you is personal, and that shouldn¡¯t come between you and her in official affairs.¡± Kasser explained to her further.


    Eugene slowly nodded. He did have a point.


    ¡°But you have to be respectful.¡± Kasser continued. ¡°You can¡¯t ask her things like the image of water she saw in her dream.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course I know that,¡± Eugene said.


    Kasser studied her face to make sure she wasn¡¯t only saying things he wanted to hear.


    ¡°Jin, I know it is important for you to understand yourself, but you need to be more aware that you are an Anika yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make sure to remember that.¡± Eugene replied obediently, but inwardly, she felt defiant.


    She always felt that the social class of Anikas was overestimated in the Mahar. At least the kings used their Praz to fight the Larks and protect the kingdom, but what did the queens ever do? Give birth to a prince? But that thought alone, for her, wasn¡¯t enough for Anikas to be treated with privilege.


    I guess I have to meet with the Sang-je after all. I don¡¯t think the Princess of Sloan will be of any help.


    Eugene mulled over before sensing Kasser¡¯s gaze on her. She looked up, and stared right back at him.


    ¡°Is there anything else Your Majesty wants to say?¡± Eugene asked him.


    Kasser shook his head. It never ceased to amaze him how drastic her changes were.


    Years ago, Kasser remembered how he¡¯d once scolded Jin for treating his servants with unnecessary cruelty. At first, he addressed this to her in a mannerly fashion, but as her behavior progressed more violently, he started to raise his voice at her. Whenever he did, the queen would always reply the same way.


    ¡®Leave me alone. I am in charge of what goes around in the palace.¡¯


    Kasser believed that the fundamental essence of a person was constant. But looking at Jin now, he doubted himself whether that was really the case.


    ¡°You asked me if Anikas also see a lake, or a river. I just remembered something. Remember the old tree in the middle of the main square in the Holy City?¡± Kasser suddenly said.


    ¡°Yes, I remember that.¡± Eugene replied.


    She didn¡¯t need Kasser to describe it to her, for she remembered every detail she saw in the main square, she could even draw it if someone asked her to. The main square was the centre of her story in the novel. She dedicated pages and pages to describing the square, so it was obvious she knew the tree very well.


    In the center of the main square of the Holy City, there stood an old tree planted over a thousand years ago. The tree was so vast, that it required many people to hug the tree trunk, arms spread wide, to go around it once. Its lush branches and leaves were so thick, it covered the sun, creating a huge shadow that blanketed nearly every inch of the square.


    Legend has it that centuries before, the tree germinated from a single Lark seed triggered by an Anika¡¯s touch.


    The tree was far too old to blossom flowers or bear fruits nonetheless, offering a cool shelter from the sun during the hottest of summer days. The people of the city were grateful for the tree and acknowledged it as a symbol of theirs.


    When Jin attacked the city with an army of Mara, the tree was upheaved mercilessly and ruthlessly. The Sang-je tried to bring the tree back to life, but he had miserably failed. Only a small stump remained in its place. And though justice had been won, the scars left behind were permanent damage. The stump stood as a clear testimony of their losses in war.


    ¡°Apparently, the seed of that tree was purple.¡±


    Lark seeds were of seven colors. And inside a purple seed, the most powerful Lark lay asleep.


    ¡°I heard that the Anika that was responsible for the blossoming of the tree had seen a lake in her dreams.¡±


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    ¡°A lake¡­?¡± Eugene repeated.


    ¡°A pond, well, reservoir and a lake.¡± Kasser explained.


    ¡°So, none of them are running waters.¡± She concluded.


    Eugene understood then that Ramitas were examples of finite water. However, flowing water could be replenished regardless of how much you take from it. But still, the thing about flowing waters is that you¡¯ll never be able to touch the same water as you did, even a second ago.


    So, is the lake the highest grade? Then what was that I saw in my dream? Was it just a silly dream after all? Eugene grew more and more confused.


    ¡°Anyways, what did you have in mind about the guards when you leave the palace?¡± Seeing her immersed in thoughts, Kasser asked to shift the topic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything too grand.¡±


    ¡°It depends on where you¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Well today¡­ maybe just the market? I¡¯m not planning to go anywhere too far. Like I said, I don¡¯t remember anything, and I don¡¯t want to overload myself.¡±


    The queen only went in and out of her study and not anywhere else in the palace. He still couldn¡¯t understand why she restrained herself so much.


    The queen he knew wasn¡¯t an introvert. The first time he saw her was in a ballroom, roaming around and talking to everyone as if she had lived there.


    She always had someone beside her and was proficient at talking to people. She looked comfortable in extravagant parties. She would¡¯ve enjoyed high society meetings and meeting new people. But after they got married, she didn¡¯t take any interest in high society meetings in the Kingdom of Hashi.


    ¡°Five¡­ no, five guards are not enough,¡±,Kasser said, coming back from his reminiscence.


    ¡°What do you mean five? Five guards are more than enough. I was thinking maybe just one.¡± Eugene rebuffed.


    ¡°I cannot let you out with only one guard!¡± Kasser rejected her idea.


    ¡°Having five guards around me is definitely going to look suspicious.¡± Eugene explained.


    ¡°Five is the absolute minimum I will allow.¡± He persisted, but Eugene was fuming


    ¡°One.¡± Eugene negotiated.


    ¡°Five or nothing. You won¡¯t be allowed to step out otherwise.¡±


    ¡°You said that I wouldn¡¯t need your permission¡­!¡± Eugene raised her voice. This only triggered Kasser to raise his voice too.


    ¡°I made myself clear that you need to be put under escort! I¡¯m letting you go out with the best guards so that I don¡¯t have to worry about what you do or where you go!¡±


    ¡°But five large soldiers are going to stand out in the crowd!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what guards are for!¡± Kasser stood his ground, the frustration seeping in his tone. ¡°You need to protect yourself before something happens, not after. It¡¯s important that no one even attempts to attack you!¡±


    Eugene glared at him, realizing they would never meet an agreement. It was unfair, she wasn¡¯t helpless, she was incensed.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just come with me?¡± She suggested sarcastically.


    But Kasser latched on to the idea like a bee would to honey.


    ¡°Yes. Perhaps that would be better.¡± He didn¡¯t waste a breath to agree.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a quick look around¡­ what?¡± Eugene suddenly realized what he had said. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ really going to go with me?¡±


    ???


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 68 Faith in the Monarch (1)

    Chapter 68 ¨C Faith in the Monarch (1)


    There was a tense moment of silence between the two of them, before Kasser leaned forward in concern.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, and she blinked and nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Is this guy purely na?ve or just soft-hearted?


    Kasser had faithfully kept his contract with Jin. But since Jin betrayed him, he must have been so infuriated with her.


    Eugene remembered the day when Kasser barged into her chambers with a frightening expression. That day was full of resentment and anger, but looking back, he indeed deserved to be that furious with Jin.


    Even though she lost her memory, it seems most likely that she is the one at fault here. But after knowing of the memory loss, the King did not display any hint of anger nor brought up that topic again.


    He did not even press her to regain the memories she lost at the earliest possible moment. He just replied to everything that she asked, gave her what she needed. And now, he wanted to escort her around the kingdom. He is such a busy man, but that only cemented his genuinity in the offer.


    Her feelings of frustration soon subsided.


    ¡®f he knew that I am not Jin¡ªas a matter of fact, an entirely different person¡­ How will he react? She worried.


    ¡°Then, can we go outside without escorts?¡± she resumed, and Kasser sighed.


    ¡°No, we cannot go without them.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can we go with only one escort? Or I¡¯ll just shut myself indoors and stay depressed,¡± she huffed in her chair, and Kasser stared at her in silence.


    How could she make her depressed state a tool for making compromises? But what¡¯s odder is the fact that the very word sounded awkward coming from her lips.


    Phwoosh!


    A flare had suddenly erupted.


    Kasser rose to his feet and hurriedly went to the windows to assess what was happening. Intrigued, Eugene did the same and followed him. She stood beside him and watched as the sunny skies were riddled with yellow smoke.


    ¡°Huh¡­.¡± Eugene breathed in wonder, since her time here, she hadn¡¯t seen any flares used. And she¡¯s been here for three weeks, ever since the active period had begun. She watched in childish amazement as the flares gradually began to change colors.


    Seeing the flares a couple of times, she began to feel dread settle in her stomach. She remembers that red flares meant danger in the active period. And she doesn¡¯t know when it will be, but she could feel that any moment now, it will come. Her hands suddenly felt clammy, her chest constricting as she kept watching the flares continue to burst above them.


    And from beside her, Kasser moved. With quick hands and feet, he opened up the windows and ran towards the balcony. He stopped at the edge, glancing down, and let out a shrill whistle. Eugene followed him, and stopped beside him once more, glancing downwards as well, wondering what the rush was about.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Abu.¡±


    As soon as he said that, Eugene saw a black horse galloping towards them.


    ¡°Your highness.¡± a voice piped up from behind them, making Eugene jolt in surprise. She swiftly turned around and saw a knight, bending his knees to the ground as he offered a sword to the king¡¯s direction.


    As if expecting it, Kasser swiftly took the sword and turned back to look at her.


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    ¡°My Queen.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± she squeaked, and she looked at him, but his attention wasn¡¯t on her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just discuss the selection of the escort when I return.¡±


    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s not urgent anyway.¡± she agreed, waving him off, when he suddenly hoisted himself over the balcony. In his hand was the sword, whilst the other clung on the rails as he prepared to jump over.


    Eugene gasped in surprise as she saw him do so, and exclaimed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t! That¡¯s dang¨C¡±


    But he jumped off, effectively cutting off any of her protests. Eugene brought a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream and rushed to the rails, when she caught sight of Kasser, engulfed in blue wisps of energy, landing him safely to the ground.


    It was the first time she was seeing the king openly use his Praz since the flare exploded. And as she watched him jump and swing his legs to ride the horse nearing him in great speed, no longer was Abu a horse.


    The blue energy wrapped around him, and when it gave a burst, Abu was transformed into a black leopard.


    She gasped as she watched them jump over walls and ran vertically. Feeling the adrenaline leave her body, her knees gave out from beneath her, making her fall to the floor, as her grip on the rails remained.


    ¡°Your Grace!¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± The lady maids rushed out to the balcony to support her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just a bit surprised,¡± Eugene mumbles, as they grab her and gently escorted her back inside. She clung to them as her support. They sat her on a sofa, fussing over her before one of them left to bring her some warm tea.


    The head servant restlessly moved around the sofa¡­


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± she asked again, and Eugene waved her concerns off.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. No need to report this frivolous happening to the King.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    The reason why Eugene was astounded was not that she was shocked, but because she got carried away. After all, it was not every day that she just witnesses such an unrealistic, mystical scene.


    It was indeed wonderful.


    Then, images began flashing through her mind like a motion picture¡ªthe King leaping from the balcony with only one hand grasping the railing, him jumping veiled in his Praz in the shape of a snake, and hopping on to the back of Abu which turned into a beast¡ªall of these scenes kept replaying inside her head like a photo album.


    But she knows it wasn¡¯t a fake video produced with a fancy special technique, all of it was real¡ªwhich she had just witnessed right in front of her eyes.


    She brought up the teacup to her lips as soon as it was slightly cooled down with both of her hands. Her heart throbbed. She was mesmerized with the King¡¯s facial expression as he leaped over the railing of the balcony.


    He seems a little indifferent, but he knows his strength very well. It seems she can now understand what this charisma was needed to reign over the people meant.


    The door of the reception room opened as Marianne rushed in. Eugene smiled as she gazed at her ghastly pale face.


    ???

 Chapter 69 Faith in the Monarch (2)

    Chapter 69 ¨C Faith in the Monarch (2)


    ¡°Everyone, please leave,¡± she ordered, and the servants bowed. Everyone left the room except Marianne and Eugene. She then explained the situation to Marianne.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the maids will think me weird about this. But I overreacted like it was my first time seeing it.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, Your Grace,¡± Marianne said, smiling softly when Eugene frowned. ¡°I must make sure a word of this would not spread. His Highness works tirelessly for all of us;  the last thing his subordinates must do is to gossip about their Queen.¡±


    Eugene nodded.


    Marianne continued, ¡°The King would surely be back just before sunset to be with you.¡±


    ¡°Just to be with me? May I ask what you are insinuating?¡±


    Marianne hesitated a little before speaking carefully, ¡°Since you¡¯ve been ill, Your Grace, the King always goes out before sunrise and comes back at sunset. Before, he rarely stayed in the castle, working even at night.¡±


    ¡°I thought he only works in his study all day long¡­¡±


    A shake of her head, Marianne smiled, ¡°He used to work during the night as well, Your Grace. But¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Eugene looked down and stared at the recently emptied tea glass she had been fumbling with her hands. Her ears felt burning.


    It seems that during this activity period, there will be long working hours until night. But he had always come to her room every night though.


    ¡°Your Grace, this might be impudent of me, but if I may speak freely¡­ It¡¯s really good to see both of you getting along nicely. Please forgive the King whenever he commits a mistake¡ªthough I¡¯m not saying that you should always forgive him¡­ He is just not good at expressing his feelings.¡±


    Marianne¡¯s voice wavered a little as she spoke. As Eugene looked up, she saw Marianne¡¯s face, with bloodshot eyes.


    She was moved by Marianne¡¯s genuine concern for the King. She had presumed that the King has a complicated family background. But since Marianne stood by his side, he has not gone astray and grew up well.


    Having this conversation, Eugene somehow felt envious of the King. If someone like Marianne had stood with her since she was young, she imagined that her life would not be difficult.


    ¡°Marianne,¡± she called out softly and the Baroness looked up at her, ¡°I know the King is a good man.¡± she said with a gentle smile, and Marianne returned her with a beaming smile herself. ¡°Yes, he is truly kind with a gentle heart.¡± she finished, and Marianne pulled away from her with a confused look upon her face.


    Kind and gentle-hearted?


    No matter how hard he tried to show that, those words never did suit him. It also wasn¡¯t one she¡¯d associate with him, despite knowing the king the most.


    ¡°The King himself will be touring me around later.¡± Marianne quipped, and Eugene blinked.


    ¡°Really? The King himself?¡±


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    Marianne found her lips curling up to an amused smile. She thought that the couple are eventually becoming like a real couple. She felt like she¡¯d been relieved with such a heavy burden.


    ¡°I will be preparing for your tour outside later,¡± she said, giving Eugene one last smile and patted her knees softly.


    Marianne¡¯s thoughts drifted back towards her yesterday¡¯s visit with the king. He looked like he wanted to speak to her about something important, to tell her why he wishes for everyone¡¯s attention.


    Marianne¡¯s lips curled up ever so slightly, hardly noticeable to those around her.


    ¡°Can I send the Chamberlain over today?¡± Eugene inquired, which only made some of the people chuckle in amusement at her eagerness. Marianne shook her head in response.


    ¡°Perhaps tomorrow, My Queen,¡± she said


    The weather today was appropriate for touring around the market. It wasn¡¯t too hot, and the wind was gently blowing around cool air. Perhaps this will be one of those moments that could further improve their relationship and bring the married couple closer together.


    A stepping stone for their relationship. One where they can learn to work together to overcome whatever hardships life would throw their way.


    For now, all Marianne could do was to ensure there would be a warm bath for the queen later tonight.


    * * *


    The black leopard that was carrying the king ran across the walls. It seemed to soar through the air as it leaped in long distances.


    There was misty blue energy surrounding the king¡¯s body as he rode on top of Abu. Once an average person climbs on Abu¡¯s back, he would not be able to endure a minute and would be forced to back off.


    The shouting of the soldiers could not be heard even as they approached the wall. Rows and rows of soldiers were lined up. Their eyes were burning with hidden valor as they waited patiently and silently for the flare to burst once more.


    It was a useless warning. Kasser only climbed up the walls once while riding Abu. The King¡¯s facial expression hardened as he reached the top of the wall and looked out to the desert.


    The sand of the yellow desert stretched out as far as the eyes could see. And not too far, yet not too close to them either, there the king spotted them.


    There were black dots scattered across the sands, moving in synchronicity, running at high speeds directly towards them. At that distance, the Larks almost looked like an army of ants.


    He couldn¡¯t estimate precisely how many they were headed towards them, but he was certain it was no less than an army¡¯s worth.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Lester approached his side. There was a grim look in her eyes, like a warrior who¡¯s seen the end of the battle.


    ¡°It¡¯s class yellow.¡± she told the king, which made Kasser frown. A class yellow meant they were up against Ant Larks. These types of larks weren¡¯t that dangerous and were just about the size of a large dog. Warriors can even hunt them down, but would usually take a pair of ordinary soldiers to take them down.


    But the tricky part in fighting against them was not their strength. Ant Larks didn¡¯t have much in terms of combat prowess, but what they lacked in strength, they more than made up for it in numbers.


    ¡°Raise the green flare.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Lester turned around and raised his hand, waving. After a while, the soldiers fired the green flare, which exploded in the sky. Then another green flare went off.


    The series of green flares will serve as a good warning to the people of the city. Women and children, the elderly, and the sick will hide in their shelters. All business transactions are suspended, and stores closed.


    The strong young men will stop what they are doing and will only build defenses throughout the capital. Every house will have its spear and bow. Officials will quickly distribute weapons with oil applied to it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go down and provoke it. Lester, you take command here.¡±


    ¡°The opponents want a time fight. When a warrior gets hurt in a war like this, the damage will be serious. If the first line of defense breaks, raise the green flare again. If the second line of defense breaks, raise the red flare. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your highness.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Abu.¡± He told his trusted steed and lowered his body until he was lying flat on his chest against Abu¡¯s back.


    The black leopard leaped off the wall and towards the desert. The King steadfastly ran towards the colony of ant larks, equipped with nothing but his sword and courage.


    Lester watched in her post; her fists clenched tightly as the sides as she waited in anxious anticipation. It could end up brutally; it looked impossible to win.


    But she trusted his king, and so she has faith.


    ???


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    Chapter 95 ¨C An Uncanny Visitor (2)


    Chapter 96 ¨C Facing the Harsh Reality (1)


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    Chapter 98 ¨C Could Be One (1)


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 70 Lurking Dangers

    Chapter 70 ¨C Lurking Dangers


    Sometimes, Lester couldn¡¯t believe how fortunate they were to have such a reliable King. Though she always felt inadequate and guilty for all the burdens they¡¯ve given their King. No matter what they do, she still didn¡¯t feel they¡¯ve done enough for him to repay all he¡¯s done.


    Meanwhile, the larks in front of them steadily swarmed the king, surrounding him at all sides. Kasser straightened up, hoisting himself up further atop Abu until he was balancing on his feet as his ride continued steadfastly.


    He began to target the soldier larks, who lead the colony. Soldier Ants were twice the size of average Ant larks. Cutting them off would be a strategic advantage.


    As Abu finally gained close enough towards the colony, Kasser jumped off Abu¡¯s back and launched himself into the air. As he touched the ground, he immediately unsheathed his sword, and swung it down, stabbing the head of the closest Soldier Ant.


    Out of the sword leaked out wisps of blue smoke, whipping around and slicing off the rest of the lark¡¯s body.


    Out of thin air, a snake sprung, coiling itself around the king¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t a normal snake, as indicated by its sharp scales protruding. Praz.


    Kasser spun and sliced through the larks, spinning his sword with finesse and grace only a seasoned warrior could do. He leaped, and when he touched back down to the ground, a shockwave would release, cutting through the surrounding larks, effectively disposing them off.


    Blood of the ant larks spilled onto the sand. As their hearts get pierced, their bodies begin to decay, immediately crumbling to dust and becoming one with the sands.


    At a distance, Hashi soldiers watched as lark after lark disappeared. The space surrounding the king was soon devoid of any of the dreaded creatures, and they looked in awe and praise for their king.


    They watched in silent anticipation and excitement, murmurs of their king¡¯s praise began to flit about from their posts.


    ¡°Hail His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Oh, our mighty king!¡±


    And then one soldier cried out, a battle cry, and soon every soldier was yelling along, cheering for their king. Their cries were so loud, it was heard all over the walls, vibrating with every stomp of their foot and tap of their spears.


    With their spirits reinvigorated, and their courage reignited from the sight of their king, they could feel the fear fade away at the prospect of going to battle against these creatures.


    In the field, Kasser breathed, his fists opening and clenching. He could see the larks beginning to hound in on him once more, but something was different. He looked down his bloodied hands, mesmerized by them¡­


    There¡¯s definitely something different, he thought. He could feel his Praz coursing around his body, its power wisping wildly, surging out, ready to heed his very command.


    As a kingdom located at the heart of the desert, it was no question that the Kingdom of Hashi would receive the most visits of these monsters during active periods compared to the other kingdoms. As such, the desert king was the one who held the most powerful of Praz.


    Amongst the traveling merchants, the hottest topic had always been each of the five kings¡¯ Praz. Others would even try and defend their argument of their own kings being the most powerful one, but these were only ever baseless comparisons.


    It was an inarguable fact that the Desert King was the one with the strongest Praz, for the desert breeds only the toughest of beings to survive its harsh conditions.


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    But with great power comes a greater price. As kings would gain total control of their Praz upon their ascension of the throne, for the desert king it wasn¡¯t so. His Praz was so powerful; he needed to suppress it more than he could use it.


    It was easier to control during the dry period. But when the active period would arrive, Kasser¡¯s Praz would whirl around him aggressively, restlessly, as if anticipating a fight to break out.


    He often thought his Praz had its own consciousness. Like it didn¡¯t appreciate being contained in his body for so long. That it wanted to break free.


    Oftentimes, it would run rampant, and Kasser would have a hard time reigning it in, controlling it to his will. Most of the time, he was exhausted simply because he was reigning in his Praz whenever he¡¯d try to use it.


    Usually, by this time, he would be exhausted after too much use of his ability, but he was still fit as a fiddle. Nothing was wrong, he could still fight, and he even hadn¡¯t broken out much of a sweat.


    Kasser mused as his grip on his sword tightened, but loose enough to swing. The ant larks circled him before they began to jump towards him once more.


    He still had some larks to cut down after all.


    He knows he couldn¡¯t keep every lark from advancing towards his kingdom. Already he could see from his peripheral vision that some have broken away and begun its advance.


    He only hoped his own warriors were ready as the war has barely begun.


    ***


    Eugene heard the signal flare not long after she returned to her room.


    Pleasant thoughts, she thought, calming her heart, Things might not be too bad today.¡¯


    She looked up to the sky, hoping to see a blue signal flare. However, when the sky was lit up in a green haze, Eugene felt her heart beating faster in anxiousness once more.


    ¡°Zanne,¡± she called out, and the maid hastily went to her side.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°It was yellow a moment ago, and now the signal flare is already green. What does that mean?¡±


    Zanne, too was confused, for it had been long since she¡¯d seen a green flare. Though she had an idea and knew the color meant trouble, she hesitated to answer¡ªafraid that she might feed the queen with wrong information and further worry her.


    ¡°Allow me to go and ask, Your Majesty.¡± she bowed and began to look for someone to explain it to the queen. When Zanne left her room, Eugene whipped her head back to look outside and saw two more green flares erupting in the sky.


    Eugene began pacing back and forth, wearing down the carpet in her nervousness as she waited for news impatiently. She glanced back to the closed door, worry marring her features as she wondered why no one has come yet.


    ¡°She¡¯s awfully late. Where is Marianne?¡± she whispered to herself. Marianne was always the one to come and explain these situations to her. Did something happen?


    She thought of getting a servant to fetch her; she couldn¡¯t stand waiting any longer. Eugene was frustrated; there were no telecommunicating devices in this world.


    She moved to step out of the room and called out to the servant nearby. When she asked the whereabouts of Marianne, the servant answered.


    ¡°I saw her talking to the general officer, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Where? Lead me to her.¡±


    Eugene followed the servant along the corridors and down a series of steps. She hadn¡¯t been to every corner of the palace, but now she roughly knew its structure. Soon, they reached the edge of the castle which belonged to the general officer¡¯, and the residence of the court ladies.


    A group of servants gathered around the corridor in front of the office. Marianne and Sarah were talking to each other with a serious expression on their face, but when they discovered Eugene, they instantly walked towards her and lowered their heads.


    Eugene¡¯s eyes flitted at Marianne, then Sarah and then the servants, each of them with concerned looks. In most situations, she wouldn¡¯t dare to meddle since she still didn¡¯t know how things were managed around here. She thought it was best for her not to interfere.


    But today, she¡¯d become quite apprehensive after the two green signal flares. She didn¡¯t want to feel as if she didn¡¯t belong; she had the right to know what was happening.


    ???

 Chapter 71 I Am the Queen

    ¡°It¡¯s a sensitive matter, Your Majesty, please let me explain to you in private,¡± she told her, and Eugene nodded, following Sarah and Marianne as they went into a more private office. The doors closed behind them, and Eugene turned to them both for a proper explanation.


    ¡°I am truly sorry for not informing you of the situation here, Your Majesty.¡± Marianne began, and Eugene frowned. Marianne wasn¡¯t the type to make excuses, which was why she trusted her the most. Feeling slightly calm, Eugene began to voice her concerns, asking about the flares and its significance.


    ¡°The consecutive green flares indicate an emergency warning,¡± Sarah replied.


    ¡°Is it more serious than a red signal flare?¡±


    ¡°Depending on the situation, it can be more dangerous, Your Majesty. If a red flare is fired after a green one, it means a lark has climbed over the rampart and has breached the streets.¡±


    ¡°Would that be an undefeatable lark by the King?¡± she asked.


    ¡°If that particular situation occurs, it would be a nightmare, Your Majesty.¡± Marianne told her, ¡°No one is able to fight a lark his Majesty cannot. Fortunately, most of these larks have only been able to invade the walls simply because they¡¯ve slipped through our soldiers.¡±


    Realizing that they weren¡¯t totally defenseless after all against the attacks, Eugene felt the tension leave from her body and nodded towards them in understanding.


    ¡°Do you think the situation will lead to a red signal flare?¡± she asked after a few moments of tense silence.


    ¡°No one knows but there is no need to worry, Your Hoyal Highness,¡± Marianne reassured her, but Eugene frowned as she recalled the multitude of servants outside.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the crowd doing out there?¡± As Marianne looked troubled to answer the question, Sarah stepped forward.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we are very sorry to have worried you. We have neglected our responsibilities and failed to control the servants, which has caused some trouble.¡±


    ¡°What trouble?¡±


    ¡°A young servant¡¯s grandmother is home alone. She claims she has difficulty hearing and thinks she would¡¯ve failed to react to the signal flare. Thus, she was requesting to leave the palace to take her grandmother to safety.¡±


    Sarah went strictly by the book and refused the servant¡¯s request. Devastated, the servant cried and begged, but when it didn¡¯t work, she tried to harm herself. Fortunately, she was stopped just in time and avoided a serious injury. She was now taken by the other servants to calm down.


    However, Sarah did not inform Eugene with the details.


    ¡°And why is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°No one is allowed to leave or enter the palace when an emergency warning is announced, Your Majesty.¡± Eugene turned her gaze to Marianne, to which she gave her a grim nod in confirmation.


    ¡°As much as we sympathize with the girl, the King¡¯s commands are absolute. It must be obeyed. We cannot risk opening the gates, and have the palace overrun by larks.¡±


    ¡°But you just said the situation is not that dire,¡± Eugene insisted, ¡°Surely the king wouldn¡¯t stop a girl from going home to her family!¡±


    ¡°That may be true, Your Majesty, but-¡±


    ¡°Of course, I cannot judge his orders myself, but we¡¯re not exactly in an appropriate situation where we can go and ask for his permission.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Your Majesty.¡±


    Eugene was lost into deep thought. She could relate with this nameless servant girl, but the situation wouldn¡¯t be so dire that her grandmother would be attacked. The emergency situation will be gone, she was sure of it, the king would return, and everything will be alright once more.


    But there are still some factors to consider, not just larks.


    Trouble might come for her grandmother. With her old age, she¡¯s more susceptible to a shock, which could trigger a heart attack. And if no one was there with her, deaf and frail, what if something happens?


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    ¡°Marianne, is there absolutely no other way?¡±


    ¡°I cannot disobey the King¡¯s orders, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ do I have the authority to open the palace gates?¡±


    Marianne stared at Eugene, trying to see what she was trying to do, before answering, dropping her gaze to the floor.


    ¡°¡­His Majesty is not too far where his regal powers do not take effect. And he has not explicitly entrusted anyone to open the gates,¡± she reluctantly said, ¡°In your case, you can place a command to open the gates under your authority and later have your command approved by his highness, the King.¡±


    Command first and approve later. With power came responsibility.


    I have the authority. I am the Queen.


    Eugene felt her shoulders go heavy, burdened by the sudden responsibility. It was a similar feeling to when she received the report on the problems of executing the compensations for the missing servant.


    She didn¡¯t particularly have to interfere. There was no responsibility to take if she didn¡¯t take any action.


    All she had to do was open a gate. But Eugene was seriously conflicted. It wasn¡¯t a matter of being placed in an awkward proposition.


    This was the first action she may take after realizing her position and responsibility as a queen. It was different from the time she asked Marianne to give compensation for the missing servant out of sympathy.


    ¡°General officer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± Sarah asked


    ¡°Open the gates. I will take the blame,¡± she commanded. Sarah paused for a moment, her gaze shifting from Marianne to the queen, before bowing in obedience.


    ¡°As you command, Your Majesty.¡±


    Whenever the king is away, the queen would always assume the throne in his absence. However, usually, there were no royal duties in need of tending to, so the queen needn¡¯t do much but sit on the throne and look pretty.


    In the absence of the queen and king, it was the General officer who would be the highest authority available. Until their monarchs¡¯ return, they would be the one giving commands, which would then be revoked when the queen, or king, returns.


    In simpler terms, the Kingdom of Hashi didn¡¯t have much use for a queen, and even then, the General Officer¡¯s power and authority comes with limitations. However, Eugene refused to be a mere ornament.


    Sarah had always believed that during the troubling times, she shouldn¡¯t shoulder the responsibilities alone. That the more the kingdom should stand together. And as she thinks back to the queen, she couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    She had a feeling a new order would soon begin in the palace.


    And it would be for the better.


    ?


    ¡°What do you mean the gates have been opened? Go and find out what¡¯s happening immediately,¡± he demanded


    ¡°Yes, Chancellor,¡± the soldiers said and went to do as he ordered.


    While the king was out with the soldiers to battle larks, the Kingdom¡¯s administration and defense were under his command. The mansion of Verus became a temporary administrative agency and the Chancellor was given the highest authority.


    This was also the case for all kingdoms, not just in Hashi. After all, there should always be a second-in-command left to the kingdom, assisting the king¡¯s rule.


    ???


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 Chapter 72 Early Deaths (1)

    Chapter 72 ¨C Early Deaths (1)


    With the king was out, leading the hunt against the Larks, it usually left a hole in the line of command to those left in the palace.


    The battle against the Larks was a never-ending war, and the absence of the king was so frequent, it threatened the stability of their kingdom. That was why someone was appointed, in the king¡¯s absence, to take over the chain of command.


    This type of system exists in the world of Mahar. There was no bribery, no amount of treasures that could buy the throne. For the throne exists solely for the existence of the king¡ªunreplaceable and unchangeable. The six kings of Mahar were the ones who held absolute royal authority over their kingdom until their last breath.


    This type of culture has its benefits. Namely, because of this, the king didn¡¯t have to worry about someone usurping him from his position whenever he¡¯s off to fight the war.


    Some kings would be absent for months on end, hunting for Larks, and nothing else. Others would even bury themselves in the social activities in the Holy City.


    But that was where the similarities end. When other kings were confident to leave their own duties, the rulers of Hashi were not. From generation to generation, their kings have always had full control over what goes on in their state of affairs, and the chancellors were the ones who assisted them.


    In the Kingdom of Hashi, nothing goes on in their kingdom without the king knowing about it.


    At the end of their latest dry season, Verus had been humiliated by the queen¡¯s disappearance. Thus, in this active season, with the prolonged war against the Ant Larks, he had taken it upon himself to monitor each and every movement the Queen makes.


    He even went as far as placing spies all over the palace to report to him any changes, in hopes of preventing the last humiliation from happening again.


    As he waits for Sven to return from his investigation, Verus opted to organize the piles of documents he had just finished reviewing. He grabbed a rather large pile of stacked papers, and went to put out his seal.


    Grumbling beneath his breath, he sighs as he continued to stamp each document with his seal. He does it almost every day that he doesn¡¯t even think about it and does it robotically.


    ¡°Larks outside attacking, the queen inside doing who knows what. Sigh,¡± Verus pinches the bridge of his nose, ¡°On top of that, I even have all these papers to worry about,¡± he grumbled.


    His breath stuck in his throat as he was reminded of something¡ªthe known unfortunate case with queens.


    The queens, even those before them, had died early. Most chose to spend their last days residing in the Holy City, and not in the kingdom.


    The only fortunate thing about them dying, was at least they lived long enough to provide an heir for the royal family to continue the bloodline, despite their passing.


    ¡°Such tragedy,¡± he mused to himself, his hand pausing in stamping the letters. Verus had found the question plaguing him many times before.


    Why was it that the queens of the Kingdom of Hashi never lived long enough to see their child grow?


    And with that launched a long and arduous research on his behalf. Soon enough, he reached the conclusion that due to the king¡¯s Praz, and the Anika¡¯s Ramita, there was a certain rejection along the way.


    These conflicting natures, during the pregnancy, was too much for the queen¡¯s body to bear, that they¡¯d eventually die.


    It was a satisfying answer, Verus thought, and his curiosity was sated.


    For the six kings, it was clear to him now, that those who reside in the west possessed powerful Praz. And for these kings, an Anika was always chosen as their queen.


    The common variable was that these kings might have strong Praz, but none of them could particularly handle it very well.


    ¡°I sincerely hope a descendant will soon be underway,¡± he told himself, his fingers twitching, ¡°Then the queen won¡¯t be around for much longer.¡±


    ?


    An hour later, Sven swiftly returned from his investigation. Along with his arrival, was a surprising turn of events.


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    ¡°With permission?¡± Verus asked, frowning, ¡°On whose authority?¡±


    ¡°Her Majesty, the queen, chancellor,¡± Sven answered him, ¡°She had ordered for the gates to be opened, to allow a servant girl to go home to her grandmother.¡±


    ¡°What is she up to again?¡± Verus frowned, whispering to himself.


    When he had found out that the queen had sneaked out of the palace, and attempted to cross the desert, he had lost whatever little faith he had with Jin Anika.


    ¡°And this is all you¡¯ve gathered?¡± he asked him, and Sven nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Chancellor.¡±


    ¡°Then go back,¡± he commanded, ¡°And this time, investigate more thoroughly the Queen. I want to know her purpose, what she does, who she meets.¡± he leaned closer, ¡°And you don¡¯t let her leave your sight, understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood, Chancellor.¡±


    ¡°You may go,¡± he told her, and Sven bowed and left as quickly as he came. When he was alone once more, Verus plopped back on his seat and clicked his tongue in frustration.


    The queen may have thought she¡¯d fooled everyone, even the king, but he wasn¡¯t as naive as everyone else. He¡¯ll find out about the truth, and expose her to everyone for the liar that she was.


    ?


    The thing about larks was that they only attacked whenever the sun was up. Come sunset; they¡¯d cocoon around themselves, forming a rock-solid armor that was impenetrable as protection.


    Not even the warriors could break through it, despite using all their strength against the dormant larks. And though kings could break it with their Praz, it spelled more trouble than leaving them alone.


    By the time morning rolls in, these broken pieces of the Larks would turn into new ones. This was the reason no one hunted larks when they were asleep. It was more trouble than it was worth.


    Not to mention that these larks who have rested up all night would be full of energy the moment they wake up. Unless the warriors are able to destroy the lark¡¯s core itself, this whole process would only repeat itself.


    A never-ending cycle.


    And unlike the Larks, a human¡¯s endurance couldn¡¯t hold out for so long. They got tired and couldn¡¯t replenish their numbers as quickly as the monsters could.


    Most of all, these monsters didn¡¯t have any other targets but humans. Only humans. And unlike humans, these beasts got nothing to lose.


    For days it went on. One day turned to two days. Then two days turned four.


    The prolonged battle against the Ant Larks seldomly ended.


    By the second day, another green flare was released, which meant the first line of defense had been breached. By then, everyone had already joined in and managed to prevent the Larks from breaching the walls further.


    But there weren¡¯t many battle cries heard outside the fortress wall. No matter how intense the battle has become, there was always an eerie silence.


    For there was no fighting, only the sight of a dried-up bloodied field.


    ???

 Chapter 73 Early Deaths (2)

    Chapter 73 ¨C Early Deaths (2)


    Whenever Eugene woke up, she had taken it upon herself to listen for news on what had happened the night before. This made her the Royal family¡¯s commander. Thus all important information was reported to her.


    There she learned more about the people in the castle. She learned the many systems based on gender, ranks, age. She also learned about the inventory, how long they have with the stored food, as well as the daily necessities.


    She even learned there was an air raid bunker placed deep within the palace¡¯s basement.


    This shelter was explicitly made for the heir, or successor of the King and Queen. It also had enough provisions that could last for a year for a small handful of people.


    ¡°Many died yesterday,¡± she sighed, frustration taking over her as she looked over the reports Marianne had given her.


    On the first day, with the yellow flare, there were only some who ended up injured, but there were no casualties. But as the fight went on, eventually the first casualty happened, and then the next, and the next.


    One by one, bodies dropped dead.


    And the people began to get exhausted by the constant fighting.


    ¡°Marianne,¡± Eugene softly called out as she buried her face in her hands before she straightened up to look at the Baroness. ¡°You said this was the first time this many casualties ever occurred since His Highness ascended?¡±


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    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of me?¡± she worried, muttering to herself.


    It was highly possible. Her presence could have had a negative effect on Mahar, the world where she didn¡¯t belong. It could also be the reason why there were so many inconsistencies in the story she knew she created.


    The setting for one, it was subtle, but it was different from what she remembered. Information and facts she didn¡¯t create were even in the world. Her story was spiraling out of control.


    All this was her fault, she distressed in her thoughts. She couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible for the poor man who couldn¡¯t go home because he was off to fight the war. She felt guilty for those who died.


    Contrary to the turmoil happening outside, inside the palace walls, everyone went about their duties. But it was clear that despite the calmness they¡¯re portraying, their eyes told her they were anything but calm.


    Despite their faith that their king would make it, in the back of their minds, they were resigned to die at any given moment.


    ¡°You worry too much, Your Majesty,¡± Marianne reprimanded softly, ¡°Come, let¡¯s get you back to your room. You¡¯re looking rather pale,¡± she pointed out, and Eugene sighed, rubbing her face and let out a deep breath.


    She admitted she couldn¡¯t find it in herself to sleep. Even if she was dead tired.


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    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can do much but sit here and worry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing rather well, if I do say so myself.¡± Marianne says, ¡°The fact that you are here, staying strong and waiting for a certain return is a great source of comfort for your people.¡±


    As much as it was meant to comfort her, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but regret she couldn¡¯t even wish Kasser good luck when he went off jumping out the window a few days ago. She had been too complacent, she knows now.


    She had thought everything would be over in just a few hours, and come evening, everything would return to normal. But it wasn¡¯t so.


    Suddenly a maid came into the throne room, and bowed her respects before speaking.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the general wishes to speak with you,¡± she said, and Eugene straightened up.


    ¡°Invite them in.¡±


    Marianne then stood up from her seat and walked to the exit, ¡°I shall give you your privacy,¡± she told Eugene, who in turn, nodded.


    When Marianne left, Sarah soon came in and stood in front of Eugene. It¡¯s been routine, since the past few days, that Sarah would come several times to give the Queen the report on the progress of the events.


    Most of the time, these reports were just that, reports, and Eugene wouldn¡¯t need to make a decision, because Sarah has got it handled. But that was not the case this time.


    After making her report, Eugene frowned in concern.


    ¡°A patient?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s not a serious disease, but it is contagious. There are two other women as well who have shown the same symptoms; fever, headache, and cough since yesterday morning. For now, they¡¯ve been quarantined.¡±


    As Eugene listened, she couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was just a simple cold.


    ¡°They also complain that the headaches are too severe, and request painkillers.¡±


    In emergency situations such as these, it was imperative they use the medicine sparingly, which was why they needed approval from the highest authority to be able to use them. Painkillers, if accessible to everyone, could be used in the wrong ways. Hence, before, the sick would just have to make due with home remedies and hope they¡¯d get better soon, but now, they seek permission from the highest authority.¡±


    After thinking about it a few more, Eugene gave her permission.


    ¡°Give them some,¡± she said to Sarah, ¡°I¡¯m sure this will be over quickly, and His Highness will sort everything when he returns.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± she stated, ¡°We believe that as well.¡± and with that Sarah swiftly left to head towards the patients and gave them the painkillers.


    When she was alone once more, Eugene slumped in her seat and rubbed her eyes.


    This was harder than she thought. She knew being a leader was no picnic, but the sheer responsibilities resting on her was becoming unbearable, overwhelming her. Her word in the palace was law, and it scared her the more.


    She also gave herself a dry smile as she thought about Jin.


    ¡°How wonderful of you to sit here, and just do nothing,¡± she remarked to Jin, quite aware the character was all but dead in spirit.


    Jin had sacrificed the kingdom, even its people, just to summon the dark magic, Mara. And when the lark army attacked the kingdom of Hashi, powered by Mara, there were severe casualties.


    Eugene doesn¡¯t know exactly how many, but she was certain it couldn¡¯t be compared to the losses over the past four days.


    It was certainly more tragic when the Four Kings were forced to wander around the world, hunting down Jin, and leave the kingdom defenseless. The kingdoms they so desperately wanted to protect.


    She stood up and went to look out the window. Her gaze trailed up the sky, and saw nothing but the clear blues, until a flare suddenly erupted.


    BOOM!


    Blue smoke spread throughout the skies, and Eugene¡¯s eyes widened in relief.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± she sighed out.


    Suddenly the throne room¡¯s doors burst open, ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Eugene turned around and saw Marianne come up towards her, her eyes full of tears, as she gave her a wide smile. Eugene felt her own eyes water, as her sobs choked, her throat tightening.


    It was finally over.


    ?


    Everyone who has seen the smoke all held their breath as they watched the blue smoke spread out farther and farther.


    After a brief moment of silence, a resounding cheer erupted echoing until everyone joined in, causing a deafening roar. Everyone, even those who couldn¡¯t keep their feet standing, let out a mighty yell of victory, pouring every last energy towards that one shout.


    Kasser heaved his breath, sweat rolling down his body as he basked in the sun¡¯s glory, head held up high as he listened to his kingdom¡¯s cheers. With one last strike, he stabbed his sword on the sand beside him as the last of the larks turned to dust.


    For four days, he swung without rest, only stopping at sunset, and beginning once more at sunrise.


    With the battle over, and the adrenaline gone, he could feel his body seize up in exhaustion. The fatigue was overwhelming, but he couldn¡¯t stop yet.


    He still had an aftermath to clean up.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Lester ran over, a wide smile on her face, proud and victorious, ¡°Only the kingdom of Hashi could fight against a group as large as those and win!¡±


    At the sight of her, Kasser frowned in concern. Lester was laughing in joy, but the bandage around her head was disconcerting, especially since he hadn¡¯t seen it yesterday, which meant it was fairly new.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, ¡°Can you not handle a simple yellow-class lark?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Lester appeared sheepish, ¡°I have no excuses, Your Highness. My forehead was injured.¡±


    ¡°And has someone treated it properly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing but a flesh wound, Your Highness,¡± she reassured and escorted him back to the palace, ¡°Please, rest up, you¡¯ve barely slept these four days,¡± she said, the concern for his king¡¯s well-being was apparent.


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± he refused, keeping his posture tall and limbs moving, ¡°We need to know how many have died.¡±


    Lester¡¯s smile fell, before a serious look crossed over her face and nodded in assent to comply with her king¡¯s wishes, following him all the way.


    She could¡¯ve pressed harder, but he knew how stubborn their king was. He wouldn¡¯t rest until everything was resolved, and he won¡¯t be the one to break that habit.


    When Kasser finally reached the castle, the dawn had begun to break. He thought of stopping by for a moment, to ask about how things have been before heading out once more.


    After all, there was still plenty more to clean up outside the palace, but inside was a different story. It would only open for the king¡¯s return¡ªeveryone else should be stuck inside until then.


    ???

 Chapter 74 Significant Changes in the Palace (1)

    Chapter 74 ¨C Significant Changes in the Palace (1)


    When the gates to the castle opened up for him, Kasser pulled on the reins of Abu to prevent him from entering immediately. His eyes scanned through the guards and landed on the one who was tasked with opening it.


    With the long battle over, this was usually the time when one gets complacent. Which was a critical moment, because then they would be open for an ambush. This was one of the most basic teachings one learned in warfare, and thus Kasser hadn¡¯t let down his guard even once.


    Normally he would¡¯ve just entered without a scene, but something stood out to him as he stared at the guard. As if realizing he was being scrutinized, the guard squirmed beneath his gaze.


    The more he looked at him, the more Kasser thought him familiar.


    He knew for a fact that most of the guardsmen who were tasked with staying behind in the palace were low ranking officers. Which was why it was troubling him why someone who was familiar was staying as a guard when he should¡¯ve been one of the warriors contributing to the war.


    For a normal person, the surrounding area was dimly lit. As it was still dawn, there wasn¡¯t enough daylight for anyone to see a person¡¯s face clearly.


    But that wasn¡¯t the case for Kasser.


    For in his eyes was his Praz, lighting it up with a bluish hue, making him see the person¡¯s face as clear as day. But as the guard¡¯s face was trailed to the ground, he couldn¡¯t see it properly from on top of Abu.


    ¡°Raise your head,¡± he ordered, and the guard flinched at the harsh tone. Hesitating, the guard eventually raised his head. As he faced him nervously, the King knew the guard knew he was caught.


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    He was definitely someone he was familiar with.


    ¡°Sven,¡± he said, narrowing his gaze at him.


    ¡°Yes, My King,¡± the guard quivered and hunched in on himself, trying to make himself appear smaller.


    Normally a warrior with his status was still busy cleaning up in the aftermath, dirtied from the sweat and grime on their armor from all the fighting. But one look at Sven¡¯s armor, Kasser could see it was very much clean.


    Which meant he hadn¡¯t been part of the fight.


    For him to leave his post, someone should¡¯ve gotten in contact with him and informed him of these changes, but he never received word of this change.


    A cold look flashed through his eyes as Kasser thought about someone meddling with his soldiers, but he soon schooled his features back to indifference.


    Sven was Kasser¡¯s favorite warrior. He was outstanding, a man of many talents, and had morals. He was certain he wasn¡¯t the type to cower in the face of larks.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± he told him, and Sven bowed his head.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Kasser nudged Abu, and the horse began to walk inside the palace, followed by his entourage and Sven. The distance to the castle from the gate was long, mostly because it was located in the center, surrounded by tall walls.


    He half expected for the palace to be dark, but to his surprise, he saw the lamps still lit up, shining brightly as if expecting his return. The light leaked out from each window, and he wondered why it was still on.


    As soon as he reached the garden, he pulled on the reins once more, making Abu stop in his tracks, and the palace steward came out to greet them with a puff. He was followed by an array of servants and other courtiers, welcoming him for his return.


    This sight, this was normal.


    ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re so happy to see you return!¡± greeted the steward.


    As a king, Kasser frequently left the castle at a moment¡¯s notice. Several times a day, he¡¯d leave and return like a common person leaving their house. Which meant they were used to him leaving without a word¡¯s notice of where he¡¯s gone or how long he¡¯ll take to return.


    Even today, when he returned, there was no notice, except for the warrior who had gone ahead when the gates opened for him to inform the palace servants of his return.


    The steward approached him, helping steady Abu, as the King climbed down from his back. As soon as he touched ground, the steward and his entourage bowed in reverence.


    ¡°Steward.¡± he called out, and the steward straightened up.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°Why are the lights on?¡± he asked him.


    Despite not being low on oil, and the royal family having enough to spare to not worry about it, it was protocol not to waste valuable resources whenever an emergency happened.


    Which was why he couldn¡¯t understand why the lights had been lit up when his return date was uncertain. The steward certainly didn¡¯t possess enough authority to permit this type of continued use.


    ¡°It was under the queen¡¯s order,¡± he replied, and Kasser was taken aback. The queen? He hadn¡¯t expected that answer.


    ¡°The queen¡¯s order?¡± he asked, frowning in confusion, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°She had waited religiously for your return, Your Grace,¡± he began, ¡°When she left to go to bed, she told me to leave the lights on in case you return late in the night. Something about making you feel less lonely when you return home.¡±


    He had expected for the reply to come shortly after his explanation, ready to defend the queen¡¯s good intentions if the king wasn¡¯t certain, but when no reply came, he finally chanced to look up.


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    The King¡¯s face was hardened, but he didn¡¯t look angry. Quietly, he observed his King.


    Home, Kasser thought, it was a foreign concept, one he wasn¡¯t used to. Did he think of the castle as his home? He didn¡¯t think so.


    For him, the castle was a symbol of power, of his blood, and birthright. For him, it was only part of his kingdom, something to rule over and protect from danger. Hearing the word home from the steward¡­


    He didn¡¯t know how to respond to that.


    Shaking the thoughts away, he figured he must solve first this issue with Sven before delving into another business. He nodded to the steward, who bowed back and stepped aside before Kasser turned to Sven.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± he told him, and Sven bowed his head.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    As Kasser entered the palace halls, he couldn¡¯t help but feel something had changed in his absence. Everything seemed different today.


    He didn¡¯t have any problem navigating the dark hallways in the dark. Hence, the use of the lamps was for the benefit of the courtiers who roamed the hallways, especially after sunset. But oftentimes, the light provided was only enough to shed some light and not stumble and fall.


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    He¡¯d never seen his castle this bright in the dark. He could even see that no corner was left unlit.


    He soon reached the Oval Office, and as his habit, took a quick glance at his desk as soon as he entered. Immediately he went in front of it, scanning its contents and saw there was nothing on it.


    He heard Sven come in after him, and that¡¯s when he began to ask.


    ¡°On whose authority was it, that you stayed behind instead to fight the larks?¡± he asked. During his short walk through the halls, Kasser has thought about what he knew, along with the facts presented to him at the moment, and came up with a rough conclusion.


    Sven couldn¡¯t have missed the opportunity to fight against the Larks to save his own skin, it wasn¡¯t in his nature, so he must¡¯ve been ordered by someone. Someone high enough to have swayed from his position.


    ¡°Chancellor Verus,¡± he answered softly, and Kasser hummed in reply. It was just as he expected.


    ¡°Elaborate,¡± he said, turning to Sven, ¡°With details, if you will.¡±


    ¡°I was tasked with patrolling the fortress¡¯ perimeter.¡± he began, ¡°Just make sure if something was wrong, report anything unusual.¡±


    ¡°And have you?¡± Kasser asked him, ¡°Reported anything unusual?¡±


    ¡°Only once, Your Grace,¡± he said, ¡°When the gates opened right after the green signal was lit.¡±


    ¡°The gates were opened?¡± Kasser asked in an alarmed tone, ¡°On whose authority?¡± he demanded.


    ???


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    Chapter 83 ¨C Amusing Arguments


    Chapter 84 ¨C A Chancellor¡¯s Grievances (1)


    Chapter 85 ¨C A Chancellor¡¯s Grievances (2)


    Chapter 86 ¨C Oil and Water (1)


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    Chapter 87 ¨C Oil and Water (2)


    Chapter 88 ¨C Late-night Shenanigans (1)


    Chapter 89 ¨C Late-night Shenanigans (2)


    Chapter 90 ¨C Deep in the Realm of Desire (1)


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    Chapter 91 ¨C Deep in the Realm of Desire (2)


    Chapter 92 ¨C Just Like Old Times (1)


    Chapter 93 ¨C Just Like Old Times (2)


    Chapter 94 ¨C An Uncanny Visitor (1)


    Chapter 95 ¨C An Uncanny Visitor (2)


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    Chapter 96 ¨C Facing the Harsh Reality (1)


    Chapter 97 ¨C Facing the Harsh Reality (2)


    Chapter 98 ¨C Could Be One (1)


    Chapter 99 ¨C Could Be One (2)


    Chapter 100 ¨C Mysterious Expenditures (1)


    Chapter 101 ¨C Mysterious Expenditures (2)


    Chapter 102 ¨C It¡¯s My Duty (1)


    Chapter 103 ¨C It¡¯s My Duty (2)


    Chapter 104 ¨C Hiding the Truth


    Chapter 105 ¨C Lucid Dreaming (1)


    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 75 Significant Changes in the Palace (2)

    Chapter 75 ¨C Significant Changes in the Palace (2)


    ¡°Her Majesty, the Queen,¡± he immediately answered, ¡°She gave her permission to open the gates, to allow a servant girl to return home.¡±


    Upon hearing Sven¡¯s report, Kasser immediately put the pieces together. Sven wasn¡¯t ordered to keep watch over the gates. No, he was tasked to keep watch over something more important.


    He was tasked to spy on the queen.


    It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if Chancellor Verus was trying to keep an eye on the queen. After her disappearance on his watch when the dry season ended, it must have prompted Verus to take measures to avoid it.


    To his knowledge, Verus and Jin had a neutral relationship, up until that very moment she tried to escape the desert.


    This was exactly how he imagined Verus would react after that incident.


    Verus was a perfectionist, even to the point of being paranoid. He was probably thinking along the lines that as the war progressed, the people would have less focus on her, and it would be the perfect time to pull another stunt as before.


    And though he understood where Verus was coming from, Kasser couldn¡¯t help but feel insulted. Not because Verus was overstepping his boundaries, or abusing his power¡­


    It was the sole fact that the queen was suspected that made his blood boil. His logic was completely overridden by his emotions.


    ¡°I want you to go, and report to Chancellor Verus, to pull back each and every last one of his men he tasked with spying on the queen!¡± he hissed at Sven, who flinched, ¡°And tell him, if he does this again, I¡¯ll be the one he¡¯s up against.¡±


    ¡°A-at once, Your Grace.¡± Sven stuttered, ready to move to execute his command.


    ¡°And tell him, as well,¡± Kasser called out once again, halting him in his tracks, ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet. I¡¯ll deal with him soon, until then, he¡¯s to stay away from the queen, and the palace.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Your Grace.¡± and with that, he swiftly left. Kasser let out a deep sigh, before straightening up once more, and called for the steward.


    ¡°Did something happen to the general?¡± he asked as soon as the steward had arrived.


    ¡°None, Your Grace,¡± he answered, and Kasser frowned as he looked at his empty desk.


    Prime Minister Verus¡¯ authority only held true when it concerned state affairs. Internal affairs were strictly off-limits, for they were separate things. Only the royal family held such authority on handling these affairs, no one else.


    So why is it empty? He thought to himself.


    Normally after a long absence, such as now, there would be stacks upon stacks of reports awaiting his approval by his return, because only he could resolve it. Even when there was nothing but trivial things that¡¯s happened, it should still be reported.


    Had the General made some mistake? Kasser couldn¡¯t shake the growing suspicion.


    He nodded to the steward, before he turned back to him, ¡°And the queen, has she left me any message?¡± he asked, and the steward shook his head.


    ¡°No. Your Grace.¡±


    Then why was she waiting for me? He couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around it.


    Not to mention the missing reports, but it wasn¡¯t such an issue as much as confusion. He didn¡¯t need to disturb the General only to end up confronting her. It could have been that the past few days were so uneventful inside the palace, that no one had remembered to make a report.


    ¡°Your Grace, I would also like to inform you that your bath is drawn. Would you like us to assist you?¡± the steward asked, and Kasser paused at the offer.


    Initially, he was only going to pass by to see how things were going so far: lift the ban on going outside and go over critical events and settling important affairs; before heading out once more to clean up the aftermath.


    But with the absence of reports, he suddenly had enough time to rest up. He was tempted to accept his offer. After all, it¡¯s been a long time since he¡¯s had the luxury of enjoying a simple thing such as a warm bath, delicious meal, and a decent amount of sleep, especially in the past few days.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, and as if sensing his hurry, the steward even prepared some light snacks for him to eat while he bathed.


    When Kasser came out from his bath, he was noticeably more relaxed. His stomach was also not complaining for once. Ah, he missed this feeling.


    As he was getting dressed, the steward once more came up at him and bowed.


    ¡°Your Grace, General Sarah requests an audience with you.¡±


    ¡°Send the General to my office; I shall meet with her there.¡±


    ¡°At once, Your Grace.¡± the steward bowed and left to relay the message. When Kasser arrived, he wasn¡¯t surprised to see General Sarah was already there, waiting for him. When she saw him, she greeted him with a bow.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s wonderful to see you!¡± she said, and Kasser nodded at her and went behind his desk.


    ¡°Wonderful to see you as well, General, excellent work on holding the fort together.¡±


    ¡°I only did my job, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Nonetheless, if it weren¡¯t for you I would have been reluctant to leave my kingdom unattended for so long.¡±


    ¡°I am flattered with how highly His Highness thinks of me.¡± Sarah told him humbly, ¡°But truly, it was the queen¡¯s effort you have to thank for. I was merely assisting.¡±


    Kasser tapped his fingers on his desk, scrutinizing Sarah, taking note of her actions and expressions. It didn¡¯t seem like she was telling him simply because it was as expected of her.


    ¡°Yes, the queen, which reminds me,¡± he said, ¡°You opened the gates up for a servant girl, on her orders?¡± he clarified, and Sarah confirmed it.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± she then launched on a brief explanation of what happened that led up to the queen, giving her permission to let the servant girl home.


    ¡°So why wasn¡¯t there a report about this?¡±


    ¡°The queen has told us she¡¯ll post the report herself, and would give it to you upon your return. She¡¯s the one handling all the internal affairs during your absence. We only followed orders.¡±


    It was brief, quick, and concisely answered. Kasser would have believed Sarah at face value before, but since then he¡¯s learned that even the General could keep secrets from him. After all, it was only until recently did he learn that Sarah had an uncomfortable relationship with the Queen.


    She could be keeping silent in fear of upsetting her superior.


    ¡°General, I value my people¡¯s opinion most dearly.¡± he said softly, ¡°If anything feels wrong, you tell me immediately.¡± Sarah frowned and shook her head.


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    ¡°Your Highness, of course!¡± she exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯d never dare to deceive you,¡± she told him, and Kasser nodded, satisfied.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After a few more conversations, the General soon left, leaving Kasser on his desk, mulling over his thoughts.


    Change after change has happened, and it was all centered around his wife, the queen. At first, he thought the memory loss of the queen was but a small miracle. He never anticipated it to come along with such significant changes¡­


    Much like the growing ripples on still water when a small pebble is thrown at it.


    He looked at the window, seeing the still darkened sky and sighed, leaning back on his chair. There was still a long way to go until sunrise.


    ???


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    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


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    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine


    WordExcerpt

 Chapter 76 A Nobles Etiquette

    Chapter 76 ¨C A Noble¡¯s Etiquette


    ¡°Grand Chamberlain.¡± a voice called out, and when the Grand Chamberlain turned around, he saw King Kasser walking towards him. He turned to greet him properly, bowing as the King stopped before him.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s good to see you.¡± he greeted and straightened up, ¡°Was there something I could help you with?¡± he asked, and Kasser nodded. He went behind his desk and then sat down.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kasser answered, ¡°The Queen, when does she usually wake up?¡±


    Had he been asked this question some time ago, he would¡¯ve been surprised by the sudden concern the King had with the Queen. But now, he could understand where it was coming from, especially when he himself had witnessed how much the royal couple¡¯s relationship had changed.


    Fortunately, he took it upon himself to learn the Queen¡¯s schedule, that he could give the King a reliable answer.


    ¡°Her Majesty, the Queen, rises by three in the morning, Your Highness.¡±


    Time, in Mahar, was set by the Sang-je¡¯s standards. And by his standards, three in the morning was already late.


    Kasser stared outside the window, and watched the dark sky, estimating the time. There was still a couple more hours then until she awakens.


    ¡°Your Highness, shall I fetch someone to make you tea?¡± the Grand Chamberlain asked him, and Kasser shook his head.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± he said while he stood up from his seat and began to get ready to head out. ¡°If she asks after me, tell her I¡¯ll be back before tomorrow comes.¡± The Grand Chamberlain nodded.


    ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡±


    And with that, Kasser left his office. It wasn¡¯t that he had a particular destination in mind, but it wasn¡¯t long until he found himself standing outside of the Queen¡¯s bedroom, caught in a peculiar mood.


    He was only planning on taking a short detour before leaving, when he happened to pass by her room. Slowly, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. He let himself in, and closed the door quietly behind him.


    Once the door closed with a click, he looked around the room and saw it was dark. He opted out of lighting up a candle and instead used his Praz to see in the dark. And there he saw her, sleeping soundly on her bed.


    She looked so peaceful, snuggled soundly on her pillows, her blanket wrapped around her. She looked so beautiful, so innocent¡­


    So pure.


    The Queen had waited for your arrival until midnight and fell asleep, Your Highness.


    He felt something in his stomach churn in the thought, and Kasser let out a quiet sigh. He ran his hand through his blue locks. If she was trying to trick him into doing something for her, it was considerably worse than what she did in the past.


    Back then, it was clear what he was expected to do and what they each wanted to achieve with being married to each other. He didn¡¯t need to overthink when he knew what the apparent goal was.


    For a while, he treated her like he did any other guest staying at his palace, but now¡­Things rather appeared complicated.


    He let out a sigh, and decided it was high time for him to leave. But just when he was about to leave the room, he caught sight of a pile of papers on the Queen¡¯s desk table. As he scanned its contents, he realized they were all reports made by the general officer.


    Taking the papers into his hand, he made his way to the lounge area of the room. He reclined himself on the sofa and began reading. He knows that whenever he leaves the palace, the General would take it upon herself to go over the affairs and approve them to her own discretion. The reports would later be assessed by the King upon their return.


    For matters beyond the General¡¯s jurisdiction, they were instructed to hold off on any decision until the King¡¯s return.


    But these reports, though the General might have made it, were different from before. Every incident, big or small, they were all reported to the Queen, during the whole duration of the emergency period.


    In his absence, everything was looked over and even approved by her as well.


    Kasser blinked, looking at the Queen¡¯s seal. It was the first he¡¯s ever seen her seal on any official document.


    ?


    By the time Eugene had woken up, she had called out to Zanne, who came in upon hearing her summon. Eugene sat up, rubbing the sleep off her eyes as Zanne stopped by the foot of her bed.


    ¡°Did the King return yesterday?¡± she asked, and Zanne nodded.


    ¡°I heard he returned late at night and left this morning, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Eugene said softly, and thought to herself how difficult it was even to see the King. He must still be busy right now.


    Once more, she couldn¡¯t help but compare his packed schedule to her rather free one. Where he spent most of his days on his feet, here she was doing nothing but sit.


    ¡®I¡¯m trying my best though,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    Thanks to Marianne¡¯s genius idea of using portraits, Eugene¡¯s knowledge of the people around her had significantly increased. She also took it upon herself to memorize the layout of the palace. She even took the time to visit every place she knew.


    Yesterday though, she spent most of her day locked up in her office, going through the papers. It wasn¡¯t much, but she counted it as an achievement as the Queen. It also showed that despite the King being away and risking his life on the battlefield, she could help and support him by handling the internal affairs in the palace.


    Also, she wanted to give the papers to the King, himself personally. This was why she didn¡¯t have Zanne place them on the King¡¯s table even when she was already done with them. Taking a deep breath, Eugene¡¯s eyes drifted to her desk when she thought of the reports.


    She paused and blinked. After a few more, a frown appeared on her forehead as she searched the room. She got out of her bed and looked below the desk, and then back.


    The papers were gone.


    It was only when she finally reached her lounge, did she find them on the table, stacked neatly on top. She frowned.


    That¡¯s odd. I am certain I left them on the desk by my bed before sleeping.


    She was also sure none of the maids had done it. She knows because if one of them touched it, by now, they¡¯d be kneeling in front of her begging for mercy. A bit disconcerting, but true nonetheless.


    ¡°Zanne,¡± she called out, and the young maid went up to her, ¡°Did someone come to my room while I was asleep?¡± she asked and gestured to the papers on the table, ¡°Somebody touched my things last night.¡±


    ¡°I shall go and find out at once, Your Majesty.¡± Zanne gasped and bowed before leaving with an urgency in her steps. A few moments later, Marianne entered her chamber, and not Zanne.


    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty.¡± The baroness greeted, and Eugene gave her a soft smile.


    ¡°Good morning, Marianne. Do you know if-¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was His Highness, the King,¡± Marianne answered, already anticipating the question. ¡°His Highness had come by your chamber, earlier this morning. I apologize for not noticing as I was asleep. Rest assured I shall post guards by your bed chambers from now on, so that this does not happen again.¡± she assured Eugene.


    And it dawned on Eugene why it was Marianne who came, instead of Zanne. Despite their better rapport with each other, they were still scared of upsetting her. So Marianne had taken it upon herself to deliver the answer to put her at ease.


    Despite being married to each other, Kasser and Eugene still had their privacy, which was well respected between the two of them. As such, he must always ask permission to enter her chambers before doing so. And entering her room, without consent, such as earlier, was considered to be rude.


    This wasn¡¯t a case unique only to royal couples, but applicable to any noble couple as well. And she could tell by Marianne¡¯s countenance, that she knew this rule as well. Marianne, though thoroughly invested in repairing their relationship with each other, respected their personal space.


    ¡°Marianne, is there a rule restricting the King from entering my room without former notice?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s not a problem if I allow it.¡± she dismissed and saw the tension leaving the baroness¡¯ body.


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡±


    Though an old custom, she was sure there were other couples close by who freely enter and leave each other¡¯s chambers without consent needed, even to the extent of sharing a room. Still, those types of couples were rare.


    At that moment, Eugene instinctively understood why Jin kept the King at arm¡¯s length. She had a lot of secrets to hide from him. Should they have had a close relationship, eventually he too, would have invaded her privacy and have figured them all out.


    Jin didn¡¯t participate in official matters to only to focus on summoning the Mara. It was also to minimize any contact with the King.


    The more she isolated herself, kept her distance from the King, the easier it would be for her to summon Mara and execute her plans. It also might have helped her if Kasser did not check up on her wellbeing, hovering around her all day.


    Because the King was definitely not the kind of person interested in what others do in their free time, he didn¡¯t bother people with personal questions. Eugene had figured this out in less than a month; Jin probably would¡¯ve too.


    ¡°The King wasn¡¯t part of her plan from the start,¡± Eugene thought. She only made her move when she first came to Hashi and was confident of the King¡¯s personality.


    ???

 Chapter 77 Between Two Towers

    Chapter 77 ¨C Between Two Towers


    But it was still a mystery why he came to her room earlier this morning.


    Lost in her thoughts, Eugene had completely forgotten Marianne¡¯s presence. As Eugene took her time mulling in her head, Marianne took it as an opportunity to study her expression, feeling concerned over what was going on with the Queen¡¯s mind.


    When Eugene finally remembered her, she gave Marianne a soft smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Marianne, truly.¡± She reassured, ¡°You don¡¯t have to make new measures because of what happened yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Though inform me when he returns.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± Marianne answered with relief.


    ***


    Eugene brought up the cup of tea to her lips and took a sip.  As soon as the warm liquid entered her mouth, a delightful aroma wafted through her nose, and the drink slid down her throat smoothly. She put the cup down and placed it back on the table, satisfied.


    She looked out of the window, and there she saw a view she¡¯d only seen in miniature models before. Just beyond the palace walls, were the full view of the village.


    A gentle breeze passed, making her hair flutter softly along.


    She walked along the bridge between two towers of the palace. It was a short walking distance, a canopy arching above her head, pillars so tall as it was spaced evenly along the bridge, holding up the roof.


    It was her first time strolling on the bridge when she was struck with an idea of having tea in this beautiful spot. When Eugene had ordered to bring up a table and chairs, the servants were quite surprised at her instructions.


    Although they found it odd to have tea on the bridge, everyone still obeyed her and had done as she had asked without complaint.


    And there Eugene created her personal caf¨¦. With the roof over her head, it provided her a cool shade from the heat of the sun. And with how high up she was, it provided her with a perfect overhead view.


    Ah, this is life. She thought.


    As the sun begins to set, the once clear skies were slowly being painted over with hues of red, orange, and purple. Eugene couldn¡¯t help but imagine spending the rest of her day coming to the balcony, enjoying tea at the magnificent spot she found whenever she felt like it.


    This here, this was one of the simple joys she could enjoy as the Queen.


    Resting her cheeks on her hand, propped up on the table, watching the setting sun on the orange sky. She was too absorbed with the view that she didn¡¯t realize someone had been staring at her.


    It was Kasser, standing a few steps just behind her. He drank in the sight of her¡ªperched on her chair, looking serenely over his kingdom. He had a busy day, trying to assess the scale of damage that had been done and making things right once more.


    He couldn¡¯t even find spare time for his meals.


    When he was returning to the palace, he still had to command the soldiers, debrief them, and sort their duties. And then he rushed like a madman back to his palace, as if someone was hot on his heels.


    He¡¯d asked around for her whereabouts, and this was where they led him. Up in the bridge, they told him, right between two towers. He was shocked, but he went anyway to see her.


    And the sight that greeted him was so bizarrely unique, her drinking tea, enjoying the scenery. He couldn¡¯t help but let out a light chuckle. It was lovely seeing her relax over tea. He didn¡¯t even notice how much time had passed just by looking at her.


    Eugene was brought out of her reverie by the sound of scuffling against stone and looked behind her. She was surprised when she saw the King.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± She gasped and stood up to greet him properly, but he just gestured her to sit back down, and so she did. Kasser pulled out the other chair across from her and sat down.


    Why does he appear out of nowhere all the time?


    Unprepared, she didn¡¯t know how to face or even act around him. He was simply a stunning man. He was undoubtedly an artist¡¯s masterpiece, God¡¯s handmade man. She had plenty of things she wanted to say to him when she¡¯d finally see him.


    That he did well in protecting the kingdom.


    And above all¡­


    How great it was to see him safe and without injury.


    But now that he was in front of her, she found herself at a loss for words. Clearing her throat, she finally asked¡­


    ¡°When did you arrive?¡± it was all she could think of at the moment. But she backtracked for a moment, and feared he might mistake it for her asking why he had come. ¡°It¡¯s just that I had told them to tell me when you return.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only just returned,¡± He assured her, ¡°It was quicker for me to come to you myself instead of relaying it to a servant.¡±


    This meant that he had come straight to her as soon as he entered the palace. Eugene couldn¡¯t help but think it was about the reports; the one she saw had been misplaced in her room.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry,¡± she told him, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked for the servants to put it in your office.¡±


    ¡°Worry about what?¡±


    ¡°The General¡¯s reports.¡± She answered and he blinked.


    ¡°I already saw it. This morning.¡± He told her, mumbling his words in an embarrassed tone. He couldn¡¯t find the words to explain his intrusion to her room at an impulse, watching her as she slept.


    ¡°Ah yes,¡± she said, nodding, ¡°I heard you came by.¡±


    ¡°It was still very early, so I didn¡¯t wake you up.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but I just made it more convenient.¡± She added, and he quirked his head.


    ¡°Made what convenient?¡±


    ¡°The papers.¡± She said and took a sip from her tea, ¡°You did come by to check on those.¡± Kasser opened his mouth and then closed them, like a fish out of water.


    He was currently speechless, not knowing what to make of this. The papers were never in his mind when he stopped by her room¡ªIt didn¡¯t even cross his thoughts. But Eugene didn¡¯t know or hadn¡¯t realized this.


    She took his silence as a sign for her to continue, and so she did.


    ¡°The General¡¯s work was brilliant. Most of the time, I left the decision to her, but I did decide a couple of times, especially when it needed your approval.¡± She explained, ¡°Did you find anything wrong with what I¡¯ve done?¡± she asked him, worried.


    Especially with the opening of the gates still fresh on her mind. He might have thought she was challenging his authority when it was the farthest thought in her mind.


    She couldn¡¯t entirely brush the concern off, mainly when she¡¯s dealt with numerous people who¡¯d held power. She was unaware of what lines not to cross with them, and hoped her decisions during her time as queen wasn¡¯t one of them.


    ???


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 Chapter 78 Change of Heart (1)

    Chapter 78 ¨C Change of Heart (1)


    Kasser watched her in silence. He sensed she was treading cautiously but did not know what to feel. Even so, he felt the need to explain, she knew not the workings of the palace after all.


    ¡°The royal household is meant to be managed within its purview.¡±


    Eugene looked at him blankly as he continued.


    ¡°It also means only the royals are qualified to take up this responsibility. That makes only two people qualified for the job¨Cyou and I.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Me too?¡± She was visibly surprised.


    ¡°These past few years, I¡¯ve had my hands full dealing with things all by myself. Now, you¡¯ve taken the initiative to fill in during my absence.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I know that.¡±


    ¡°So do you want to manage it going forward?¡±


    As she thought of his offer, Eugene¡¯s eyes widened to their limits. It sounded like he wanted to hand over the management of the palace to her. But even before she answered him, she had a few doubts to resolve.


    ¡°Why¡­ did you oversee everything by yourself?¡±


    ¡°You refused to do it, but you wouldn¡¯t remember that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯d already offered me the job before?¡±


    ¡°Soon after our marriage. Actually, these have always been the queen¡¯s responsibility.¡±


    ¡°What would I be taking over should I accept?¡±


    ¡°A lot of things. It¡¯ll take a long time to list out now, I can send you the details later. To put it simply, you will be the deciding power of the palace in my absence, just like last time.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I don¡¯t have to report things to you?¡±


    ¡°Besides a few exceptions, most reports will be something that you can approve on your own.¡±


    It was not that Eugene did not understand why Jin Anika had refused to take up the job. Having more power meant more things on her mind. If all that Jin Anika needed was enough money to buy antique books, it would be easier to simply ask for a small fortune each time she needed it instead of being subjected to the tedium of managing affairs.


    ¡°But why, all of the sudden?¡±


    Eugene wasn¡¯t dense. She was well aware of the complexities in their relationship, some because of Jin Anika¡¯s previous actions and others because of, but not limited to, the circumstances they were brought together. Entrusting requires trust; the bigger the matter, the greater the need.


    ¡°This is not all of a sudden. As I said, it¡¯s supposed to be your responsibility.¡± He tried his best to assure her.


    ¡°But you¡¯ve done it all this time, so¡­¡±


    Eugene searched for an appropriate word, upon failing to find one she sighed deeply. She was learning to speak eloquently these days and was finding it hard to express her thoughts in the required ¡°refined¡± manner.


    Marianne had occasionally pointed out her directness in speech. She¡¯d advised her to mend her ways before entering high society. A noblewoman had to mind her Ps and Qs to say nothing of the queen. She¡¯d been working on it diligently, but habits do not change overnight. And here, the demand was to change her innately.


    She needed more practice. Right now, she couldn¡¯t think of a way to beat around the bush and deliver her message clearly at the same time. In the end, she decided enough was enough and took the plunge.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please be clear with me on this. Are you trying to test me? Or, are you actually trusting me enough to hand over the responsibility?


    Kasser burst into unrestrained laughter. ¡°You do like your straight-talk. If only everyone spoke like you.¡± He looked at her with smiling eyes, with a trace of indiscernible doting somewhere.


    An abashed Eugene became pink. Never had she imagined that this king actually liked what his nanny hated: her manner of speech. So much for the values instilled!


    ¡°It¡¯s neither.¡±


    She felt a tug in her heart at his abrupt answer. She smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re also quite direct yourself, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kasser laughed again.


    ¡°Taking care of the royal household is important but minor at the same time. It¡¯s very cumbersome for me to check every single tiny thing that goes on in the palace. A servant¡¯s sick leave, for instance.¡±


    Eugene wondered if he was trying to say that he needed someone to take care of his tedious work. If that were the case, she had been overthinking.


    ¡°Are you comfortable with leaving me to it when you don¡¯t have enough trust in me?¡± She was still feeling bitter.


    ¡°Only one thing worries me, which is that you¡­¡±


    Kasser paused, his smile faded. Eugene grew tense at the blue eyes gazing directly at her.


    ¡°¡­ that you might claim you don¡¯t remember this conversation.¡± He teased


    ¡°I¡¯m not that stupid!¡± She was miffed!


    Ignoring her displeasure, he said, ¡°I recently heard that a patient suffering from memory loss might forget recent memories once they recollect their past.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eyes bulged at his words. Kasser was concerned another memory loss incident might occur again! Here she thought he was simply poking fun at her.


    Her next words were carefully drawn out, to make sure she understood him correctly.


    ¡°Is it fine with you if I don¡¯t regain my memories?¡±


    She surmised he would avoid her question. However, he answered her question as if he had been waiting for it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to try too hard.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Pardon me?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ve forgotten things, you can relearn them. It might sound like I¡¯m denying your past and I¡¯m sorry to force this opinion on you, but¡­¡± He paused. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie.¡±


    Eugene was truly amazed. She believed that even with her changes, Kasser still couldn¡¯t shake off seeing her as the previous queen, Jin Anika, no matter how much she claimed, ¡®I don¡¯t remember¡¯. But it seemed it was she who was seeing through tinted glasses. He saw Jin Anika and Eugene as separate people and he had just made it crystal clear.


    Since when?


    If she was indeed Jin Anika and had actually lost her memory, she would be confused by his words now. Surely, she would be ashamed of how horrible she was in the past. If she herself felt so, she couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what Kasser felt. But¡­


    The woman he chose is me, not Jin Anika.


    On the other hand, having expressed his heart, Kasser was feeling unburdened. But that didn¡¯t mean he was not without regrets. He knew it was unbecoming of him to hope she stayed the same, even so, he felt comfortable with her not recovering fast enough.


    When he had seen the queen¡¯s seal on the reports, he was surprised. It took him some time to believe his eyes, after which, he had kept thinking about it all day long. And why not?


    This queen, who had avoided taking any responsibility at all costs, had now come forward to assume her role, of her own accord. This wasn¡¯t the same level of change as the way she talked. She had transformed into a completely different person¡­ a better one even.


    So, even if she happened to recover, Kasser decided to believe in the slight chance that she might not return to being the person she was before. Perhaps Marianne was right. Maybe she did need a long period for adjustment.


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    He and Jin Anika had started off on the wrong foot. He had dodged any and every problem he noticed in their marriage. He didn¡¯t want to, nor did he try to get to know the queen. He knew in his heart, that he was equally responsible for the fiasco called marriage and up until she returned, he wasn¡¯t the slightest remorseful.


    However, now, his heart had changed. He trusted that their relationship could actually improve. He wanted to know her, trust her and perhaps, even love her. As much as his change surprised himself, he was more surprised by how much he was looking forward to it.


    ???


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 79 Change of Heart (2)

    Chapter 79 ¨C Change of Heart (2)


    ¡°While you¡¯re honest, tell me another thing. Do you think that the current me can do more good to the kingdom than the older me?¡±


    Kasser hesitated to reply, he avoided her gaze for a brief moment even.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he finally said, but something troubled his mind, and he didn¡¯t know what.


    Ah, so I was right about that. She held on to her proud heart and reminded herself.


    All that matters to the Desert King is his kingdom. So I have to stop deluding myself and, instead, be grateful to him for agreeing to give me a useful position in the palace.


    ¡°This responsibility, will it help you if I take it?¡±


    ¡°It will help me a lot.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    He felt a stirring in his heart as he gazed at the queen, smiling so sweetly at him. It bothered him, but he couldn¡¯t put the finger on it. Yet, he was certain that it wasn¡¯t anything unpleasant.


    Recently, he had been experiencing a great deal of emotions and symptoms he couldn¡¯t clearly work out. But he didn¡¯t have a moment to sit down and think through these; he was simply too busy.


    See here, there was no end to the list of things he had to do today. A pile of papers from Verus was waiting for his final approval. And this was just one of the things. Nonetheless, he put aside his work and unexpectedly proposed to her.


    ¡°You said you wanted to go out. Shall we go now?¡± he asked, with hopeful eyes.


    ¡°Now?¡± She was shocked.


    ¡°After the sun is completely down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll still be very disorderl¡­¡±


    ¡°Everybody will be back to living their lives again. There won¡¯t be larks for some time now, hence, everyone will be out in the streets.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There is a period of peace after larks invade the kingdom. We just had a huge army of them, so there won¡¯t be any for at most ten days.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s excellent news¡­ not that the army is good news. Yes, let¡¯s go out. I want to go out.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The corner of his lips raised slightly. Eugene felt his eyes that were looking at her were gentle. She turned away, afraid that she may blush any minute.


    In the distance, the sun had finally set. Everything had returned to blissful silence.


    ¡°Can you jump from here, too?¡±


    They were at the bridge, which was higher off than his study. The depth she saw when she poked her head out of the banisters was frightening. It would take a crazy to leap off from here; she looked at him with worry.


    ¡°Shall I try?¡± Kasser replied as he pushed the chair back with his legs as he stood up.


    Absolutely appalled, Eugene quickly shouted. ¡°No!¡±


    Seeing her fierce, bulging orbs, he burst out laughing. She looked back at him, unable to believe he was joking.


    His unbridled laughter warmed her heart and pleased her eyes. She wanted to become the only person that shared his jokes and laughter. Was it too much to ask? Instantly aware of the nonsense, she quickly regretted her thoughts.


    Eugene intuitively knew she was falling for him. How nice would it be to control your heart, however you please? She was full of mixed feelings.


    ?


    Eugene was all dressed and ready.


    For the trip, she had to hide her inky black hair. She put on a brown wig and, just to be sure, wore a robe with a hood. It was dark enough outside, so she didn¡¯t bother hiding her eyes.


    Marianne had dressed Eugene herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s all done, Your Grace,¡± Marianne said with delight. She could read the excitement on the queen¡¯s face. It was a rude thought, but she was cute.


    She suspected the king saw the queen no differently than her. It was a true relief he finally recognized her lovely nature.


    His Majesty is quite insensible, but at least he started to look at the people around him.


    Marianne was deeply touched that they were spending quality time together. She didn¡¯t wish for more other than them to become closer at this speed. But whatever it is, she was happy about the positive turn of events.


    ¡°Have a safe trip, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°I heard everything is in order in the city.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯ll still be different from the palace, Your Grace. Be cautious never to leave His Majesty¡¯s side.¡±


    Eugene smiled awkwardly. It was her first time hearing sincere words from someone. Here, everyone was kind to her. It¡¯s probably because she was the queen, but not all kindnesses were mere formal gestures.


    I would¡¯ve lived not knowing it if I didn¡¯t experience it¡­


    Eugene knew she wouldn¡¯t be living life the same way she did when she went back to it. She used to think life was a lonely journey. But now, her beliefs were shaken and her heart stirred. She was ready to hold on to hope, even if just a glimmer.


    A page entered and announced.


    ¡°His Majesty, Your Grace.¡±


    Eugene went to the living room and was surprised. The attire made the tall man unfamiliar.


    Kasser wore civilian clothes and a wig, just like Eugene. But the humble clothing and dull-colored wig failed to hide his handsome face.


    He is definitely going to stand out from the crowd with that face. When her eyes met his, he appeared a little cross.


    ¡°Are you done getting ready?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Marianne answered politely.


    However, to Eugene, it sounded like he was asking if that was all she was going to wear, so she looked down at her attire and wondered if something was wrong.


    ¡°Is there a robe with a larger hood? Your face is visible,¡± said the king.


    A bigger hood was going to block her view. Nonetheless, the king¡¯s cold, mandating gaze told her he wasn¡¯t going to tolerate any more refusal.


    ???


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 80 The Town Square (1)

    Chapter 80 ¨C The Town Square (1)


    Just as Eugene finally got ready, she turned around and saw Kasser standing, waiting for her to finish with not a robe in sight to cover him up, or hide his identity. A frown settled on her face as soon as she neared him.


    ¡°Where is your robe, Your Highness?¡± she asked him. Kasser looked at her, then down on his attire.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need one.¡± He told her confidently, and Eugene pursed her lips.


    ¡°I wore mine to hide my eyes, despite not being noticeable,¡± she pointed out to him, ¡°Your eyes, on the other hand, can be easily spotted by just about anyone.¡±


    ¡°I can change my eye color whenever I wish.¡± He explains, and suddenly, closed his eyes for a moment.


    When he opened them, Eugene¡¯s eyes widened, and she let out a small gasp of surprise. No longer were his irises in a light blue hue, but a darker shade, almost the same as the people in the kingdom.


    ¡°In poor lighting, it almost appears brown,¡± Kasser remarks, ¡°The people would be none the wiser.¡±


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± she asked in amazement as she stared at his eyes.


    ¡°I,¡± he cleared his throat when she drew closer than expected, ¡°It¡¯s through my Praz, quite difficult to explain.¡± He said, and Eugene stepped back, realizing just how close they¡¯d been.


    ¡°Still, what if someone recognizes you¡­ even when you change your eyes?¡±


    ¡°No one would be able to identify me.¡± He placates her, and she frowns.


    Unconvinced, she prodded on, ¡°No one in the whole city knows your face?¡±


    Shaking his head, ¡°Why do you think they do?¡± he asked with a smile.


    ¡°Well, you take such frequent visits out the palace¡ª¡± she began before stopping abruptly. It was then when realization dawned on her that despite the frequent visits the king makes outside of the palace walls, none of the people ever did dare to look upon his face.


    No one probably had the courage to even look at him in the eyes.


    And even if they did catch a glimpse of the king¡¯s face, they couldn¡¯t identify his face alone without his bright blue hair and eyes giving him away.


    Even so, it still presented her with another conundrum. Even without the help of his eyes or hair, his face would still stand out in a crowd.


    ¡°Even if they don¡¯t recognize you, you will still stand out from the crowd!¡± she exclaims, ¡°I very much doubt I would have a peaceful trip tonight. Not when everywhere we go, people will turn their heads our way because of you.¡±


    ¡°You should wear a robe.¡± She added after a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    It was at that moment she realized the room had grown silent¡ªshe slipped up. She hadn¡¯t meant to sound like that, but to the others, she might have appeared to be ordering the king.


    Contrary to her belief, the whispers of the servants around them were for a whole other reason.


    She couldn¡¯t see it, but from their point of view, they were having a very intimate conversation. One that was usually heard between married couples.


    Despite not doing it just for the show, Eugene thought having talks like this, like two friends, was completely normal.


    The servants, as well as Marianne, stood around them, observing the couple. Amusement was evident in their eyes as they watched the exchange. They gave the impression they were closer than they actually were.


    Fortunately, the tense silence was broken off by Marianne¡¯s light chuckle.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Marianne interrupted, ¡°Her Majesty, the Queen is right. It is an outing for her sake. It would be better for you to follow her suggestions.¡±


    Eugene pressed her lips into a thin line, nervous if she somehow had offended the king from her request, but it seemed like there was nothing to be worried about. Kasser had sighed in resignation and then turned to a servant, ordering them to fetch his robe.


    ¡°Bring me my robe.¡± He commanded, and the servant bowed and went to get it.


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    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Shortly after, the servant returned, on their hands was the robe. As Eugene stepped aside, she watched as they assisted the king, draping the piece of clothing over his shoulders.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel something within her stir. It was an odd sensation, knowing a supreme ruler followed her order, even if it was a trivial matter.


    When the robe was on, and the servants stepped back to give them some room, Kasser led her to the front of the gardens. There stood a man, and behind him was a coach, pulled on by a couple of horses, waiting for them.


    From afar, Eugene noticed the man was fairly tall, and as she drew closer, she couldn¡¯t help but recognize him. Once they stood in front of him, Eugene finally figured out he was one of their guides for the night.


    ¡°Sven.¡± Kasser called out, acknowledging the knight. Sven bowed down low to him, then at the Queen, giving them his own greetings. When Sven straightened up, he introduced himself to Eugene.


    ¡°Germane Sven, Your Majesty.¡± He told her, ¡°I shall be yours and the King¡¯s escort tonight for any emergency that may arise. Rest assured, you won¡¯t be able to notice me.¡±


    It was a couple more moments until Eugene realized why he looked so familiar.


    ¡°Ah, of course, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve met,¡± Eugene said, and Sven gave her a delighted smile.


    Sven had been one of the people that first found her in the desert, been the first one she saw in fact. He had also led the group of guards that took her back to the palace¡¯s safety. Back then, she was certain they had mistaken her for someone else.


    However the fear of being left behind in the middle of the desert had overtaken her, and thus she had remained silent. She had kept her mouth shut until they reached the kingdom. Sven had also kept his distance during that incident, only speaking to her when necessary.


    But he did take extra care of her, giving her necessary food and water, as well as a comfortable bed to sleep on when they were travelling.


    She remembered it like it was just yesterday, the fright of waking up to nothing but winds and sands and the searing heat of the sun. Soon enough she found herself surrounded by strangers, and taken against her will.


    Looking back at it now, she found his actions extremely comforting, and she was grateful for it.


    ¡°I forgot to thank you,¡± she told him, ¡°For the last time.¡±


    ¡°You owe me no thanks, Your Majesty.¡± Sven assured her, ¡°I only did what was expected of me. Here, let me help you up.¡± He offered her his hand, steadying her as she went up the coach.


    Once both royalties were already on the coach, they finally began to depart towards the city. As Eugene sat and watched them pass by the palace walls, she turned to Kasser.


    ¡°Is Sven the only one who will be with us today?¡± she asked him. She had seen no other warrior escorting them. Kasser turned to her and nodded.


    He respected my wish regarding the guards. She thought to herself.


    Their last discussion about the guards didn¡¯t really reach a conclusion, so she had assumed he¡¯d do as he wanted and bring a small group of guards. After all, he was quite adamant that they¡¯d need more than just one.


    She knew it¡¯s not much to go on, but she felt extremely touched by the gesture. In her novel, the one she wrote, Kasser was a self-righteous man. Once he¡¯s had set his mind to what¡¯s right, there was nothing anyone could do to change it.


    ¡°Where are we first headed to?¡± she asked him


    ¡°To the plaza,¡± he told her and gestured to the roads up ahead, ¡°There are multiple roads to take to reach it, so you can choose which one we¡¯ll take.¡±


    When she had chosen, they did as she had asked and went down a particular path. The coach soon came to a stop, and Kasser stepped out first, and then helping Eugene off right after. As soon as she stepped down, she gasped in amazement as the plaza came to her sight.


    They had stopped by the corner, but from there, she could see the middle where a huge tree had grown. Its branches spread in an upward arch, with leaves big enough to provide shade. It¡¯s trunk so wide, it looked like it would take at the very least ten people to circle around it.


    Around the trunk was an array of lamps positioned, its bright warm lighting shining on the leaves, even under the pitch-black sky. When Eugene shifted her gaze to the floor, she saw colorful stones of various shapes and sizes covering the cement, like a floor mosaic.


    It was then she realized the plaza was resembling something.


    ¡®The Holy City.¡¯ She thought and took another look around. She was sure the plaza was designed with the square of the Holy City as the motif. But it was merely an imitation as the size was smaller.


    Yet, this brought her an eerie feeling, one that slowly managed to fill her.


    ???

 Chapter 81 The Town Square (2)

    Chapter 81 ¨C The Town Square (2)


    Eugene had designed the plaza in the holy city purely from her imagination, and in the middle of it was a huge tree for a centerpiece.


    Around the plaza were families, lovers, and friends all walking around, having fun, with smiles on their faces. Some were even sitting beneath the wooden benches positioned underneath the tree.


    She found herself even more excited now that she was seeing it in person. Though the palace was amazing, it seemed so unrealistic. The plaza on the other hand, was much more familiar and thus made it more impressive.


    In Mahar, the people Eugene had been around in were only normal people. So different from her original world, the life she had once lived in.


    ¡®Where¡­ where am I standing?¡¯


    Was she truly standing in the middle of her novel? Was it possible to create a world with only her imagination?


    ¡°Jin.¡± Eugene jumped. She looked down and realized she was holding his hands tightly. When she tried to let go, he held hers more tightly.


    She looked up and met his eyes.


    ¡°Do you want to go back?¡± he said. His voice was filled with worry. Eugene shook her head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little startled. It¡¯s more peaceful than what I imagined. It¡¯s as if nothing had happened here.¡±


    Kasser looked back at his people with a new perspective. Some people might have died yesterday, but the survivors must live on. He thought it would be difficult for her to understand their lives; so full of war. So full of death.


    ¡°I want you to get used to it, too.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I don¡¯t- ¡°


    Kasser suddenly marched on, pulling her along with him. Eugene followed along, trying not to lose balance, he was walking quite fast. He quickly slowed down when he noticed she was struggling to match his pace.


    ¡®It¡¯s like we¡¯re on a date,¡¯ Eugene thought as she looked at their hands together.


    The two walked up neared the tree at the center of the plaza.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± He asked her, and Eugene looked around them. There were multiple roads to take from the plaza. Each lead to mansions of nobles, streets full of houses of normal people, shops and markets, and many more.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eugene thought, looking around in place, taking her time deciding.


    ¡°We can¡¯t visit every road today.¡± He added, and Eugene nodded at him.


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re a very busy man, but you spared some time to make this trip happen. I won¡¯t take too much of your time. I can always come back and spend my time looking around.¡± She stated as an afterthought.


    Kasser frowned at her use of the word ¡°I.¡± He didn¡¯t think this trip with her was a waste of time.


    He wanted to be with her. When he was about to clear up the misunderstanding.


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°How about there?¡±, Eugene interrupted Kasser before he could say more. He looked to where she was pointing. ¡°What¡¯s along that road?¡±


    ¡°There are storages owned by merchants and inns where travelers stay.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try that road.¡±


    ¡°That one? There won¡¯t be an awful lot to see there.¡± He told her, and Eugene just shrugged.


    ¡°Well, that road caught my eyes. Let¡¯s go.¡± She told him and began to go down that way.


    Kasser didn¡¯t like her idea. It was one of the least safe places in the city, where wanderers roamed the streets. But Kasser started to walk towards where she pointed without further complaints. He was sure she was safe with him standing by her side.


    Walking beside Kasser, Eugene¡¯s eye¡¯s started to widen.


    Why does that road look familiar? she nervously thought as she looked at the direction she was headinf. The more their steps moved closer to the edge of the plaza, she realized her d¨¦j¨¤ vu wasn¡¯t just an illusion.


    I know this place¡­ It seems like I¡¯ve been here before.


    Specifically, Jin had been here before. It was similar to how Jin¡¯s memory pictured in her head when she first entered the dining room.


    I thought Jin only spent her days in her bedroom and study. When did she come here? she frowned the more she thought about it, and turned to the king.


    ¡°Did I make frequent trips outside the palace?¡± she asked him, and Kasser shook his head.


    ¡°You never left the palace before.¡± Eugene felt her heart begin to race.


    Oh, dear. Why did I think she quietly stayed in the palace? She obviously could¡¯ve sneaked out without anyone knowing.


    Eugene berated herself. Jin shutting herself indoors, looking at books? She didn¡¯t think she could be more stupid. She underestimated the evil woman whose plan was to overturn the world. The study was only a trick, an alibi.


    The three of them, including Sven, walked from the edge of the plaza and into the road. Eugene quickly scanned the area. She saw rugged buildings along both sides of the road, which appeared as the storages, with piles of wooden boxes out on the road. People who seemed to be workers moved the boxes into the building.


    What did Jin do here? She could¡¯ve bought rare items in secret since it¡¯s a street full of merchants¡¯ storage. She thought nothing looked suspicious when something caught her gaze. Her steps halted as she did so, looking intently at the object that has caught her attention.


    It was a run-down building, about two storeys high. The building hadn¡¯t gone under maintenance work for a long time, if the olive-green painting scraping off its outer walls was any indication. When Eugene stopped, Kasser stopped with her and turned his head to the building as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s a closed inn.¡± He told her. Wooden boards nailed over its windows. ¡°The building has shut down.¡±


    She stared at the covered windows he mentioned. Despite knowing it was closed down, she still kept seeing flashes of scenes deep within her mind. Inside the building were stairs made of stones, leading to the upper floor. Although it looked like a ragged building in the ruins, inside, the stone steps were made with perfect precision. Up the stairs on the upper floor was a narrow hallway with doors opposite each other. One of those doors enlarged and appeared in front of her.


    She then saw the head of a person lying face down on the floor. The next scene projected upon her like she was flickering through an album¡­ The man lifted his head.  She had never seen him before.


    He had ruddy eyes.


    Eugene took a sharp breath in surprise. Kasser quickly held her body, reeling from the shock.


    He looked down at her with a stern face full of worry. Her face looked ashen as he looked upon her.


    ¡°Are you okay? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­It must be something I ate.¡± She mumbled weakly, trying not to give herself away too much.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that before? We should head back. Can you walk?¡± Eugene nodded with confidence but stopped within a few steps. Her legs had turned to jelly after the shock.


    ¡°Ah!¡± she cried as her head suddenly spun. When she finally pulled herself together, her legs were swept from under her, and she found herself being carried in bridal-style by Kasser. She allowed herself to relax and leaned on his chest. She watched the old building over his shoulders until it disappeared from her sight as he carried her back to the plaza.


    Eugene closed her eyes. She was extremely worn out. Jin¡¯s memory had never felt so intense.


    Something had happened in that building.


    ???

 Chapter 82 Entirely Different Person

    Chapter 82 ¨C Entirely Different Person


    When they finally arrived back in the palace, Eugene was immediately escorted into her room, and servants rushed around her, fussing on her condition. One even went as far as to summon the doctor.


    As she watched all this, there was only one thought that ran through her head¡­


    I¡¯m never saying I¡¯m sick again.


    She sat obediently on her bed, letting them ask her questions, and answering honestly. Everyone was so concerned, and it might be an exaggeration on her part, but she was certain by this point everyone had gone in to ask about her well-being at least once.


    She wanted to be alone, with her thoughts without people around her. The excuse of being sick completely backfired as it sent the people into a worried frenzy. She should¡¯ve thought about it more. After all, when you¡¯re a Queen, there was no such thing as being just ill.


    It¡¯s almost like the last time I pretended to be sick. Eugene thought, remembering the way people crowded around her, including doctors, when she first arrived in the palace. All were asking after her, about how she felt, any discomfort.


    But unlike before, the King, too, was fussing over her. She even spotted the Grand Chamberlain by the corner, accompanied by his servants, taking up space at one side of her room. Despite the large space inside the bedroom, it was filled with people, making the entire place feel a little stuffy.


    ¡°Do you feel dizzy and nauseous?¡± the doctor asked her, and Eugene shook her head.


    ¡°No, it was only a little discomfort,¡± she said, trying not to let it show she was only pretending to feel sick. She only wanted to be alone, that¡¯s why she faked having a light stomachache, to which she insisted she was fine now.


    Another servant entered, in their hands were documents, which General Sarah had received. The papers were then handed over to the head physician, who scanned the documents briefly with a slight frown.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t eat any more or different than usual¡­¡± the doctor murmured under his breath as he read through the document, and Eugene then realized what the servant had brought in.


    Wait, does this mean everything that I eat was being recorded?


    And while she had figured that being Queen would give her little to no privacy, it was still a chilling thought to know someone was always watching her at every waking moment.


    Judging by the physician¡¯s nonchalance on her knowledge about the records, it was completely normal for them to monitor what she¡¯s been eating. After realizing this, another thought popped into her mind¡­


    For Jin to have eluded everyone to sneak out, she¡¯s pretty amazing. she thought in amazement. She was obviously no match to the cunningness of Jin.


    ¡°Well, there isn¡¯t a clear explanation. Sometimes, psychological factors do have an effect on digestion. Fortunately, the condition does not seem to be severe, so I will prescribe some medication that will aid digestion. A short walk after your medication will help you recover, Your Majesty.¡± the head physician told her after further examination.


    However, just before they leave entirely, Kasser interrupts, airing a new concern.


    ¡°Was there a change in the cooking staff recently?¡± He asked, and the physicians exchanged looks until one of the servants from the kitchen answered¡­


    ¡°There was a new assistant cook, Your Highness.¡± the servant said, ¡°I can fetch him this instant.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Kasser said with a frown, ¡°Look through the ingredients that were used in cooking the Queen¡¯s dinner,¡± he ordered, and the servants bowed.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    You don¡¯t have to do all that! Eugene wanted to say, but didn¡¯t. She could only watch quietly the matter had gotten out of hand rather quickly, especially with Kasser¡¯s incessant worry.


    Although Kasser had only instructed them to check, she knew very clearly how much of a hassle it would bring the servants. Eugene felt guilty for making everyone do unnecessary things because she faked her illness just to go back home.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m alright.¡± Eugene insisted, sitting up, ¡°Honestly, I feel extremely better than I was an hour ago. I would like to talk to you in private.¡± she added, giving the king a pointed stare before Kasser ordered anything else to the general officer or any of the remaining servants.


    Sighing in resignation, Kasser looked at his people.


    ¡°You can all leave now,¡± He ordered them. When everyone cleared out, only silence remained, and Eugene finally let out a relaxed sigh, with a mental promise of not doing anything as drastic as that again.


    She needed to remember she couldn¡¯t just make excuses; she was acting like a Queen now.


    But despite her fake illness being blown way out of proportion, she was a little happy by the thought of having that many people so concerned about her.


    It was heartwarming. Back when she was just Eugene, little to none was ever that concerned about her.


    It was a pleasant change.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize to you, Your Highness,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ve wasted your time by going to the village and not even able to see it through.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to apologize for.¡±


    ¡°I think I do,¡± Eugene insisted, ¡°You¡¯re a very busy man, don¡¯t bother denying it.¡± she added when Kasser tried to protest, ¡°And here I am, adding to your burden.¡± she finished, looking down at her hands, fiddling with her fingers.


    Kasser watched the Queen, and when they locked eyes, she brought them back down. Kasser, too, looked away at the odd feeling he got.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were a burden.¡± he corrected, ¡°And going to the village is never a waste of time.¡±


    The awkward tension between them remained until Kasser cleared his throat.


    ¡°You should get some rest,¡± He said, nodding at her and moved to leave, when Eugene called out for him¡­


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Kasser paused when he heard her and turned to look.


    Their eyes met, and Eugene¡¯s words died in her throat. She didn¡¯t know why she called out, all she knew was she wanted him to stay even a little longer.


    ¡°W-what happened, a little while ago,¡± she stuttered, trying to cover up her longing, ¡°Those things, um, was that the usual way of things?¡± she asked, and gave him a nervous smile, ¡°If you recall I forgot how things work, so I was wondering if those reactions were normal.¡±


    And before she knew it, she began blabbing about things she¡¯d been keeping ever since she¡¯s arrived.


    ¡°Marianne¡¯s a great help, but there are some things I can¡¯t talk about with her.¡± she added, ¡°I worry she¡¯ll think poorly of me. Not that she¡¯s treating me poorly, she¡¯s been very kind-¡±


    Kasser raised his hand, trying to placate her to stop her rambling.


    ¡°No need to further explain,¡± he tells her, ¡°And while I can¡¯t understand your position completely, I do understand how hard it can be to open up to the people working for you.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Eugene blinked, ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°So you wanted to know if this is how things are usually done, or if I¡¯ve done extra measures when you¡¯ve lost your memory, was that correct?¡± he asked, sitting on the edge of her bed, and Eugene nodded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.


    She was taken aback at how well he was able to articulate her thoughts so quickly and simply. He was indeed such a clever man.


    Come to think of it, every conversation they¡¯ve had has gone rather smoothly. He hadn¡¯t even pulled rank over her whenever she demanded things from him. He¡¯d always been willing to listen to what she had to say and never dismissed her.


    Three years he¡¯s been married to Jin. She could tell just how much patience and generosity this man had.


    In her novel, the Desert King was a stubborn, one-way street kind of man. His driving force had only ever been vengeance on Jin. Despite being the most powerful in her novel, Eugene was never quite satisfied with writing his part.


    And though it would have been perfect if the most powerful king also had excellent leadership, the Desert King never found the time to mingle with any of the other kings. Whenever there were gatherings, he¡¯d always be the first to leave when the important talks were over, often making up excuses for duties and responsibilities.


    It was the very reason the Salt King always quarreled with him. Whenever the two kings would meet, things would take an ugly turn, souring the jovial mood immediately.


    Had Eugene wrote the Desert King as the man before her currently was, perhaps her story could have gone better. Perhaps even differently.


    When writing characters in novels, it¡¯s quite difficult to create a round character, where they develop over the story. Which was why most of the time, the characters she¡¯s made were rather static, characters with one-dimensional personality, that was it was easier to steer the plot to go in one direction.


    After all, a character may very well steer the course of the story in a totally different direction.


    This isn¡¯t the character I wrote. Eugene thought as she watched Kasser. This is a different person altogether.


    ???


    We will really appreciate it if you leave reviews or ratings here. Moreover, you can join us in discord and participate in discussions and sharing of spoilers!


    If you want to support the translators and have access to advance chapters, you can do so being our patron on July. Please refrain from pledging at every end of the month to avoid being charged twice.


    Browse our Table of Contents


    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 83 Amusing Arguments

    Chapter 83 ¨C Amusing Arguments


    It¡¯s been, in fact, several days since she realized the man before her and the man she wrote have varying differences in personality, but it¡¯s only now she¡¯s actually seeing him as an entirely different person.


    She was this world¡¯s creator. This was her story. And as much as she¡¯d like to think the people in the story, the king especially, wouldn¡¯t be able to do things she¡¯d never given them an ability to, she continues to be surprised every time.


    No longer was she seeing them as just her characters, but in a much more realistic sense instead. The more time she spent alone with him, the more uneasy she got.


    This was indeed reality.


    ¡°To answer your question, yes, it is a usual formality.¡± Kasser finally answered.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little excessive?¡± Eugene asked, ¡°It¡¯s only an upset stomach.¡± she pointed out, and Kasser shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time a physician was needed.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have given orders to check the kitchen staff and look through the ingredients had I been frequently sick, then?¡±


    ¡°Probably not.¡±


    Jin must¡¯ve been pretty healthy for a woman who didn¡¯t do exercise much, she thought, but she knew that this wasn¡¯t the case in her mental health. No healthy mentality would¡¯ve given a woman an ambition to take over the world.


    A healthy body, and a strong mind. Being a villain wasn¡¯t indeed easy. Eugene almost laughed at the silly thought.


    ¡°I should probably have more healthy habits then,¡± Eugene quipped, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hassle everyone some more,¡± she said in a light tone.


    Apparently, that wasn¡¯t the correct response.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a joking matter.¡± Kasser scolded her slightly, and Eugene looked taken aback before breaking her gaze away and looking down in embarrassment. She felt her heart palpitate. She hadn¡¯t meant to appear to be brushing off their concerns.


    Kasser¡¯s face softened. He reached for her hand and in a gentle tone, spoke, ¡°If you can¡¯t talk to Marianne about something, don¡¯t hesitate to ask me,¡± Eugene finally looked up from her musings, and felt a foreign feeling pool in her gut.


    She didn¡¯t want to disappoint him, to fall out of favor. At this point, she wanted to be in his good graces just to ensure her survival, but things were much more complicated than she originally thought.


    His skin against her palms felt hot, yet comforting.


    She knows she couldn¡¯t tell him about what she saw in her dream, he wouldn¡¯t understand. And as much as she¡¯d like to wrangle the answers out of Jin, she was all but gone in mind, leaving only her body with Eugene.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble, I¡¯d like to go back to town since I wasn¡¯t able to get a good look around,¡± Eugene said, wetting her lips.¡°I¡¯d also like just Sven to escort me, this time.¡± She wondered if she overstepped her bounds. Kasser seemed to be thinking it over before he nodded at her.


    Sven was a good soldier, loyal and strong. He did as was commanded with little complaints and was disciplined and trained to perfection. Knowing this, it must be the primary reason Verus used him to keep a close eye on what goes on in the palace, to spy on the Queen.


    ¡°One guard isn¡¯t enough, though,¡± he told Eugene, and she nodded.


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    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Eugene said, ¡°That¡¯s why you can tell him to gather a small group of guards to accompany us, I won¡¯t protest.¡± she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know any other soldier aside from him, so it would be the best course of action.¡±


    Kasser quirked his head, observing the sudden change of heart. She had been so adamant before that she didn¡¯t need guards, even going as far as to insist they¡¯d only need one.


    ¡°You¡¯d need at least five,¡± he added, and Eugene nodded obediently.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Eugene beamed.


    ¡°Why the sudden change?¡± Kasser asked her, his confusion growing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I changed my mind,¡± Eugene quickly amended, ¡°It¡¯s only that, now that I¡¯ve gone, I realized you were right,¡± she said.


    Eugene knows now that it was childish of her to think it would be fine to go to town unguarded. It was a rookie mistake on her part. She wasn¡¯t just Eugene now, she was Jin Anika, wife to the Desert King, Kasser


    She couldn¡¯t go anywhere without an escort. Especially not with the active period, and Larks about to attack at any given moment. It was time to get serious¡ªshe couldn¡¯t remain in her civilian mindset.


    It was time to be Queen.


    ?


    When Kasser finally stepped out of the queen¡¯s bed chambers, he brought his hands up to his chin, caressing his light stubble. He stood there for some time, deep in thought.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time this happened. It wasn¡¯t the first time Jin had actually retracted her opinions and offered a compromise as a roundabout way of apology. Just like that time when a disagreement had come about with Marianne on a servant¡¯s punishment.


    She knows how to bow out, let better solutions take place instead of the one she wants.


    But this wasn¡¯t a forceful type of yielding, no. This one stemmed mainly from understanding how flawed she was in her thinking. She showed great maturity in backing down.


    He¡¯d never felt as light-hearted whenever they¡¯d reached an agreement before. It was nice.


    To be honest, he was quite enjoying the back and forth an argument about the guards from before. It was so trivial; he hadn¡¯t really cared who would win the debate, he just continued for the sake to keep talking with her. He found her amusing, more so when she was flustered, much like a child throwing a tantrum.


    He couldn¡¯t wait until their next argument. It would be amusing to see his wife get riled up.


    ???


    We will really appreciate it if you leave reviews or ratings here. Moreover, you can join us in discord and participate in discussions and sharing of spoilers!


    If you want to support the translators and have access to advance chapters, you can do so being our patron on July. Please refrain from pledging at every end of the month to avoid being charged twice.


    Browse our Table of Contents


    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 84 A Chancellors Grievances (1)

    Chapter 84 ¨C A Chancellor¡¯s Grievances (1)


    A short walk, he said? Kasser thought of what the head doctor had said and decided to check back on Eugene later. When he arrived at his office, he was greeted by the Grand Chamberlain, anxiously waiting for him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the chancellor is requesting to see you.¡±


    Kasser frowned. He had made it clear through Sven that the chancellor was not to return unless he was ordered to.


    ¡°Are you saying the chancellor is standing on the other side of this door?¡±


    ¡°No, your Majesty. He is waiting for your permission outside the palace.¡±


    Picturing Verus standing alone outside of the gate, his temper simmered down a little. He admitted he was driven by emotions when he gave Sven the command in the middle of the night. If the queen hadn¡¯t lost her memory, he would¡¯ve overlooked Verus¡¯s actions.


    The Grand Chamberlain silently waited for the king¡¯s answer. There had never been a day where the chancellor could not set foot into the palace¡ªthis might be quite devastating for him.


    While the man sitting on the throne could not be replaced, the chancellor could be very well so kicked out of his position and replaced. Since the king¡¯s respect towards Verus was immense, no one could dare to step up. Still, numerous men vigilantly waited for an opportunity to overtake Verus¡¯s position.


    Although it seemed like the authority of the kingdom could be handed over to another individual, the Grand Chamberlain didn¡¯t show his curiosity. He knew more than anyone that the Kasser hated intrusive behaviors.


    ¡°Let him in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    A moment later, Verus entered the office. He kept his head bowed down, and frantically kneeled on the floor, facing Kasser¡¯s desk.


    ¡°I beg for your mercy, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kasser looked down at Verus, who seemed to be kissing the floor with his hands and forehead against the cold flooring of his study. It was indeed a degrading and humiliating sight of the proud chancellor.


    Given his position, Verus dominated soldiers and commoners over the years. Kasser knew it wouldn¡¯t have been easy for him to kneel flat on the floor like that. But he did, regardless of his pride.


    What a sly little f*cker, Kasser thought to himself. There was no ill-intention to how he thought of him.


    A large portion of why Kasser delegated Verus was how he knew when to kneel before his leader¡ªwhen to assume the form of a pleading pup when he had to.


    Verus was an outstanding man, but there were enough people just like him. However, there was no one with the perfect qualifications like he had.


    When Kasser was looking for the right man as the chancellor, he had asked around for the perfect person. He needed a man to be able to withhold the workload he was about to assign.


    A young man was likely to complain. But Verus was different.


    He was from a wealthy noble family, so he was not after his royal money. Moreover, he was the third son of his family, which meant he was unlikely to be the heir and didn¡¯t bear responsibilities over his parents and siblings.


    A man chasing after achievement, rather than power, and on top of that, one that was never ashamed of bending his pride. He was the man Kasser was looking for.


    What Kasser needed for a chancellor was an arbitrator. He needed someone to force his commands to the soldiers, and Verus had been the perfect match.


    ¡°You may stand.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kasser gestured to the Grand Chamberlain standing behind him. When the Grand Chamberlain left the room with the other servants, it was only Kasser and Verus left in the study.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I was extremely foolish, but I kneel before you. I did not have any alter motive.¡±


    Verus assumed the king was furious with him because he pulled a couple of soldiers out of the battle and gave them other tasks to complete.


    When Sven came to him and told him ¡®the King had become suspicious,¡¯ his heart sank. And when Kasser announced probation, he freaked out.


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    Everyone in the Kingdom called the Desert King a sage king, generous and kind. It appeared so when he allowed officials to debate freely in meetings. Along with the imagery of always stepping first towards the army of larks, it left an additional positive impression.


    But Verus thought otherwise. He knew the Desert King had characteristics of a tyrant.


    So far, he had never seen the king change his opinion after he made a conclusion. Therefore, when Kasser had instructed him under probation, Verus knew there was no point in trying to prove his innocence. He knew it was only going to make matters worse.


    Since he didn¡¯t make a huge mistake, he figured begging for mercy was the only way he could survive.


    ¡°Did Sven make things clear for you?¡±


    ¡°I clearly understood your orders, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°How I told him to remove any spies you placed around the Queen?¡±


    What? It was a question Verus was not prepared for. However, he remained calm and answered while his head remained drooped to the floor.


    ¡°Your Majesty, spies around the queen? I have never attempted such outrageousness.¡±


    ¡°Then what was the purpose of placing Sven to keep an eye on the palace? Are you saying it was not to inspect the queen?¡±


    He was uncovered. Verus didn¡¯t try to use shallow tricks and replied directly. ¡°It is just like you assumed, Your Majesty. But this is the first time I have made a silly move. I was simply worried a similar incident like last time might happen again.¡±


    ¡°I will make sure it isn¡¯t repeated. Do not pay any interest on matters inside the palace.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ???

 Chapter 85 A Chancellors Grievances (2)

    Chapter 85 ¨C A Chancellor¡¯s Grievances (2)


    ¡°But, I must thank you for handling matters well while I was out during my battle with the larks.¡± Kasser knew to give praises when one deserved it.


    ¡°I have simply done what was expected of me, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I will grant you a reward later. But first, are there any businesses that I must know of?¡±


    ¡°Although there are no immediate emergent disputes, I have something to ask for your permission, Your Majesty. I was once told you were keeping an eye on the rebels.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Kasser replied without thinking twice. He was aware of the group of rebels within the Kingdom of Hashi.


    But they existed all through history; during the dynasty of the former king and even before that.


    Mahar was a name for this world, but it was also the name of a God. However, this group which called themselves as the ¡®children of Mara¡¯ denied Mahar. They believed Mahar was an evil god, and Mara was the true mighty God who will bring salvation.


    Although it was a dangerous ideology, Kasser had never shown interest in capturing and killing all of the members when they emerged.


    The biggest reason was the Sang-je¡¯s attitude towards them. When their activity was uncovered in the Holy City, the punishment remained as lenient as deportation and nothing more.


    Sang-je believed in extinguishing the immorals. However, his response to the rebels impacted the public¡¯s perception of them.


    Moreover, humans already had a common enemy: the larks. It wasn¡¯t a big deal whether or not they worshiped a different god and hatched a plot because their actions were never regarded as a serious threat. On the other hand, the larks were a severe threat.


    The rebels, however, were not completely disregarded with their abominations. They were immediately exiled from the Holy City once they were discovered. Each kingdom has its own ways, but not in one are they greeted.


    In one kingdom, they were firmly excluded, while in another, they were less excluded. The Kingdom of Hashi belonged to the latter.


    When their secret gatherings were spotted, the Kingdom of Hashi would only forcefully disperse the group and seize their property. Warriors didn¡¯t actively knock on every door to hunt them down.


    Perhaps, for this reason, the rebels were more active in Hashi than in other kingdoms. It was also because Hashi was the furthest from the Holy City, and the Sang-je¡¯s influence was less in this kingdom.


    ¡°I have noticed they have become more aggressive lately. I am planning on creating a separate search party to look after them.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by more aggressive?¡±


    ¡°Traces of organized gatherings were discovered.¡±


    ¡°Organized gatherings, huh?¡± Kasser¡¯s face stiffened. The reason why he had left them alone was that they had never formed a society large enough to be menacing and appear as a threat to the people.


    The rebels consisted of the poor¡ªthose from the bottom of the social hierarchy.


    To assemble, they needed money. To become an organized group, there has to be a financial source.


    Kasser felt his blood boil¡ªwhoever supports the rebels had the motive of disturbing the order of Hashi.


    ¡°Do whatever you need to do. Feel free to report back to me after you have dealt with it.¡±


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    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Verus replied with a deep bow. It was due to this side of the king why he didn¡¯t want to fall into his disfavor.


    The Desert King gave him enough freedom to govern. He left most of the matters to his discretion. He never tried to find a fault in his decisions or made an irrelevant remark.


    Verus found pleasure in being able to lay a foundation on a Kingdom of a ten-thousand-year history. It wasn¡¯t a problem for him to take the responsibilities of the king when he was absent from the kingdom.


    ¡°You may leave and rest for today and bring the documents I need to check, tomorrow.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Verus left the office in confusion.


    Is he mad at me for watching over the queen¡¯s moves?


    Since Verus worked from home during the active period, the government officials came with reports also to his house, meaning fewer people went in and out of the palace. Hence, he had fewer ears and eyes inside the castle.


    And from this, it had become difficult for him to find out what was happening on the other side of the palace walls. There was more work for Verus during the active period. He didn¡¯t have time to pay trips to the palace himself.


    What happened during the past month?


    It was the first time the king had mentioned the queen directly. More importantly, it was the first time he was warned about issues regarding the queen.


    Has the king gone soft¡­ to her?


    Since Verus was passionate in governing the kingdom, he was displeased at the way the queen never satisfied her role. But in all respects, it was his personal feeling. The queen was out of his interests.


    But the queen¡¯s disappearance was the root of a change. It invoked his way of investigating suspicious things.


    His spite towards the queen grew into a hunch that she was harmful to the kingdom.


    Verus was personally looking into her disappearance. He had planned to investigate it deeper right after the active period when he had less work to do. For now, he ordered one of his subordinates to research the people connected to the missing servants.


    There was one thing suspicious from what he had heard from his findings. It was that one of the queen¡¯s servants had tried to contact the rebels before she went missing. But he couldn¡¯t report that to the king.


    I¡¯m pretty sure His Majesty will instruct me to hide this fact.


    So Verus decided to put his brain to work¡ªin secret. Now that he had the permission to research into the rebels, he was going to say he found out about the missing servant after he had conducted the investigation.


    If only this was about a single servant attempting to join the rebels¡­


    He was skeptical of the financial source of the rebels. What if the source was the same queen living in the same palace as the king? The woman who managed to snatch the king¡¯s favor?


    I hope I¡¯m only overthinking.


    ???

 Chapter 86 Oil and Water (1)

    Chapter 86 ¨C Oil and Water (1)


    Chancellor Verus was certain of one thing¡ªsomething had changed between the royal couple during the past month.


    ¡®Should I expect the worst case scenario?¡¯ He thought to himself.


    The chancellor had faith that the king was a smart man, rational and logical in thinking. But he was only a man, despite being a ruler. They were bound to change at some point; no one would be able to resist the charms a woman has.


    And the queen was indeed a beauty beyond compare.


    Even three years ago, after their marriage, many men still longed to have the queen. She had been the talk of the town for a long time. And Verus wasn¡¯t blind. He acknowledged her beauty, he wouldn¡¯t contest that. So it wouldn¡¯t be entirely out of the realm of possibility the king would fall in love with her.


    ¡®I need to gain an audience with the former General,¡¯ Verus thought worriedly, ¡°Surely Baroness Marianne would have noticed these changes.¡± He mused to himself.


    ?


    It had taken only a moment of staring at the medicine, but eventually, Eugene finally took the digestant that Marianne had given her and popped it to her mouth.


    ¡®I¡¯ll get hungry tonight if I were to digest these foods quickly.¡¯ She thought as she takes it and downs it with water. When she¡¯s done, Marianne had suggested taking a short stroll around as the medicine took its time to do its work.


    ¡°Your Majesty, why don¡¯t you walk outside for a few minutes?¡± Marianne said, ¡°The pain will only be doubled in your sleep if the indigestion takes a severe turn.¡± she explained, and Eugene nodded at her thankfully before doing just that.


    Unfortunately, wherever Eugene went, so did the servants.


    ¡®Ugh, I¡¯m definitely never faking another stomachache again.¡¯ she complained to herself as she noticed this.


    She finally understood why Jin never left her study. It was there she could find some peace and quiet. It was where she could be alone.


    ¡®I hadn¡¯t anticipated I¡¯d come to understand Jin this much.¡¯ she thought in amusement, before remembering that while Jin was in the study, she¡¯d never allowed anyone to disturb her. ¡®Who could even confirm she was inside?¡¯ Eugene thought with a frown.


    The overall walk wasn¡¯t horrible, quite pleasant in fact.


    The darkened corridors she had walked through seemed quite a different world at night, so different in the morning in all its bright glory. There was some light, but it was so high up, the corridor was still blanketed by shadows.


    ¡®If Jin really did leave the palace regularly, I need to think long and hard from the very beginning.¡¯ she thought whilst she admired the long pillars on the corridors. But despite her admiring the view, her thoughts only consisted of Jin Anika.


    ¡®If Jin did have a secret, I¡¯m certain it wouldn¡¯t be housed within the palace walls.¡¯


    She remembered in her version of when Jin went missing; the people had only assumed that Jin had been involved in some horrible accident. And as quickly as the news spread, so did it die out, and Jin was forgotten. No one even questioned why she had disappeared, no one particularly cared.


    Not to mention the General, Sarah, was a meticulous person. She definitely would¡¯ve found Jin¡¯s secret passage had she disappeared despite the size and vastness of the palace. It was only right to have come to this conclusion.


    ¡®Ah,¡¯ she paused, ¡®There was the man, the one in my visions.¡¯


    His crimson eyes flashed through the back of her mind.


    Red eyes.


    The symbol of larks.


    ¡®And larks were made by Mara, obedient only to its power.¡¯


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    This was why Mara¡¯s followers had red eyes. But this knowledge was mostly unknown for the Maharians. They wouldn¡¯t even be able to piece such a thing together, and link these people to the larks, and ultimately to Mara.


    And their eyes weren¡¯t completely red either.


    Because the rebels in Mahar, also called as the children of Mara, were subject to exclusion and discrimination, the redness of their pupils often gave them away, making it difficult to blend in.


    This was because the red in their eyes were caused by Mara¡¯s power, one that dwells within each individual. This power made them powerful, and would often signify these people were awarded the highest status within Mara¡¯s ranks, enough to be a chief priest.


    The man, the one she saw in her visions, did not have red eyes, but of a hazel hue. But whenever he had pleased it to be, his eyes would turn red.


    ¡®No, something¡¯s not right.¡¯ she thought, ¡®Something is bothering me.¡¯


    As much as their society was closed off and secretive, their hierarchical system would be even more so. If the man had the rank of a chief priest among the rebels, he must be an absolute follower of Mara.


    But she saw him, bowing to Jin, his forehead pressed on the floor, even before she had summoned Mara. Which meant he wasn¡¯t simply complying with whatever Jin had planned, but that he respected her. Worshipped even.


    ¡®Whoever he was, Jin was not alone in this. This proves she had her own people. The question is, how many?¡¯ She fretted. Eugene didn¡¯t know who she could ask, where to find them. She didn¡¯t even know what to ask when the moment would be presented to her.


    In the first place, she would find it extremely difficult to leave the palace without someone seeing, unless she were to do things the way Jin did.


    Through the study.


    She could do it. Perhaps. If she only took a handful of servants, tell them she wishes to be alone. Then maybe, by then, escaping without anyone noticing she was gone.


    ¡®No,¡¯ she retracts, ¡®I don¡¯t want to do it like her.¡¯


    She had already decided she would be queen, that she¡¯d take on more responsibilities to alleviate the Desert King¡¯s duties. She couldn¡¯t just then revert back to her old ways, it would seem like she had changed her mind.


    Moreover, she didn¡¯t want to risk the good rapport she¡¯s had with Marianne, along with the others around her, and throw it away for curiosity.


    ¡®Let¡¯s start just like before, go to the inn, with the excuse of seeing the town, then maybe, more will come up.¡¯ she thinks to herself, satisfied with her new plan.


    And as Eugene was walking, she failed to notice a wall in front of her, and hit it with full force, causing her to stumble back. Fortunately, someone had caught her. It wasn¡¯t a wall, but a man, and he snaked his arm around her waist before pulling her flush against him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mind at?¡± a familiar voice asked, and Eugene felt her breath caught in her throat as she looked up, and saw that it was Kasser. ¡°You should be careful,¡± he continued, ¡°It¡¯s dark out here.¡±


    ¡°W-well,¡± she pulled away, stuttering as she regained her bearings, ¡°You came out of nowhere, how was I to see you?¡± she asked and he quirked up an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been standing at the same spot for some time now.¡± Kasser told her, ¡°I thought for sure you have seen me already. I didn¡¯t expect you to bump into me like that.¡± He mused with light amusement, chuckling quietly.


    It was an amusing sight, the queen failing to see the king and bumping face first into him. It was hilarious. Especially since she kept her gaze trailed up as if something was interesting.


    ¡°Is the ceiling that interesting?¡± He asked as he too looked up. Perhaps he¡¯ll see what she was so focused on.


    Embarrassed, Eugene shook her head.


    ¡°No, I was just thinking,¡± she answered, and Kassser looked back down and straight into her eyes.


    ¡°About what?¡± he drew closer, as Eugene struggled to find words to say. She couldn¡¯t come up with a viable excuse. So, she did the only thing she could.


    She smacked his chest lightly, as if to tell him to get away, before giving him a coy smile. He let her go, and did step aside.


    ¡°You surprise me,¡± She said, and Kasser frowns when she resumed walking. He followed her, matching her pace.


    ¡°Where were you headed?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere.¡± She answered truthfully, ¡°I was just out for a walk. Doctor¡¯s orders.¡± she then stopped and turned to him, ¡°What about His Highness? Where were you going?¡±


    ¡°I was also taking a walk.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Eugene asked in curiosity, but the king only shrugged.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need a reason to take a walk,¡± He answered.


    The servants following behind them slowed down their steps and finally came to a halt at the gesture of the Grand Chamberlain, who had just arrived. The two continued down the hallway, and their echoed voices fading out into the darkness. The Grand Chamberlain watched the two walk away in delight and turned his head when he heard a noise nearby.


    The servants were chatting and giggling among themselves. When they noticed he was staring, they ceased any more conversation and stood back in attention.


    ¡°Pretend you never saw nor heard anything tonight. Do you understand?¡± He asked them, giving them a stern gaze, and the servants nodded at him.


    ¡°Yes, Grand Chamberlain.¡± and with a wave of his hand, they left to go back to their chores.


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 Chapter 87 Oil and Water (2)

    Despite dismissing the servants without the permission of their masters, the chamberlain wasn¡¯t worried. He was even certain the king would be thankful for the privacy he had given them.


    Eugene finally noticed no one else but just the two of them were around.


    ¡°We must have been walking too quickly.¡± Eugene remarked when she saw no one.


    Kasser too looked behind them. He did notice when everyone left, but he didn¡¯t see the need to point it out.


    ¡°Shall I summon them?¡± he asked her.


    Eugene shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary.¡± she said, ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be needing them. Doesn¡¯t it bother you, though, knowing someone¡¯s always following you?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± He admitted. ¡°It¡¯s actually convenient, after all, I only look at them when I need them.¡±


    Ah, she thought with realization, An acquired taste only royals would have. I¡¯m definitely a commoner.


    ¡°Is it still uncomfortable?¡± Kasser suddenly asked.


    Eugene shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She replied. ¡°Not as much as it was before.¡±


    Kasser gave a light chuckle.


    ¡°I meant your stomach.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She smiled, realizing her misunderstanding. ¡°It¡¯s all right now. My stomach isn¡¯t upset any longer. I feel perfectly fine.¡± Her smile froze in place, feeling a little guilt at her pretense.


    They soon reached the end of the corridor. Towards their left was a path that led to a flight of stairs, on the other side was a glass door. Its height was as tall as she was. It opened from the inside, and beyond it was a balcony.


    Eugene thought the palace had many windows and glass doors.


    Stepping closer to the glass door, Eugene looked skywards and saw a blood red moon shining above them.


    It was like that during the active period. But despite the moon being red, it¡¯s light remained as it always was¡ªcool as it shone on their path.


    The door then clicked open when a gentle hand gave it a slight nudge, startling her momentarily.


    ¡°It¡¯s open.¡±


    ¡°What poor management,¡± he said.


    Eugene chuckled nervously, making up an excuse on the spot.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because of my getting sick. In their rush to aid me, they forgot to recheck the locks. Please don¡¯t punish them.¡± Eugene added hurriedly.


    Kasser looked at her, contemplative. Eugene already felt bad for lying, she would only feel worse if they¡¯re punished for negligence because of her distracting them.


    Kasser finally let out a light chuckle.


    ¡°Though I don¡¯t think you are to blame, what you think is right isn¡¯t my business, but yours.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Eugene turned her gaze away, wondering if she really could manage this entire palace? And though it frightened her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of herself for once. Gaining confidence, Eugene finally pushed open the doors, and stepped out onto the balcony, breathing in the fresh night breeze.


    She always did want to go out to the balconies and do this at night. If no one had been accompanying her, she would¡¯ve done so much sooner. But, as it was, the servants followed her everywhere. And because of that, she fought many urges to prevent from appearing stupid in front of her subjects.


    Eugene turned to look at Kasser. When she saw him frowning a little but saying nothing, she bravely continued on, walking further out. The balcony was bigger than expected, and the banisters made her feel safe.


    She leaned over the rails and looked down below. It was of similar, possibly greater, height than the one Kasser had once jumped out of. She sensed him walking over to her, stopping right beside her.


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    ¡°Your Majesty, have you been out here before?¡± she asked him.


    Kasser shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Not even when you were a child?¡± she asked incredulously.


    He gave her an odd look. ¡°What makes you think I would¡¯ve during my childhood?¡±


    ¡°Children are adventurous and curious. They are willing to go outside and explore. Especially places like this which seem dangerous.¡± She stated in a matter-of-fact tone.


    Kasser looked at her curiously¡­ ¡°Were you like that?¡± he asked softly.


    Eugene had almost answered without thinking but stopped herself before she did.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Cold sweat rolled down her back. Eugene carefully studied his face. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was trying to lead her on to something, or was waiting for her to slip up.


    ¡°Do you not get injured from jumping off a great height?¡± she asked, changing the subject.


    Fortunately, Kasser didn¡¯t think much of it.


    ¡°My Praz will do its work.¡±


    ¡°How high can you fall from? Can you jump with someone?¡±


    ¡°Was it so impressive when I jumped off last time?¡± he asked, with a slight grin on his face.


    Eugene blushed.


    ¡°Are you¡­ offended?¡± she asked hesitantly.


    Kasser thought for a moment and soon shook his head.


    No one had ever treated his ability to use his Praz like they would a talent. It was quite nice. Her question was strange, but it didn¡¯t sound like she had any underlying intentions, so he wasn¡¯t offended.


    ¡°Do you not feel uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°Me? About what?¡± she asked.


    Kasser stared at her for a moment, before trailing his eyes to the moon.


    ¡°You must not remember this either.¡± He began. ¡°But a Praz and Ramita are like oil and water. They do not mix well together. In fact, an Anika¡¯s Ramita is highly reactive to a king¡¯s Praz. People often said some of them would even run away at the sight of a king because it¡¯s an unbearable sensation.¡± He finished.


    Eugene frowned. ¡°Really?¡±


    Kasser nodded at her stiffly, leaving Eugene once more to her thoughts.


    Well, this is the first I¡¯ve heard of it, she thought.


    There was so much she didn¡¯t know, about a world she knew she had created. She almost wanted to give up. But she shook the worry out of her mind, changing around the negative, to something rather productive.


    I¡¯ll make sure to remember next time. She thought resolutely. She couldn¡¯t afford to make mistakes anymore.

 Chapter 88 Late

    ¡°I see,¡± Eugene finally said, ¡°Forgive me, I must sound so silly.¡± She laughed it off slightly, trying to brush off whatever growing concern the king was having.


    Kasser nodded at her before looking away, his gaze trailing along the bottom of the railing, trying to hide the relief he was feeling. He thought it was a good thing she endured everything rather quietly, and had not felt rejected. He decided to change the topic as he assessed the height.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t exactly measured just how high I can jump.¡± He began leaning over the railings as he watched the bottom floor. ¡°But I think¡­¡± He pulled away and turned to her once more. ¡°¡­ I could jump this height, even with you in my arms.¡± He declared.


    Eugene quirked up an eyebrow¡­


    ¡°Really?¡± She was shocked, as well as reluctant to believe him. But when he burst out laughing, she narrowed her eyes at him, giving him an unamused stare. ¡°You think I¡¯ll get scared with a little height?¡±


    She¡¯d never been afraid of heights, and she wasn¡¯t about to start now. In her world, she had ridden the most extreme rides in the amusement parks such as rollercoasters and many more without feeling stressed about it. When Kasser remained skeptical of her bravery, she stood beside him, looking down and then right back at him again.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s do it!¡± She declared.


    Kasser raised a brow at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate how high up we are.¡± He pointed out.


    Eugene nodded.


    ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°And it seems like fun. Shall we?¡±


    Kasser frowned. ¡°You¡¯re bluffing.¡± He accused.


    ¡°Not at all!¡± Eugene replied confidently. ¡°I don¡¯t fear much.¡± She stated, before remembering she was supposed to not know anything about her past. ¡°At least, it feels like I don¡¯t have many fears.¡±


    Kasser mistook her amendment for a sign of fear and began to feel mischievous as he gave her a devious grin. Immediately, he grabbed her around the shoulders, and picked up her legs from beneath her knees, hauling her close to his chest.


    She let out a gasp of surprise as she looked up at him with wide eyes. He picked her up like she was a paper doll weighing nothing. Her arms tightened around his neck as he hopped up the edge of the rails, balancing with expert ease.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry when this is over.¡± He teased.


    She shot him an unamused stare.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You don¡¯t want to stop?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. Jump whenever you are ready.¡± She goaded him, her eyes glinting in anticipation.


    She even looked a little mischievous than usual, which made Kasser¡¯s heart feel mysterious. To keep that look on her face, Kasser could feel he could jump at any height thousand times over.


    He had agonized quite a while over something similar. However, he didn¡¯t take it seriously right now even though he knew a small deviation could be serious because it would lead to big consequences.


    Kasser didn¡¯t want to disappoint her, so he wasn¡¯t going to back down now.


    Eugene took in a deep breath and held it as Kasser stepped forward, and finally jumped over the railing.


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    Eugene felt her stomach plummet the opposite direction, enthralled with the way the Praz wisped around their bodies. The blue flame whipped around them, surrounding him and her¡­ Devouring her.


    Everything seemed to progress in slow motion. She was so enthralled, she completely forgot the sense of falling.


    Kasser had landed gracefully on the ground in an upright position, with her secured in his arms. When his feet touched the ground, there was no noise, almost like gravity had no hold over them.


    Slowly, Eugene finally unwound her tight wrap around his neck, blinking slowly as the adrenaline rush soon dissipated, and her racing heart finally steadied once more.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Kasser asked with concern.


    Eugene gave him her brightest smile in response.


    ¡°More than all right.¡± She gasped out happily. ¡°It¡¯s the best I¡¯ve ever felt!¡± She gushed, giving out a breathy laugh when it was cut off by a soft sensation against her lips.


    Eugene gasped as she felt it, and realized Kasser was kissing her.


    The light-hearted feeling gradually changed as his lips moved against hers, and Eugene closed her eyes and gave in.


    Just like that, the innocent mood changed into one of passion.


    Kasser pulled away. They stayed there, silent, staring into one another, until the man surged forward once more, capturing her lips with another passionate kiss. Her heart was beating hard once more, that she feared it would burst out of her chest.


    Ever since the Lark ambush had ended with Kasser returning safely, she had been anxious about him sending a servant to her, summoning her within just a few days. To be honest, she was quite hoping for it, and had been thinking that perhaps, today would be the day, especially as she was preparing for the night earlier.


    Eugene¡¯s lips parted, allowing his lips to dart into her mouth, tasting her, savoring every corner inside. Their tongues tangled together, battling for dominance. Eugene¡¯s eyes squeezed shut as her knees turned jelly, clinging onto him for dear life. Despite their standing positions, she was lucky he was keeping her upright, with a gentle yet firm hand, pressed lightly on her lower back.


    She was fortunate he was still carrying her.


    A small groan seeped out from deep within Eugene¡¯s throat, a rumble shortly after. It was almost like she was purring in pleasure.


    The satisfaction she felt was real, and overwhelming after so long. Her fingertips, which were buried deep in his hair, went numb when he would greedily suckle on her tongue.


    He slightly tilted his head and covered her lips with his. Their lips were deeply interlocked with each other. They fell into a trance after they tasted each other¡¯s lips, their salivas mixing.


    With the way he was kissing her, she felt him steal her breath away, drinking it in himself with the kiss. She was breathing roughly through her nose as he kept kissing her. He was so engrossed it seemed as if he was determined to taste every part of her lips and mouth in detail. He licked and bit her lips and rubbed the tender flesh inside of her lips with the tip of his tongue.


    Maybe it was because she wasn¡¯t currently grounded, but inside Eugene¡¯s mind, it felt like it was spiraling out of control. She was going to get motion sickness. Eugene unwrapped her arm from his neck and twisted her body as if to push him away.


    His lips that had been tenaciously clinging onto her lips, finally let go. Kasser pulled away and looked at her with hesitation in his eyes.


    She was breathing harshly, trying to catch her breath. Her lips felt swollen from the kiss, even her tongue ached lightly from when Kasser had been pulling on it. She was avoiding his gaze, her ears red with embarrassment.

 Chapter 89 Late

    Kasser moved closer, asking silently for permission. Eugene gave a terse nod in response. And so, he drew close, peppering kisses all over her face, on her eyelids, on her forehead, cheeks, and he finished it off with a light gentle kiss on her mouth.


    The kisses felt a little ticklish, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a giggle.


    Kasser¡¯s kisses continued, trailing from her chin, then down to her neck, before nipping her lightly. Eugene let out a startled gasp as she looked up at him in surprise.


    Their eyes locked together, his orbs darkened by desire, but she wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the dim lighting, or if his Praz had changed once more.


    ¡°Eugene.¡± He whispered huskily, sending a wave of shivers down her spine. It sounded so tempting, as he asked for implicit permission.


    She let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes momentarily before opening them once more. She could feel her heart thump sporadically in her chest, vibrating in her ear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to-¡± She gulped. ¡°-the room.¡± Her hoarse voice sounded strange to her.


    Kasser nodded and began to move. He soon sped upwards even as she was clearing her throat, so she hung onto him for dear life. They passed through their surroundings so quickly, she barely chanced a look.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Eugene yelped.


    Suddenly, her body felt like it was floating. Her eyes widened as she watched the ground get farther and farther away from them. She learned that not only could Kaiser jump down from high distances, but that he could also jump up as high.


    Wow, incredible! She couldn¡¯t help but marvel at his physical prowess. She could finally see why the people of Mahar would treat a king like they would a god. He truly seemed like a higher being, compared to mortal humans.


    Eugene, who in her original world had seen the many wonders of modern technology and science, was even in awe of him.


    Kasser did one last leap, landing perfectly on the balcony railing, before jumping down, and pushing open the balcony doors as he strode inside the room. But it was locked. He put her down, grabbed a small rock, and broke open the window.


    He reached inside, shifted the lock open and the door swung wide, leaving Eugene impressed by his swiftness. Although she was a little indignant by his damage to property¡­


    ¡°You broke a window!¡± She exclaimed in hushed tones.


    Kasser looked at her and shrugged. ¡°I know.¡±


    He entered the room. Eugene followed him reluctantly, taking a cautious look inside.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± she asked after him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Someone could be here!¡± She called out in a whisper.


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    Kasser chuckled. ¡°Nonsense, this is a guest room,¡± he said, ¡°And I¡¯m certain no one is occupying it.¡±


    Eugene was too busy recalling the structure of the palace, by the time she realized where she was. Something hit her at the back of her knees, leaving her sprawled on top of the bed lying on her back, as Kasser crawled on top of her, adjusting her slightly.


    He then wasted no time in pressing an urgent kiss on her lips once again before his tongue darted back into her mouth, curling around hers, battling for dominance once more.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡± She gasped aloud as Kasser pulled away slightly.


    A numbing sensation spread from her fingertips to her elbows. Eugene, whose fingers were pressing into his skin, wrapped her arms around Kasser¡¯s neck loosely. His hand moved to grab her chin softly, moving it downwards in a sweet caress before he captured her lips in another kiss, and then another, and then another¡­


    The kiss was so good, Eugene felt as if it was the s*x itself. He was so soft at first, before transitioning into something more passionate¡­ rougher.


    She could practically feel the impatience with every kiss, and Eugene could feel she too was growing more impatient the more they kept up with the foreplay, the desire building up, overriding her logic and reasoning.


    Could excitement be contagious? Eugene wondered as she let out a huff of warm breath as her body felt hot and flushed.


    She moaned when his hand cupped a breast, his lips moving away from her lips to nip on her earlobes, biting and licking the sides sensually.


    Kasser moved up the bed, bringing Eugene along with him, before laying her down. She thought that if it wasn¡¯t for his hand supporting her from behind, it would have been uncomfortable as she was only loosely dangling on his neck.


    She imagined it would have ended ridiculously.


    Another kiss came, seemingly as if he was trying to drink from her mouth, smothering her with his heat and desire. His hands moved away from her breasts, clasping onto the top button, making them undone as he slowly worked his way through her entire dress.


    More and more, she felt her clothes loosen up, sagging around her.


    In Mahar, buttons were already being used thanks to their advanced textile industry, as such, there wasn¡¯t much need to untie or tie strings as one would in the medieval century to get changed.


    The only thing different was that for aristocrats, the button placement was of a different order. While for the common folks, buttons were placed in front of them, for people with status such as them had their buttons behind.


    Soon, all the buttons had come undone. Eugene¡¯s focus was back to Kasser, as his hand immediately made contact with her bare skin. She shivered at the sensation, it was odd, to be so unbothered by the touch which went to places no one else would have access to.


    He grasped her breast momentarily before tugging her dress down, and the breast cover over her head. When the remaining clothes were off, he was greeted by the sight of supple flesh and taut nubs, hardened by anticipation.


    Kasser felt his mouth water, remembering how soft and pliant it felt under his calloused hands.


    ¡°Ngh¡­¡± Eugene writhed beneath him as he dipped his head and suckled on one of the nubs eagerly as a hungry babe would. He twisted his tongue around it, scraping his teeth, pulling lightly.


    ¡°A-ah!¡± She moaned.


    She could feel her breasts being kneaded and squeezed, her nipples hardening as the stimulation kept up. The heat pooling in her stomach became increasingly familiar, along with the throbbing sensation deep inside her.


    Another hand came up, her skirt rising along with it, until the warmth paused within her thighs, squeezing lightly. Instinctively, she pressed them together.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡± She gasped into the dead of the night, squeezing her eyes shut in anticipation. She felt him toying with the edge of her underwear, his fingers brushing up against her entrance.


    She could feel her cheeks flush at the feel on his fingers rubbing circles against her, trailing downwards. She let out another breathy moan as she felt herself getting wet, moistening her insides as her underwear began to stick against her¡­


    ¡°Uh, hngh¡­¡± She bit her lower lip.


    Kasser let out a low, breathy chuckle. His muscles tensed up, holding back the desire to ram deep into her. His fingers slipped, moaning at the warmth squeezing around his digit.


    Not yet, he thought, she¡¯s not yet ready.


    He moved his digit, making slow and deliberate thrusts. His mouth moved to the other breast, repeating his ministrations as he thrust his fingers.


    She was writhing and moaning as he teased, bit, and caressed her all over. She could feel her mind turning into mush, her senses overwhelmed by the onslaught of stimulation¡­


    She could feel her sanity slip away, replaced by only lustful need.

 Chapter 90 Deep in the Realm of Desire (1) | 19

    ¡°Ha, just¡­ do it.¡± Eugene gasped.


    But Kasser refused.


    ¡°It hurts if I do it right away though. I don¡¯t want you to bite my shoulder again,¡± he said, as Eugene looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, trying to catch her breath.


    Isn¡¯t he overreacting a little? She didn¡¯t even bite him that hard! It didn¡¯t even leave a mark. While he, on the other hand, left tons on her.


    He pumped his finger faster, picking up pace, rubbing against her sweet spot as she felt it grow more sensitive by the added stimulations. She bit back another moan, arching her back in anticipation as she writhed.


    A blinding white light flashed in front of her vision, her body racked with pleasure as she came down from her climax. She lowered her back gradually, as the pleasure began to die down.


    She blinked up at him, mind still hazy, watching him as he lifted his body, lowering his pants. He looked partially amused, snickering at her wanton expression.


    As he watched her lie so vulnerable beneath him, he caught sight of the broken window and hummed in satisfaction. Despite the knowledge that he had done it due to his rush to take the woman beneath him as his, he still couldn¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t even need to think twice about breaking into his own palace just for s*x.


    He felt so aroused, that every breath he took felt vain as it prolonged the time until the main event. He could feel his member throb, begging for the warmth. To satiate his hunger, he lunged for another kiss.


    He hastily removed his trousers, freeing his stiff member. The tip had reddened and adorned with a hint of prec*m as he moved between her legs, directing it to her entrance.


    His calloused hands gripped her thighs, spreading them to accommodate his hips as he hooked her legs behind his waist. Then, he pushed in and Eugene arched her back with the sensation of him breaching inside her¡­


    ¡°Aaah¡­¡± Eugene gasped as she writhed beneath him, her hands still clasped on the sheets, bringing it along as she flailed her arms in the pleasure.


    Kasser sunk balls deep within her, his pulsing sending pleasurable vibrations and he began to thrust in slow gentle strokes.


    She could feel herself building up once more.


    She breathed out a little harder, her insides overstimulated from her previous cl*max. Despite the added lubrication, Kasser never ceased to overwhelm her whenever he pushed in.


    There was a tinge of pain to be felt but she reckoned it was mostly because it¡¯d been a while since they¡¯d done it. But then again, the transition always seemed rough in the beginning every time they did it.


    It was like he was growing bigger every time he entered her.


    Despite spending several nights with him. She¡¯d never been able to see him properly, mostly because there was little to no light involved. Thus, she didn¡¯t actually know how his looked.


    She didn¡¯t even have the guts to actually touch him as he did to her. But as she watched through the faint shadow reflected from the moonlight, she could hazard a guess that he was above average.


    She could feel her stomach tense up, a slight bulge on her belly as he filled up her walls.


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    ¡°Eugene.¡± Kasser groaned in that sexy, husky tone of his as he thrust sharply. ¡°Relax.¡± He whispered to her, before sucking in a breath as she clenched around him.


    He braced his arms at the side of her head, leaning down to kiss at her passionately, suckling and nipping on her bottom lip as she moaned in pleasure.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ Uck ¡­¡±


    Their sounds replaced the silence, alongside the sound of flesh slapping against flesh, sheets being rumpled, bed creaking.


    His thrust soon turned sporadic, his rhythm breaking up as he began to jerk in short frantic thrusts. Eugene couldn¡¯t hold back the whines and sounds she was making so buried deep in the realm of desire.


    He was hitting her repeatedly and sharply in her sweet spot. She could feel him rub urgently, scraping against her walls. She was turning dizzy.


    ¡°Ah! Aaah!¡± Loud moans erupted from her as Kasser pounded into her. She was clinging onto his arms, trying to keep herself grounded to reality as the obscene sounds of flesh against flesh continued to fill up the room.


    Her thighs were shaking, moving along with Kasser¡¯s rhythm as she kept it around his waist, pushing him deeper into her, aiding him. She could tell she wasn¡¯t thinking clearly, only keeping the pleasure coming.


    She squeezed her eyes shut, let out more moans, before hazily looking up at Kasser. It still felt like she was dreaming, her body was layered with a sheen of sweat, everything else felt numb as he kept going.


    In her mind, she could notice the blue glint in his eyes, growing brighter as he kept an intense gaze on her.


    Suddenly, she could feel her stomach tense up, as the heat erupted inside. She felt her insides stirring, being messed up further with every movement. She let out a groan¡­


    It was too much¡­ too much!


    ¡°Slow ¨C slow down!¡± She begged him, as Kasser grunted in response. Her vision was swimming, her breathing erratic and not just from the pleasure¡­


    ¡°I¡­ am¡­,¡± he said, gritting his teeth as he desperately tried to control his pace. He couldn¡¯t stimulate her any further, if he did, she¡¯d be in more pain than in pleasure.


    But still, it had been a while since he¡¯d had her like this. He could feel himself become addicted to her taste, the sweetness he felt in his mouth as he pried her mouth open with his tongue, deepening the kiss.


    Everything was spinning in front of her eyes, her breathing became irregular.


    ¡°I am¡­ doing it slowly.¡±


    He thought his desperation for her would disappear with a simple hug, but he was sorely wrong. The hug only multiplied his need for her tenfold. Though he was proud of holding back long enough before releasing inside her, he could feel that this was it. He couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.


    Suddenly, he was spilling his seed into her, he could feel his body tense up as he gave one last thrust, his hips stuttering in their movements. He had to blink a few times, trying to calm down, but he could sense his Praz getting stronger, his eyes turning brighter.

 Chapter 91 Deep in the Realm of Desire (2) | 19

    ¡°Ah! Ugh!¡±


    He pressed her body onto the bed, pinning her as he continued his thrusts, riding out his org*sm. He watched as she arched her neck, seeing the way she threw her head back in pleasure was very satisfying.


    He knew by the way she clenched up around him, she had cl*maxed a second time. She arched her back higher, letting out a sharp, but loud gasp, as warmth flooded around him. He gave one last push, burying himself deep within her until his movements finally stopped.


    She was still clamping around him, so he waited until she finally came down from her ecstasy.


    She choked back a groan, sounding a lot more like a sob. She had become overly sensitive, thanks to the two cl*maxes she¡¯d had, especially when he moved inside her. It was painful, overstimulation wasn¡¯t very fun.


    But it wasn¡¯t just pain she could feel. The rapture remained even as he resumed his thrusting motions.


    She was still convulsing around him, sucking him in eagerly. Eugene could feel every groove on his stiff member and could only imagine the bulging veins. It was an exhilarating feeling. She was flailing, floundering like a fish out of water over the sheets.


    It only proved to turn him on some more.


    He repositioned himself between her, hands gripping her waist tightly as he fixed himself, before giving one deep and sharp thrust, hitting her sweet spot without remorse.


    ¡°Hak!¡± She yelped, her thighs convulsing around him at the sensation. She dug her nails into his forearms. She was sure she¡¯d leave a mark. She shook her head desperately¡­


    ¡°No, stop!¡± She gasped aloud, but Kasser was persistent.


    ¡°One more¡­¡± He urged, and got ready.


    Eugene shook her head¡­ ¡°No¡­ please-!¡±


    He rolled his hips, jerking it in an upward thrust as she clenched around him once more. He watched as her pupils dilated, his derriere clenching with anticipation in synchrony as she let out another choked sob.


    He poured inside her once more, watching her with silent and subdued orbs. He rode his org*sm out once more, thrusting softly and gently this time, almost as if he wanted nothing to spill out. He ran a gentle hand around her body, startling her with his touch.


    She was gasping for breath, letting out a groan in exhaustion.


    It took a while, but eventually, Eugene was able to regain her normal breathing, her eyes shut as she felt someone press soft gentle kisses on her eyelids to her forehead, to her temples. It almost felt like¡­ a praise for holding out so well.


    She found herself irritated at his last stunt. He¡¯d pushed her to her limit, but she didn¡¯t have enough energy to even push him away right now, not even to open one eye and shoot him a glare.


    He was still inside her, plugging his seed before he eventually slipped out. Eugene plopped down like a rag doll. She was too enervated, her limbs hung uselessly around her. She felt like an animal who had just gone out of its heat.


    He lifted her up easily, slipping off the rest of her dress and dropping them to the floor. At this, Eugene finally popped one eye open, watching his silhouette as he moved.


    She supposed she hadn¡¯t removed her clothes properly. She suddenly burst out in a chuckle as she recalled what happened earlier.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you broke the window.¡± She breathed out.


    Kasser remained silent as if he¡¯s fixated on keeping her naked. She could hear more rustling of clothes despite being bare and all until she remembered that Kasser hadn¡¯t even removed a single thing on his body. He¡¯d only pushed his pants down before taking her.


    It was a real mess to see, she thought with amusement, hardly the one that would befit a royal couple. She broke out in another fit of giggles.


    ¡°There¡¯s gonna be rumors that you broke the window glass.¡± She pointed out.


    He only grunted. ¡°You can just change the broken glass.¡±


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    ¡°Who would blame the king for breaking some glass? The real problem is the reason.¡± She reproached him.


    Kasser only moved beside her, turning her on her side before pulling her flush against him, her back against his chest.


    His breath tickled the back of her neck before the lips nipped at her earlobe. A hand gently grabbed her chin and turned her to face him, then he planted another one of his searing kisses.


    ¡°You¡¯re an accomplice, too. Don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re not.¡± He accused her shamelessly.


    ¡°Me?¡± She was taken aback.


    ¡°You would have gotten angry if we really had gone to the bedroom.¡± He reasoned, putting all the blame of his actions on to her shoulders.


    ¡°Oh? Stop lying!¡± She exclaimed at his roguish behaviour.


    His hand swept up from her lower abdomen to grab her br*ast. He repeatedly kneaded it, enjoying the soft feeling of it contorting in his hand.


    ¡°You told me to hurry.¡± He retorted.


    Eugene snorted. ¡°When did I?¡± She never knew he had such a brazen side to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I heard,¡± he said, shrugging, absolutely unremorseful.


    Eugene was beginning to get bothered by the hard thing poking at her butt. She had expected it wouldn¡¯t be done after a single round, but she needed some time to regain her strength. The least he could do was let her rest.


    She discreetly tried to twist her body away from him, but his ironclad arm made it difficult to do so. In fact, the moment she moved, he tightened up around her, before gripping her thighs, bringing one up in the air as he shifted behind her.


    In one swift movement, he was fully sheathed inside her.


    Eugene let out a sigh, as her eyes rolled back to a close. It was impossible to shake him off at this point. A compromise would be better in this situation.


    ¡°Gentler this time.¡± She sighed aloud. ¡°Please¡­¡± She added for good measure. He nipped at her neck, not bothering to respond as he pushed deeper inside her and began to roll his hips.


    She let out short, breathy gasps and moans.


    The sensation from him was different now. Despite it not reaching deeper as much as before, the sensation of him rubbing up against her was even more pronounced this way. She was also still wet from the previous session, so he was moving more smoothly inside her than before.


    She could feel the slick slide down her thighs; the cool air and his warmth battling around her. Just thinking about it would make her feel a wave of embarrassment.


    Such a crude position indeed. The flush on her face wasn¡¯t because of bliss.


    I¡¯ve been fooled, really! She thought, recalling her first impression of him. He was so stiff back then, serious and rigid, as expected from a king. She wouldn¡¯t have pegged him as someone who could be so warm, caring, and bright.


    She let out a sharp gasp as she felt him begin to pick pace within her. A thought ran through her mind at that very moment.


    I¡¯m not getting any sleep tonight¡­

 Chapter 92 Just Like Old Times (1)

    As soon as the maids helping Eugene with her clothes took a step back and bowed their heads, Marianne said, ¡°It¡¯s done, my queen.¡±


    ¡°Is the convoy ready?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, my queen. They are waiting outside.¡±


    Eugene nodded and headed for the door. The maids skillfully opened it at the right time so that it wouldn¡¯t interrupt her stride.


    For this, she couldn¡¯t help but briefly glance at the maids who still had their heads down. Mahar was a world where science had not yet advanced, so humans had to do what was usually done by the machines in her original world.


    Nonetheless, this was better. Humans can think and judge situations, unlike machines that could only move according to the inputted commands.


    Cultural development for convenience¡¯s sake, isn¡¯t that meaningful to the aristocrats in this world anyway?


    It wasn¡¯t until she became a queen, who had numerous maids attending to her, that she realized this. The frustration from having no modern technology like cellphones or elevators only lasted a few days¡ªshe could just have her messages delivered through her maids, and slowly walk up the stairs without fuss.


    Just like everything else, the days went by slowly as there was no reason to hurry and save time. It was much more comfortable having subordinates, who acted as her hands and feet, than living as an ordinary person in a technologically advanced world.


    Marianne and the maids tailed behind Eugene down the hall.


    Her ensemble today was similar to the one she wore when she had gone out with the king last time. A long robe was draped over her plain clothes, and a hood concealed her face.


    The convoy of guards and wagons were waiting in the yard. The carriage, however, was twice the size of the one she rode before. Peering inside, the front seat had enough room for three people to occupy and space in the back for people to hang onto the carriage.


    Eugene imagined the five big warriors hanging back and forth on the carriage with their sharp eyes. She would probably witness the miraculous sight of crowds of people splitting apart like the Red Sea.


    Anyone could probably tell just by seeing us. This was basically announcing that someone special is aboard!


    Somehow, it was much simpler when she went out with Kasser, but she didn¡¯t wish to drag the busy king out for her own agenda every time.


    As their queen drew closer, the convoy of guards bowed their heads in unison. Except for Sven, they were all new faces.


    ¡°Greetings Your Grace. Though I may be unworthy, I will be leading the convoy today.¡± He bowed low before her.


    ¡°Please take good care of me, Sir Sven.¡±


    ¡°I am honored. I will protect the queen with everything I have.¡± He continued. ¡°I will call you ¡®master¡¯ when we reach the outskirts of the castle.¡±


    She acknowledged with a nod. Her eyes then narrowed¡ªshe couldn¡¯t help but scrutinize the faces of the four other guards. She had received the report on the convoy, but she couldn¡¯t tell who was who just by reading the description of their appearances.


    In Mahar, the most prominent distinguishing feature was the color of one¡¯s hair and eyes. However, it was too dark to tell, even with the light near the vicinity.


    Despite this, she knew that their features wouldn¡¯t probably be distinguishable during the day either. She wasn¡¯t familiar with the method to categorize dozens of different shades of brown. It all looked brown to her.


    As soon as he noticed Eugene¡¯s gaze on the guards, Sven told them.


    ¡°Greet the queen.¡±


    By this order, she knew that Sven was indeed a knight of higher rank than the four others. The arrangement of the guards was entrusted to Sven, so he probably chose the men that he was most comfortable with.


    ¡°Matteo Ansen; greetings, my queen.¡±


    The warriors introduced themselves one by one. Eugene memorized the distinctive features of each of their appearances to remember which name belonged to which knight.


    She got into the carriage, and moments later, they started. Marianne and the maids deeply bowed their heads down.


    As they departed, Marianne raised her head with a face full of worry. The sight of the wagons slowly disappearing from her view.


    I hope she comes back safe, and nothing happens.


    After a while, she turned around relieved, letting out a small laugh at her ridiculousness.


    I¡¯m getting more protective, even worrying for no reason.


    There was no way that anything unfortunate would happen to the queen¡ªnot with five warriors escorting her.


    A warrior was a top tier of human resources. The king¡¯s decision to put five warriors to escort his wife, particularly during these times, was shocking.


    Does the queen know?


    The queen doesn¡¯t even remember numerous basic information after losing her memory, so she may not know the weight of having warriors accompanying her.


    I should tell her when she returns.


    A convoy of five men seemed plain, but what made it so special was that all five were warriors. Not only that even a hundred soldiers would turn to dust in comparison to the king¡¯s five warriors.


    That¡¯s how much the king thinks and cares about her, so the queen should know.


    Marianne got excited every time she saw the royal couple get closer¡ªit was as if she was the one falling in love. She would snatch every opportunity to strengthen their relationship.


    She was full of hope. These days, Marianne welcomed the radiance of dawn with excitement. For she knew it wouldn¡¯t be long until she received good news.


    There was nothing she wanted more than to hug a royal baby in her arms, and sooner. It would just be like old times¡ªwhen she used to cradle a blue-haired chubby babe and sing lullabies until the big, blue eyes that gazed up at her with curiosity, would flutter close. She would then be rewarded by little snores.

 Chapter 93 Just Like Old Times (2)

    While the carriage was moving, Eugene conjectured about the warrior class- a hierarchy of class that held a special position in Mahar.


    First of all, their physiques were the same. All five of them, including Sven, were about the same height and size.


    Even so, when the king was placed next to them, one could instantly tell the difference, as Kasser was a head taller. However, some of the people passing by the square had physiques similar to the warriors. So, it was fair to say that the warriors¡¯ physique was considered average in Mahar.


    On their wrist were bracelets made of a thin, black leather string with beads, which, she surmised, designated their class.


    Not everyone could become a warrior or a knight just because they wanted to. They weren¡¯t picked solely based on their strength or physique. But, rather, they were bestowed upon an extraordinary talent from birth.


    They could store a special type of energy in their weapon. Although their ability was nowhere near the king¡¯s Praz, it could be lethal to the kingdom¡¯s greatest enemy¡ªthe Larks crippling the vast expanse of the desert.


    The warriors were able to learn abilities through vision and strengthen them by training. The king would bestow the vision onto the warriors and train them so that they would become weapons of the kingdom.


    When the warriors wield their swords, it would slash their targets with great power. Their attacks were much more destructive but consumed less energy in each strike compared to that of ordinary people.


    Although they were deadly human weapons, they were not a threat to the world as they were only assigned to attack Larks. Thus, severe punishments would be given to them if proven they harmed a civilian.


    In the novel, implied that the warriors¡¯ abilities were hereditary, but¡­


    Just because the father was a warrior didn¡¯t mean the son will be. However, to manifest a warrior¡¯s power, there needed to be at least one warrior in the family¡¯s ancestry.


    Still, the setting I created doesn¡¯t perfectly fit so, who knows!


    Soon, Eugene felt the carriage halt. She drew the curtains open and saw the tree in the plaza.


    Knocking on the carriage door, Sven opened it immediately.


    ¡°Sir Sven, come in. I have a question.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Master.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, the warrior entered the carriage, leaving the door open.


    The vehicle was so spacious that, even in a sitting position, one¡¯s knees did not come in contact with that of the person sitting across.


    Eugene asked Sven to sit down and said, ¡°Did the king say anything in particular to you?¡±


    She did not ask for permission from the king before she left the castle today, because he said that she didn¡¯t need to. Therefore, Eugene assigned all preparations, such as choosing the guards and excursion decisions, to Marianne.


    Nevertheless, Eugene knew that doing anything without being noticed by the king was impossible as Marianne and the guards were all under the monarch¡¯s control.


    She couldn¡¯t blatantly ask, ¡®Will you report where I went and what I saw?¡¯ Hence, she beat around the bush.


    ¡°He told me specifically where not to go.¡±


    ¡°Where not to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. He ordered me to prevent you from going to the repository¡ªthe treasure house.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a secret order as Kasser had clearly instructed Sven:


    ¡°If the queen still insists on going, tell her I don¡¯t allow it.¡±


    Thus, Sven freely confided in the queen.


    ¡°Repository? It is near here?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Grace, It¡¯s a long way ahead.¡±


    ¡°Why would he think I would want to go to the repository¡­¡± Eugene suddenly remembered the conversation she had with the king.


    Is it because he thinks I might test my Ramita with the seeds?


    That was such a long time ago that she had completely forgotten about it.


    That man does not forget things.


    Truly, being his enemy would be troublesome.


    ¡°Is there anywhere else I cannot go?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything else?¡±


    ¡°Besides the repository, nothing else, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Today, I¡¯m planning on¡­ going to the street I last visited.¡±


    Eugene did not give a reason, but carefully watched Sven¡¯s reaction. ¡°Yes, my queen.¡¯ The warrior replied, his face devoid of any signs suspicions.


    Later, she got off of the carriage with Sven in tow. Then, they headed towards the street where the closed inn was.


    Greeting them was the bustling plaza. People seemed to be enjoying the brief moment of peace. Despite the active season, the Larks had not attacked the kingdom¡¯s walls for four days straight.


    Just like last time, on the streets, numerous workers were still diligently working at this late hour of the night.


    However, there was one difference from her previous outing. This time, Eugene noticed people glimpsing at her and her guards, and some taking a long way around to avoid her group.


    They seemed to find them unusual. She wondered if the people knew that her company consisted of warriors, so she checked the guards¡¯ wrists. Their bracelets were tucked inside their cuffs; she couldn¡¯t see them.


    Even if the people don¡¯t know that they¡¯re warriors, even at a glance, they look far from being a commoner. I would be wary and avoid walking near them, too.


    She arrived in front of the closed inn. Eugene looked around the inn, which hadn¡¯t changed since her last visit.


    She glared at the window, sealed with wood and nails. Nothing new came to her mind.


    Eugene intentionally walked around the building for a while as if she had some leftover business to take care of. As she did so, her eyes raked over the place, examining her surroundings.


    I can¡¯t come here without anyone knowing. If I¡¯m going to get noticed, I might as well take advantage of this situation.


    The man she saw in Jin¡¯s memory or any other person related to this building must be near. They will, for sure, notice and react when they see a suspicious group of people snooping around their place.

 Chapter 94 An Uncanny Visitor (1)

    Whoever conceals their true identity would react in one of the two ways when they find someone wandering around them. The first option is to flee the crime scene, and the second approach them with the intent to find out their purpose.


    If Eugene could, she would¡¯ve liked to bury all of Jin¡¯s past mistakes, and hoped everything would be forgotten. However¡­


    The reality wasn¡¯t so simple.


    The next day, Marianne came by to inform Eugene that she had a guest waiting to meet her, and it threw her into a surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She blinked as she looked at Marianne. ¡°Someone is here to meet me?¡±


    Marianne nodded. ¡°Yes, Your Grace, there is an intermediary, called Cage, who wants to meet you. From what I gathered, his trade is of highly valued art pieces, as well as some hard-to-sell relics.¡±


    Eugene frowned to herself as she heard this. ¡°But why would he want to see me? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for the king to be the one to talk to?¡±


    She could sense that Marianne was choosing her words carefully as she responded.


    ¡°You¡¯ve actually met a few times before.¡± She explained to the queen. ¡°You even made some purchases with regards to some ancient books he¡¯s knowledgeable of.¡±


    Despite her initial confusion as to why such a trader would seek her out instead of the king, at the mention of these


    ancient books


    , she couldn¡¯t help but let out a choked gasp of realization.


    To Jin Anika, collecting these books wasn¡¯t just a hobby. They could very well be the source of her insane knowledge on how to gain Mara¡¯s power. With this realization, Eugene frowned as she thought of the bookseller, Count Wacommbe.


    When the active season was over, it would be paramount to meet up with him to either clear up or verify her suspicions.


    This person¡¯s reactions are quicker and more direct than I would¡¯ve expected,


    Eugene thought. She had planned to make a couple more visits around the inn before making a conclusion, but this was also as good as any opportunity to pick up the puzzle pieces.


    Did he somehow realize that it was I who was with the convoy yesterday? If so, how?


    She hadn¡¯t done anything to garner attention to her whenever she went out. She¡¯d never spoken out, nor was her disguise distinguishable in the crowd. All she ever did was just look around in the market as she wandered around the inn¡¯s perimeter.


    And she was certain the guards who were escorting her would¡¯ve missed anyone who had been following her. What¡¯s more, she hadn¡¯t received any word from them about this either.


    ¡°Did I meet with him often?¡± Eugene asked Marianne who only shrugged.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, but perhaps we should ask General Sarah.¡±


    With that, they sent out a servant to summon the general, and within a few moments, General Sarah had arrived. Eugene asked the same thing to Sarah.


    ¡°He usually visits once or twice during the dry season, but this is the first he¡¯s done so in the active season.¡± Sarah reported.


    Eugene frowned.


    ¡°And you said I bought some information from him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± Eugene remained silent for a moment, before realizing something.


    ¡°Then how come you didn¡¯t tell me that when I was checking the ancient book purchase history?¡±


    ¡°Because none of those purchases were reflected since you¡¯ve paid him off with your own fortune.¡±


    ¡°My own fortune?¡± Eugene looked at them with shock. ¡°You mean to tell me, I have other wealth than the allowance I am given?¡±


    Both women with Eugene exchanged glances before Marianne finally broke their silence. ¡°My apologies, Your Grace, it seems I¡¯ve missed something after all.¡±


    ¡°And given that they are your personal assets, Your Grace¡­¡± Sarah added. ¡°We have no right to tell you what to do with it, nor an inkling to how much you actually have.¡±


    Eugene nodded as she listened to their explanations. She figured if it was her personal account, then it won¡¯t be labelled as hers specifically, but rather as something anonymous. If so, then it was perfectly understandable for Marianne and Sarah to have forgotten about that tidbit of information.


    ¡°These assets, are they the ones I brought with me when I moved to the kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± They chorused. The damper in her mood, which was caused by the unwanted guest, was suddenly lifted at the prospect of her having more money than she initially thought.


    ¡°Then how would I go about it if I wanted to check my purchase history on my personal assets?¡±


    ¡°You can always seek out help from the bank manager.¡± Sarah replied.


    Eugene turned her attention to her. ¡°And whenever I pay, the bank manager always takes it into account?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually recall you paying him in actual money.¡± Sarah reminisced. ¡°So I assumed you might have written a check instead, and he¡¯d use it as he saw fit, Your Grace.¡± Eugene frowned.


    Check?


    Eugene would be sure to ask about that as well when she would finally summon the bank manager. And if Jin wrote out those checks with her signature, she should be able to know what it was and how to do it.


    ¡°Wait, if you never saw our transact, then how come you know so much about it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I heard about it, from the maid that was with you whenever you did it.¡±


    ¡°Who is this maid¡­¡± Eugene trailed off, before she finally figured something, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it was the one that went missing?¡±


    ¡°The very same, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°And you swear you never saw us make the transactions yourself?¡± She double-checked.


    Sarah shook her head. ¡°No, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°I see, thank you. Perhaps it¡¯s time I talk with the bank manager. Is he available today?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I shall relay your message, Your Grace.¡± Sarah immediately responded and took her leave


    As Sarah went to get the bank manager, Eugene found herself very lost in thought. For someone to actually seek her out, and one with a previous relationship to Jin, she couldn¡¯t afford to miss their meeting. What¡¯s more, she was certain this visit had an underlying purpose just waiting to be discovered.


    And Jin met with him, accompanied by the maid that went missing. And she might have had her favorites but¡­


    They had all gone missing.


    Jin, as a cautious type of person, she would¡¯ve never met this Cage person by herself. And it was a bit of a stretch to think that Zanne, the one maid Eugene usually sought out, was the one person she trusted and depended on completely. Eugene¡¯s gaze shifted to her side.


    The same could be applied to Marianne too, now that she thought about it.


    When their eyes made contact, Marianne was the first to lower her gaze.


    ¡°Marianne, is this really the first time someone has come to visit me? You did not, perhaps, prevent a few others, and neglect to inform me of?¡±


    At the accusation, Marianne¡¯s eyes held steadfastly as she met the queen¡¯s stare.


    ¡°Your Grace, I would never dare turn away any of your guests. Nothing of the sort has ever happened or ever will.¡± She defended herself and Eugene gave her a smile, but it did not reach her eyes.


    It was unusual that for a whole month, no one had even thought about seeking out the queen. It was only now she was realizing just how isolated Jin had made herself to be. It was something to be admired, the way people managed to put up with her at all.


    ¡°Well then, I shan¡¯t keep him waiting any longer,¡± Eugene finally said, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Marianne obeyed swiftly. ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    When Marianne left, her impassive expression turned grim. She remembered telling the king once that they needed to find a way for the queen to recover her lost memories naturally, but whenever an opportunity to remind him would arise, she¡¯d hesitate. Remembering the queen she was before¡­


    Marianne shook the thoughts out of her head.


    When Marianne entered the queen¡¯s chambers once more, she was accompanied by a tiny man, so tiny in fact, he was dwarfed by the baroness. His hunched form wasn¡¯t helping either, as it made him look smaller than he actually was. But as Eugene¡¯s eyes landed on him, her fingers twitched in recognition¡­


    That¡¯s him!


    She thought in a mild panic. This was the man in her vision, the one she saw at the closed inn.

 Chapter 95 An Uncanny Visitor (2)

    The man who possessed red eyes and bowing in front of her as he looked up in reverence¡­She couldn¡¯t believe that Jin would dare bring a heretic, it¡¯s chief priest, within the palace walls so casually, making visits every now and then. She couldn¡¯t help but feel anger at Jin once again.But his name isn¡¯t Cage, that¡¯s just a disguise.It was like Jin was standing right next to her, whispering his name to her ear as they locked eyes¡­Rodrigo.He took a few steps forward towards her and bowed so low, his nose could touch the floor¡­¡°May endless glory be with you, noble Anika. This humble one greets you.¡±As Eugene stared him down, she was hyper-aware of who else was still in the room with them. Aside from Marianne, there were two other maids inside by the door, and another two at the opposite corner. Zanne also stood a few paces behind her, from where she sat.¡°To what do I owe this visit?¡± she asked him.


    Rodrigo looked somber as he spoke. ¡°This humble one was rude because I had something urgent to say. Please forgive me.¡±¡°Urgent?¡± Eugene asked, frowning in concern.¡°Yes. But first¡­¡± He trailed off, glancing around discreetly. ¡°The information I have is of a sensitive matter.¡±


    Eugene frowned and gestured for two servants, the ones by the corner, to leave.¡°Better?¡±¡°Highly sensitive.¡± He insisted, wearing a mock worry on his face, and Eugene gestured for the other two to leave as well. That left only Marianne and Zanne with them. Marianne¡¯s expression was hard, but she remained unmoved.¡°Better?¡± Eugene asked, feeling her hands start getting clammy.¡°Better,¡± he said, giving her an ominous grin and turned around. ¡°And I have a request for these two, lovely maids of honor.¡±Zanne and Marianne¡¯s eyes stared resolutely down at the man, and Eugene could feel her trepidation build up as the man¡¯s eyes flashed red.He moved forward, encroaching her personal space, and genuflected in front of her and declared¡­¡°God bless the saint! Mara¡¯s servant greets the saintess!¡± He revered, bowing his head at her.


    Eugene¡¯s breath caught in her throat, as her body froze. It was like her heart stopped in that moment.Is he not afraid of the repercussions!? She thought in panic, but the reaction she expected was noticeably absent.The room was deadly silent, and as Eugene looked to the other two occupants in the room, she saw them standing idly by. She glanced at Zanne¡¯s face, and her expression was blank. So was Marianne¡¯s!It was evident that in that short span, when the man locked eyes with them, he¡¯d done something to make them appear so lifeless¡­ So statue-like, as if they couldn¡¯t hear or see what¡¯s happening in front of them. Her concern eventually won out.¡°What you did.¡± She began. ¡°It¡¯s not harmful, is it? These two are quite special than the others,¡± she asked, so beside herself until she saw a flash of suspicion when he looked up at her. ¡°Wha-what is it?¡± she asked with a nervous tick, but amended her thoughts once more.Calm down, he might not know you¡¯re not Jin Anika anymore. If Jin was her, what would she have done? If she was Jin, she would just take whatever she wanted and deemed it as her birthright, even if it included the lives of her maids. She wouldn¡¯t also be bothered to explain herself, or even make excuses for her actions either.Raising her chin as a sign of superiority, she sent him her most scathing look and demanded an answer in her most icy cold tone as she stared him down.¡°An answer, Rodrigo.¡± She demanded, even quirking up a brow when he still refused to answer. Thankfully it worked, for the man flinched and bowed his head back down.¡°Of course, Saintess.¡± He continued. ¡°You need not worry about them, Saintess, it¡¯s only side effects is a short memory loss,¡± he finally said.


    Eugene nodded in satisfaction, the tension on her shoulders minimizing slightly.So it was similar to hypnosis. It could be possible that he could only manage to hypnotize two or three people at a time, which would explain why he needed to lessen the number of watching eyes within the room. Then that would mean, even the maids Jin had previously taken with her during their transactions didn¡¯t know what happened.Now that problem was slightly solved, an even bigger problem was presented in front of her.Why was he calling her Saintess?The man called himself ¡®Mara¡¯s servant.¡¯ He did not hide the fact that he was a priest who served Mara as a god. In that case, he would only acknowledge holy beings blessed by Mara as a Saint or SaintessWasn¡¯t this before Jin got Mara¡¯s power? She thought in confusion. One thing was clear for her, this man had information about Jin¡¯s plans, and she needed to extract information from him.However, things weren¡¯t so simple.Even now, she could feel the bead of sweat roll down to her neck, as her hands got clammier than a while ago at the prospect of talking to him. It would be difficult not to raise his suspicions the more she acted less like Jin.Initially, she had been relieved she got turned into Jin before she made any drastic moves, but now she was reluctant if that were truly the case. Evidence number one was standing in front of her.¡°Why do you come here so recklessly?¡± She demanded, keeping her tone cool and even.¡°During the preparations for the ceremony, we¡¯ve had word that Tanya, a fellow servant of Mara, was executed.¡± He began. ¡°And we¡¯ve heard no word from the Saintess either, so I had to make sure you weren¡¯t in any danger.¡±Despite not knowing what it was he was talking about, she knew this was important information. However, now she needed to think like Jin Anika and become cruel to avoid suspicion.¡°How arrogant of you to assume I would be so careless!¡± She spat out. ¡°If I have gone silent, it¡¯s only smart to assume I¡¯m being more cautious. Don¡¯t presume you have to know about everything I do.¡± She finished and the man cowered in front of her.¡°Your humble servant begs forgiveness for his insolence!¡± He pleaded and Eugene could see this man wasn¡¯t just someone working with Jin, he was a faithful servant of hers who bent to her every will.Then that would mean this title of Saint, or even Saintess was of a higher position in the hierarchy of the heretic church, and not as an actual saint or a holy person.But Jin doesn¡¯t have Mara¡¯s power yet! She thought in panic. I know this for certain!Eugene knew this was true. Even after inhabiting Jin¡¯s body for a month, there was no hidden power or anything special. She would¡¯ve felt it otherwise. Still¡­The fact that Jin held the title of Saintess meant she¡¯d been part of the heretic church for a very long time now.The question was: how long had she been planning this?


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    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


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    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 96 Facing the Harsh Reality (1)

    Chapter 96 ¨C Facing the Harsh Reality (1)


    Back in her novel, Jin had eventually discovered a way to gain Mara¡¯s power for herself, which paved way to her summoning the heretic god towards the end of the story. This made Jin more than just the villainess of the story, but also an integral part of it.


    Which was also why she couldn¡¯t just ignore the sudden changes to one of the most important of characters.


    This isn¡¯t part of what I wrote for her, Eugene thought in panic. Of this she was certain wasn¡¯t part of her plotline, not even for the character. Jin, being a Saintess would mean she now had successfully gained the power of Mara.


    It could be possible that her novel was used to make it easier for her to transition into the story itself but that didn¡¯t mean she would know now how the new version of the story would end.


    Yet still, Eugene clung onto the hope that she did know the story, how it would end. She believed that with this knowledge, she could change everything, change the course of the story from within.


    Despite her initial complaints on why she was made into the queen, who just happened to be the villainess, she had been confident she could do it with Jin¡¯s wealth and power¡­


    But now, she was nothing more than just a foreigner visiting, with little to no knowledge of what was happening around her. She couldn¡¯t even rely on her own knowledge of her story anymore. It was like this world was rigged against her.


    Which brings her to her first and foremost fact: Rodrigo.


    She repressed the fear and panic she was currently feeling, and glared at him in a smug expression. She needed to know as much as she could from him.


    ¡°You disappoint me with your imprudence,¡± she said to him in a condescending way, ¡°Pray tell, what shall I punish you with?¡±


    She used to think only people in dramas or historical plays could ever pull off such a tone, but the way she said it was rather smooth in execution as well. It seemed like presuming to be the queen did have its uses as well.


    Rodrigo was still on his knees as he sank deeper to the ground, forehead against the floor, and a thumping sound was made when he did so in a panic.


    ¡°Forgive me, Saintess! Please forgive me!¡± He begged her, as Eugene tried to keep a cool and calm voice as she spoke in a threatening manner¡­


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said, ¡°If you have a good reason for it.¡± She added, and Rodrigo flinched before he answered her.


    ¡°Truly, Saintess, your humble servant would never dare presume your plans,¡± he began, ¡°Yesterday, I spotted a group of men, near the sanctum. Upon closer inspection, I realized they were knights. So, I thought it was you who sent them.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eyes widened fractionally in surprise. Someone else was watching the inn.


    Sanctum, he called it sanctum.  It was odd he¡¯d call that old, rundown inn a sanctum. Which would mean the location itself was important to these people. I thought it was because he recognized me. She thought in relief before going back to the matter at hand.


    ¡°Which ones were you talking about?¡± she asked with a frown.


    ¡°The knights.¡±


    ¡°Elaborate.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Saintess,¡± he cleared his throat as he began to retell the tale of last night¡­


    ¡°I received a report, detailing suspicious men lurking about the sanctum. They weren¡¯t trying to break in, nor were they doing anything strange. But they weren¡¯t passing by either.¡± He pointed out, ¡°I¡¯d been discreet in my observations, especially since Tanya¡¯s incident, wondering whether they had a message from you. That was when I knew they were knights, and they left after a moment sooner.¡± He finished and Eugene frowned¡­


    Tanya. She thought. He mentioned the name, too, a while ago. It would be best if she remembered it for later.


    ¡°And then?¡± she prodded.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t look like they knew what was happening. I stayed longer than intended after they left, but no one else tried to go near the sanctum.¡±


    ¡°Can you identify them?¡±


    ¡°I counted five knights, but someone else was with them. A woman, I think, but I did not see her properly.¡±


    Eugene mentally sighed in relief at the information.


    So, he really didn¡¯t recognize me. She had been worried he did recognize her, especially since the heretic priests had a method of identifying one another through their mana, it was a certain skill they possessed.


    Just as I thought, Jin¡¯s only a Saintess in name.


    Had Jin truly been a Saintess because she had gained their mana, that would¡¯ve meant her levels were the closest to Mara, however, Rodrigo hadn¡¯t recognized her. Thus, Jin didn¡¯t possess any mana. What¡¯s more, she couldn¡¯t even sense his power in return.


    Hence, he only came because of the knights.


    Starting from the rank of priest, the heretics were granted with something called ¡®Divine Power¡¯ from Mara. This Divine Power had the ability to detect special energies, which meant priests and those with higher ranks could use it to distinguish between ally and foe.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. With the Divine Power, they could also detect the energies of each king, along with their knights. That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t matter if the best of knights were to hunt them down. They could escape easily before they¡¯d even arrive.


    Even if everyone else was caught, even if only a single priest would escape, it was still possible for them to go to the farthest states and spread their beliefs and gather followers.


    It also made confidentiality much easier for them. Not even a spy could go by undetected within their church. Thus, there were no information leaks because there was no way to trick the hierarchy into revealing their beloved secrets.


    It was also the main reason why they lasted so long despite the long and arduous persecution for them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been foolish.¡± She finally said, trying to hide the growing nervousness in her voice. It was a relief that it appeared Jin had not yet gained the Divine Power, but it could also mean that being Saintess was a temporary rank for her. If Rodrigo were to catch even the tiniest whiff of her betraying them, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to act accordingly.


    ¡°Are you incapable to think for yourself? Why would I even send knights near the sanctum?!¡± she continued to berate him. Rodrigo tried to explain himself¡­


    ???

 Chapter 97 Facing the Harsh Reality (2)

    Chapter 97 ¨C Facing the Harsh Reality (2)


    ¡°But the knights, a-and it was the active season-!¡± he began, but cowered in front of her once more and bowed back down in fright, ¡°Please forgive me, Saintess!¡± he begged of her.


    She had been trying to catch every word he tried to tell her as she felt her heart pound against her chest in nervousness, before he cut himself off and begged for forgiveness. She took note of how this stemmed from his past experiences with Jin.


    It seemed, even among the servants of Mara, she was feared. And she definitely did not like excuses.


    ¡°I merely feared for your safety, Saintess.¡± He finally said, ¡°Truly, it is a relief to see you well. I shall be sure not to cause you any more trouble, for whatever else reason there will be.¡± Eugene gave him a calculating gaze before she finally stepped back.


    ¡°Our meeting will be short today.¡± Though she wanted to extract more information from him, she knows she won¡¯t be able to get any more. He was still a priest of the heretic church. No means of threats or torture would be able to get him to spill their secrets.


    In fact, he would even be hailed a martyr for his heroic efforts.


    She mustn¡¯t get hasty about this. She doesn¡¯t know what position and how much influence he actually held in the heretic church, nor how involved Jin actually was with their activities.


    She also needed additional time to sort out the facts she had just learned. Her mind was a mess. Any more information and she might just end up giving herself away.


    ¡°Return for now, and wait patiently for my instructions.¡± She reminded him as he nodded in acquiesce to her command.


    ¡°Of course Saintess, however¡­¡± he trailed off, raising his head, studying his mistress for a moment before continuing as he gauged out how she would react, ¡°With regards to Tanya, if you will, I can send a replacement soon, with your permission of course.¡± He added hastily, ¡°Just like last time.¡±


    ¡°Last time?¡± she whispered to herself.


    She had a rough idea of what happened and who ¡®Tanya¡¯ was. He might¡¯ve sent her before, posing as a courtesan, but for some reason, she was no longer in the palace.


    She was also curious as to how Rodrigo operated, and how he was able to smuggle people into the employ of the palace. She knows the General. It would be a feat to even be able to get past her with her meticulous security with a half-assed plan.


    If there¡¯s a breach in security, I must find it. She thought to herself. She was head of the household now; she couldn¡¯t just let this be. She soon nodded her head, and he bowed to her once more.


    ¡°Excellent decision Saintess,¡± he said, ¡°God bless you, Saintess. This Mara¡¯s servant gives his final greetings before he leaves.¡± Once he was done, he finally got up on his knees, before he turned back to look at the other two occupants in the room, as his eyes turned red.


    ¡°I¡¯ve rushed to see the queen today, for I¡¯ve finally located the whereabouts of the ancient book she had been looking for. As a black market item, a deposit was needed to reserve such an item, so I came to seek permission to use the money I had been given.¡± He finished, and the red glow disappeared from his eyes.


    As he clapped his hands twice, the dull look disappeared from both Marianne and Zanne when they blinked, and Rodrigo faced her once more.


    ¡°It was a pleasure doing business with you, My Queen. Until the next time we meet again.¡± He bid her, and finally took his leave.


    As soon as he was gone, Eugene immediately felt all the tension leave her body. She was exhausted, her body was strained enough to be fatigued from all the excitement of today. She didn¡¯t even have enough energy to check whether or not Rodrigo¡¯s hypnotism worked properly on her two companions.


    She couldn¡¯t even find it in herself the strength to check whether or not they truly had no clue as to what happened, saw or heard anything during the whole thing. She only stood up, and began to pace, and opened the door¡­


    ¡°Marianne, I wish to be alone.¡± She said, and Marianne paused as she hesitated before nodding.


    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You too, Zanne.¡± Eugene told the maid, and she curtsied and followed in suit of Marianne. Because of her lack of awareness on her surroundings, she completely missed the worried look Marianne threw her way on their way out.


    As soon as they were gone, she entered the space of her bedroom once more and slid to the floor, her knees pressed against her chest as she buried her face on her hands, before pulling away. She stared at her hands, watched the way it trembles sporadically.


    She suddenly felt hopeless.


    To be honest, it had been a while since she was acquainted with the feeling. She even tried to avoid it at times, even when it was there, lingering at the back of her mind. It didn¡¯t matter how long she wondered about the nature of this place, the purpose of why she ended up in this world, or whether or not all of this was just a passing fancy¡­


    No one would be able to give her an answer, or a way to know how it all ends.


    That was why every time she woke up in the morning, she¡¯d only think about the current day and wonder how she¡¯d spend it. It was her way of adapting to the new world around her.


    It still felt like she¡¯s drunk on the moment, enjoying the sweetness it filled her with.


    Comparing her life now in Mahar, to the one she had before felt a lot like comparing Heaven from Hell. Everything was multiplied in too-many-folds: the abundance, the friendliness, the rewards.


    She¡¯d been thrown into the life of Jin, with no preparations or even trials, and took over for her as the queen for three years. Had things kept going uninterrupted, she would¡¯ve thought it was so easy. People would¡¯ve eventually forgotten the malicious queen, and brushed it up under the rug, never to speak of that Jin again.


    Was this a punishment for the arrogance she had assumed?


    Her mind was a mess, every known fact of her story only left her more confused with every answer she got. The anxiousness was overwhelming, but she couldn¡¯t even figure out what was causing it.


    She hugged her knees, burying her face on them as she continued to think. She had lost track of how long she had been in that position, but soon the facts were sorted out in her mind.


    It was still right of me to assume that the concept and world I wrote are the same.


    The characters were the same, their ranks, the places, the era. Even the setting and how she imagined it was the same. Just like in her novel. But that¡¯s where the similarities ended.


    It¡¯s not my fault. I mean they are so similar it¡¯s understandable for me to mistake them.


    She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, as she raised her head to calm herself down.


    She had no one to turn to, no one could help her if she were to make herself even more confused and run around for answers like a headless chicken. So there was only one unchangeable fact that remained, as it was on her previous life.


    Only she could help herself, no one else.


    This isn¡¯t just a story. It¡¯s now my reality. She told herself, Even I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen now.


    Worlds created inside novels had the ability to maximize the reader¡¯s imaginations. That was why people could come up with outrageous things that would be seemingly impossible in real sense.


    However, Eugene has a different opinion on the matter.


    Well, novels only exist for a means to escape, for people to establish their own set of rules of what was right, what was wrong. Therefore, in novels, one is in control. And reality? There was no clear sense of an absolute rule¡ªeverything is vague, and one would struggle and find means to survive.


    And that made it so much worse than living in a novel.


    ???

 Chapter 98 Could Be One (1)

    Chapter 98 ¨C Could Be One (1)


    Eugene hadn¡¯t felt like panicking before, because all this time she had just assumed she was only playing a part, living inside the novel as its events unfolded in front of her very eyes.


    Despite having landed the role of the antagonist, she was confident enough that if she hadn¡¯t done anything that would make things worse, no consequences would follow.


    But now everything was dumped onto her so suddenly; she couldn¡¯t see a single room for breathing. Still, it didn¡¯t mean she would just give up and relent to fate. She believed with proper knowledge and enough will power, she could still turn her impending doom around.


    It also helped that she kept telling herself what she always did when things got rough¡­


    When has anything been easy in my life?


    At least in Mahar, she didn¡¯t have any abusive family trying to reap the fruits of her labor. As much as she was concerned, life in Mahar was still much easier compared to what she had before. Still, there was one piece of the puzzle she wasn¡¯t able to put together¡­


    It was obvious enough that Jin, or at least her soul, was inside this body before. But now, Jin was gone, replaced by Eugene.


    Just like any other main characters in action movies, who run after getting shot, she needed to weed out anything impossible to focus on what was most likely to have happened. Simply put, it was illogical to assume another person¡¯s soul would occupy a different body, therefore completely pushing the original soul out.


    Which brings the confusion¡­


    Is Jin truly existing in the same plane as her right now?


    It could be Dissociative Identity Disorder. It would be a plausible answer, and thus, no soul exchange took place¡ªjust a different persona had taken over, pushing the original persona back to the deep recesses of the human consciousness.


    Which would explain why Eugene had all the knowledge on the world, thinking she was writing the story because she had been subconsciously living alongside as Jin. But that gave way to a different kind of fear altogether in her¡­


    They could be one.


    All the blood drained from her face as she grew pale, and her breathing ragged. She frowned the more she thought about it.


    Ah! she exclaimed with a sudden jolt of realization, snapping her head back up, ¡°The Sang-je!¡±


    There was a chance of at least one person in this world could give her the answers she sought. It might not be her novel, but too many similarities between them still exist in the physical sense. Even the larks remained the same, and the kings along with their abilities.


    Therefore, the Sang-je in her story could be similar to the Sang-je currently. From what she knew, the Sang-je ranked as the highest priest and could deliver the message of the gods to the world, a well-known fact in Maha.


    But Eugene knew from her story, that the Sang-je, in fact, was not human. In earth, he would¡¯ve been referred to as an angel. He does not age, nor could he die. He only changes his physical appearance to continue the ruse.


    If this is true, then that would mean no ordinary person would have access to this information.


    Her eyes lit up with hope at the prospect of knowing other things that could be used to her advantage.


    Jin had never visited any of the other kingdoms.


    As its author, she would¡¯ve known how the king journeyed to the five kingdoms to hunt down Jin for her crimes, and thus, she has extensive knowledge of each kingdom¡¯s different architectures, as well as their distinct characteristics.


    Anikas were specifically forbidden to step foot outside of the church. It has been strictly implemented only for them. The only exception is if they were to get married to a member of the royal family.


    Jin had come to Hashi upon her marriage to the king, and hadn¡¯t left it for three years. And she hadn¡¯t visited any other kingdom, except for the Stan Kingdom on her way to Hashi.


    I also know of the secret underground waterways of Flek Kingdom.


    An attack by the grand corps of Larks, under Mara¡¯s command, had befell upon the Flek Kingdom in her novel. At that time, Nicolas, the King of Flek, escaped the invasion through the underground waterways.


    But still, I won¡¯t have the means to investigate if that would be true.


    However, in order to dwell on the villainess queen¡¯s progression of plans, she must visit the sanctum¡ªthe place where the Mara¡¯s servants found a recluse.


    She took deep breaths, closing her eyes as she calmed down, before opening them again.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m clueless about everything around me. The important fact is I know who I am. And I am Eugene.


    Twenty-eight years had she lived as Eugene. So rough her life was, she sometimes questioned if at some point of her life, did she ever feel happy?


    She was certain that she lived as a struggling woman in a modern world. No one could deny it, not even god himself.


    She stared at her hands, and noted that they finally stopped trembling without her noticing. Standing up lightly, she began to straighten out her rumpled dress.


    She couldn¡¯t go to the sanctum. At least, not right now.


    Instead, she needed to wait until the active season ends. Also, as queen, she needed to be prepared for it. She couldn¡¯t just leave at a moment¡¯s notice after all.


    So nothing¡¯s changed after all. I still need to live one day at a time. Same as it always has been.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time for her to blank out. She¡¯s a little relieved that at least now, she has something else to focus on. For three years, Jin has planned her grand scheme, and now, it was on the brink of rearing its head.


    Whether or not she¡¯ll let it happen will be entirely up to Eugene now.


    As she remembered her latest conversation with Rodrigo, a name flashed through her mind¡­


    Tanya.


    Who is she? Why was she the only one Jin had kept close? None of the missing maids had such a name¡­


    No¡­ that isn¡¯t it.


    It was a different name. For the heretics, she was known as Tanya, so that would¡¯ve meant she used another in her time as a maid, just like Rodrigo, who used the name Cage when he visited the palace.


    Of course! Jin couldn¡¯t have snuck out of the palace by herself. She would¡¯ve needed assistance, one that could help her disappear from the inside. She should probably order an investigation to sort out the maids¡¯ identities thoroughly.


    He also talked about a ritual. I should¡¯ve pressed more about that.


    It was a shame she didn¡¯t get any more clues on it as it seemed like it was the most important information out of everything Rodrigo had told her. However, she couldn¡¯t think straight because her head was in such a mess back then.


    Based on the information she did get though, it seemed like Jin was about to face a ritual that Rodrigo was also participating in. It was safe to assume it probably is a ritual involving Mara.


    But somewhere along the way, Jin had opted to sneak out of the castle with her maids towards the desert instead.


    Why? What was she trying to do? Why did she bring just the maids?


    Suddenly, she remembered something.


    ¡°How dare you do this? What do you take me for? Where did you put it? And why did you go to the desert with it?!¡±


    It was the king from when she first woke up in Mahar, when he scolded her for something. She remembered having some sort of premonition, which gave her goosebumps just thinking about it.


    She thought about asking the king about it after he scolded her, but it had always slipped her mind. Ever since that too, he hadn¡¯t touched the subject, he hasn¡¯t even spoken about it to her, so she thought it mustn¡¯t have been such a big deal as he was making it to be.


    I need to know what Jin took to the desert.


    ???


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    For now, browse our Table of Contents


    Ying and Livy¡¯s current translations (from left to right)


    Living as the Villainess Queen


    Under the Oak Tree


    The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister


    Predatory Marriage


    Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss


    Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine

 Chapter 99 Could Be One (2)

    Chapter 99 ¨C Could Be One (2)


    Immediately, Eugene began to organize everything she needed to do, listing it down one by one, muttering to herself to help her remember¡­


    ¡°¡­ and then Jin had to meet Rodrigo, disguised as buying some information¡­ ah!¡± She exclaimed, suddenly remembering something.


    She had told Sarah before she would meet with the bank manager. Immediately, she left her bedroom, and bolted out of the door, pausing when she caught sight of Marianne pacing just out by the living room.


    When Marianne finally saw her, she immediately straightened up before giving her a bow.


    ¡°Marianne!¡± Eugene exclaimed, before calming down from her surprise. ¡°Have you been out here all this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I¡¯ve been waiting in case you needed assistance.¡± She told her.


    Eugene let out a grateful sigh.


    ¡°I could¡¯ve just sent for you.¡± She told the baroness. ¡°You needn¡¯t stand here all this time.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it is so.¡± Eugene reassured her, but for some reason, Marianne¡¯s expression seemed heavier than before. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Grace.¡± But her expression did not change, so Eugene pressed on.


    ¡°Are you sure? You can tell me.¡± She reassured her. She could see that Marianne was hesitant, but fortunately, her curiosity finally won out.


    ¡°It might be a little rude of me to ask¡­¡± Began Marianne. ¡°But does Her Grace remember something after the meeting earlier?¡±


    Marianne was usually someone who wouldn¡¯t let any of her emotions show while talking to someone, but as Eugene stared at her, the worry was palpable in the baroness¡¯ eyes. Eventually, Eugene finally let out a light chuckle.


    She remembered the king once told her it was fine if she wasn¡¯t able to regain her memories. Marianne was trying to tell her the same thing now, but less so with words and more so with actions instead.


    ¡°Were you worried I¡¯ve gotten some of my memories back?¡± She finally asked.


    Marianne looked a little panicked.


    ¡°No, Your Grace, that wasn¡¯t-¡± but she was cut off when Eugene gently placated her.


    It was oddly comforting to know that despite the growing problems she was facing, none of the people she was with right now wanted Jin to return. Which meant she now had free reign on what she wanted to do as Jin.


    Because in the end, can anyone really exist, when no one bothers to remember them?


    Truly, it was a fate worse than death itself.


    ¡°Marianne,¡± she finally said.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°Have I acted strange earlier? Or perhaps done something I did before I lost my memory?¡± she asked, prompting her to speak truthfully. And to her relief, Marianne gave her a terse shake of the head.


    ¡°As far as I could recall, you haven¡¯t, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Really? Even just a little?¡±


    Marianne carefully considered, before she finally answered.


    ¡°I am certain, my queen.¡±


    Eugene was still checking whether or not the multiple personality theory was still plausible. And though she hardly believed the theory herself, making sure did wonders to her nerves.


    ¡°Well then, you can relax.¡± Eugene assured her. ¡°Because none of my memory has returned.¡± She finished it off with a smile.


    After looking at her for a moment, eventually, the tension disappeared from Marianne¡¯s expression as she finally relaxed once she was certain Eugene was not Jin.


    ¡°Ah, that reminds me, is the bank manager finally here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± Marianne answered quickly. ¡°General Sarah had come by shortly before to inform you.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I shouldn¡¯t keep him waiting any longer. I should go now,¡± she said.


    Marianne curtsied as she left, and Eugene turned to do the same, before she suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Oh, and Marianne?¡± She called out, just in time before Marianne fully headed out.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want you to look into for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, anything, Your Grace,¡± Marianne said as she returned inside.


    ¡°I wanted to look deeper into the missing maids,¡± she said, ¡°I suspect some of them might be heretics.¡±


    Marianne looked quite alarmed at the information.


    ¡°Of course, Your Grace. But if there were any of them that was part of the heretics, then it was most probably Ellie.¡± She told her with great urgency. ¡°But I shall look more into their profiles and come back with my reports on that matter.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how do you know that?¡± Eugene asked, just before Marianne turned to leave once more.


    Marianne once again turned to face her properly.


    ¡°It was some time ago, with regards to your previous order,¡± she said, ¡°I was looking into some of the missings¡¯ family members, and when I got to Ellie, her son-in-law, Orabi, was suspected to be a heretic. There has already been an investigation.¡±


    Eugene was surprised to have gotten an answer quicker than she¡¯d expected. She had also been about to tell Marianne to be extra careful in her investigations, but there was something she didn¡¯t understand from what she had gathered.


    ¡°Wait, if he¡¯s been a suspected heretic, then how did Ellie become a maid in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Not Ellie, Orabi.¡± Marianne clarified.


    ¡°So let me get this straight, their family was suspected to be heretics¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, and they¡¯ve been investigated already.¡±


    But to Eugene, something wasn¡¯t adding up. Currently, it felt like they were on two different pages at the same time.


    ¡°But aren¡¯t heretics punished as soon as they¡¯re caught?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re to arrested.¡±


    ¡°No, not arrest, I meant, isn¡¯t there a death penalty?¡± Eugene asked with great confusion.


    Marianne looked at her as if she had grown two heads.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What about the church?¡± Eugene asked again.


    ¡°Not even the church would push with a death penalty. If ever they are proven to be heretics, they¡¯d be ordered to leave the kingdom.¡±


    And suddenly another discrepancy was presented to her.


    Despite having the same rules, same setting, and the same people, the very essence had changed. With the way she wrote her own story, Sang-je had been very aggressive towards the Church of Mara. So, if ever a heretic would be captured, their deaths were guaranteed.


    Even the knights, by order of Sang-je, had the power to kill heretics on sight.


    But it seems, that was not the case here. Being suspected as a heretic would only cause a minor disagreement with the family, but nothing else if they are proven innocent.


    ¡°I see,¡± Eugene finally said after a tense moment of silence, ¡°Then perhaps the investigations should be put on hold for now.¡±


    Now, she had decided.


    If she could find out who it was, then there wasn¡¯t a need for an investigation. What Eugene wanted was to figure out how a heretic could slip past the security measures in the palace to become Jin¡¯s maid.


    ???

 Chapter 100 Mysterious Expenditures (1)

    Chapter 100 ¨C Mysterious Expenditures (1)


    The first thing that came to Eugene¡¯s mind was a ball¡ªthe man that entered with her servant wore clothes that made him look like one. His stature was short, face plump, and the wide waist contrasted with his thin torso and legs.


    The president of the bank, James as he was called, bowed his head towards her, a few paces away from where she sat on the sofa.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet with you, Your Majesty. I hope you¡¯ve been well.¡± He humbly greeted her.


    Eugene had heard about him before, and despite the fact that Jin never visited him before, he regularly came to give her a report every time the dry period ended. Sarah never attended any of their meetings, and thus couldn¡¯t provide any details about their conversations, but she did note they never lasted long.


    Thus, it was safe to assume that Jin and the president had little to no relationship with each other.


    For this year, the dry period hadn¡¯t even started yet, this meant that their last meeting had been roughly six months ago. Which was fortunate, because that meant it was still Jin he reported to. Had they met at a much later time, Eugene would¡¯ve been anxious for this first meeting.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± she finally said, ¡°Please, take a seat.¡± She gestured to the sofa in front of her.


    He gave her a brisk nod. ¡°Thank you, my queen¡­ Anika.¡± He corrected after a moment.


    He must have been forewarned to greet her with a different title just before he came to the meeting.


    ¡°I have asked you to come today because I have questions about a few matters.¡± Eugene began as soon as he sat down.


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. Please ask me anything.¡±


    ¡°When did we first meet?¡± She immediately prodded.


    He blinked in surprise at the question, before he answered. ¡°Three years ago, Your Majesty, just shortly after you arrived.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course!¡± she said, nodding as she pretended to know the answer.


    ¡°And so, you¡¯ve been handling my account for that exact time, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    He nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Then I would like to request a report on my money transfers. After all, it has been a while.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand, has there been some trouble with the accounts, Your Majesty?¡± he asked with great confusion.


    Eugene could see the seeds of panic in his eyes. ¡°Oh no, I just wanted a refresher,¡± she assured him.


    He had been jittery ever since he stepped foot in the room. Looking at him now, Eugene was reminded of the fact that Mahar was a society largely based on their social status.


    Apart from Rodrigo, whose relationship with Jin was of a special nature, James was the first man Eugene had met with from outside of the palace. While she was uncertain, whether or not everyone outside of the palace acted like him, she figured it wasn¡¯t entirely out of place for him to be so nervous in front of her.


    Furthermore, had he been overreacting, Marianne would¡¯ve probably said something for his nerves, but she remained silent.


    Still, as a president of the bank, he¡¯s very much an accomplished man, she mused.


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    Perhaps his nerves most probably stemmed from the fact that he wasn¡¯t of noble birth.  It didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable witnessing someone middle-aged be frightened of her.


    ¡°Would it be possible to see them now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I can provide them with my utmost confidence in their sincerity.¡±


    He then turned around, nodding at the boy who was behind him, standing by the door. At an instant, he walked over, handing over a black leather briefcase to James, before standing straight once more.


    James took the bag, opened it up, and pulled out a pile of documents inside. Eugene blinked at his efficiency. She was pleasantly amazed by his preparedness for their meeting. He even brought all the reports she might have been expecting, including the ones she did want.


    ¡°Right here it shows the initial balance of your accounts, and then this one is the final balance, all calculated and updated from your last withdrawal.¡± He explained to her, neatly laying out each sheet of paper on the table. After that, he placed a thicker pile beside them. ¡°And this is the withdrawal history from the past three years.¡±


    Eugene blinked at the pile of papers in front of her. It was a lot more than she was expecting to look at. She only initially wanted to know how much money Jin left, but for now, she thought there was also merit to go over the documents as well.


    ¡°I see, I shall take time reviewing them. You can leave them here.¡± She informed him but noted the slight hesitance over her request. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just, Your Majesty, without those documents, no one can withdraw from your accounts.¡± He informed her.


    She nodded in understanding. ¡°If so, then freeze my accounts. Don¡¯t let anyone else make a withdrawal, even from postdated checks,¡± she said.


    Postdated checks were controlled by the bank and carried a lot of credibility for the bank¡¯s name on how they handled them. Had it been anyone else asking this of him, James would have half a mind to scold them for a preposterous demand. However, as Queen, he couldn¡¯t dare refuse her.


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± he finally said, bowing to her.


    Eugene immediately had everyone leave the room before she picked up the certificate of deposit with great trepidation.


    Mahar used a number system similar to that of Arabic Numerals. And as they used a decimal system the same as from her world, she had no trouble understanding the rows of numbers in front of her.


    Each of these numbers signified the same number of gold coins. If she were to convert it to the currency in her homeworld, well then, she found herself incredibly rich as her mouth fell agape as soon as she was done crunching the numbers¡­


    Two hundred billion dollars?! She was shocked.


    Are they sure this was only pocket money?! It¡¯s enough to become a business empire¡¯s entire wealth!


    Then it doesn¡¯t make sense why she¡¯d marry the Desert King just to buy ancient books!


    Would she really use all of her money just to buy books for a petty hobby? Well, she could understand why she felt like it would be such a waste.


    I wonder how much is left. She mumbled as she picked up a different sheet of paper. She couldn¡¯t possibly have used it much after all the kingdom pays for her food and clothing.


    As soon as she saw the numbers for the final balance, her hands began to tremble¡­


    Only half is left!


    ???


    For now, browse our Table of Contents

 Chapter 101 Mysterious Expenditures (2)

    Chapter 101 ¨C Mysterious Expenditures (2)


    She put it down immediately, her hands taking the thick pile of papers with great urgency as she hastily flipped from one page to another of the withdrawal history. Most of it was recorded transactions. But other than the numbers, nothing much was on the report.


    ¡°Jin¡­¡± Eugene sighed as she tried to piece the puzzle together, placing the documents back on the table.


    They were so different from each other. So different from how they lived their lives. Where in her original world, she struggled to save even just a couple of dollars every day, here, Jin didn¡¯t even need to think twice about spending so much.


    She could almost tear up at the amount of money gone to waste with just a wave of her hand. It didn¡¯t matter she hadn¡¯t known about it until today.


    ¡°How could she just spend that much in over three years?!¡± she hissed to herself in frustration. She huffed out angrily until she finally calmed down, before she picked up the withdrawal history once more.


    Every withdrawal was made through a postdated check.


    The check was simple enough, though nothing she¡¯d seen in Mahar, but she could understand it¡¯s basic principle. There was her name stamped on the check as the guarantor, her personal stamp most likely.


    She went through the withdrawal history one more time.


    Each and every time, the date and amount varied. Which meant Rodrigo must have withdrawn from the accounts whenever he needed it and how much he needed. Which also meant Jin had provided him with a bunch of post-dated checks.


    At the reminder of where all the money went, Eugene¡¯s throat dried up as if someone was choking her. Jin had given him the money on a ruse that she was buying ancient books from him, but she knows now that isn¡¯t the case.


    Rebels. She was supporting the rebels.


    Half of Jin¡¯s money went to the rebels, giving them a hundred billion dollars to aid their cause. She couldn¡¯t imagine just how big such an organization was to need that much money. Would her freezing the account fix the mess she found herself in?


    ¡°No,¡± she told herself, ¡°It¡¯s not nearly enough to stop them.¡±


    Despite everything she¡¯s learned today, she found it fortunate that at the very least, the public didn¡¯t see the rebel organization as devil reincarnated. So, fortunately, it meant she won¡¯t be stoned to death.


    Still, the amount of money Jin brought with her was too much to have all been from her family. Despite her wealthy origins, their whole fortune combined wouldn¡¯t even amount to how much she had amassed.


    She leaned back on the sofa, rubbing her temples with a sigh before she stared blankly at the ceiling above her. So much to do, and she didn¡¯t even know where to begin. After some time, she finally let out a smirk.


    She might have found a way to turn things to her favor.


    No time to waste. There¡¯s much to do.


    ***


    It was a very busy day for her. After she met with the president of the bank, she had immediately thrown herself to her duties of keeping the palace in order.


    For the past three years, the task was delegated with the General to handle the internal affairs, which should¡¯ve been the queen¡¯s role. So now, Eugene figured she should begin by spending the afternoon by receiving the duties and responsibilities from the General first and foremost.


    And while she was at it, she also took the time to convert a small space in her bedroom into her work office, and there, Eugene spent the whole afternoon taking off some of the load from the General¡¯s work.


    Moreover, it provided her a private space to work. She¡¯s a little unsettled by how freely people could come in and go while she was unraveling Jin¡¯s secrets little by little.


    She also needed a little assistance every now and then when it came to official affairs. And with the number of files she¡¯ll be needing to go through, she had to make sure it went to the correct person.


    Still it wasn¡¯t enough to keep her busy for a few days, only for a while perhaps.


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    As soon as the busy hours of the afternoon finally passed, she found herself finally relaxing. And while physically she was unable to move from her current position, her mind was still running miles.


    She found herself unable to concentrate on dinner, so lost in her thoughts, she completely missed the concerned glances Marianne sent her way.


    And just like every evening, the king¡¯s servants would come to her. It had been going on long enough, that by now, it was already routine for the palace staff to see the king¡¯s servants visiting the queen.


    As soon as Eugene heard from Marianne that the king¡¯s servants had arrived, she found herself reluctant to move. In the end though, she nodded in acknowledgment as she figured it would be best to put her mind to rest by thinking about something else.


    The sun had sunk, blanketing the palace in shadows as the night arose.


    With the servants leaving after their final tasks were done, Eugene found herself alone in her bedroom with a dim lighting.


    A voice shook her out from her thoughts.


    ¡°His Royal Highness, the Desert King.¡±


    She stood up from her bed and found herself nervous despite the fact they¡¯ve been doing this every single night by now.


    The king appeared in front of her, making his way towards her. Over his shoulder she could see the servants scurry away, closing the doors behind him with a soft click until they were finally alone.


    It came to her that she never really saw anyone else with him around her. Had it always been like this? She found herself embarrassed by his impatient behavior, barely able to wait until the servants left them to their privacy.


    Once he reached her, he wasted no time gathering her in his arms and pulled her close. He pulled away slightly, a hand gently holding on her chin as he dipped his head to kiss her on the lips, moving his against hers in sensual motions, prodding his tongue to part her lips open.


    Eugene found her eyes fluttering close as she took deep breaths to her nose as she enjoyed the sensation. She found him deepening the kiss, as her grip on his shoulders tightened up.


    She peered up at him gently, finally opening up her mouth as his tongue quickly darted inside. She watched him as he kissed her passionately, head tilted for a better angle.


    Her eyes raked over his face, on his smooth nose bridge, to his long eyelashes¡­


    This too, she noted, was her reality.


    Suddenly, she found herself slightly nauseous as her stomach churned and her cheeks flushed. She needed to get away. Not because she wanted him gone, but because she was still too confused to understand her own feelings.


    Her palms moved from his shoulders, and gave a slight push on his chest, when he finally pulled away.


    Kasser stared at her inquiringly as she averted her gaze from him.


    ¡°Can we not do it tonight?¡± she finally asked him, and he became even more confused.


    ¡°What is it? Did I make you angry? Or do you feel unwell again?¡±


    Eugene shook her head in response.


    ¡°None of that.¡± she told him, ¡°I¡¯m just not in the mood right now.¡±


    ???

 Chapter 102 Its My Duty (1)

    Chapter 102 ¨C It¡¯s My Duty (1)


    When she lowered her gaze in line with his chest, Eugene couldn¡¯t see what type of expression he was making with her statement. She knew she was likely risking offending the king, however, no matter what she thought of, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it with him tonight.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized. There was a tense silence for a moment, before it was finally broken.


    ¡°Eugene,¡± he called out to her. There was no inflection in his voice, no way of knowing what he was thinking about, so Eugene finally looked up at him.


    He was composed. But she knew it was very difficult to know how he felt by just his outward appearance. He wasn¡¯t the type that was easy to read.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something you should apologize for. I don¡¯t want to force you into doing anything.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s my duty,¡± she told him and Kasser¡¯s eyes bore into her frame, watching her in silence before he chose to answer.


    ¡°It should be fine as long as you¡¯re not avoiding me,¡± he explained, and Eugene gave him a terse nod.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After that, there was a tense moment of silence. And despite that there were no exchange of harsh words, or any word at all, the both of them could feel the distance between them split further apart.


    ¡°Alright, then¡­¡± Kasser¡¯s words stuck in his throat. He wanted to bid her good night, to rest well, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out, nor did his feet move from his spot. For the past few days, every night, he felt his heart pounding with excitement for their time together, not just to satisfy his sexual urges.


    He could barely recall any time from his youth where he had roomed with another soul. Ever since he was a young boy, he could only recall falling asleep alone, and waking up alone. And in the early stages of their marriage, he remembered he barely slept a wink each time he slept with the queen.


    For three years, he¡¯d spend one night with the queen every month. And while she slept soundly on the other side of the bed, he could do nothing more than just tossing and turning, staring at the queen¡¯s back until morning came.


    Until not too long ago this was true.


    But now, there were barely any days where he didn¡¯t have a good night¡¯s sleep. And despite the fact he hadn¡¯t changed the amount of sleep he got every night, every morning he felt as light as a feather. He found it even more relaxing to sleep when having someone by his side at night.


    ¡°Eugene.¡± he finally broke the silence as she perked up at him calling her name.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Would you like some time alone?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Eugene said resolutely as she quickly shook her head. If he were to leave her room like at a time like this, the servants would undoubtedly talk. She¡¯s familiar with palace gossip. Moreover, she didn¡¯t want to kick him out, and risk hurting his pride.


    ¡°The bed¡¯s large enough,¡± she added, gesturing to her bed, ¡°Unless¡­¡± she paused, feeling she overstepped her bounds, ¡°You were offended and want to return to your room?¡± she asked with uncertainty. Kasser chuckled at her.


    There was nothing special with the way she said it. It wasn¡¯t elegant, nor frivolous, but from time to time, there was something different with the way she talked, oftentimes he even found it humorous and unique.


    ¡°Thank you for offering me one side of your bed, My Queen,¡± he teased her, and she flushed for a moment, before he gave her a genuine smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome, Your Highness.¡±


    And with that, the tension in the room eased up a little.


    Eugene looked at Kasser with an interest. If she were to actually consider herself as one of the characters in a fictional world, then she could chalk up Kasser¡¯s actions and words as something that was fixed to suit the character.


    But, if she were to consider Mahar as her reality¡­


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    If she were to consider Kasser as an actual, living and breathing human being¡­


    Then she could say for sure, it¡¯s just another aspect to his personality as a whole.


    She¡¯d admit that in her first interactions with the king, the only thing she was attracted to was his looks. Now, after she got to know him a little better, she found herself more and more attracted to his personality instead.


    Once more, she found a familiar thought run through her mind¡­


    How good would it be if I was Jin, born and raised here?


    She could see it now, one where she has a life with none of these fusses, and only enjoying her happy marriage with Kasser for three years now. One where she could be happy and content, never asking for more.


    But Eugene wasn¡¯t sure of anything right now. She still didn¡¯t know where the metaphorical ticking time bomb Jin had buried was, and when it would blow up on her. She could very well become a criminal overnight.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the time to be swayed by emotions.


    If on Earth, Eugene lived as if she was being chased, then that life followed her all the way to Mahar too.


    Indeed, life was too bitter for her.


    ?


    Soon enough, the couple laid side by side on Eugene¡¯s bed. Both closed their eyes, attempting to fall asleep in their respective spaces. However, both failed to do so as well.


    Eugene¡¯s thoughts consisted of the things she had done for the day. And indeed she could say today was the busiest day she spent on Mahar.


    I think Ellie is Tanya, she thought to herself.


    One of the many things Eugene had learned from the General officer was the standard procedures of hiring and managing staff members in the palace. And out of curiosity, she asked how Ellie was hired as a maid.


    Fortunately, Sarah remembered the day in detail and explained it to her.


    ¡°Ellie was not taken into the palace as an official member of staff. Generally, the number of hired servants are kept constant, but every now and then, unexpected situations occur, and we become short-handed. So we temporarily hire staff during those times.¡± Sarah explained.


    ¡°Ah, so Ellie was only temporarily hired?¡± Eugene asked and Sarah nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Then how did Ellie become one of my maids?¡±


    ¡°You hired her yourself, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Is it common for temporary staff to be hired officially?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Majesty. That was the first time it happened,¡± Sarah replied, choosing her words carefully.


    ¡°And is that because there are customs?¡±


    Sarah hesitated and had just said that there was a strict criterion in hiring new staff, and left it at that. From her reaction, Eugene assumed she wanted to say that Jin had disobeyed customs and took Ellie without any discussion.


    But of course, Sarah couldn¡¯t be purely honest just to come out and say ¡®you may not remember, but you did whatever you wanted¡¯ to her, the queen.


    ¡°For what reason did I hire her?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­ give us a reason, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°And did Ellie always work for me?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Majesty. We do not let temporary staff around the members of the royal family.¡±


    According to Sarah, all temporary staff are given chores such as chopping vegetables, or sweeping empty rooms. They did not and would never be tasked to go near either the king or queen. Sarah had also admitted she had no idea how Ellie even caught the attention of the queen.


    But Eugene knew differently.


    If she¡¯d successfully entered the palace, it¡¯s easy to figure out the whereabouts of the queen¡¯s bedroom. She would¡¯ve found Jin and then given her some sort of signal to show her who she really was.


    And with that, other people sent by Rodrigo will also have no trouble approaching Jin either.


    As Eugene spent a restless night thinking about Jin Anika¡¯s plans and what damage it could do, Kasser also lied next to her, hopelessly kept awake by a single thought¡­


    ¡°But it¡¯s my duty.¡±


    Her words kept bothering him to no end.


    ???

 Chapter 103 Its My Duty (2)

    Chapter 103 ¨C It¡¯s My Duty (2)


    She wasn¡¯t wrong. They made a deal three years ago, and she promised to give him a successor, not to mention it was one of her main duties as a queen. But why did her words irritate him?


    In fact, he should be thankful for her for using the word ¡®duty.¡¯ Also, wasn¡¯t it better than calling it a contract fulfillment?


    All he wanted from their marriage was a successor, beyond that, he didn¡¯t expect more. And because he didn¡¯t expect any more than that, he never found himself disappointed in her for whatever trouble she caused him.


    But recently, he found himself wanting more than just a successor with their marriage. He wanted her to embrace being the Queen of Hashi, to carry out her duties and responsibilities with pride. That was why he gave her the role of managing the palace. To make her part of the kingdom.


    And he remembered with great fondness how she enthusiastically accepted the responsibility.


    But was that all he wanted?


    He couldn¡¯t even find it in himself to say that yes, that was all he wanted from her. But for the life of him, he doesn¡¯t even know what else he wants. And the more he thought of it, the more his thoughts grew jumbled, confusing him greatly.


    Just as he let out a quiet sigh, he was surprised to hear another follow right after. It wasn¡¯t his own, so he turned his head, just in time to see Eugene do the same and they looked at one another with bewilderment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I wake you?¡± she finally said, readjusting her position to talk to him properly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Is everything alright?¡± he asked, doing the same to look at her.


    ¡°Yes, I was just thinking about things¡­¡± she answered, trailing off. Kasser leaned in closer.


    ¡°What were you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± she told him, making him frown.


    He was bothered at her vague reply, but he knew better than to interrogate someone who doesn¡¯t want to speak. Regardless, he couldn¡¯t stand this feeling of not knowing, not tonight.


    Is she¡­? He suddenly stiffened in thought.


    He had to know.


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    ¡°¡­yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you remembering something?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember anything,¡± Eugene quickly answered as she sensed him beginning to sit up in the dark. When she saw him lying on his side, planting his elbow into the sheets and leaning his head against his palm, Eugene shook her head once more to reassure him.


    ¡°I met the bank president today.¡± she suddenly shared. It wasn¡¯t the one she was currently worrying about, but she decided to at least give Kasser something to talk to about. ¡°Apparently, I¡¯ve had some kind of private fortune. So I called to confirm it.¡±


    ¡°And what did you find?¡±


    ¡°Just that I have too much of it.¡± she admitted, ¡°I still keep wondering if all of it really is mine.¡± she finished softly.


    ¡°It is yours.¡± he confirmed for her, ¡°Most probably it¡¯s from the Sang-je.¡± he added.


    ¡°The Sang-je? What for?¡±


    ¡°For congratulating you on your marriage. All Anikas get money when they wed.¡± Kasser said and finally smirked, all teasing could be heard from his voice. ¡°You¡¯re worried about having too much money? Why would you worry about that?¡± he chuckled at her.


    Eugene only sunk further down her blanket as her brows furrowed.


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    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right to have all that money. I don¡¯t even know where it¡¯s from,¡± she mumbled. If only I could tell him, why I am so keen on studying Jin¡¯s wealth.


    ¡°If it¡¯s in an account under your, then it¡¯s yours. Why does it matter where it comes from?¡± he asked with confusion, as name Eugene stole a glance at him before she pouted in frustration.


    Is this really the line of thinking one would have when born from money? Because apart from Sang-je, Kasser was one of the wealthiest people in Mahar. That still didn¡¯t stop her from wondering if every Anika was granted that much money when getting married.


    The Sang-je truly cherished Anikas.


    ¡°But you probably received more.¡± Kasser suddenly piped, interrupting her thoughts.


    ¡°Really? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you married a king.¡±


    ¡°Why would he give more money to Anikas marrying a king?¡±


    ¡°Probably to comfort an Anika leaving the Holy City, and to financially help them settle in a foreign kingdom. But don¡¯t tell anyone. I¡¯m only telling you because you don¡¯t remember, but it¡¯s not something commonly known.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then how did you find out?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°I just happened to.¡± He said with a shrug of his shoulders. With that, he effectively ended their conversation. Eugene thought it was odd for him to show even an ounce of discomfort. So she didn¡¯t ask more because she was no longer as curious as before.


    Well, at least it¡¯s not some shady money, she thought in relief, feeling a weight lifted off of her shoulders.


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°About what you said,¡± He paused, continuing to lie in silence for a moment before speaking again. Eugene waited patiently for him to continue. She wondered what was so difficult for him to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to criticize you, nor trying to change your mind,¡± he finally continued. Eugene frowned at the sudden change of the subject, trying to recall what she had said earlier¡­


    ¡°I just want you to know, if you don¡¯t want a child, we don¡¯t have to.¡± He finally said, ¡°I find sometimes, children only make matters worse.¡±


    Eugene couldn¡¯t immediately comprehend the meaning behind his words. How could children make matters worse? Suddenly, the former queen staying in the Holy City, came to mind.


    Feeling she picked on Kasser¡¯s scab from his childhood wound, she felt herself empathize with him.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you don¡¯t know me that well yet but, I can assure you, no one can make me do what I don¡¯t want to do,¡± she told him in complete confidence, even adding a playful tone, but she heard no reply from him.


    She waited for a few minutes more, but was greeted by nothing but silence. Soon, she situated herself back to get a comfortable sleep, her eyes fluttering close as sleep slowly crept up in her¡­


    Unfortunately, a second later her eyes snapped back open as she remembered an important detail to her worries.


    Ah, I forgot to ask,¡¯ she winced in thought, as she bit her lip.


    She still needed to know what it was that she stole before escaping to the desert.


    ???

 Chapter 104 Hiding the Truth

    Chapter 104 ¨C Hiding the Truth


    ¡°Your Highness, have you gone to sleep?¡± she asked in the dead of the night. Sheets of the bed rustled, as Kasser turned his body to face her properly once again.


    ¡°No. What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s something unpleasant,¡± she began slowly, trying not to shock him at such a late time. ¡°The day I disappeared into the desert, Your Highness told me I secretly took something. Please tell me what it was.¡±


    Kasser propped himself up with his elbow pressing against the mattress.


    ¡°¡­why are you asking about that?¡±


    ¡°Since I did it, I have to know.¡± She shrugged, trying to pass is off as a curiosity on her part.


    Eugene knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep until she discussed what was bothering her, what had been bothering her for a long time ever since she came to this world. It was a shock for her that she had taken on the form of Jin Anika, the Queen of Mahar, and now, lying next to her, was the Fourth King of Mahar, King Kasser.


    In all honesty, she was the novelist who created this world, but that did not mean she knew everything about it. Ever since she arrived, she had been seeking an answer to what it was that Jin stole. But to everyone else, she was and had always been Jin Anika, who had lost her memories.


    She knew the king had the answer, but she was not sure if he would be willing to give it to her.


    Kasser had already decided before to keep the matter closed and buried away as he did not wish to bring it up to her again. To admit to the truth of the theft, it would have meant he had to tell her about where she stole it from¡ªthe treasure house.


    And if she were to know about its existence, he had no doubt she would want to go check it out herself.


    He feared if she would, it would dredge up her memories, and that was why he refused to bring it up again. Furthermore, to ensure her memory would not return, he had sealed off the place.


    Admittedly, it has been quite some time since she lost her memory, and it didn¡¯t seem like it was going to return any time soon. Despite knowing he should feel relieved by it, he couldn¡¯t help but feel more anxious with every passing day.


    Anything could cause her memory to return. If she were to encounter even a single trigger to her past, he feared what would happen if she would remember everything. Even her questions gave him a sense of foreboding.


    He did not want her memories to return. He needed to make sure the treasure house wouldn¡¯t pose any threat. He must nip this off the bud.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important.¡± Kasser deflected as he plopped back down to the bed.


    Eugene turned her head to the side. She could see his silhouette faintly in the dark, eyes gazing intently at the ceiling as she watched him with suspicion. He was clearly avoiding the question.


    ¡°Your Highness, please, I need to know. Even if you do not remember it clearly, it was my fault. I am also certain you were furious with me about it. Am I to understand that I was blamed at that time even though it was nothing?¡± she challenged.


    It did not seem like she was going to let it go that easily. Kasser finally opened his eyes with a sigh, agonizing for a moment over what to say and made an excuse, just to keep her from asking any further about it.


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    ¡°It was a gem.¡±


    ¡°A gem?¡±


    ¡°A necklace that had been passed down in the royal family for generations. Jewelry given from one queen to the next. Whenever there is a wedding or a coronation, it was tradition to hang the necklace around the new queen¡¯s neck. While it belongs to the royal family, only the queen can wear it.¡±


    At any normal circumstance, he would never lie, but in an unavoidable situation such as this, he wouldn¡¯t dare come out with a sloppy one either. If he must lie, he¡¯d lie excellently.


    A perfect lie is construed with facts, a mixture of what is true, with fabricated details.


    Now such a necklace did exist, but still safely tucked inside the treasure house, unlike the one she lost, which he would never tell her. He also forbade his subjects to tell her anything remotely pertaining to the treasure house¡ªand the missing national treasure¡ªan abnormally large lark seed.


    That¡¯s why, even if she were to ask anyone, even Marianne, about the necklace, she should be able to answer accordingly.


    Eugene, on the other hand, only continued to listen to him with a dubious expression on her face.


    ¡°What kind of necklace?¡±


    ¡°A necklace adorned with seven different hued diamonds, crafted into the shape of a veil,¡± he then stretched out his hand, hovering above her chest, ¡°It could almost cover your entire neck, even,¡± he remarked.


    Eugene was wondering what sort of fuss could have happened over this. It was just a necklace. But the more she thought about it, the more she understood the importance of the artifact.


    She imagined wearing it, picturing the necklace adorning her neck, shimmering as the light bounced off the diamonds as it wrapped her neck completely. She could picture the small precious stones it was crafted with. There could possibly be dozens, no, even hundred of those diamonds to make up the necklace!


    She could hardly imagine how much it actually cost. Not to mention the historical implications of such a jewel that has been passed down generation to generation in the Royal Family of Hashi.


    It could only be a priceless commodity.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be something unimportant¡­¡± she mumbled worriedly after his explanation, quite disheartened about the lost treasure. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I cannot remember where it is,¡± she told him, but he only shrugged her worries away.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been a while since it was lost. Just forget about it,¡± he assured her, but Eugene couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed of such a loss.


    ???


    For now, browse our Table of Contents

 Chapter 105 Lucid Dreaming (1)

    Chapter 105 ¨C Lucid Dreaming (1)


    ¡°How can we just forget the past and move on? I took such an important treasure, did what I pleased, and then lost it¡­and I cannot find it on my own,¡± she fretted, before turning to him rather frantically, ¡°What if I give up my personal wealth to Your Highness, even a fraction of it? Ha¡­never mind. That would not be nearly enough.¡± Eugene berated herself after a moment.


    After listening to her incessant murmuring and gloomy notions, Kasser couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    He only wanted her to stop inquiring about the lost treasure, not make her feel guilty about a lie. He stifled back his urge to laugh at the thought of her paying with her fortune something that wasn¡¯t even gone.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Eugene paused before finally turning back to him, ¡°Does this necklace have some sort of special ability?¡± she asked him, which brought him out of his own musings. ¡°Like is it not just a necklace? Does it hold some kind of power?¡± Kasser shook his head.


    ¡°A gem is just a gem, just as the necklace is just a necklace.¡±


    Eugene hunched in on herself with his answer, before sighing.


    ¡°I truly am sorry for the trouble I¡¯ve caused,¡± she told him sincerely, and once again, he brushed her concerns off.


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s been some time ago now. Stop worrying about it.¡±


    ¡°But you said it was passed down through generations,¡± she argued,  ¡°That it should be given to the next queen.¡±


    ¡°The queen of a child yet to be born.¡± he reminded her, ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no way of knowing when that would be.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s hands unconsciously came up to her belly as she imagined what it would be like to be a mother.


    She imagined bearing the child, raising him, watching him grow up until he comes of age. He would meet the woman who would soon become his wife, and she would watch in the sidelines as he married her, becoming king.


    She wondered when that all would begin.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be too soon, right?¡± she finally said, ¡°If I am to bear your son.¡±


    Kasser stared at her pensively.


    ¡°As I said, I will take care of it, so you should forget about it already.¡± He truly meant it when he said that. After all, he was only using the necklace as a scapegoat for what really disappeared.


    He just needed more time.


    ¡°Let us stop talking about this and go to sleep. You also have a lot of work to do tomorrow.¡± he finally piped up, resituating himself to sleep as Eugene agreed softly.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    She stared at him a moment longer despite the dim lighting, knowing he could feel her gaze on him. However now, she was determined to leave her past behind, give up the wish to return to her own world, and embrace her new identity as Jin Anika, Queen of Hashi.


    Eugene felt grateful for Kasser, who acted as if nothing had happened. He must have already deemed she couldn¡¯t be held accountable for what she couldn¡¯t remember, which was probably why he was adamant to not discuss the stolen item before, until she brought it up.


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    ¡°A necklace¡­¡± she murmured to herself softly.


    It wasn¡¯t what she was expecting. Of all the things she could have stolen, she hadn¡¯t expected Jin to have stolen an heirloom.


    But perhaps that was why she married Kasser after all. Did she like the necklace so much, that she took it for herself and carried it across the desert?


    I don¡¯t think so. Eugene felt skeptical. If the item was truly just a jewelry of no special value, it could be traded for gold and sold off to the highest bidder. But why would Jin do that? She is wealthy enough.


    Besides, it would be difficult to trade an entire necklace with such a distinguishing feature, but if it were broken up and sold only in small pieces, enough of it could have been sold. Looking back at Jin¡¯s past record of investing in socializing, not even that would seem to be enough motivation for her to become a thief because she needed money¡­


    She couldn¡¯t help but think that the character she had created was much too one-dimensional for that scheme.


    Despite her doubts having not been quelled, she quickly fell asleep¡­


    Only shortly after, she heard it.


    The soft trickling of water hitting the ground.


    And her eyes flickered open once more.


    What greeted her was the sight of clear blue skies, stretching out as far as her eyes could see. She could feel the water cradling her as she floated on the sea¡­


    A lake? Or was it an ocean?


    There was not a land in sight she could see from her peripheral, so it was difficult to tell. Finally gaining enough awareness, she gently paddled her foot as she tried to sit up.


    Splashes of water moved as she flapped her arms, her feet paddling as it repeatedly broke through the water surface. She waddled her way through the water, and while she could hear the water surrounding her, she could not feel the cold, nor wet the more she glided.


    She knew this place, and was familiar to this very sight. She spotted the same horizon at the farthest end of her line of sight.


    It was the same sight she saw last time. The dream she had before. But unlike the previous one, she¡¯s determined to remain composed throughout the dream.


    She looked down upon herself, and saw she was wearing the clothes she wore just before she went to sleep. She then bent her torso, and saw that not even in her dreams did she see her own face, but Jin¡¯s instead looked back at her.


    Even in my dreams I am Jin.


    She then dipped her hand in the water from where she sat. As she expected, she watched her hand slip into the water, but she could not sense anything like she would when touching water. She did this again, and again, but still, there was no feeling when she touched the surface.


    She stood up and looked around once more. The water below her feet only stopped by her ankles. And there was nothing else but the water and sky in every direction she looked at.


    Lucid dreaming?

 Chapter 106 Lucid Dreaming (2)

    Chapter 106 ¨C Lucid Dreaming (2)


    She began to walk. It was the same feeling as if she was walking on land, though it was strange to hear splashing with every step she took. She raised her gaze towards the sky.


    It was bright blue and cloudless like a clear, sunny day, but she soon realized that no matter where she looked, she could not locate the sun.


    Unlike the last dream, this one lasted longer. Even after walking for miles, the surrounding landscape did not change.


    If this is a lake, there should be a shore somewhere¡­


    And yet the water continued on, without an end in sight. Eugene felt herself becoming weary. She soon stopped and looked down, the water sloshing around her feet at her sudden stillness.


    Is it possible for a lake to be this shallow?


    After staring at the surface for a few minutes, she realized something strange. Because she had focused only on the lack of sensation from the water, she did not think about what could be beneath. If the water is ankle-deep, her feet and the ground should be visible. But she could not see even the muddy floor.


    Below her was only a dark, deep blue.


    She squatted down to get a closer look, her face hovering just above the water level. The longer she gazed through the surface, a room began to materialize underneath. She tilted her head.


    It looked familiar.


    She closed her eyes for a moment, preparing to dive down when needed, but when she opened them, she blinked back in surprise upon recognizing the ceiling of the chambers she shared with the king.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She turned her head from side to side. She was lying in bed in her chamber. The room illuminated brightly by the light of dawn.


    ¡°What a strange dream. And an even stranger way to wake up.¡±


    She finally sat up. It was a long dream.


    For the dream to continue on like that, it could not be an ordinary one. She thought she might have been lucidly dreaming, but now, she was uncertain. What she knew is that the dream must be somehow connected to the missing treasure.


    Was it about the necklace? But it seemed wrong to her.


    Her intuition told her that the king¡¯s story was not true, but why would he lie to her?


    Just in case, she closed her eyes and focused on her inner thoughts. She attempted to search for something to prove whether her doubts were warranted. Her eyebrows pursed together in concentration, but it was futile. She soon opened her eyes.


    She could not find anything to support her suspicions.


    ¡°If I have that dream again next time, I¡¯ll have to explore more carefully,¡± she muttered to herself in determination, before she finally hailed a maid nearby as she started her day.


    ¡°Your Highness, the baroness has arrived as you have summoned.¡± The Grand Chamberlain said as he informed the king.


    Kasser stamped a document with his seal, before raising his head and nodded.


    ¡°Allow them in. I will speak with them privately, so clear the room.¡±


    ¡°As you command.¡±


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    All the royal councilmen filed out of the king¡¯s council room, and Marianne was escorted in. Kasser rose from his seat to greet her. An unusual thing for a king to do, but Marianne was no normal subject.


    During his childhood, she was once his caretaker and confidante, having helped shape him into the successful king he had become today. Now, she watched over Queen Jin, his wife.


    As she approached him, he came around his desk and sat down on the sofa.


    ¡°Come on, sit down.¡± The king invited Marianne to a seat right next to him.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Marianne acquiesced.


    Marianne was nervous to take the seat because she most likely would have to sit there for a long time, responding to whatever inquiries the king had. It has been quite some time since she had a private meeting with His Highness, as he often did not have any work for her.


    ¡°Marianne, is there anything you haven¡¯t told me?¡± he asked, quickly getting to the point of their meeting.


    ¡°I do not understand what you mean, Your Highness.¡± Marianne said, confused by his question.


    ¡°About the queen¡¯s memory.¡± He clarified.


    ¡°Your Highness, there is nothing I would dare hide from you,¡± she said aghast.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re certain the queen did not regain any memories? Truly? Not even something seemingly insignificant?¡± he inquired further, but Marianne only denied his worries.


    ¡°None that I am aware of. If the queen chooses not to speak, then there is no way for me to know, but the last time I saw Her Majesty, she did not seem different,¡± she reassured him.


    Kasser mulled over her answer in silence, as Marianne took the liberty to observe him. She gathered, from his expression, that something must have happened between them last night.


    ¡°Was something amiss?¡± she finally asked, and he turned to her, shook out of his thoughts.


    ¡°She told me she met with the president of the bank yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Her Highness could not remember if she had any private funds, so she requested the information from the bank and wanted to confirm it.¡± Marianne explained, and Kasser nodded.


    ¡°And other than that? Was there no other special incident?¡±


    ¡°There was that time we met with an information broker named Cage. According to the Commissioner, he would occasionally meet up with the queen. But even after meeting with the man, the queen told me she could not remember anything.¡± she further elaborated.


    Marianne was not one to report every single detail that happened to the queen¡¯s everyday life to the king. Nor did the king even demand to know such things. It was against his very nature to do so.


    She¡¯d like to think she wasn¡¯t a very good spy, nor did she aim to even be one. That¡¯s why Marianne strived to help the new queen in every possible way she could.


    She had wished they would become closer to one another, and so she often acted as an intermediary between the couple a few times before.


    The current agreement between Marianne and King Kasser largely involved the queen¡¯s memory loss. If the queen had any signs of recovering her memory, Marianne would have informed the king immediately about it. She wanted to protect her from her memories, yes, but she was always loyal to the king.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± she finally spoke up, breaking him from his reverie. Even though Marianne was not the king¡¯s vassal, as his former caretaker, she would often give him advice when he seemed troubled.


    ¡°The loss of the queen¡¯s memory is beyond even your own power,¡± she began, patting his hand comfortingly as she once did when he was young, ¡°Her memory may return suddenly one morning, or maybe it won¡¯t ever. But I ask you, until when will you continue to worry about it?¡± she asked him, seeing that the very thought still plagued the King¡¯s mind heavily.


    ¡°In the meantime, I implore you to take this time to get to know her instead. Not just every night in her chambers. Take her to walks, eat together during meals, anything. Get to know her.¡± She urged him gently,¡°After all, it takes an effort between two people to complete a relationship,¡± she finished.

 Chapter 107 True Happiness (1)

    Chapter 107 ¨C True Happiness (1)


    The further Kasser thought about it, the further he realized he couldn¡¯t explain very well just how complicated the situation he found himself in truly was.


    Three years ago, when he entered the contract with the queen, he only expected that their relationship would begin and end once a child is born. His greatest concern about her memories returning out of nowhere was the fear of her suddenly turning back on her words.


    Additionally, he never planned to tell Marianne about it, especially now with her old age. He¡¯d be compromising her health if he were to tell her now. She¡¯d be quite astonished, and he might give her the shock of a lifetime.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m taking care of it,¡± he reassured her, but Marianne¡¯s eyes narrowed in a reproachful way towards him.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± she began, her tone taking on a reprimanding tone. By her expression, Kasser could see the impending scolding he was about to receive, and so he let out a loud sigh. Disregarding his distaste, Marianne continued without care.


    ¡°Your Highness, how can you keep things from me? You are already very busy with the affairs of the state night and day.¡± She pointed out. ¡°Need I remind you that despite your schedule, you still found a way to visit the queen in her bed chambers every night?¡±


    Kasser had had his fill of Marianne¡¯s nagging as a child, he had hoped now he was king he would be spared of such things.


    Should he answer recklessly and ask her to back off the situation, she¡¯ll only give him that look of hers, which conveys she was greatly disappointed with him and just up and leave without letting him explain a word edgewise.


    And so he opted for silence. He didn¡¯t want to say anything that would give him away to Marianne¡¯s scrutinizing eyes. She¡¯d notice anything was amiss with him in a heartbeat.


    And to be even more honest, her suggestion on improving his relationship with the queen was rather tempting. But could he make it happen? Could they?


    Could he even disregard the past, build a new one from the ground up? Would she stay as she is should her memory return without warning?


    It¡¯s only until recently he began feeling he was married, three years after their union. Only recently, he even began to entertain the notion of the queen being more than just the bearer of his heir¡­


    However, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little suffocated. Despite their growing closeness, he couldn¡¯t deny that there was still an undeniable gap between them either.


    They don¡¯t normally run into each other, and the nights he would spend with her was full of passion. She smiled a lot, talked a lot, and didn¡¯t show any signs of dissatisfaction whenever they were together. There was no problem, but at the same time, there seemed to be one.


    Only, he couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, don¡¯t worry,¡± he told the Baroness, ¡°As soon as everything is over.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Marianne sighed exasperatedly. ¡°I do not mean the country, the state of affairs can wait! Why are you insisting on putting this discussion off? You can start wherever you want, I won¡¯t judge,¡± she implored him, clasping his hand like she would a child, ¡°Your Highness, the kingdom won¡¯t fall apart if you were to loosen up just a little. You¡¯re not a god. How do you expect to do everything?¡±


    Marianne was surprised she even said those words to the king, but she believed them to be true.


    But despite her words, the king¡¯s expression only remained calm, which only made her frown further. She knows she¡¯s overstepped her boundaries, but still he¡¯s not angry at her. She realized she¡¯s at the mercy of the king¡¯s kindness, right there and then.


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    Eventually, Marianne reluctantly backed down, bowing her head towards him.


    ¡°Forgive me, Your Highness. It was too presumptuous of me. Please punish me as you see fit.¡±


    Kasser gave her a slight smile. He found her naggings annoying yes, but he didn¡¯t hate them. Even at the height of his rebellious stage, when he was fourteen to fifteen years of age, despite the fact he found everything she said tiring and irritating to listen to, he never hated it.


    He remembered those times rather fondly, especially now that thanks to his experience before, he¡¯d learned to stop talking back at Marianne whenever she scolded him.


    Suddenly there was a cry from outside the king¡¯s office.


    ¡°Your Highness! There has been an emergency!¡±


    It was the Grand Chamberlain.


    He had ordered expressly that his meeting with Marianne was to be private, and left undisturbed. It was highly unlikely they were to disregard his commands for anything trivial. Both of them exchanged glances, their expressions wary and alert.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Kasser commanded without a moment further.


    The doors burst open as the Grand Chamberlain hurried in, accompanied by another man. When he reached in front of the king, the man immediately dropped on one knee, bowing reverently, and offered up to him a single red envelope.


    ¡°Your Highness, urgent news from the Central Storage General!¡± the man exclaimed.


    Kasser quickly got on his feet and hurried to the man. He plucked out the red envelope from the man¡¯s hands and opened it, before scanning the contents quickly.


    Inside the red envelope, contained a small piece of paper. They made use of carriers when sending out urgent messages so that they won¡¯t be able to contain much confidential information, or top secrets.


    ¨C Accidents, Lark seed cracked, Yellow


    No matter how carefully people manage the storage, the accidents that broke the lark seeds still happen frequently. They get broken, and therefore unleashing a lark, even from the tiniest of causes, especially during the active period. In rare cases, there were times that they would still break despite the presence of safety devices.


    Kasser immediately turned back to face the carrier, commanding him urgently.


    ¡°Make your way to the General and tell him to send the warriors to the Central Storage.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± he immediately got up and ran out of the room.


    ¡°Grand Chamberlain,¡± he called out, immediately facing the other man, ¡°To the chancellor¡­¡± Kasser paused. ¡°I must go myself,¡± he amended.


    It would take too much time to send someone to call and wait for Chancellor Verus to arrive. If he were to wait a little longer, he would be able to get a more detailed report of the accident, but the time was of the essence.

 Chapter 108 True Happiness (2)

    Chapter 108 ¨C True Happiness (2)


    This was the first accident in the Central Storage since Kasser ascended the throne. He knew his presence was vital to the Central Storage, so he changed his mind and decided to go.


    The Central Storage, half a day¡¯s walk from the capital, was the largest treasure house in the kingdom. High-class blue seeds are found only in the Central Storage.


    Once the seeds are harvested, they go through the Central Storage first before they are transferred to their respective storages. These smaller storages are closer to the supply compared to the Central Storage.


    As such, the management of the Central Storage was stricter than anywhere else in the kingdom. Even the smallest accidents could pose such difficult risks to overcome. If these were not addressed immediately, there would be a disaster for the whole kingdom.


    Kasser walked past the Grand Chamberlain in a fast pace, and the Grand Chamberlain scrambled to follow him out.


    ¡°Bring me my sword.¡± He commanded, and they nodded, the Grand Chamberlain calling for a servant to do so.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Send the General right now. Tell him to come to the Chancellor¡¯s House.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    There were many thoughts in his head right now as he stalked down the hall. He was anxious to leave the palace, more so as many things seem to have sprung out of thin air. Should Larks appear while he was away, the damage was unthinkable.


    It was fortunate that there was still a cease happening after they had just dealt with them recently.


    ¡®We¡¯re still fine for now.¡¯ He thought, but still, he couldn¡¯t shake off his anxiety.


    There was something different in the active period right now. The massive Lark army in the beginning was just the start.


    ¡®I must send for reinforcement to Lester to secure the walls.¡¯


    As he leaves the palace, he couldn¡¯t help but think about the people he was leaving behind. And at the forefront of his mind, he wondered how the queen would fare in his absence¡­


    Just the thought of leaving her made him feel weak. His steps slowed down, thinking about the tortured and worried expression of his people should an attack ensue as they lose hope surviving until tomorrow¡­


    Jin was an Anika, and therefore was safe from any attack of the Larks, but she¡¯d be the only one.


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    ¡®But surely it isn¡¯t just the Larks I would have to worry about.¡¯


    Anything that could go wrong might go wrong indeed. He could wound up hurt when a building collapses on him during a Larks¡¯ attack, or end up traumatized by the distress he would be exposed to in witnessing his people dying helplessly around him¡­


    ¡°Grand Chamberlain,¡± he paused in his steps as the Grand Chamberlain skidded to a stop beside him, ¡°Should a signal go off, and I¡¯ve yet to return, I want you to take the queen to the undergrounds without delay.¡± He commanded a bit more harshly than he had intended, making the Grand Chamberlain flinch, but he eventually nodded.


    ¡°Of course, Your Highness. As you wish.¡±


    Immediately, he quickened his steps once again as he finally left for the emergency.


    Alone in the office, once the king left in urgency, Marianne couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly at herself. It wasn¡¯t that she was disappointed because the King always placed the kingdom above his own needs, she was proud of him for that, but rather the fact it had become second nature to him to disregard his own wants for the sake of the kingdom.


    Always, always whenever she tried to bring up an important discussion with the king, an emergency arises. It was like the universe was conspiring against her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sometimes look at the king through a mother¡¯s eyes, instead that of a servant¡¯s. Despite her position of being unable to say anything in regards to how the king does his job, she couldn¡¯t deny that she had raised him. Took care of him when he was young as if she was her own son.


    She watched him stumble and fall, and become the king he was today, a man of great achievements and honor. She couldn¡¯t help but be proud of him, but also sad for him. She had hoped, in her many years of guiding him, that one day he would find true happiness. That he would find the time to find it.


    He always puts it off some¡­ no, most of the time. And that¡¯s what worries me the most, she mused to herself.


    She then remembered the queen, no more than a shell of her past, left with nothing but a murky memory of who she was¡­


    It didn¡¯t matter how hard she tried to support him, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if her love was even enough to fill the gap of a mother¡¯s in the king¡¯s life.


    In Kasser¡¯s youth, he¡¯d learned to keep his thoughts to himself. Growing up earlier than the rest of his peers, and not a complaint was heard from him. Marianne couldn¡¯t begin to fathom the loneliness he must have felt through all those years.


    Years of solitude, one that could never be filled, acknowledged, or even revealed.


    Most have begun to already think that perhaps this time, the King and Queen would be the first to break the bad omen with every royal couple the kingdom has had. But the anxiousness remained with Marianne¡­


    The queen had begun acting strange since yesterday.


    It seems, after all, there¡¯s a new problem at hand.

 Chapter 109 Back-up Plan

    Chapter 109 ¨C Back-up Plan


    Eugene walked through the hallways, the clicking sound of her heels echoing with every step as she made her way to the President of the bank. In her hands was the documents she had received, and she decided it was high time to return them to their rightful place.


    Once she arrived at her destination, the President immediately made time to meet with her, and gratefully accepted the documents.


    ¡°While I¡¯m here, I wanted to ask if there was anyone who came by with a check for my account while the documents were with me?¡± she asked him, and he shook his head.


    ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I see, and who¡¯s in charge of your withdrawal procedures?¡±


    ¡°I have a staff in charge of the withdrawal procedures, but for your account, Your Majesty, I take full responsibility for.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she blinked, ¡°All the time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°How about the people who bring in the checks? Do you remember who they are?¡± she asked curiously. He appeared to be recalling it, before nodding resolutely.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, I recall only three people repeatedly withdrawing with your checks.¡± he informed her. He went as further as describing their outward appearance to the best of his ability. And by his description, Eugene realized none of them was Rodrigo.


    He must¡¯ve sent one of his men instead of going himself.


    ¡°Was there a particular order of which they came in?¡± she asked.


    ¡°If my memory serves me correctly¡­ they came based on the amount of withdrawal, Your Majesty.¡±


    Eugene remembered there were two types of gold coins that existed in Mahar. The first type of gold coins were those casted by the Priests, and the second was the one casted by the six kingdoms.


    Gold coins casted by priests held the highest values. One of their coins amounted to around one million in Eugene¡¯s world. With a value so high, it was rarely used as an everyday currency, and instead, was usually used whenever issuing checks.


    She listened further to his observations.


    Every withdrawal amounted to a range of ten to more than a hundred gold coins. The first withdrawal ranged from ten or less gold coins. The second was around ten to a hundred. And the last was for more than a hundred gold coins.


    Eventually, the president must¡¯ve felt he¡¯d done something wrong, for he began to fidget in her presence, giving her uneasy looks, which pulled her out of her thoughts as she paid attention to him once more.


    ¡°Forgive me, Your Majesty, but had there been a discrepancy in your withdrawals?¡±


    He was used to the queen barely batting an eye on what happened in her accounts, that her sudden interest in them made him extremely uneasy. He only did his job, after all. If a problem had indeed occurred under his management, he could only imagine the repercussions.


    The least he could be punished with was unemployment.


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    ¡°Oh no, there¡¯s nothing wrong.¡± Eugene assured him, ¡°I just wanted to know if I were to freeze my account for the time being, can the bank refuse to fund any incoming checks?¡±


    She was planning to cut off the influx of money Rodrigo was taking from her. It would be a huge disadvantage to the heretics, especially if she assumed correctly they were greatly dependent on her money¡­


    Or rather, the money Jin provided them with.


    It would definitely be much harder for them to suddenly tighten their belts when they finally realize they have been spending loftily rather than saving up, because they know they only have a little funding left.


    At the moment, Eugene is unable to contact them as she wished. She also didn¡¯t have any idea on how to figure out what exactly their relationship with Jin truly was.


    For now, the best thing she could do is to flush them out, by cutting off funding.


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty, you can do whatever you wish for as it is your account,¡± he told her, even trying to laugh it off as something menial, but she could see he was already sweating profusely in his nervousness.


    Three years ago, when he first met the queen to receive a deposit, he inculcated in his head that the queen is someone merciless when pestered.


    As a banker who has decades of experience, he¡¯s confident in his first impressions of people. That is why he was cautious with his words as he spoke with the queen.


    ¡°Please, speak freely.¡± Eugene insisted, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Seeing her earnest expression, he finally eased up a little, before letting out a dejected sigh¡­


    ¡°For a bank to refuse an issued check¡­ well, it can lead to serious complications, Your Majesty.¡± he regretfully informed her, and Eugene frowned.


    ¡°Is there really no other way to prevent further withdrawals from my account?¡±


    The bank president struggled for a moment as he tried to find a way to explain without risking to anger the queen.


    ¡°You can withdraw your entire balance from your current account,¡± he eventually began, ¡°But if we do that, My Queen, your credibility to the bank will be damaged. There¡¯s also the fact that the person who you issued a check could sue you, which would cause a great deal of trouble,¡± he finished.


    There wasn¡¯t much shame to be incurred should it become public, but it would bring great dishonor. And for nobles, honor was more precious than life itself.


    The president could only imagine the ramifications of such a scene for the queen. Just thinking about it made him feel faint.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if there¡¯s a problem, I will take care of it,¡± she confidently claimed, such that the bank couldn¡¯t dare refuse her demand anymore. To make a fuss out of it will attract only unwanted attention. ¡°Can this be done immediately?¡± she asked, and the president eventually nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, right away.¡±


    Immediately he processed her demands, and soon Eugene was able to withdraw her entire account.


    Eugene took her private funds out of her previous account and deposited them into a new one. Typically, clients who used the Mahar¡¯s national bank were recognized by the public as the wealthy upper class. Lower classes could not even afford the minimum deposit required by the bank to open an account.


    Therefore, for the citizens who lived day-by-day by the sweat of their brows, the funds existing in their accounts would be but a small fortune.


    However, as it stands, if someone did have enough money to make a deposit, the bank would hardly deny them to make an account, even without proof of identity, or even under a false name. The security for such a situation was rather lax.


    And so she made a new account, not under Jin Anika¡¯s name, but hers, Eugene. Her own signature was now jotted down on the documents, not Jin¡¯s personal seal. She felt a surge of pride seeing all that money under her name.


    No one in Mahar would even recognize it as hers. Despite the amount being halved in just three years, she still thought it suitable to live a life of luxury.


    Either way, it¡¯s good to have a back-up plan.


    Even if she were to lose her position, even if it has nothing to do with how she handled the palace affairs, and lose everything she now enjoys¡­


    This money I won¡¯t lose, she thought to herself in reassurance, staring intently at the thick piece of paper reflecting her balance.


    ¡°Thank you, you¡¯ve done well,¡± she told the bank president, ¡°You are dismissed.¡±

 Chapter 110 The Life of Leisure (1)

    Chapter 110 ¨C The Life of Leisure (1)


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I shall now take my leave.¡± he bid her, bowing before he left, and Marianne had finally arrived after her private meeting with the king.


    Eugene had immediately asked what happened during the meeting, and Marianne only informed her how he had to leave in haste for an emergency, and thus their meeting was cut short.


    At the mention of an accident, worry laced Eugene¡¯s expression.


    ¡°I hope it isn¡¯t anything serious,¡± she told the Baroness, ¡°Otherwise, this peaceful time we are experiencing will soon come to an end.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, with the active period still ongoing, the king wouldn¡¯t dare leave the palace for long periods of time.¡± Marianne assured her.


    ¡°You mentioned it¡¯s quite far, is it not? Then that would mean it would be difficult to make a second trip today, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, you¡¯re quite right.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s heart went out to the one involved in the accident. But despite her worry about their well-being, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little relieved as of the moment. Her mind was still reeling with the influx of information. It was very fortunate she wouldn¡¯t be forced to make conversations with the king for now.


    Because what new excuse would she use to refuse his advances? How long could she keep it up? If she couldn¡¯t any longer, would she have to force herself to sleep with him just to keep up the ruse that everything was still all right in her world?


    Truly, it was a blessing she wouldn¡¯t have to contend with him tonight.


    Despite her veteran experience of masking her expressions, Marianne could pick up on her sullen state. Assessing one¡¯s feelings came naturally to the baroness, especially so since the queen was her sole priority nowadays.


    But unless Eugene confides in her, Marianne could do nothing else but wait at their side. After all, it was still part of her duty to act according to her superior¡¯s mood.


    ¡®Is it another effect of her memory loss?¡¯ Marianne pondered for a moment. It could be a somewhat delayed effect.


    When the queen had lost her memory, Marianne expected it would take some time for her to adapt to her surroundings¡­


    But that wasn¡¯t the case.


    In fact, she adapted quicker¡­ suspiciously quickly than Marianne thought was possible for someone who lost their entire memories. And as time went by, the more familiar Marianne had become with her new personality, so much so she forgot the forewarnings of the doctor that treated the queen before¡­


    ¡°But does Her Majesty remember something after the meeting earlier?¡±


    She asked that back then because she had immediately noticed the queen¡¯s dismissive behavior.


    My Queen, you hadn¡¯t met with him for long, but did something during the meeting change your mind after all?


    Of all the times for the king to leave the palace unattended¡­


    Marianne couldn¡¯t even advise him on how to improve his relationship to the queen.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s a lovely day outside, shall I arrange for tea by the bridge?¡± she asked Eugene, trying to change the somber subject instead. She hoped food would be a welcome distraction.


    Eugene, who had been lost in her own thoughts, finally looked up, and met the baroness¡¯ gaze. She eventually gave a soft smile upon her suggestion.


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    She could recognize from a mile away that Marianne, in her own way, was trying to comfort her. True, she doesn¡¯t press or inquire further to whatever was troubling her, and though she might know very little of what goes on in her mind, it greatly touched Eugene that Marianne respected her enough to not demand the answers from her.


    ¡°Tea would be perfect.¡± Eugene choked up with a smile, beaming brightly at her. Marianne smiled back.


    ¡°And should I make preparations in case you want a stroll outside the palace?¡± Eugene¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden suggestion.


    ¡°I can today?¡± she asked with excitement leaking out of her voice and Marianne nodded quite thoughtfully about the possibilities.


    ¡°Hmm, there seemed to be no further signs of any Larks, so it should be safe.¡± Marianne told her, ¡°Also, the king did leave for the treasure house. He could hardly fault you for a stroll.¡± she pointed out.


    Eugene understood Marianne was someone who followed her own set of principles. That¡¯s why she expected if she asked to go out of the palace, someone would have prevented her from doing so, especially with the king away.


    I must have worried her so much. Eugene thought to herself. Under normal circumstances, Marianne would have done the same, so it was unlike her to do otherwise.


    It was probably something she only did just to make her feel better.


    Since yesterday, Eugene¡¯s mood had been fluctuating every now and then. The will to solve all her pressing tasks that were building up would suddenly make her feel hopeless and scared. She almost wanted to throw everything away.


    But here Marianne was, offering her a helping hand, which she accepted, and lifted Eugene up to her feet. The more she knew Marianne, the more she could see how good of a person she truly was.


    Eugene hoped to continue developing a relationship with her.


    That person, too.


    Eugene thought of Kasser.


    Her discomfort around the king didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t like him, she did. In fact, she thought he sensed that she wanted to escape, to run away. But if she remains idle, she couldn¡¯t be expected to possess much than what was given to her.


    Eventually, Eugene vetoed Marianne¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°No, the king is not here. I cannot leave the palace unattended. It is enough to go out to the yard. Only¡­I want to walk alone for a while, so don¡¯t let anyone follow me.¡± she added, and as always, Marianne replied with a warm smile.


    ¡°Yes, my Queen.¡±


    ¡°And Marianne? There is a favor I¡¯d like to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please, anything.¡± Marianne affirmed immediately, drawing closer to the Queen.


    ¡°Cage, the information broker who came to see me yesterday, I want him to be investigated in secret.¡± She immediately said. ¡°Get him to find me information and watch him closely then.¡±


    In due time, she will end up meeting Rodrigo again.


    Despite the fact she also needed other people¡¯s information to know how to properly deal with them, when she met that man, and when they conversed with each other, she only learned his name, and that he was a heretic.


    Nothing more.


    So, Eugene decided to go in a roundabout way of obtaining information about his dealings.


    Because Rodrigo was the chief priest of the church, it would be difficult to obtain his information beyond his faux identity, but if she at least learns about his external activities, it would be of great help.


    ¡°And what shall I make him look for?¡± Marianne asked.


    ¡°Anything, something that would seem important to him,¡± she immediately said, ¡°But make sure he doesn¡¯t notice you.¡±


    ¡°I hardly think it would be a very difficult thing to look for, after all, he has years of experience,¡± Marianne assured her confidently, but Eugene snapped at her in alarm¡­


    ¡°No!¡± Marianne blinked at her sudden outburst, ¡°You need to be careful. I think he¡¯s more than he appears to be.¡± she warned, and Marianne then became hesitant for the task the Queen had set out for her.


    She¡¯d do anything for their King and Queen, but this favor was beyond her abilities.


    ¡°If this is an espionage, then, Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid I am not suited for the task.¡± Marianne admitted, ¡°Perhaps someone else would be better for this job?¡±


    Eugene appeared taken aback by Marianne¡¯s refusal, but let her speak her mind.


    ¡°I could even recommend someone who would be perfect for the job,¡± Marianne added, and Eugene frowned.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The Chancellor.¡± Marianne answered confidently, ¡°This job would be right up his alley.¡±

 Chapter 111 The Life of Leisure (2)

    Chapter 111 ¨C The Life of Leisure (2)


    ¡°The Chancellor?¡± Eugene asked with surprise. The Chancellor, or also known as the Deputy Chancellor for Eugene in her world, was an important figure. She wondered if she could really ask for such a thing from someone with such a high ranking, until she realized she¡¯d been sleeping with the highest authority every night.


    ¡°But for such a trivial matter? For someone in such a high position?¡± she asked Marianne.


    ¡°Any task from the queen could hardly be considered trivial, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Eugene hummed in understanding, ¡°If so, then I shall additionally request this be done in secret even from the King.¡± she told Marianne, ¡°I will tell him myself eventually, but not right now.¡± she further explained. ¡°He might feel otherwise and inform him the moment he hears of it.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, if I may correct you, one person investigations are usually carried out without a notice to the king. If the Queen herself is concerned about these investigations, then I can assure you that the Chancellor can be trusted with such discretion.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure I can keep this a secret for a while longer?¡± she asked, rather dubious of that fact.


    Would the Chancellor really be able to turn a blind eye? To not ask questions or inquire why she would request him to keep this a secret from her husband?


    She had initially thought nothing went by the palace without the king knowing about it. She even believed that her day to day life was being reported to him every end of the day.


    ¡°If you¡¯re truly concerned though, I suggest making it a formal request.¡± Marianne proceeded to answer, ¡°This way you can ensure he would keep it a secret from the king. He¡¯s a wise person, he¡¯s not the type to do such folly.¡±


    She¡¯s heard of Chancellor Verus in passing, specifically when Marianne was explaining the different roles and hierarchy in the palace. And so she had made a summon to the Chancellor, which Marianne delivered swiftly.


    She had expected that he was quite an old man, but the further she listened to Marianne, she discovered he was pleasantly younger than she thought.


    I must use this as a chance to meet with him.


    ¡°Very well, I shall send for him to make a formal request.¡±


    ¡°A wise decision, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I shall take my walk now,¡± she told Marianne before they separated ways.


    Ever since she¡¯d taken charge of the palace¡¯s internal affairs, it was unavoidable to cooperate with the Chancellor in some cases. Additionally, while Jin might have been unsociable on purpose, Eugene had done so unknowingly.


    She wanted to put an end to her solitary way of life, that¡¯s why, when all this was over, she had planned to go out and interact more with the people outside the palace walls.


    The Chancellor was not someone she was close to, nor was he close to Jin, so there shouldn¡¯t be much expectations on how she would act around him. He probably won¡¯t be able to differentiate Jin from Eugene.


    As she thought of this, she failed to notice Marianne¡¯s lingering gaze as they parted ways.


    The queen seems to be doing well, even with things beyond her power. Marianne mused.


    Back then, the Queen was forbidden from meeting with the others, as well as working with them either. It didn¡¯t matter if she lost her memory, one¡¯s lifestyle couldn¡¯t be changed overnight.


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    Marianne soon found herself filled with concern for the Queen.


    ¡®She ordered an investigation and said she would meet the Chancellor. Still, I will have to wait and see.¡¯


    Calling for the doctor, and discussing what they theorized with the king would most likely be delayed as well. Suddenly, a maid burst in, hurrying to her side¡­


    ¡°Baroness, the Chancellor had sent word.¡± she said, handing a crisp envelope to Marianne, who accepted it at once. She hastily opened the letter, and read its contents.


    He was requesting for a meeting, but he hadn¡¯t specified when or what it was about.


    ¡®I wonder what¡¯s wrong? In any case, this is an opportune moment.¡¯


    Just as she was about to send word that the Queen was requesting a meeting with him, a letter has arrived from him requesting for one as well. Quickly jotting down her reply, Marianne informed him she would meet with him at the earliest possible moment.


    * * *


    Eugene treaded lightly, walking gracefully  on the ground. The garden, which connects to the building by the corridor, was a comfortable place, even if it was not a proper pathway.


    Perhaps, her mood was brought on because of the pleasant memory of when she first stepped out of the palace to breathe in some fresh air for the first time. It could also have stemmed from the fact she was alone, and not even maids followed her this time.


    Somehow, it¡¯s funny.


    She never thought she would understand the feeling of the rich girls back in her world who would ostracize their bodyguards. When she saw those kinds of scenes in dramas or movies, she felt sick to her stomach and spewed out profanities at their ignorance.


    But now, she could understand where they¡¯re coming from.


    As she strolled in the wide palace garden, it felt both unfamiliar and familiar, as though she were in the front yard of her house. Since when did this feeling start settling in her mind? The palace that she once thought of as immensely large, she found was no longer overwhelming for her.


    If I happen to go back¡­I won¡¯t be able to go back to how I¡¯d lived before.


    Both physically and mentally, she has spent her time in this place with abundant leisure. If she were to go back to her previous life as Eugene, she will miss these things, maybe enough to break down at such an incredible loss.


    I don¡¯t know how I got here, but it doesn¡¯t matter to me anymore.


    Eugene sighed and looked down at her hands. She fisted them and unclenched them back and forth.


    This body moves by Eugene¡¯s, her will ¨C the body of Jin Anika. Ever since she entered this body, there has not been one moment where she felt as though she was not wearing her own clothes.


    It felt strange that she did not feel strange at all. Like she was meant for this body.


    In order to keep living with this body, Eugene must resolve Jin¡¯s past. Why did Jin, who lacked nothing, gather forbidden books, and make contact with heretics? I need to find her real motive.


    When Eugene finally looked up, she jumped back with a jolt at the figure in front of her. A few paces in front of her, stood a black horse, whose eyes were staring right at her.

 Chapter 112 Such an Adorable Little Beast (1)

    Chapter 112 ¨C Such an Adorable Little Beast (1)


    ¡°Oh, my? You¡­¡± Eugene gasped as she was startled by his sudden appearance. It was Abu, the king¡¯s horse. The horse stood stock still, his tail swishing back and forth as he stared at her with wise eyes.


    Eugene slowly approached him.


    ¡°Abu,¡± she called out softly. Abu¡¯s ears twitched in recognition. ¡°What are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be with His Highness?¡± Eugene asked with a smile.


    Abu let out a snort in response, shaking his mane, before staying still. Fearing that the horse had become startled and would run away from her, Eugene paused for a moment, raising her hands in a placating way before resuming her slow approach.


    When she reached him, she put a tentative hand on the bridge of his nose, hoping that would keep him calm. It was a strange thought, but she felt like Abu could understand her words and actions. It was as if he was waiting patiently for her, saying Don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t hurt you.


    He was a clever animal, but Eugene couldn¡¯t help but feel amused because he was acting too much like a human.


    ¡°Abu. It has been a while. How have you been?¡± Eugene asked, sweeping her hand over the beautiful black horse¡¯s fur and mane.


    It was soft and supple beneath her fingers, with a healthy glow unlike other furs of horses, or even the fur of a young puppy she had pet a long time ago.


    ¡°I wonder why you were left behind. It would have been much faster to ride you. But he couldn¡¯t have forgotten you by mistake, right?¡±


    Abu responded with a neigh. It was then when Eugene¡¯s eyes gravitated towards the two small horns atop Abu¡¯s head¡­


    ¡°Two horns¡­¡±


    In the many prohibited scripture she had read, a picture of a cow with two horns would always appear from time to time. It is the image of Mara, given shape by a religious society that reveres the creature.


    Is it just a coincidence that the god has the same horns as Abu?


    A lark was a monster whose natural instinct was based largely on their need for carnage. However, very rarely were there larks who didn¡¯t fit the norm of the beasts.


    There existed larks which were highly intelligent, able to suppress their bloodlust, and could change their appearance at will¡ªjust like Abu. They mostly were active in the kingdom during the dry season.


    And the people called these types of larks as Hwansu.


    A Hwansu was not one to attack humans indiscriminately. Rather, they would live in remote areas where it was difficult for humans to access.


    For a regular person, they would not even dare to approach it, but not for the king. Only the kings of the six kingdoms were capable enough of overpowering and subduing Hwansus. Because of that, there is a widespread perception that it is only natural that the king should command these kind of larks.


    The Fourth King of Hashi, King Kasser, had only one as of now, but there have been many kings before that have had several under their command. Eugene recalled the content of her novel.


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    Even if Mara, a god, sent larks to attack humans, the Hwansu would still only follow the king¡¯s commands.


    Even if this somehow was not the world of her novel, the similarities were striking. The fundamental principles that built this world were worth referencing despite the discrepancies. She was still amazed that the world she built was right in front of her. All around her.


    If the Hwansu is already the subordinate of the king, did they just not listen to Mara¡¯s orders? But the king is human, while Mara is a god. Does it make sense that the king¡¯s control is stronger than a deity?


    It was the setup that Eugene had written, but now she thought about it, it was contradictory.


    Eventually, Eugene began to reminisce of her distant past, searching for the reason why she had even started to write her novel.


    She did not remember exactly when it started. Only that one day, something suddenly popped inside her head, a story of a completely different world emerged in her mind.


    At that time, she thought it was common for fantasy novels to be influenced by elements from popular movies. But, for Eugene, it was different. Each scene vividly appeared in her thoughts as though she was seeing it directly with her eyes. She could see them clearly everytime she closed her eyes, replaying scenes, shifting through them, and understanding them by heart¡­


    She wanted to organize each small piece that rose in her thoughts and ended up creating a story.


    A story of fantasy, filled with adventures in a novel that told a tale of good versus evil that descended on the world. It was fun to unravel her imagination and to make a concrete story out of the scenes that popped into her head.


    It was also a source of comfort to escape from the reality of her hard life.


    Nevertheless, Eugene did not think of herself as a talented writer. She had no intention of writing another story besides the novel. And for over ten years, she was still working on that single story.


    Whenever she had some time, she would read it again, fix sentences, and insert new episodes or scenes. It was sort of like a journal, where she was both the writer, and the reader.


    Abu licked her hand causing her to slightly flinch and be brought away from her deep thoughts. The crimson-eyed beast tilted his head inquisitively at her, sort of like a puppy asking to play. Eugene laughed.


    ¡°Abu, why are you this kind?¡± she cooed at him.


    She appreciated the gesture. In the kingdom, people would speak to her kindly simply because she was the queen, but, for animals, her status in human society meant nothing. Abu was just kind to Eugene because he liked her.


    It was refreshing.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t really get along with me well before, right?¡± she hummed in thought.


    When she had asked the General Commissioner before if the king¡¯s Hwansu was friendly, he looked at her as though she had grown two heads. He only said to her in reply¡­


    ¡°The owner of the Hwansu1 is His Highness, the Fourth King.¡±


    If the king¡¯s horse had followed the queen well in the past, the Commissioner certainly would have told her. Even if Eugene¡¯s reaction was to be afraid of the Abu, the horse did not seem to be very sociable.


    So, it came as a surprise that he was acting rather favorable towards Eugene right now. She knew it even without being able to read his mind, he sensed the difference in her.


    ¡°Can you really distinguish me from others? Do you like me more than Jin?¡±


    Eugene stroked his long muzzle with both her hands, her fingers brushing against the hairs of his skin. Abu softly closed his eyes like a cat being tickled under its chin. It was so cute; Eugene couldn¡¯t help burst into laughter.


    ¡°Abu, is there any chance¡­that you can turn into a panther for me? Is it an unreasonable request?¡± She nervously asked. She hoped she wasn¡¯t overstepping any boundaries. Would Abu even be able to understand her? However, it seems like her fretting was all for naught.


    Abu, who until that point was motionless, started to take backwards steps from. Eugene felt like she made a mistake. Shapeshifting may be an extremely sensitive issue for a Hwansu.


    She thought Abu was offended by her request, and he would run off; she tried to apologize quickly. Eugene tried to approach him, but hesitated as soon as Abu¡¯s body began to tremble, and he slouched his back.

 Chapter 113 Such Adorable Little Beast (2)

    Chapter 113 ¨C Such Adorable Little Beast (2)


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    He then started to transform before her eyes. She held a bated breath as she saw the black horse change into a completely different beast!


    His snout grew shorter, his hooves grew bigger into a paw, his eyes became sharper as slitted eyes stared at her. He had fully transformed into a black panther! It was an incredible event to witness. Afterwards, the black leopard stretched his front paws forward before sitting down on the ground, his long black tail swishing side to side.


    ¡°¡­Wow.¡± Eugene breathed out in awe with an overwhelmed expression. ¡°You are really big¡­¡± She glanced down at the beast¡¯s front paws that were frighteningly large. To imagine the size of the claws hidden within the fur sent a chill down her spine.


    ¡°You¡¯re even bigger than before¡­¡± she remarked, noticing the slight difference from the last time she saw him. Abu had grown larger ¨C much larger.


    She had to raise her head much more than the first time she had met the king¡¯s Hwansu.


    The panther¡¯s ears twitched as he stared at her. The small move startled her and caused her to step back unwittingly. Abu revealed his true power for the first time in a while, and at her behest nonetheless. He wanted to boast about his greatness to Eugene, to impress her, but she seemed to not like it.


    Which made him sullen, drooping his shoulders pitifully, letting out a whine.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not because I don¡¯t like you, but I just got nervous at how big you will become in the future.¡± Eugene said with an apologetic smile.


    Abu rose from his sitting position, shook his body, and raised his tail. It was only then Eugene realized he was shrinking, reducing the panther¡¯s size to about half¡­


    He made himself smaller for her.


    ¡°Wow. Are you free to grow to any size? How awesome!¡± she exclaimed. Despite the reduction in his previous size, he was still notably large.


    ¡°Abu. Could you become even smaller? About this size?¡± Eugene asked, demonstrating what she wanted as she drew a circle about the size of both her arms for Abu.


    Abu appeared to be hesitating as he looked at her arms.


    For a lark, the bigger the size, the stronger the beast. Size was essential for the larks to determine superiority and thus their survival. The smaller beast could not overcome the larger. That was the order of his world ¨C survival of the fittest. As he lost to his master, it was only natural that the weaker should obey those who are stronger.


    Although Abu had adapted to life as the king¡¯s Hwansu, he still was a lark by nature; his innate wildness was still there, just tamed. Catching wild wolves was no different from raising a dog.


    After meeting the king there became no need for Abu to fight other larks to survive, but his preconceived notion associated with his body frame remained. He was dissatisfied with the thought of further reducing his size.


    Even when he was a horse, he would have an unusually large build. It was his subtle form of disobedience. But, to be asked to become smaller¡­even beasts have pride! However, his self-respect wavered when he saw the expectant look in the small woman¡¯s eyes.


    An irresistible energy was what he could sense from her.


    A lark¡¯s aggression was inborn, an instinct. If Abu could express himself using the words of humans, he would have been able to explain his impulses rather clearly.


    An urge that he cannot endure to attack something.


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    The king kept Abu¡¯s urges under control mainly with the power of his Praz. Because of it, the desire did not disappear; merely suppressed.


    But the energy that came from the woman in front of his eyes gently soothed him. Abu felt a sense of stability for the first time in his life. He then began to condense his energy inward and gradually decreased his size to what she wanted¡­


    Eugene was thrilled to see black panther standing no taller than her knees.


    ¡°Oh my! How cute!¡± she continued cooing in delight at him. She carefully reached her hands down behind his front paws and lifted the docile creature.


    She had been worried that, though his size was smaller, his weight would have remained the same, but it was delightfully plain her concerns were unfounded. He was only a little heavy, fit for his size.


    Eugene held the panther, now about the size of a cat, in her arms and rubbed her face against the fur. Soft hair brushed against her cheek.


    ¡°Ah, so adorable! My goodness!¡± she squealed. Eugene jumped up and down and giggled excitedly to herself. Fortunately, there was no one around to witness the queen¡¯s sudden childish demeanor.


    * * *


    The king and his soldiers rode up to the central storehouse. Kasser pulled on the reigns of his horse and looked down at the building, finally arriving after a day¡¯s worth of journey.


    The storehouse was located by the center of a concave indent in the terrain. There were a few sparse buildings in the surroundings, but they had been abandoned. It was a dangerous place. The larger and darker the seeds of the larks, the more dangerous it was to handle them, but the quality was undoubted.


    And this storehouse kept the best seeds in the entire kingdom. There was no other treasure house that kept seeds of such high-quality as the central storehouse in the Hashi Kingdom. This was because all of Mahar¡¯s finest seeds originated from the harsh environment known only in the desert.


    Inside, the larks could become unruly, thus the stone walls were built the sturdiest to keep them from escaping.


    There were also two circular walls surrounding the building, causing it to closely resemble a fortress, instead of just a storage house. Citizens were not allowed to live within a certain radius of the storehouse.


    Its placement was a double-edged sword; showing that these precarious facilities were relatively close to the palace.


    Kasser spurred his horse again; his soldiers closely following behind him in haste. The soldiers around the storehouse walls took one step forward to prepare to protect it. Their commander came running when he heard that the king had arrived, greeting him immediately.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± The commander greeted Kasser. Knowing the king¡¯s temperament of disliking unnecessary chatter, he skipped the formal greetings and immediately began his report.


    ¡°According to the testimony of the first witness, one of the bottles accidentally spilled while checking the storage conditions in the preparation room. At first, he said it burst spontaneously, but his stories did not seem to match, so after interrogating him, he confessed and told the truth.¡± he summarized efficiently.


    Kasser frowned and clicked his tongue. Though it was an irritating situation, it could have been worse.


    He¡¯d take a worker¡¯s mistake any other day over something more serious.


    Still, if the seeds had been broken because of the managing sector¡¯s mishandling, it was paramount to check on the rest of the seeds in the storage as well.


    Kasser inwardly sighed. It was going to be a long while until he could return to the comfort of his wife¡¯s bed.

 Chapter 114 Havoc Inside the Treasure House

    Chapter 114 ¨C Havoc Inside the Treasure House


    Larks, which take the form of seeds when they are asleep, usually awaken when their active period begins, which usually falls during the summer, when their surroundings are dry and warm. However, it is possible for them to remain as seeds even during this period if they are submerged in distilled water or oil.


    For that reason, when such a season came, the storehouse keeper kept the seeds in bottles containing either water or oil in order to act as a seal and deter the growth of the seeds. Since the Larks would be woken if the distilled water surrounding them evaporated and if the required amount of water falls short, the water levels had to be monitored daily.


    ¡°Was anyone hurt?¡± Kasser asked.


    ¡°Only minor injuries, Your Highness.¡± One of the soldiers responded


    ¡°Are all the workers gone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. They¡¯ve all been dismissed. There¡¯s no one in the storage house now.¡±  Kasser nodded his head at this information and then turned to address the soldiers with him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go in when the sun sets.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The soldiers responded in unison.


    As of the moment, the Larks were running amok inside the storage house. The safest course of action is for them to first check the location of their cocoons once the sun goes down, and then to get rid of them all at once by morning.


    The interior of the storehouse was structured like a hive, with numerous rooms stacked on top of each other. Normally the rooms would be connected through an opening like a pathway; however, in this structure, every connecting hallway was obscured by steel doors.


    There was a control mechanism developed in cases of emergencies, which allowed all of these doors to be open at once, and freeing the passages between rooms. Each of these doors was just big enough for a single person to crawl through and the doors were also embedded with a smaller door which was used as an escape route.


    Once darkness had completely fallen over them, the storehouse manager operated the device in order to raise the steel doors. The entrance to the storehouse was the last of all the doors to open.


    The king upon seeing this, began to lead the party, and he and his soldiers carefully entered the premises.


    ¡°This way please, Your Majesty.¡± The storage house manager called out as he assumed the position of the guide and stood in front of the group as they stepped deeper into the building.


    The interior structure of the storage was rather complex.


    All the rooms looked similar, that the totality seemed to form a maze so that even if the larks did break out of their seeds, they would not be able to find their way out easily. It was deliberately designed this way for security.


    Not only could those high-grade seeds be traded for a high price, they were also very difficult to acquire, and so it was essential that they were well guarded to prevent even thieves from stealing them.


    ¡°It¡¯s the next room, Your Majesty.¡± The storehouse manager informed Kasser and they slowly rounded up the corner.


    As soon as they entered, Kasser¡¯s foot knocked against an empty bottle and sent it rolling across the floor in a loud manner. He clamoured to pick it up in order not to cause more disturbance. His expression hardened as he raised his head and looked around.


    There were not just one or two bottles scattered around them.


    ¡°It looks like the blasted creature really went on a rampage,¡± Kasser muttered under his breath, looking at the disheveled room.


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    It seemed as though the lark, trapped in that room, had struggled to get out quite violently, knocking over other bottles and causing the seeds inside to break open, awakening even more Larks. They supposed that many Larks had been roused like this as well.


    They may be up against more larks than they initially thought.


    The soldiers began to spread out in groups and searched in all directions to find the cocoons of the larks. They thoroughly swept all corners of the storage house and conducted the search for a long time, and yet even after hours of labor not one of the soldiers raised their voice to announce that they had found one.


    Kasser and his men were growing frustrated at their lack of progress.


    ¡°Your Highness, there are no cocoons to be found.¡± One of the soldiers finally reported to Kasser.


    ¡°What? You have found none? Then that would mean¡­¡± Kasser sucked in a breath. ¡°As soon as the steel doors were opened, the creatures must have escaped from this room and made their way towards where the most high-grade seeds are kept. Let¡¯s go there immediately!¡± He commanded the storehouse manager to lead them to the next room urgently.


    ¡°Yes! This way, Your Majesty!¡± The manager picked up his speed as if he was being chased and led the party out of the room.


    The king and his soldiers raced off in the direction the manager dashed too in an almost panicked state.


    ***


    Verus stood with his arms folded for a long time. He was lost in deep thought that he did not notice that darkness had come.


    Although it was the peak of his usual working hours, and that he should be busy attending his work by now, after speaking with Marianne yesterday, he found himself unable to focus.


    He had decided to meet with Marianne with the dual goal of obtaining information from inside the palace and finding out about the development between the king and queen. But the meeting had not been what he had expected.


    As someone who had lived in the palace for decades, Marianne could be considered a veteran and was deeply accustomed to the ways of her noble stature. The way she carried herself was so unlike that for Verus. What came easily for Marianne was difficult for Verus, who was intelligent, but lacking in experience, to deal with her.


    Verus was taciturn and struggled with expressing his intentions clearly. While Marianne had devoted most of her years in service to the royal family and was incredibly loyal to the King. His clumsy attempts at negotiations would be ineffective with her¨Cshe was far too rigid.


    That was why he had tried to plan in advance, to predict where the conversation might go and to prepare various questions and answers that he might give to her response.


    However, he had had no idea that Marianne might come and find him without warning the very next day after he had sent an errand boy to her. She had caught him off guard and he did not even have a chance to mentally prepare himself for their meeting.


    The conversation with Marianne, though predictably, did not go as he had imagined it would be.


    He had not managed to obtain any useful information from her like he hoped. On the contrary, it seemed to him that the Queen by having caught him by surprise, was the one who got information off of him instead.


    He had not been able to think straight at all so he must have slipped.


    Verus sighed as he recalled yesterday¡¯s conversation with the Queen.


    ¡°The queen would like to meet with you, Chancellor.¡± the errand boy came and told him.


    ¡°¡­For what reason does Her Majesty¡­?¡± before Verus could continue the errand boy cut him off and responded.


    ¡°You will learn that if you meet with her, of course.¡±


    After Marianne had left, he had been unable to guess the reason for her sudden visit, no matter how much he racked his brains for an answer. In the meantime, Verus decided to keep his distance from the queen.


    He only had the chance to meet her at formal events, and even then he only greeted her out of duty, not making any particular attempts at interaction beyond that. He was the type of person who preferred to focus on his work over social relationships after all.


    Although the position of a chancellor was a political one and in this line of work, social interaction was unavoidable, he only developed relationships which could benefit his position and only limited his interactions with important people if he could.


    From the moment he had heard the news from the King that he would be marrying, he had decided not to get close to the queen. While the Queen was someone who had the potential to strengthen his political standing, she could also end up getting him caught up in something messy.


    Verus was a man who liked things to have clear beginnings and clear endings. He detested ambiguity. Involvements with other people, however, most often became complicated and unpredictable affairs arose from them which he did not fancy getting caught in. He had no energy for the mess that came with relationships with people.


    Despite his preference of distancing himself from the queen, if Marianne asked him to meet, he was in no position to refuse her.


    But the queen had not only never summoned him ¨C she had never summoned anyone at all.

 Chapter 115 Summoned

    Chapter 115 ¨C Summoned


    He had expected that in order to establish a foothold in this foreign kingdom, she would try to exert influence around her; and gain allies but she had not done so. That was why Verus had been kind to her in the early stages of the royal marriage.


    It was simply that as time went on, he was disappointed to discover that the queen had truly done absolutely nothing with her power and influence, she functioned more as a living doll, a useless ornament that decorated the palace. Not to mention that the events of the disappearance incident not long ago, he had come to even completely mistrust her.


    Why is she only summoning me now?


    Verus wondered. Could she suspect that he was investigating her missing maids?


    It doesn¡¯t matter.


    Verus shook his head to rid his thoughts of worries. She had done nothing worthy of getting caught after all. If by any chance the Queen did have access to that kind of information, he would have to go back to square one and investigate everything all over again, because it would mean that the queen had been hiding her power all this time and there must be more to her than he suspected.


    The queen is summoning me, and I am in no place to disobey. I suppose there¡¯s nothing for it.


    Verus wrote out a letter, requesting an audience with the queen and asking them to inform him of a suitable time and date to meet her. When he was done, he called for his butler and handed the letter to him.


    ¡°This letter is for the palace. Ask them to deliver it to Baron Waze.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡± the butler replied.


    Shortly after the letter was sent, a reply came within the hour.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Verus asked when he saw his Butler carrying a letter for him.


    ¡°It is a letter from the palace.¡± The butler announced as he showed the wax seal that was imprinted with the royal family¡¯s crest to Verus.


    As this stamp could only be used by royalty, in the current absence of the king, there was no one who could have used it but the queen.


    Verus quickly opened the envelope, unfolded the letter and read it to find its contents were even more absurd than he expected.


    ¨C I approve your request for an audience. Today, two in the afternoon.


    Verus checked the letter over multiple times to confirm that it indeed said ¡®today¡¯.


    If it was not a very close friend, he always set appointments at least a day in advance. When it came to royal audiences, setting a date at least two days in advance was common sense.


    What¡¯s more unusual, is the fact that the king is currently away.


    Verus thought that the queen was acting suspicious. Just in case anyone might go to unnecessary lengths to make it seem even more so, Verus did not dare venture to the palace when the King was absent if he could help it. He hated when unnecessary troubles were created.


    Even with that said, Verus also knew that he could not alter an appointment set by the Queen herself. Verus let out a deep breath as he made up his mind.


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    ¡°Thomson. Make preparations to enter the palace later,¡± Verus instructed his butler with a low sigh.


    Although he felt uneasy on going there at such short notice, he was also curious. If the matter was serious enough for her to request to meet so urgently¡­ Just what could it be?


    * * *


    The remodeling of the queen¡¯s office was complete. The room had originally just been a parlor for receiving guests but now it looked equipped to serve as a study and as a conference room.


    The palace was full of such rooms after all.


    It had used to be a room for people awaiting an audience, but in recent times there had been little use for a waiting room by the queen¡¯s parlor and so it was converted into a more useful premise.


    The room had been decorated according to Eugene¡¯s specifications.


    Other than a desk and a bookshelf, only absolutely necessary furniture had been placed in there. She had foregone excessive decoration and kept the number of items minimal in redesigning the room.


    Although interior design was not her specialty, she had had the job of decorating the manager¡¯s office before when she had used to work at a company.


    The company had used to change offices often, and although it had not been a big company, her old boss had wanted his office fancily decorated ¨C even while he was stingy about spending money on it.


    Somehow that work always ended up falling to Eugene, even though she was just an administrative worker.


    ¡®Why do I have to do this sort of thing?¡¯ she had often wondered every time she was given a task that did not fit her job description, but she was just an employee with no power to refuse her manager¡¯s orders so she did those anyway.


    She cursed her boss the whole time she was working though, but in the end she was praised for being even better than a professional. After that, decorating the manager¡¯s office was always her job. The thought that perhaps she should genuinely shift her career and work as an interior designer had even occurred to her before.


    To Eugene, the style of design that was popular here appeared garish and tacky, as though they were trying to be as ostentatious as possible. So she tried to keep it classic and minimal.


    When one is looking at artworks like in tourist attractions, it was fine to highlight the lavish decorations, but everything around you from morning to night being brightly colorful and decked out in gleaming gold could grow very tiring.


    Eugene was accustomed to clean, modern design, but she felt that if she tried to apply that sense here, it would be so shocking for these people that they would only feel repulsed by it. Too much change would also make the room seem out of place and not many may end up using it which would be a waste of space.


    That was how she ended up compromising and finding an appropriate middle ground. Her office was done in a vintage style, preserving an old-fashioned feel while adding a flavor of modernity ¨C simple, yet luxurious.


    Eugene called Marianne and Sarah to take the first look around the completed office.


    ¡°I decorated it the way I like it. What do you think? Are there any parts that don¡¯t look right for you? I could change it to suit your preference.¡±

 Chapter 116 Establishing Relationships (1)

    Chapter 116 ¨C Establishing Relationships (1)


    As Eugene was explaining, Marianne and Sarah gazed around the office curiously basking in the new image of the room.


    When the queen had said that she would be taking full responsibility of the management of the palace, even down to the most trivial matters, they had thought that she was just being over enthusiastic about her responsibilities. They had had no idea that she would even care to transform this space so entirely.


    Marianne had spent decades in the palace, serving in place of the queen and dealing with aristocrats, so that she had naturally seen and heard many things of how to run the palace. Although she was not high-born, Marianne¡¯s level of refinement was easily comparable to those of noble birth because she had been surrounded by them all her life and had adopted their ways.


    She thought that the office felt both refreshing, and yet sophisticated.


    ¡°It looks very fine, Your Majesty.¡± Sarah whispered to Eugene. ¡°My experience may be limited, but it is like nothing I have ever seen before.¡± She even added.


    Marianne and Sarah both reacted positively at her work, and Eugene smiled to herself.


    Eugene knew that even if they did not like it, they could not very well say so ¨C but she could feel that they truly did. Their expressions of awe in their eyes as they scanned all over the room were genuine. She could see their delight.


    ¡°Shall I change the whole palace to match my tastes a little better?¡± Eugene inquired.


    Although it would take a huge amount of work to redecorate a palace of this size, she actually found herself growing excited just imagining it.


    She was in charge of the palace. Without worrying about anyone else¡¯s opinion, she could change things however she liked. Of course, the king had to agree with the changes she wanted to make, but his personality was definitely the type to not be particularly bothered by trivial things such as how the palace may look.


    His personality¡­


    Eugene was surprised by how carelessly she passed judgment on him. It had not been so long ago that she had had no idea what sort of person the king was. Now she knew him well enough to categorically define elements of his character. It was a strange feeling to finally know a person deeper.


    ¡°Your Majesty. I have something to speak about with you, if I may.¡± Eugene nodded her head at Sarah¡¯s words.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about employing some temporary staff. Usually during the active season we don¡¯t employ temporary staff, but it¡¯s hard on the court ladies to have so many posts left vacant.¡± Eugene nodded her head understanding the cause of Sarah¡¯s concern.


    After the incident of the queen¡¯s disappearance, quite a number of the palace¡¯s staff had claimed responsibility and resigned from their posts. The remaining people they had, tried to carry on until the end of the active season with the few workers they had left after the sudden exodus.


    However, problems had occurred far too early in the active season for them to finish all their work until the start of the dry season. Too much work for too few people was bound to result in lowered standards of outputs.


    The matter that the Chancellor had spoken of was also of interest to Eugene.


    Rodrigo was not going to miss this opportunity.


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    *


    ¡°We¡¯ll begin formally filling the vacancy on maid positions as soon as the dry season comes. For now, the steward shall handle the temporary workers.¡± Eugene finally said, and they both nodded in agreement.


    ¡°As your command, Your Majesty.¡± they chorused.


    ¡°Ah, shoot.¡± Eugene cursed subtly. ¡°I was supposed to meet with the Chancellor, but the time now is-!¡±


    Marianne stepped forward to placate her, effectively cutting her off.


    ¡°Do not fret, Your Majesty, it¡¯s not too late yet.¡± she assured her.


    ¡°So if I leave now, I should make it on time, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Nodding, Eugene began to leave before she stopped and turned right back to the office.


    ¡°Marianne, do you think the Chancellor knows I am in charge of taking care of the kingdom?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never said anything. He probably doesn¡¯t, and won¡¯t know unless you tell him.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall meet with the Chancellor here.¡± she finally decided, staying put and began to re enter the office once more. Marianne nodded right back at her.


    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty.¡±


    Eugene had only heard of the general relationship between Jin and the chancellor through the steward. The two never met up themselves, except only for official events, and shared no interaction or whatsoever amongst each other except for the customary formal greetings.


    Did the Chancellor hate Jin? Or was he simply indifferent to her?


    As much as she could, she wanted to also improve the relationship between her and the Chancellor. This was mainly because he was a powerful man that wielded immense authority in the palace, and was trusted by the king.


    So it would be extremely beneficial to be on friendly terms with such a high-ranking person.


    Though another reason was because of personal curiosity.


    In the future, the queen would eventually give birth to the next king. Being a king¡¯s mother was a more stable position than being just a king¡¯s wife.


    When that time would come, Eugene would still have more to worry about. As he is still a young chancellor, it would be a priority to establish a good rapport now, if he has yet to do so before with the original queen.

 Chapter 117 Establishing Relationships (2)

    Chapter 117 ¨C Establishing Relationships (2)


    However, the Chancellor seemed like he didn¡¯t care about that future, and had kept Jin at a distance even after three years. This act by the Chancellor was very intriguing for Eugene. She certainly thought he was an interesting character by far.


    She looked back at the time, and finally deduced that there was still time left before the promised meeting. Maybe it was because she was already here and was only waiting, but she soon heard a maid call out for her, announcing the Chancellor¡¯s arrival.


    Eugene confirmed she was requesting for him, and when the maid entered, a young man came in shortly after. It was a face she already knew through the hours she spent studying portraits, but it was still a different feeling seeing him in person.


    He had a better physique than she expected. He was even taller than the maid standing next to him.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty. How have you been?¡± the Chancellor greeted her as soon as he entered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been well. Sit down, Lord Ricksen.¡± She offered him, greeting him the way she would with a Duke.


    ¡°It is my pleasure A¡­ Your Majesty.¡± he quickly amended, almost slipping up to use her old title. He must have heard she no longer went by the Anika title, but when he called her the rightful way to address her as their queen, it must have felt awkward on his tongue.


    He didn¡¯t know why she would change a title, that she had obsessed over and excessively punished the maids over in the past, with a single whim.


    ¡°This is my office. The King has entrusted me with the management of the royal castle.¡± she quickly told him, causing him to blink back in shock.


    ¡°What?¡± Verus quickly glanced around the room in surprise, noting the way the room changed. He immediately schooled his expression before bowing his head towards her. ¡°You have been trusted with such a heavy burden. Please feel free to come by and ask me if you ever need help. I will do everything I can in my power.¡±


    Eugene noticed the big difference between Verus and the bank president, which she had met the other day, behavior in their initial meeting. The Chancellor was polite, but he did not excessively lower himself in her presence, and his posture and expressions didn¡¯t seem stiff nor scripted.


    It was always poised.


    The bank president, though he was much older and probably just as socially experienced, didn¡¯t hold that much confidence. Despite his youth, the Chancellor gave off an air about him that commands more respect than the bank president ever did, as far as she witnessed.


    ¡®Not anybody can just become an Chancellor.¡¯ she mentally praised him.


    ¡°Thank you for saying what I was planning to ask. That was why I asked you to see you today.¡± Eugene finally said after her initial assessment of him.


    ¡°It will be my pleasure.¡± Verus bowed his head towards her once more, trying to cover his confusion.


    ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯


    He felt a strange sense of inconsistency.


    He was never one to hold long conversations with the queen before, but still she never gave off this kind of vibe to him. Although the Queen had not behaved outwardly rude towards him, she never hid her conceit, or her strong sense of superiority over others.


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    Honestly, Verus never saw someone treat him as someone so insignificant in all his life until he met with JIn.


    Being born of a prestigious family, Verus had been treated well and with respect wherever he went, even so when he assumed the position of the Chancellor. No one dared to speak ill against him. Even the king, His Liege, was not one to pull rank, even onto his subordinates.


    That¡¯s why, despite the unpleasantness of the queen¡¯s arrogance, it was also entertaining. To remedy the displeasure he felt towards her, he merely chalked up her immense pride to being an Anika.


    ¡°Also, I must have made things difficult for you due to my rash decisions. I assure you that won¡¯t happen again. If you have any complaints for me at all, I hope you know you can tell me honestly.¡± Eugene continued.


    At this the Chancellor frowned.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯ He thought in confusion.


    For a moment, Verus doubted his ears heard correctly. He couldn¡¯t believe that the person talking right now was the queen he had known for three years!To make sure, he had looked up.


    His eyes met with the soft eyes of the queen, who was smiling at him comfortingly. He was genuinely astonished to see the smile.


    It was one that spoke in volumes of gentleness.


    ¡°Complaints. That is absurd. I have already forgotten about it, now that you returned safely¡­¡± he sputtered out, after having overcome his initial shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±


    Verus had taken on a nonchalant expression, but inside his mind was churning wildly. Why has the queen¡¯s attitude changed? Has the queen, who has been quiet for three years, finally tried to form political connections?


    He was definitely more wary now than before, but he did his best to conceal it. He must be able to look friendly to the other side under any circumstance.


    ¡°Also, I have a personal favor to ask of you. I¡¯d like to do a secret background check on a person, can you help me?¡± she finally asked, and Verus nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s my duty to help you as long as I am able. Please, tell me, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°His name is Cage. He is an information broker.¡±


    Eugene then proceeded to tell him all the personal information she had about Cage. What he does, and even the stories of her often meeting him to buy information.


    ¡°I suspect he is not just a simple information broker, and he is connected to some other force. I want you to investigate him in a way that he won¡¯t realize someone is investigating him.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me what kind of power you suspect he is associated with and why you want to investigate him?¡± he asked her, trying to gauge out her thoughts as she remained silent for a moment, thinking of the best way to answer him. ¡°The more information I know, the more focused the direction of my investigation will be.¡± he elaborated.

 Chapter 118 Longing for Him

    Chapter 118 ¨C Longing for Him


    It was at this point Eugene could see the clear difference between Marianne and the Chancellor. Marianne would have done what she asked without further questions. But not the Chancellor.


    He was quite thorough.


    She was not confident in taking her chances if they¡¯d be dragged into a debate. It would probably get better in the future, as soon as she adjusted to life here. However, right now if she were to say a careless lie, she¡¯d be discovered immediately especially in front of a seasoned politician.


    ¡°I bought information from him. However, I found out that I might have gone to the wrong place because of the information he gave.¡± she finally said, trying to avoid a direct answer. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you right now why I¡¯m not interrogating him and instead of investigating him. Chancellor, If I needed someone to confess and discuss everything with, I would have met the King, not you.¡± she pointed out haughtily and Verus eyes widened fractionally at her statement.


    It seemed, by her tone, she trusted the king explicitly.


    The king¡¯s words echoed in his mind¡­


    ¡¯Stop concerning yourself over my personal affairs¡¯


    Which only further ruined his mood. There was something more, something else must have happened between the two in the last month.


    ¡°Also, I will report this to the king separately,¡± Eugene added for extra measure.


    The only person Verus feared in the whole world, was the king. If Kasser was indeed supporting the queen, then he could not go against her.


    He bowed his head in subtle defeat, before finally responding.


    ¡°Then I shall secretly investigate him and report back as you instructed, Your Majesty.¡±


    After Verus left, Eugene sat looking exhausted. Marianne, who had left earlier, came back inside. Eugene frown smoothened out as soon as she saw the baroness.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange. I didn¡¯t talk to the Chancellor about anything out of the ordinary but I am so tired.¡± Eugene remarked and Marianne laughed.


    ¡°You must have been nervous, then. You can talk comfortably with him, even the Chancellor is your subordinate.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not easy.¡± Eugene grumbled. She could feel the stark difference after meeting the Chancellor today, when before all the people around her treated her with reverence.


    ¡®It was good that I met him.¡¯


    It was a good way to practice before she started socializing and attending social gatherings, attempting to barter peace, and establish connections. Not everyone would be as welcoming as Marianne was to her.


    He seemed somewhat unfriendly towards Eugene too.


    Before she met with him, she had pondered whether to tell him about her memory loss. She was glad she followed Marianne¡¯s advice not to tell him.


    ¡°I agree the Chancellor isn¡¯t an easy person to deal with. His morals are much more worldly than his peers his age would be.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s reached the position of Chancellor at such a young age. I doubt there is much he would fear in the world.¡± Eugene snorts.


    ¡°Your Majesty, there is still the master of the kingdom to be fearful of.¡±


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    ¡°I think anyone, even the Chancellor, will act stiffly when faced with the king.¡± Marianne shook her head, an amused glint in her eyes.


    ¡°I doubt it. You should see them together, and you¡¯ll understand what I mean. He¡¯s very docile around him.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Eugene piped up with a bemused expression. She thought the Chancellor was a straight faced, competent second-in-command, like the rest of the others.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine it. The King seems much easier to be with compared to the Chancellor.¡±


    Marianne burst out in small laughter.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I never thought of anyone in my life that told me the King was easier to talk to.¡± Marian laughed, shaking her head slightly in amusement at Eugene while looking at her with a puzzled look on her face, before the laughter died down, but the smile remained.


    ¡°It seems like the King is not the King I know when he is with you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Eugene felt her face flush for a moment, discreetly averting her gaze to prevent Marianne from seeing her blushing face. Something in her stomach fluttered at the thought of the King being different with her around.


    And she was reminded she has yet to see him in person for the past three days.


    He had yet to return after going to the storage.


    She thought she was lucky, as she didn¡¯t have to run into him with this awkward feeling between them, but the feeling only lasted for a day and by the second day she felt empty with his absence.


    It was only three days but it felt like she had not seen his face for a very long time.


    ¡°Will he be back today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time for him to come. It is still the active season, so he won¡¯t leave the kingdom any longer than necessary.¡± Marianne told her.


    Eugene wondered what he was doing right now. It occurred to her that what she was feeling right now could be longing.


    ¡°Have you heard any news on the King?¡± Eugene asked Zanne, while being served breakfast. She watched the maid lay out her food in practiced movements, and arranged her utensils meticulously.


    ¡°He¡¯s in a meeting right now, Your Majesty.¡± Zanne softly answered, and Eugene froze.


    ¡°What?¡±Eugene looked back in surprise. Zanne became flustered, shifting in her steps.


    ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty. The King returned after midnight, so I forgot to tell you.¡± she excused, biting her lip in nervousness.


    The king would often come and go unannounced when there¡¯s an emergency. The king never cared about protocol, so the maids don¡¯t really react anymore every time he disappears, and unexpectedly returns.


    Zanne was also accustomed to such a routine and forgot to inform the queen right away. She was suddenly dismayed by her oversight, but she didn¡¯t tremble in fear because she made a mistake. Not anymore, at least.

 Chapter 119 The Ladykillers of Hashi

    Chapter 119 ¨C The Ladykillers of Hashi


    Knock, knock!


    A rhythmic knocking rang through the study. Sitting behind her desk, head buried deep in her document, Eugene was subconsciously waiting for the voice that usually followed the raps: Marianne or a maid.


    ¡°Queen, may I come in?¡±


    Eugene looked up from the documents she was reading. She reflexively looked towards the door and called out.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She was still looking at the door when it opened. As the person walked in, their gazes met.


    Walking in a couple of steps, Kasser abruptly stopped, still looking at Eugene who was slowly getting up from her chair.


    ¡°Did I interrupt you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Eugene walked out to the front of the desk in the direction of the sofa.


    ¡°We¡¯ll sit here¡­¡±


    She tried to shake off the awkwardness. She didn¡¯t know why she was suddenly so nervous. It was fine when she used to see him everyday but now that it had been a while since she last saw him, she felt more conscious around him.


    I need at least a moment to prepare before meeting him.


    She had been waiting for a maid to tell her the meeting had ended, never expecting the King to visit in person. Her heart was beating rapidly, eyes darted to every corner of the room but towards him. She didn¡¯t know what to say or do.


    It had been quite a few days since they had seen each other. And the things that had happened¡­ he was quite looking forward to seeing her. Kasser was hoping for a welcoming response at the least.


    And yet, when he saw Eugene feeling uncomfortable, he too felt uncomfortable. He had been sulking, as it bothered him that he had left without as much as a goodbye in his trice.


    He remembered Marianne nagging him saying


    You should put more effort, Your Majesty.


    Seeing how things stood now, he couldn¡¯t help thinking that perhaps, he was the only one who thought his relationship with the queen had changed a lot from the past.


    Put in more effort to improve relations, the words were too vague.


    He had never done this before, so he didn¡¯t even know where to start. Affection and woman were a foreign territory to him. To say he was a dunce in such matters, wouldn¡¯t be far-fetched.


    ¡°It looks like you were in the middle of work. Do you have a lot of work?¡± He tried to strike a conversation to ease the awkwardness, but was inwardly hoping she would say no.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too much. I am getting an aide, so I was looking at candidates.¡± She could still feel her taut nerves.


    ¡°I see¡­ an aide, they are important.¡± He was making a sincere attempt to keep the conversation alive.


    ¡°I¡¯m still considering¡­ Ah, Your Majesty! If you don¡¯t mind, could you check them out and recommend one to me?¡± she said suddenly.


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    Without wasting a moment, Eugene quickly brought over the documents from her desk and handed it to him, as soon as she saw him nod.


    She sat across him, looking as he went through the papers. Her nervousness from a while ago had faded. Now, her heart was pounding with a different emotion.


    In the silent room, with nothing but the sound of sifting papers, Marianne¡¯s words drifted to her mind.


    ¡°I never thought of him as someone easy.¡±


    She started to subconsciously analyze her emotions. How she used to be in the beginning, and how she was now. She concluded that the tension she felt when she was with him was different from the general discomfort felt in intense situations. This was more like butterflies in the stomach than jitters.


    Also, she discovered that she never worried about looking shallow around him as she did when she met the Grand Chancellor. Before the Grand Chancellor, she had to maintain a primp, proper and a flawless image. But with him, she believed that even if she did falter, he would not mind and instead help her out.


    Ah¡­.


    As Eugene realized part of her feelings, she discovered she was seeing him in a different light. She had begun to believe in him, unknowingly started to lean on him. And that, she was not averse to this, in fact, if anything, she wanted to deepen it.


    ¡°Did you manage to resolve the matter that took you to the storage? You said a seed cracked.¡± She looked at him curiously.


    Kasser, who was flipping through the documents, lightly laughed. He raised his eyes full of mirth and said, ¡°You are quick to ask.¡±


    Eugene blushed and averted her gaze. In her daze, she had forgotten to even say a proper hello to him, whom she had not seen for days. She was apologetic and at the same time embarrassed.


    ¡°I went to look into it just in case, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal,¡± he said.


    ¡°But, you stayed there for days though.¡±


    ¡°There was a bothersome incident. If it was a normal Lark, we could locate it after sunset and take care of it in the morning. But¡­¡±


    There was a slight wrinkle on the king¡¯s forehead as he was quickly browsing through the resumes. Out of the nearly twenty aide candidates, half of them were men.


    ¡°How many aides are you thinking of getting?¡± he asked, looking at her.


    ¡°About three.¡±


    Three was a reasonable number. However, Kasser couldn¡¯t help but mutter,¡®Three?¡¯


    An aide was an extension of one¡¯s hands and feet all along performing a range of duties. Running errands, arranging meetings, resolving things at the master¡¯s behest, etc were just some of the things . Needless to say, these things required close interactions and would also involve a lot of time together. The aides would probably see the queen¡¯s face all day until she got used to her work.


    Three young men by her side all day¡­


    Inexplicably, he began to feel sick as if he was suffering from indigestion. His heartbeat raced, he gripped the paper in hand tightly, and felt knot tugging within.


    No one was clearer than him that it was none of his business whoever the queen brought in as her aide. She was well within her official rights, it was not his place to interfere. So, even though he was upset, he had no way to justify it.


    ¡°Who recommended these candidates?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The steward. He said that she only nominated the best people. Is there a problem with any of them?¡±


    ¡°¡­. no,¡± he said after a brief pause.


    Kasser knew none of the candidates. The people that were talented enough to be remembered by the king, were already picked up and working. The criteria he judged these resumes were their work experience and family background. The origin of their families was just as important as their ability.


    This was not because a nobleman was more competent than a commoner, but it was because a nobleman could get information easier through their personal connections. Depending on the job, the power to get information was more important.


    However, right now, Kasser could notice nothing other than their gender and age. He knew that if it was the steward, he would not have recommended anybody with an ulterior motive, but he still tried to find some kind of fault.


    Looking at the wrinkle between his eyes, it seemed like there was a problem with the resumes. However, she was more concerned with what he said a while ago than choosing her aide at the moment.


    ¡°By the way, what was the bothersome incident?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Hmm? Ah! I went in after sunset and the Lark¡¯s cocoon was missing. So¡­¡±


    Kasser found a familiar name among the candidates.


    Remi Harrio? What¡¯s his relationship with Count Harrio?


    Count Harrio¡¯s sons were notorious for debauchery. His five sons had inherited their mother¡¯s beauty and were rumored to be outstanding even before they had made their official debut in social circles.


    The quintet took turns playing mischief with damsels and cared for neither reputation nor ramification. As such, the count did not have a quiet day since they attained adulthood. There were few in the aristocratic society who were not in the know of the affairs of these scandalous brothers, as even Kasser, who had little interest in these matters, knew.


    This man listed as one of the queen¡¯s potential servants was, indeed, alarming news to the king.

 Chapter 120 Forbidden Knowledge

    Chapter 120 ¨C Forbidden Knowledge


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Seeing him lost in thoughts, Eugene softly called out.


    Kasser, who was glaring at the name Hario, looked up.


    ¡°You can pick any one of them, just continue with what you¡¯re saying. You said there was no cocoon, so what happened?¡± she asked.


    Her expression was full of determination, she wanted to hear all about it and she would not take no for an answer.


    Kasser laughed, set the documents down on the sofa table, and leaned back to talk in earnest.


    ¡°I assumed it wouldn¡¯t be a typical lark. There¡¯s a Lark who¡¯s still active at sunset¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hwansu.¡± Eugene murmured.


    ¡°Right. Hwansu,¡± he said.


    ¡°If seeds were broken and recovered immediately, then it means the larks from the battle before were normal larks right before they turned into Hwansus.¡±


    ¡°Lark, right before they turned?¡± The king appeared puzzled.


    ¡°Lark, which was not forcibly destroyed during the activity period, becomes a seed when the dry season comes. Some of the larks that have gone through that process numerous times have a small probability to change to Hwansus. It is a very rare probability¡­¡±


    Eugen¡¯s words trailed off when she saw Kasser looking at her in interest.


    ¡°Continue,¡± he said, gently. He liked having such conversations with her.


    ¡°Did I¡­ say something weird?¡± She hesitated. She was talking like she belonged here, wasn¡¯t this akin to teaching a fish to swim!


    ¡°Fantastic knowledge. Where did you hear that?¡± He was genuinely amazed and happy that she was taking a keen interest in his affairs.


    Eugene only told him part of the settings she knew about the Larks and was taken aback when he said he didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡°Well, well, I don¡¯t really remember¡­ I must have heard it somewhere to know this much. So, what¡¯s commonly known about the Hwansus?¡±


    ¡°Hwansus are born from the seeds or they are an evolution of Larks, the scholars cannot decide and still argue about it. The Lark I discovered the other day is an important piece of evidence. It will probably sway the argument in favor of those on the seed side.¡±


    ¡°Then is this the first discovery?¡± She queried. Seeing that they had yet to reach a consensus, it was quite probable they had fewer encounters with Hwansus.


    ¡°It is not the first. There are old records of them coming from inside seeds. However, no one has ever seen a change from a Lark into a Hwansu, so that side of the argument lacks tangible proof compared to the seed side. However, what you said is a completely new theory.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t have any intentions to fight with the scholars,¡± she said, a matter of factly.


    Kasser burst into laughter.


    Eugene then continued raising her thoughts of the matter, ¡°It¡¯s a brilliant idea. However, let¡¯s keep it between us. Who knows if it is forbidden information?!¡±


    The king was also fetched with the theory, but he knew letting this information reach the public¡¯s awareness was like stirring the hornet¡¯s nest.


    ¡°Forbidden information?¡± He raised a brow at her choice of words.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡±


    Kasser let out a small sigh and said. ¡°I, along with my people, believe that there are secret books hidden in a library that only Anikas and Sang-je have access. Books which house what you call forbidden information. Some speculate a prophecy about the end of the world found inside the library. Whether it¡¯s true or not, it is just a hunger for knowledge which we can¡¯t reach.¡±


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    This seemed to be the perfect time for Eugene to ask what had been bothering her lately. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there is a special library in the church that only those who are granted permission to enter from the church can get in. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. However, Sang-je does not give permission to anyone but Anikas.¡± answered him.


    He laughed when he saw her expression, which seemed to say ¡®How petty!¡¯. He couldn¡¯t believe he was telling her, an ¡®Anika¡¯, something so sensitive.


    It was all thanks to her losing her memory, but it still amazed him. Could a person change so much after memory loss?¡±


    ¡°Be careful when you talk about information that you don¡¯t remember the clear source of. You are an Anika, so when you say something there are a lot of people who will misinterpret it.¡± He cautioned.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Eugene nodded.


    She suddenly felt really fortunate to have met this man as soon as she came to this world. He did not try to cheat or use her by taking advantage of his status as her husband. The more she thought about how good a person he was, the more guilty Eugene felt.


    Never would she have expected she¡¯d be having this conversation with him¨Cthe man destined to bring her to her demise.


    Was it okay to live like this? Forever pretending to have lost memory, pretending to be Jin Anika?


    No, it was greed rather than guilt. She wanted to be remembered, by this man, not as Jin but Eugene.


    How much had changed from that first lunch they had had¡­ how she was rejoicing in the fact that he had no affection for his wife, and by extension her. She was even certain that she would not be emotionally inclined let alone attached to this man, only going through the motions mechanically. And today, she was wishing¡­ hoping he would remember her.


    Eugene let out a bitter laugh.


    I would be relieved to just hear that I am not crazy.


    ¡°So, you took so long because you had to catch the evolved Lark? Was it that hard to catch it?¡± She broke out of her musings and continued onwards.


    ¡°It was a cunning one,¡± said he, frowning upon remembering the hardships of the past few days.


    ¡°At first, I went to the highest grade seed room. I thought he¡¯d be there. However, he wasn¡¯t. I had to look through every room.¡±


    Hwansu used seeds in the dry season and Lark nuclei in the active season as nutrients. It had to eat seeds or Lark nuclei regularly to survive, even if it ate meat like common beasts.


    That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t take Abu.


    Eugene knew that the food of the Hwansus were seeds, but didn¡¯t think of connecting that to Abu.


    ¡°Why did you go to the highest grade seed room?¡±


    ¡°Because Hwansus will go after the best seeds.¡±


    ¡°But, just as Larks have ranks, Hwansus also have ranks. Hwansus cannot eat seeds of a higher rank than itself.¡±


    Eugene saw his facial expression and realized that this information was also something he did not know until now.


    Kasser, with a solemn look on his face, thought for a bit and then said, ¡°You don¡¯t remember things about yourself, but you remember things about Hwansus?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I guess so. It must have been a topic I was very interested in before. Where did you catch the Hwansu?¡±


    Eugene was worrying about what excuse to come up with. However, he didn¡¯t try to dig any further. He just nodded and muttered to himself.


    ¡°In a yellow grade room. The seed he woke up was yellow. I caught him unawares, he seemed a little dull.¡±


    ¡°A recently woken Hwansu is not very alert.¡±

 Chapter 121 I Prefer This King

    Chapter 121 ¨C I Prefer This King


    Suddenly she paused, hesitating over whether to say more or not. If she had spotted even a glimmer of suspicion in his eyes, she would have just glossed over the matter. But because he had shown only genuine curiosity, she found herself wanting to tell him what she knew.


    She brushed aside her earlier inhibitions and chose to lay bare the knowledge she possessed.


    ¡°A new-born beast is like an infant in human terms. Like humans, beasts too age with the passage of time, becoming more intelligent as they grow.¡± She explained.


    Kasser let out a gasp as though he had suddenly realized something.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why Abu got so much craftier as the years went on!¡±


    It was a strange thing to say with such a grave expression, and Eugene let out a small laugh.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯m benefitting from your memory loss ¨C even getting to hear forbidden information,¡± he said with a gentle smile.


    Eugene smiled. She knew how hard it must be for someone of his stature, who had been drilled into seeing the world with the glasses of suspicion and doubt at every moment of life. However, now he had taken her words on face value. Nevertheless, she was grateful that he said only that without pressing her further.


    ¡°If it¡¯s concerning Larks and beasts¡­ I might remember more.¡±


    The novel that Eugene had written had mostly been a story about the struggle between Larks and humans, and the six kings pursuing Jin, who had become the incarnation of Mara. To that extent, it had covered Larks in some detail. Since there were some notable scenes involving the kings handling the beasts, it had also described the characteristics of beasts quite comprehensively.


    While people¡¯s history here did not align with what she had written in her novel, she had not yet found any of her other knowledge of this world to be wrong. Somehow she got the feeling that it would continue to be the case.


    ¡°If it wouldn¡¯t bother you to hear it, that is.¡± She added.


    ¡°What could possibly bother me? My concern is that you might reveal something you shouldn¡¯t and regret it later,¡± he said.


    Being an Anika was no less of a burden than being a king. And every prominent being was entitled to a few secrets, to say nothing of an Anika.


    ¡°I won¡¯t regret it. I¡­¡±


    Eugene fell quiet. The words ¡®I want to tell you everything¡¯ caught in her throat. She was afraid of how he might react if she told him that she was not really Jin. Then there was her whole transmigration thing, how was she to explain that? Right now, although she had the heart to tell the truth, the truth was so preposterous, that even if Kasser wanted to believe her, he wouldn¡¯t be able to. Heck, she wouldn¡¯t believe it either!


    However, the matter of whether he trusted her or not was a problem for later. She had yet to figure out all the wrongdoings Jin had committed. In the future, if her crime was exposed, he was sure to think that she had been lying the whole time to cover it up. Why not? She would think the same, if she were in his position.


    Oh, how difficult it is to completely trust another person!


    Eugene did not think that she and the king trusted each other to that extent yet. No, they had a long way to go to reach the unconditional trust the books glorified, if there was such a thing in the world. But considering how she had arrived into this world, perhaps such a thing existed too?


    ¡°Kings are able to control the beasts. Do you not share information with other kingdoms about the beasts you possess?¡±


    It was obvious to Kasser that Eugene was trying to change the subject. He was conflicted for a moment ¨C he wanted to ask her what she was going to say. But he knew it would be useless to press her like that. Even he could make up a story to cover up something he didn¡¯t want to reveal. And he didn¡¯t want to be the recipient of one such information. So he thought it best let it go for now and fell in rhythm with her conversation, acting like he didn¡¯t notice the change in topic.


    ¡°A king¡¯s beasts are a national secret. It¡¯s impossible that such information could be shared,¡± he said honestly.


    ¡°Then, there should at least be information you can get from inside the kingdom. Since all kings have beasts.¡± She countered.


    The best recourse in dealing with the unknown was through sharing of information. Whatever knowledge one had about the beasts, no matter how little or insignificant, would come in handy.


    ¡°No one shares information about the beasts,¡± he said flatly.


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    Eugene was flabbergasted. She found it hard to believe.


    ¡°Your Majesty didn¡¯t hear anything from the previous king?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    As much as it sounded terse, the fact was Kasser had never had any information from any king before. Even his father.


    ¡°Why not?¡± She couldn¡¯t mask her incredulity.


    Eugene was unable to understand. If he kept everything to himself until the day he died, who was he even keeping the secret for?


    Since beasts and Larks shared the same origins, the more information one had about beasts, the better one would be able to understand Larks as well. If information was not passed down to the next generation, no matter how much time passed, the people of Mahar would never be able to understand what Larks were and would always spend the active season just barely managing to survive.


    ¡°Anyway, I hope there was not too much loss at the storehouse?¡±


    Seeing that he had turned reticent over the subject, Eugene cleverly veered away. Since he didn¡¯t want to talk about it, she wouldn¡¯t prod either¡­ just like he had done moments ago. Perhaps it was too heavy a secret, or maybe it was a boundary he didn¡¯t want to cross yet, or cross with her¡­ Whatever the case, it seems it wasn¡¯t time yet.


    ¡°Only some of the yellow-grade seeds.¡± He drifted to his normal self.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. And the beast?¡± she asked, curiously.


    ¡°The creature gave me a lot of trouble, so I brought it back¡­¡±


    ¡°You brought it back?!¡± Eugene repeated in astonishment.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a beast,¡± Kasser said, wondering about her dramatic reaction.


    Kings were not able to tame an unlimited number of beasts. They used Praz to suppress the beasts¡¯ instincts, but even a Praz had a limit on how completely it could control a beast.


    A king usually got his first beast while still a prince. It was a kind of rite of passage to prove their worthiness to become king. Since their Praz was still unstable in their youth, their first beast was usually weak.


    That was why it was common for them to tame another beast, a stronger one which better suited their tastes, after becoming king.


    If a beast was not tamed after being subdued, it had to be killed. This was so because once a beast had been attacked by a human, it began to recognize humans as enemies. Compared to Larks, which were driven by instinct, beasts, were intelligent and far more dangerous. A beast left alive today could be a cause for massacre tomorrow.


    The king in Eugene¡¯s novel had had a very strong beast from the beginning and felt that weak beasts were useless.


    If he were the king from the novel, he would have killed it on the spot.


    The man in front of Eugene now was far more laid-back than the king from her novel. It was thanks to this laid-back nature of his that he was able to accept Eugene¡¯s memory loss and generously overlook Jin¡¯s wrongdoings.


    Of course, the king in the novel and the king of this world was in different circumstances. The heart of the king in her novel, who had been chasing Jin in pursuit of vengeance, was cold and unforgiving. His life experience could perhaps be blamed for his callous and cutthroat approach, but Jin Anika¡¯s performance was not particularly prodigious either.


    In any case, I prefer this king.

 Chapter 122 Leader of the Nine

    Chapter 122 ¨C Leader of the Nine


    ¡°Might I see the beast? Where is it?¡±


    ¡°In my office.¡±


    ¡°Your office? What kind of beast could¡­ never mind. Please don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯d like to see it with my own eyes. May I go and see it now?¡±


    Smiling at her excitement, Kasser rose from the sofa. He was about to turn around when he hesitated and turned back to grab the documents on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at them and return them to you. I just have something I want to check.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Eugene nodded amenably. She had already lost interest in the personnel files.


    The warehouse was ringed by a fence a little taller than the average person. There were several warehouses on this street, both big and small, belonging to various guilds, and the moderately-sized and shabby ones did not stand out particularly.


    Unlike the other warehouses, which were heavily guarded, this had just one guard standing in front of it, as though its contents were unimportant or it was empty and waiting to be restocked.


    The guard wore a dim expression, his eyes unfocused. He looked exactly like a worker who was just waiting for his shift to end and did not seem like he would even care if anyone approached.


    Right then, a visitor approached the guard and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve come for what¡¯s in the second box.¡±


    The voice was thick making it hard to tell if it was a man or a woman.


    The guard looked at the strange visitor, wearing a hooded robe, up and down.


    It was almost midday and quite bright. But even though it seemed natural that the guard should be able to see the visitor¡¯s face, he could not even make out the outline. He found this very odd since the hood was not that deep.


    But he could not keep staring blatantly. He had been told already that a very important visitor would be coming and did not want to get into trouble for bothering them.


    Exaggeratedly playing the part of the lazy guard, he replied bluntly. ¡°The second box is empty, My Lord.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take the third.¡±


    ¡°I have to stay here and keep guard, My Lord, so go on in yourself.¡±


    With that, he took a key hanging from his waist and handed it to the visitor. The person turned, put the key into a hefty padlock right beside the guard.


    Clunk!


    The padlock popped open without a hitch. The guard, who had been glancing sideways, faced forward again. If the padlock opened, the visitor was considered qualified.


    The padlock was specially crafted to only open when someone who had had Magi bestowed upon them by Mara turned the key.


    The now opened door revealed nothing but pitch darkness. As the visitor entered, the door closed behind.


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    Despite the warehouse¡¯s wooden exteriors, the inside walls were sturdy, lined with bricks coated in powdered lime. On a closer look, one would find that the wooden planks stuck to the outer walls of the stone building was a deliberate ruse to make it look shabbier. Perhaps, to avoid undue attention.


    There were no windows here, so even during the day, not a ray of light could enter. It was a dark room, designed to house something that should not be exposed to light.


    In fact, this was a meeting place for the servants of Mara disguised as a dark warehouse. Since the walls were thick, even if several people were to gather here, pray and sing hymns, no sound would escape to the outside. And since no light could enter, when the worshippers gathered at night and lit lamps, no light would escape to the outside either.


    The visitor strode forward as if the darkness did not bother them at all. They flipped back the hood from their head and long hair cascaded down to the middle of their back. When they opened their eyes, their pupils glared red.


    Through the darkness, a single little light appeared. It twirled around the visitor like a firefly, and split into two; then four; eight. In no time at all, the warehouse was filled with countless little lights.


    The lights pushed back the darkness and revealed that there was a person already in the warehouse, waiting. Directly in the visitor¡¯s path, someone was prostrated on the ground, ready to receive this important guest.


    The luxuriously thick hair of the visitor became longer and longer until it flowed down like a waterfall all the way to their ankles. By the time they stopped walking, their hair trailed out far behind them.


    ¡°May Mara¡¯s blessing be upon you always. Rodrigo, the servant of Mara, offers his greeting.¡±


    Rodrigo¡¯s head was so low his nose touched the ground and his voice slightly trembled. It was very different from his polite and friendly demeanor before Eugene the other day.


    Rather than respect born from reverence, Rodrigo¡¯s rigid posture seemed closer to fear.


    The countless small lights filling the room were now radiating even more brightly, illuminating every nook and corner of the warehouse.


    Without shifting his position, Rodrigo glanced sideways to eye the now-distinct pattern of the bricks on the wall. In this windowless warehouse, even if the door was thrown wide open in the middle of the day, light did not penetrate all the way inside. He gulped fearfully.


    He could feel the powerful Magi around him with his entire body. Compared to this great power, his own Magi was no more than a grain of sand. Overwhelmed by fear and awe, he found himself drenched in a cold sweat.


    Among the nine priests of their church, Rodrigo was the highest ranked and essentially the leader. The people of the church believed that Rodrigo was the most faithful follower of Mara and would willingly give his own life for her.


    That was why, despite his radical schemes and obvious thirst for power, there were still many followers who supported him.


    As well as this, Rodrigo was the only person who was able to meet with the High Priest. Most members of their cult did not even know of the existence of the High Priest.


    As the holy man who received the words of Mara through the High Priest, his position in the abominable church was very secure.


    Although the High Priest looking down at Rodrigo with red eyes was young and beautiful, it was hard to tell if the person was a woman or a man. If a woman, she was a beauty; and if a man, he was a strangely beautiful man.


    The long hair that trailed on the floor was like silk¡­ golden, as the King of Mahar¡¯s hair was known to be.


    ¡°The great Mara is now speaking.¡±


    The raspy and unearthly voice did not match with the High Priest¡¯s beautiful appearance at all.

 Chapter 123 Faithful Servant of Mara (1)

    Chapter 123 ¨C Faithful Servant of Mara (1)


    With the voice, the air turned deathly still. There was not even a zephyr or the flickering of candle flames.


    As the words fell, Rodrigo instantly thumped his forehead to the ground in obeisance.


    ¡°I am honoured to receive your glorious words,¡± he said.


    ¡°Although Mara does not question your loyalty, She was extremely disappointed in you this time. Your task to properly carry out the sacred ritual failed. Why was Her Holiness, the queen, not present for the ritual?¡±


    ¡°I dare not make excuses for myself. This worthless man has ruined your grand design. Please, I will accept any punishment.¡± He was quaking in fear.


    The red eyes looking down on Rodrigo turned icy.


    ¡°Your punishment is not our most pressing matter. Is anything amiss with Her Holiness?¡±


    Rodrigo gulped hard before replying, not daring to look up.


    ¡°I met with her not long ago. She is fine, but I was unable to find out in better detail. She only said that she would send for me again later.¡± He reported honestly.


    A crease appeared on the High Priest¡¯s brow.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°I am planning to send one of our followers to meet with her secretly in the coming days.¡±


    Rodrigo had heard that the palace would be hiring temporary workers and had prepared someone to enter the palace. He was in the midst of working on a cover story for them so that no trail would be left behind. In a few days, the follower would enter the palace through the route he had arranged.


    ¡°It seems I must meet with Her Holiness myself. Make preparations.¡± The voice instructed.


    The prostrated Rodrigo¡¯s expression twisted. A flash of hurt and resentment suddenly surged within him.


    Even though he offered ardent prayers seeking Mara¡¯s words and asked sincerely countless times, the High Priest rarely bestowed him a reply. The High Priest treated him so stingily and yet showed such excessive generosity to Her Holiness, Jin Anika. He was embittered.


    Since the beginning, despite her status as a saint, he had been suspicious of her. He had not sensed a trace of Magi in her. Nor was she a devoted follower of the Church. She had never once demonstrated her faith as a servant of Mara.


    If the High Priest had considered themselves a saint, he would have accepted it wholeheartedly. The glorious miracles of Mara that the High Priest showed them were real. And he had never once doubted it.


    Rodrigo had dedicated his whole life to the Church, and while he would willingly sacrifice his life if it was so that Mara could descend upon the earth someday, he also believed that the only person fit to lead the Church was him.


    Yet this young girl had appeared out of nowhere, taken up the position of a saint, and gone around acting like Rodrigo¡¯s superior. How could he endure it? His years of hard work were snatched in just a click. He, who was the leader of the nine, capable and deserving was unjustly discarded upon the appearance of a girl who had yet to show her allegiance let alone capabilities.


    But he was a shrewd man who wouldn¡¯t succumb to jealousy and jeopardise the greater gain. Nor was he an impulsive being who would wear his heart on his sleeves.


    Thus, he treated the girl with respect on the surface because it was the order of the High Priest, one he didn¡¯t dare defy, adeptly concealing his deep-seated jealousy.


    Although he held indubitable faith in the cult, he feared that if things continued like this, the whole Church might be quickly swallowed up by that girl.


    ¡°The Great Mara wishes to meet with Her Holiness? Do you doubt the will of Mara that I have conveyed?¡±


    The High Priest¡¯s voice was not loud, but the air vibrated. As the little lights in the air sparked, small bolts of lightning struck the ground here and there ¨C one directly in front of Rodrigo.


    ¡°N-no! I do not doubt. I am merely voicing concern that difficulties may arise for Her Holiness.¡±


    ¡°Difficulties?¡±


    ¡°It seems that there are some problems in the palace. The follower that was attending to Her Holiness got into an accident and lost their life. When I met her not long ago, she advised me to stay quiet and lay low.¡±


    He held back the fact that she had stopped sending them funds. How ridiculous it had been when he sent his men to the bank with promissory notes only for them to return empty-handed.


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    If she had even stopped her donations to the Church, just what exactly was that woman even doing as a saint?


    He worried that if he voiced such complaints, it would sound like a personal grudge than a just concern. He was confident that he only acted for the sake of the Church, and not out of his own self-interest. But how would he convince the other of this?


    The High Priest narrowed their eyes.


    ¡°Has there been any sign of the dogs of Mahar returning?¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t appeared since the end of the previous dry season. Ever since we received your order to inform you immediately if they were sighted, we have not taken our eyes off the paths into the kingdom.¡±


    The king¡¯s knights, who were known as ¡®the Dogs of Mahar¡¯ in the Church, had not entered the capital since the beginning of the active season.


    ¡°Have you found a way to keep in contact with Her Holiness?¡±


    Now that the said follower was dead, they had to re-establish the communication channel.


    ¡°I am preparing to send a follower into the palace to act as our contact. If I manage to reach Her Holiness, I will be sure to deliver your words to her,¡± he said hurriedly.


    He wanted to appease the High Priest, and redeem himself¡­ perhaps even be escape punishment.


    The High Priest thought for a moment and then spoke.


    ¡°Prepare the ritual once again. After this active season ends, the ritual must go ahead at the interval between the next dry season and the next active season. Her Holiness must be in attendance this time.¡±


    ¡°I will be sure to remember.¡±


    ¡°Mara is merciful, but she will not give you a third chance. This is your last.¡±


    Rodrigo thumped his forehead against the floor in answer.


    ¡°If Her Holiness requests a meeting with me before the ritual, I will see her at any time. Deliver Her Holiness¡¯ will to me as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will remember and obey.¡±


    ¡°Rodrigo.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Raise your head.¡±


    Rodrigo hesitated before lifting his upper body. Then, he slowly raised his eyes.


    ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡±


    Rodrigo¡¯s eyes were filled with an entrancing light. It was as though a halo of light was radiating from that sublimely shimmering golden hair. The youth of the High Priest, whose appearance had remained unchanged for decades, was a miracle of Mara.


    Even while Rodrigo was in awe, he dreamed of the day that he too would be able to attain such a holy existence.


    ¡°Rodrigo, faithful servant of Mara, Mara commends your devotion. Repay her favor.¡±


    Rodrigo replied in a dazed state.


    ¡°This servant of Mara follows only the will of Mara.¡±


    With that, the High Priest turned away.


    Rodrigo, who watched with a vacant expression as they retreated, bowed his head to the floor again. Even after all the lights which had filled the warehouse had disappeared, Rodrigo remained in the pitch darkness for a long time.

 Chapter 124 Faithful Servant of Mara (2)

    Chapter 124 ¨C Faithful Servant of Mara (2)


    The High Priest emerged from the disguised warehouse and walked down the street. Their beautiful features were radiant under the sunlight. Their skin was as white as marble and their golden hair, which had returned to its original length, shone.


    It was as though a masterpiece carefully crafted by a sculptor had come to life. Yet something about their overall appearance was disharmonious. With their white skin and golden hair, their blood-red pupils seemed jarringly out of place.


    Among the brown-haired and brown-eyed people, the High Priest stood out distinctly. Most of the people of Mahar would never see a hair of any other color in their entire lives. But although passers-by might have whispered and stared, the atmosphere of the street was no different than usual.


    Someone coming in the opposite direction to the High Priest moved to the side as they approached each other. He did not give the High Priest a second glance, nor did he seem surprised ¨C and everyone else around was the same.


    People unconsciously and naturally made way for the High Priest. Proceeding at a normal pace, without stopping or brushing sleeves with anyone else, the High Priest reached the plaza.


    In the direction in which those red eyes stared stood the palace.


    Should I have instilled Anika with Magi?


    If she had had Magi planted within her, they would have been able to sense Anika¡¯s presence anywhere in the palace. Without having to constantly go through Rodrigo, they would have been able to communicate with Anika directly.


    No. It would be no good if I ruined our work by rushing.


    They had waited for an unimaginably long time. There was no need to take risks for the sake of no more than a convenient method of contact.


    The Dogs of Mahar would immediately notice Magi dwelling within Anika. They visited the kingdom periodically, and although they left immediately after delivering letters to the king and had no reason to meet with the queen, there was always a scope for `what ifs`.


    They must not let their guard down until Anika was completely in their grasp.


    Mara!


    A corner of the High Priest¡¯s mouth tilted up.


    The day that you reign over these insignificant creatures as a god is not far off. The fault lies in your complacency.


    They turned around and eyed the path which led between the many parts that the plaza was divided into.


    Shall I try causing a commotion outside?


    The off-season was stretching on for quite a long time. The king had to be dragged out of the palace in order for Anika, The Queen, to move around freely. Rodrigo would also be able to send his follower into the palace more easily while things were chaotic.


    They proceeded down a secluded street where the capital¡¯s poor and needy gathered. They did not stop in this street but continued deeper.


    Unlike other well-ordered streets, the road here was narrow, the houses were crammed tightly together and there were barely any passers-by.


    The High Priest looked around slowly. Their eyes stopped on a corner where various miscellaneous objects were piled up like rubbish. Their red eyes flashed, and they lifted the plank of wood on top of the pile.


    A few sewer rats were sitting there perched on their hind legs, stock still. The rats did not move, even as a huge hand came close to grab them. Only their noses twitched, like frogs frozen in fear before a snake.


    ¡°You will have to do some work for me.¡±


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    The High Priest reached a hand inside their robe and pulled something out. Between their two fingers, they held a light purple seed.


    ?


    It was about the size of her palm. Eugene watched the brown lizard in the cage with interest. Its tongue, which flicked out and licked over its face before disappearing again, was black.


    Ugh!


    Eugene grimaced. Animals without any fur made her uneasy. She was not at all fond of amphibians, reptiles, or any creatures of that kind.


    Its little horns are a bit cute, though.


    The beast¡¯s horns poking from its forehead were smaller than a finger.


    ¡°You said the beast awoke from a yellow seed, yes? Are they normally this small?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It was bigger in the storehouse. From head to tail, about the same size as you.¡± Kasser replied.


    Eugene let out a sound of surprise.


    ¡°Ugh, how awful!¡± She muttered under her breath, pulling a face. She definitely did not want to see a lizard the size of a person!


    ¡°Then Your Majesty ordered it to become smaller?¡±


    ¡°Since I can¡¯t exactly bring that kind of huge creature back with me.¡±


    As Kasser watched the small lizard inside the cage, he recalled how he had gotten it there.


    Kasser had thought he would struggle a lot more. His own beast, Abu, hated being small. Even when he took the form of a horse, he insisted on having a huge build, so that the other horses around were intimidated by him.


    In order to get Abu to listen to him, he had to firmly enforce his dominance. It wasn¡¯t a hardship or anything, and playing with the rascally creature was even fun sometimes, but it could be a bit of a nuisance too.


    This lizard beast, however, had meekly shrunk down and gone into the cage obediently. Since he had thought it was a very clever creature when he had captured it, he had let it believe it was safe, but always kept an eye on it in case it tried to escape.


    But if it¡¯s as the queen says, it makes sense.


    Her statement that a newly-awakened beast was just like a new-born infant explained everything that he had been wondering about.


    ¡°It seems like it wants to get out.¡± Eugene sensed its intention as she watched the beast scurry up and down inside the cage. The way the lizard poked its feet out between the bars and wriggled its body was almost comical.


    Kasser found the restlessness of the creature very strange especially since it¡¯d stayed quiet throughout the journey back. Thinking that the young beast must be feeling some curiosity about the outside world, his heart softened.


    Eugene started as he pulled out a key and made as though to open the door of the cage.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to let it out?¡± she asked in a trice.


    Looking at her unhappy face, he retracted his hands from the cage again.

 Chapter 125 Wrong Choice

    Chapter 125 ¨C Wrong Choice


    Kasser looked at the woman quizzically.


    ¡°I thought you said you wanted to see a beast. What¡¯s wrong?¡± he said.


    She gave him a sheepish grin. ¡°It¡¯s just that lizards are a bit¡­¡± Eugene refrained from saying anything explicitly since the beast would understand her.


    Seeing her unease, Kasser said disbelievingly, ¡°This creature is a beast. It¡¯s not a real lizard.¡±


    ¡°It still looks like a lizard.¡± She countered.


    ¡°Then we can change its appearance.¡± He promptly suggested.


    ¡°Oh! That would be fine then.¡± Eugene considered for a moment and then said, ¡°A squirrel. A squirrel should do nicely. Definitely not a mouse, but a squirrel. Hm¡­ Hey, little one. Now that I think about it, you don¡¯t have a name. Do you think you could turn into a squirrel?¡±


    The lizard, which was stuck to the side of the cage, blinked at her. From its docile mannerism, it seemed like it was paying attention to Eugene. But nonetheless, it remained a lizard.


    ¡°It seems like it doesn¡¯t know what a squirrel is. I suppose I should show it what sort of animal it is.¡± As an afterthought, she added. ¡°Can it only change into an animal it has seen before?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It needs to learn to understand. This is a very important time for this beast. Just like people, the experiences of a beast while they are young have a big impact on them. If they go through multiple life-threatening situations right after being born, naturally, they develop aggressive personalities.¡±


    Kasser thought to himself that Abu must have had a very difficult youth. Then, he called for an attendant on the side. He instructed the attendant to bring a children¡¯s picture book on animals.


    While waiting for the picture book, the two of them, who had been conversing by the desk, took the cage and moved over to the sofa.


    Eugene kept on observing the beast within the cage. Since it was not a real lizard, she felt relatively less disgusted by it.


    It¡¯s the king¡¯s second beast. How unusual!


    Such a thing had not appeared in her novel. So far, her novel had one king-one beast scenario. Having two beasts under one person was quite unheard of in Mahar.


    While focusing on the beast, she remained oblivious to Kasser¡¯s gaze upon her. She, of course, did not notice his expression gradually worsening, either.


    Right then, the attendant returned with a picture book. Looking through the book, Eugene found a squirrel and held it before the beast.


    ¡°This is a squirrel. Try changing into this shape.¡±


    The lizard stared at the squirrel in the book. It tilted its little head from side to side over and over.


    An enthralled Eugene watched the young beast starting to learn with delight. Since there had been so many things in this world that she didn¡¯t know much about, she had grown a little timid. But at the opportunity to show off her knowledge on a topic in which she was well-versed, her confidence had returned.


    She has a lot of interest in beasts, Kasser thought as he observed Eugene¡¯s lively expression. He had not realized that her interest was this high.


    But although he was pleased by her enjoyment, his mood was not alleviated. His expression gradually stiffened.


    The lizard which had been clinging to the bars of the cage came down onto the floor. It curled up its body as though trying to bite its own tail and spun round and round in place. The sharp end of its tail inflated and started to transform.


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    As though the lizard was putting on a fur coat over its smooth skin, it sprouted a layer of brown fur from the end of its tail to the top of its head. Its long, slanted eyes turned small and round, its elongated body shrunk and the spread-out legs came closer together.


    In a moment, all traces of the lizard had vanished. What remained was a perfect, adorable squirrel.


    With excitement, Eugene unlocked the cage right away. In a flash, the squirrel scampered up Eugene¡¯s arm and onto her shoulder.


    She turned her head, following the squirrel with her eyes as it moved. Its movements were agile as it ran across her arms and shoulders in a frenzy.


    Eugene rounded her lips and clicked her tongue, trying to make a sound that it would respond to.


    The beast came to a stop at the top of her left hand, its nose twitched in response to the sound she had made.


    Eugene lifted her right hand and reached out towards the beast gently so as not to scare it. She petted the squirrel¡¯s little head and rubbed its chin with the tip of her fingers. The beast closed its eyes and rubbed its face against her hand, seemingly enjoying her touch.


    ¡°It¡¯s cute.¡± Eugene murmured with a quiet laugh.


    Beasts were truly perfect creatures; so lovely and clever. And once one developed a mutual bond, one would be in for surprises.


    Kasser¡¯s hand suddenly swooped in, grabbed the squirrel from behind and lifted it up. Eugene, who had been watching the squirrel delightedly, looked up.


    Dangling from Kasser¡¯s fingers, the beast wriggled in the air. It was flailing its legs desperately towards Eugene.

 Chapter 126 I Am Not Angry (1)

    Chapter 126 ¨C I Am Not Angry (1)


    Kasser scowled at it and opened the cage. The squirrel tried to resist with all its strength, gripping the bars around the cage door with its legs. It looked very cute and very poor at the same time.


    But the man was unaffected. Ignoring its resistance, he flicked it into the cage.


    Eugene awkwardly lowered her hands. She had just remembered him saying that he never shared anything about the beasts.


    It must have bothered him. I did treat the beast like it was my own pet.


    The connection between a king and his beast was far stronger than between a normal person and their pet. The Praz that was infused into the beast became strongly connected to the king¡¯s Praz so that if their beast was gravely injured, the king could feel it too.


    Sensing something amiss, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He¡¯s angry!


    Eugene tried to understand his mood. Even though he was normally not one to display his emotions, she was able to recognise the uncomfortable expression on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I touched the beast carelessly.¡± Since she had misstepped, it was only proper for her to apologize.


    Kasser knitted his brows, meaning that that was not the problem.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m angry that you touched it?¡± he asked. He was taken aback by her question in all honesty.


    ¡°Why would you be angry if that¡¯s not the case?¡± She demanded. The way he grabbed and shoved the squirrel into the cage, wasn¡¯t that proof that he was upset?


    ¡°I said I¡¯m not angry.¡± He reiterated.


    Now, Eugene was confused. They had come to his office because he had said that he would show her the beast, and everything had been fine up until now. But now, this royalty was irate.


    As she mulled over the situation, a memory of Marianne teaching her how to handle this kind of situation rose to the front of her mind.


    ¡°If you are at a social event, there are always times when the atmosphere suddenly becomes uncomfortable. Normally, when someone falters with their words or the conversation stops for some reason¡­¡±


    In this situation, it is generally accepted that the youngest person or the person with the lowest rank present should take up the responsibility to subtly steer the conversation onto a different topic.


    Marianne had added that if you wanted to be able to handle these kinds of social interactions smoothly, you needed to learn these kinds of unspoken rules.


    ¡°While it would be acceptable for you to assist someone else in trying to improve the situation with simple agreements, please try not to step forward and do it yourself, Your Grace. If a high-ranking person tries to take on the role of one of low-rank, it could have a damaging effect on their reputation.¡±


    Eugene tried to apply Marianne¡¯s teachings to the current situation. In an absolute monarchy, the king was the highest-ranked person in the kingdom, and everyone else was his subject.


    However, regardless of such rules, she did not want to cater one-sidedly to his whims. Since it was not a discussion about national affairs, she was not in the position of his subject, but his wife.


    ¡°Your Majesty, if you try to claim that you¡¯re not angry with me, I will be angry with you. You took the beast away from me so aggressively and embarrassed me.¡± She made known her displeasure without any qualms.


    She was no pushover; royalty or not, she didn¡¯t like the way he had just behaved. She was in the right to demand an explanation from him even.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


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    Seeing his silent, sullen expression, Eugene started to feel better. She had never seen him acting like this, she found it unusual and charming.


    He was very mature for someone in his mid-twenties. In Eugene¡¯s world, people in their twenties were very immature in both the way they thought and behaved.


    Even considering the social norms of this world where most people got married in their early twenties, she thought that he was more mature than other people his age. But for the first time, probably because of his expression, she felt that he seemed childish.


    Rather than angry¡­ it seems like he¡¯s upset.


    It was a word that did not befit the Desert King. The man who was always unfazed, Eugene was curious about what had bothered him. She had no idea what it could have been other than the beast.


    Seeing that things had come to a stalemate, Kasser spoke after a little sigh.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to embarrass you. It was my mistake. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said sincerely.


    Now that he had taken a step to appease her, she felt it would be silly to continue with this tiff. ¡°I was careless as well. I will ask for permission from now on.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can touch it whenever you want,¡± he said hurriedly. ¡°Just don¡¯t forget that they¡¯re not ordinary animals and let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    He was obviously drawing a line so that Eugene could not press him further. And she didn¡¯t.


    Kasser stared at the beast in the cage with mixed feelings. He and Eugene were sitting across from each other with the coffee table in between them. From where he was sitting, he could only see the back of the beast.


    The squirrel was scampering about the cage very busily, keeping its back turned on him and facing Eugene. It was as though Eugene was its owner rather than him.

 Chapter 127 I Am Not Angry (2)

    Chapter 127 ¨C I Am Not Angry (2)


    Although this was a very strange behavior considering the beasts¡¯ characteristic of only following their master, he had no space in his mind to think logically while dealing with his complicated feelings.


    Should I not have brought it back with me?


    He was all turned around just because of a tiny beast the size of his palm. It was an unpleasant feeling, but it was different from anger. It felt like something was boiling in his stomach, something closer to irritation than anger.


    He remembered when he had been going to kill the lizard beast after defeating it and had suddenly thought of the queen. She had so much interest in beasts and, seeing her interacting with Abu, it was clear she was not afraid of them.


    He had hoped that if he brought the beast back and showed it to her, they would have more things to talk about together.


    She was, however, so absorbed by the beast that she was paying no attention to him. It was not the result he had been seeking at all!


    He tried not to think about anything else when he was focusing on what was in front of him. When he was outside the palace, he did not think about the people in the palace.


    He had been different recently, however. When he had been chasing the beast in the storehouse, every time he paused for a respite, one person returned to his mind. It was the first time he wanted to hurry back to see someone.


    And yet, the person he had so wanted to see was more interested in a lizard than her husband whom she had not seen for some days.


    Did I make the wrong choice sparing it?


    All the hurt and injustice surging within him was the fault of this ungrateful lizard.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t eat lunch yet, did you?¡± he asked. He was desperate to draw her attention to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Her gaze never once leaving the beast.


    ¡°Shall we eat together?¡± he said hopefully.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like that.¡±


    Eugene was disappointed that they were moving on from the topic. Although she had grown this much closer to him, they were still not in a relationship where she could freely press him with questions just to satisfy her curiosity.


    ¡°Why have you not gone outside? You¡¯ve even put together a team of escorts as though you would be going out often.¡±


    He had expected her to have stepped out into the village in his absence, but to his surprise, she had been cooped up in the palace.


    Eugene had left the palace only once and had not gone out since then. She had to be careful in case Rodrigo spotted her.


    The day she had first tried going out, Rodrigo had spotted the group of five soldiers. If she went outside with them again and Rodrigo realized that the person those soldiers escorted was the queen, her lie that it had not been her with the soldiers that day would be discovered.


    Since Eugene could not explain her situation in such detail, she made up an excuse.


    ¡°Going out with the escort was very cumbersome. I felt much more comfortable going out with just you, Your Majesty.¡±


    That caught Kasser¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Shall we go out? You still haven¡¯t gone out of the palace during the day, have you? We can even eat lunch outside.¡±


    ¡°Eat lunch outside? Have you tried eating outside the palace?¡± She was intrigued that this royalty, who had made a fuss over her stomach ache not long ago, was offering to eat at a place other than the royal kitchen.


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    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m often out of the palace all day. Do you think I just starve?¡± He thought it was obvious that she would know he ate out.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s eat out! I¡¯m curious about how the streets look during the day.¡± Eugene responded enthusiastically. Although they did not know when the rest period would end, she did not want to reject him.


    The person suggesting the idea was the king. He must certainly have thought ahead. Since she could go outside with a much smaller group if he came with her, it was an excellent opportunity for her that she did not want to miss.


    What¡¯s more, she was excited about going out with him. The last time she had left the palace, she had been unable to fully enjoy herself due to Jin¡¯s memories and had had to return right away. It had been bothering her since then.


    However, she felt this was too good to be true and decided to reaffirm.¡°Oh, Your Majesty, Are you sure it¡¯s fine if I get close to the beast? You aren¡¯t against it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind.¡± His gaze one her was gentle, emphasizing his sincerity.


    Eugene smiled slightly at Kasser¡¯s expression.


    ¡°There is a place I want to stop by before we go out. I promised that I would.¡±


    After a little while, the two of them emerged in a garden that was connected to the corridor.


    Cupping her hands around her mouth, she yelled ¡°Abu!¡± She called out again and at once, a small black leopard came bounding over on short legs.


    Charging towards Eugene, Abu leapt and threw himself into her wide-spread arms. But before he could reach her chest, he found himself suddenly grabbed firmly by the scruff of his neck.

 Chapter 128 Isn’t He Cute? (1)

    Chapter 128 ¨C Isn¡¯t He Cute? (1)


    Grabbing the feline by the nape, Kasser lifted it up to his eye level. Legs dangling in the air, eyes pitiful, he looked up and down the animal in amazement. The beast he was used to was nowhere in sight.


    The king narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Abu.¡±


    He called out its name as a confirmation rather than a query. No matter what he transformed into, the master could always recognize him. As much as he wanted to deny it, he had to admit that the beast in his hand, with a frame as small as a street cat, was the very Abu who evoked fear wherever he went.


    Nevertheless, he was confused. After all, it was his first time seeing Abu this small.


    Abu had been with him for some time now. Daunting, willful, and unbridled were the words that best suited this beast. In a way, he was the reflection of none other but his master. That said, even in his growing years, Abu was as huge as he was intimidating. Perhaps size played a major role in inflicting fear, however, he had always been way above the average size.


    Still, Kasser had never compelled Abu to shed his size. It was here that the depth of the master-beast relationship could be understood best. Although the king had laid many ground rules, he was considerate towards Abu, who was obsessed with his size.


    But now, seeing him in this state¡­ running and flapping instead of snarling and growling, he was flabbergasted.


    This Lark of the Desert King was as famous as his master. He was stronger and bigger than the Lark of King Seon, Kasser¡¯s father. Some said he was the strongest Lark the kingdom had ever had.


    Kasser had never evinced, but he was satisfied with his great and strong hwansu. Abu had special value to him.


    At an early age, when he constantly asked questions about the significance of his existence, he had searched for ways to prove himself. Just in time, the success of his hunt boosted his self-esteem.


    Thinking back, the queries in his mind had been laid to rest from the time he took in Abu. Even so, no matter how special Abu was, he did not equate himself with the Lark.


    However, the Abu before him now was too much to stomach. He looked nothing like his usual self, strong and fierce. It would be an embarrassment to acknowledge him as the mighty hwansu of the mighty Desert King.


    The eyes of the pathetic owner met the red eyes of the beast.


    From the day Abu became smaller, Eugene pretended to go on a walk every day for about an hour or two just to meet Abu in the afternoon and play with him. The king¡¯s Lark was not something to be recklessly carried around, so she¡¯d promised to meet him at a designated time and place.


    Eugene treated Abu as if he were a pet cat. She would hold him in her arms, stroke or pull his tail or ear¡­ rub him under the chin. There was no fear or inhibition, they looked like they had been doing this for ages now.


    On his part, Abu had always thought that humans, with the exception of his master, were terribly weak and insignificant. When they were afraid of him, he was proud rather than sad. But for the first time, he was embarrassed for it was the first time he was being treated like a toy by a human woman!


    The quiet voice of a woman who kept talking to herself was also unfamiliar. Kasser was originally far from affectionate. The only time his master called his name was when he gave orders or scolded him. On the contrary, this woman would speak to him gently and lovingly even.


    It was awkward, but Abu held it in. The human woman¡¯s softness and affection felt so good that the discomfort was tolerable.


    As he held back, Abu got used to it. Now he even cried at Eugene¡¯s feet and shamelessly begged for a hug.


    ¡°Meow, meow..¡±


    In a brief moment, Abu shot a rebellious look at his master. He struggled with his short foreleg and protested. Kasser simply quirked a lip to subdue his arrogance. There was a bluish glow in his blue eyes.


    Unable to decide whether to laugh or cry, Eugene¡¯s gaze alternated between the human and the beast. And why not? Such a scene was never to be had after all- the small, black leopard, caught betwixt its master¡¯s fingers, swaying in the air, was actually a huge Lark. That man who looked like an animal abuser was its master and the King of Hashi.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± She carefully called out.


    The man and the beast fixed their gazes on Eugene at the same time.


    ¡°Abu¡­ isn¡¯t he cute?¡±


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    Eugene intently studied the man, trying to discern his thoughts. This gruesome reunion was unexpected and embarrassing. She was worried that she might have made a big mistake.


    ¡°There are many advantages to having Abu reduce in size. The maids will be much less afraid.¡± Eugene¡¯s voice grew smaller and smaller as she spoke.


    Kasser¡¯s stiff eyebrows loosened at the sight of her withering smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. This guy looks¡­.¡± He checked himself right when he was going to say ¡®foolish¡¯. ¡°I¡­ well, he just feels a little unfamiliar. Was this the ¡®place¡¯ you mentioned earlier?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re supposed to meet in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°You meet this guy every day?¡± Kasser asked in surprise.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Since when?¡± Like Abu¡¯s transformation wasn¡¯t shocking enough, now there was this even!


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few days.¡±


    Instantaneously, Kasser was offended by the mere sight of Abu. When he thought that the animal had dug into the gap in the days when he was not around, he was furious.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°To see Abu¡­¡± She replied honestly.


    ¡°You were supposed to go out with me.¡± Kasser was filled with disappointment in his heart, yet his face betrayed nothing.

 Chapter 129 Isn’t He Cute? (2)

    Chapter 129 ¨C Isn¡¯t He Cute? (2)


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± She was only stopping by, and was looking forward to her first lunch in the village.


    ¡°Do you want to take him?¡± he asked, unable to conceal the terseness in his heart..


    Eugene replied, staring at him, as his tone had gotten sharper. ¡°No, I was here only to talk to Abu as he¡¯d be waiting until I got back.¡±


    Kasser furrowed his brows slightly and then pursed his lips tight. Then, turning his gaze towards Abu, who was still holding onto him, he shook his head in anger. Abu yelped and mewled in reply as if crying injustice.


    And why not? It wasn¡¯t his fault that the woman and he got along so well. And why should he not continue? As such the pair of orbs stared into each other in a stalemate, one raging another piteous.


    The strange exchange didn¡¯t escape Eugene¡¯s notice. She keenly observed the man. His awkward and sullen appearance was akin to the one she¡¯d just seen in his office.


    She looked back on the situation from before and now. Resentment was a part of all his usual capricious changes in emotions. However, he did say he was not offended that she had been touching and spending time with Abu.


    Perhaps¡­?


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Eugene hesitantly said, ¡°The lizard you saw earlier, and Abu too¡­ I¡¯m interested only because it¡¯s your Lark. While you were at the store, I held on to Abu and worried about you.¡±


    Turning his back slightly in her direction, he said nothing. However, his silence made clear his disbelief in her explanation.


    Eugene could hold back her laughter by biting her lip hard, however, she couldn¡¯t control her pounding heart.


    That man¡­ surely he isn¡¯t jealous? To define his current attitude, it would be more like a common desire for a light monopoly that everyone wants the person in front of them to focus only on themselves.


    Or it could be a childish emotion ¡®Why don¡¯t you look up to me?¡¯. If he came back from his achievements as king, everyone would have cheered and praised him after all.


    Eugene had a pleasant smile. Whatever the reason, he showed his emotions to her and only to her. For the first time, towards this nonchalant monarch who had it all, she felt a slight touch of sympathy.


    At this moment, Eugene was in a great dilemma. She wanted to see the proud man¡¯s expression right now, but she also didn¡¯t want to see. On the one hand she wished to see his never seen before emotions, on the other she couldn¡¯t muster the courage. While she oscillated between the ¡°to and not to¡±, the man himself turned towards her.


    Her heart skipped a beat as her eager eyes sought his face. Alas, her excitement was ruthlessly shattered glimpsing the indifferent visage. He then turned around, just like that.


    Silence suffused with unease filled the air. The man knew not what to do, while the woman behind was confused over him.


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    Looking at this cold back, Eugene hesitated ever so slightly, her hand that rose to reach him stilled. She debated if her conjecture about his feelings had some grounds or she was mistaken. It was another matter if she was right, but if she was acting out her delusions, even staying up the entire night wouldn¡¯t do away the ensuing embarrassment!


    In the end, she threw caution to the wind, gave in to her feelings and hugged him from behind. Her delicate arms failed to wrap his large body, even so, she held on to him tightly. She could feel his taut body stiffen, she was nervous too.


    But the moment his hands grabbed hers, releasing their grasp, her heart sank. She felt a heavy lump in her throat, and her legs seemed to give away. It seemed she was mistaken after all¡­


    But before she could collapse to the floor, the man abruptly turned and swallowed her lips. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close into an embrace, one hand snaked around her neck and clasped it. It seemed like he was blocking her retreat, afraid she would run away.


    However, Eugene had no intention of running away. Instead, she was backing in the strange satisfaction, her heart fluttered¡­ gone was the gloom from a moment ago. Her mind was blank, she felt nothing but his warmth and passion within the volley of kisses.


    Finding the gap between her lips, he easily slid his tongue in deep. He swept through the inside of her mouth, relentlessly grazing her tender flesh.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± A soft moan decided to escape.


    Her fingers holding him by the shoulder had long turned pale. His kiss, which took all her breath away, was greedy. He tilted his head further and pushed his tongue deeper. A pair of lips stuck together, without the slightest gap.


    As his arm around his waist tightened, Eugene felt pressure under her chest. All the breaths that were choking were sucked into his lips.


    Eugene loved this moment of her longing for him while still trying to catch up to his pace. Kasser had never been lukewarm nor did he know moderation. He seemed like someone who could switch moods at a click. Under the sun, he was the solemn, able and wise king, who never erred, joked or made a fool of himself. Under the moon, in the close confines of her chamber, his kisses and thrusts were that of a famished beast.


    His tongue rolled up her tongue and sucked it hard. A chilling shudder mounted up her back.


    After days of agonizing over it, her mind was blank. She didn¡¯t know that the relationship between men and women was so strange until she experienced it.


    It was not that only one side had suppressed physical desires. In the face of physical desire, the reason was meaningless. Passion was the one true master, and the pair indulging in it right now, had long delved into a bottomless abyss.


    ¡°Meow..¡±


    Some distance away from the couple immersed in a dense kiss, Abu cried woefully.


    Without mercy, Kasser had tossed away Abu, before he pulled Eugene for a kiss. With a flexible handspring, Abu had safely landed on the ground.


    However, when he saw his master clinging to the woman, he was impatient. That woman¡¯s affection was all being grabbed by his master now. He didn¡¯t dare to interrupt so he let out a timid cry of discontent.


    But would the man and woman who had fallen in love, even care?

 Chapter 130 In Such Affectionate Ways

    Chapter 130 ¨C In Such Affectionate Ways


    At first they, his cries fell on deaf ears. However, the Lark was persistent. At short intervals, Abu kept crying until the time they had no choice but to turn their attention to him.


    ¡°Meow¡­¡±


    In between sucking on her lips, he muttered a curse to himself and retracted his lips.


    Left to Kasser he would have not given a whit even if Abu wailed all day long. But the woman in his arms kept trying to nudge him away as if her concentration was broken.


    He kissed lightly on her wet lips and licked them with his tongue. His eyes were full of thirst that had yet to be quenched. After a gap of a few days, her lips tasted so sweet that he felt dizzy. He just wanted to rush to a room with her in his arms. But today, he wanted to spend time with her in a way different from physical entanglement.


    Not just because of Marianne¡¯s nagging. But because just spending the nights with her vaguely felt there was something between him and her that could not be narrowed down.


    ¡°Meow.¡±


    Kasser gritted his teeth and muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll make him a leash and tie him up.¡±


    Eugene burst into laughter with a flushed face. She squatted and waved at Abu.


    ¡°Abu, come here.¡±


    His wish answered, Abu immediately dashed to Eugene for a peck.


    Kasser cast a perverse look at the Lark who was acting like a pet dog.


    ¡°Abu. I can¡¯t play with you today. I don¡¯t have time today. See you tomorrow.¡±


    Tomorrow?


    The muscles in his face swirled. He didn¡¯t like it. But there was no justification to stop it. He had already said with his own mouth that it was okay to be close to his Larks.


    However, the truth was, he wanted to put Abu away from her sight. He was aware of the fact that his emotions were indescribably childish, but neither was he remorseful nor ashamed. That said, there was no question of rectifying either.


    ¡°Abu, come here, I¡¯ll give you a hug.¡±


    The black leopard jumped into Eugene¡¯s arms without hesitation. Kasser was stunned to hear Abu¡¯s throbbing sound in his throat and laughed for a short time. He seriously pondered why his hwansu had transformed into such a shape.


    His musings continued even after he¡¯d got into the carriage with her and out of the castle. He belatedly realized the fact that it was strange. He had never heard of a Lark, which already had a master, following another person as if they were his master.


    The carriage slowly trudged forward. This was the first time Eugene was going out at this time of the day, and for a lunch at that. Her curious eyes peeked out the window, her face still held traces of pink from the indulgence just before.


    Gazing at her from across, was Kasser. The scene where Abu had clung to her earlier, kept replaying in his mind. However, he had surmised the reason for the inexplicable behaviour of his Lark.


    She¡¯s an Anika. It was widely believed that Larks did not attack Anikas, although the theory was never put to test. And Abu was basically a Lark. Given the tenet, it was natural for him to not attack or even terrorize, which he otherwise did, but this sort of ¡°affection¡± was truly unfathomable.


    Yes, there were instances where the Larks had reacted favourably towards an Anika, but they were few and far between.


    Favorable¡­ but can I really only define it as favorable?


    It is a known fact that the records in history are prone to be distorted to an extent. However, the choice of the word, to the person who witnessed Abu¡¯s interaction with this Anika, seemed wrong.


    How many Larks had responded to an Anika in such¡­ affectionate and amiable ways? And how many had willingly allayed their monstrosity? This only meant that Abu¡¯s fondness for Eugene was indeed rare. He hadn¡¯t shown such a side of him even to Kasser, never.


    That Anika who had proclaimed to have a strong rapport with the Lark was the very one who had planted the seed of the old tree at the plaza in the Holy City. She went down in history as the Anika to possess the strongest and most powerful Ramita ever.


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    By this, it could be inferred that Larks responded not only to Anikas but also to their Ramitas.


    But Abu wasn¡¯t like this before¡­


    Why now? Her Ramita is powerful for it to garner attention from larks.


    In the past, Abu had often seen the queen at close quarters. Back then Abu was not interested in her. Needless to say, nor was Jin Anika. The two lived in their own worlds, never once crossing paths.


    Although Kasser didn¡¯t know what kind of power her Ramita held, he was of the belief that it had to be essentially similar to his Praz. This was the only explanation for the phenomenon as to why only an Anika could give birth to the king¡¯s child.


    Therefore, like the king¡¯s Praz, Anika¡¯s Ramita would neither overflow nor dissipate from her own natural vessel.


    Eugene, who had been looking out the window all along, turned around when the carriage didn¡¯t stop at the town square. As she did, her eyes met with the man gazing at her.


    ¡°Do you have anything to say to me?¡± she asked.


    He seemed somber than usual, clearly, he had been ruminating. Considering all that had happened earlier, Abu¡¯s behaviour et al, it was no surprise he had his queries.


    ¡°You asked me about Ramita before. You can¡¯t feel Ramita even now?¡±


    Of all the questions she had expected, this was hardly the one. She wasted no breath in answering him though.


    ¡°Yes, I feel nothing special¡±


    Kasser was taken aback. ¡°Don¡¯t you even remember the lucid dream?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eugene hesitated. Rather than reluctance, the look on her face said that she didn¡¯t know how to explain it. ¡°I don¡¯t remember what the lucid dreams were originally. But I recently had a strange dream¡­¡±

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131 ¨C A Vague Future Ahead (1)


    Eugene had been mulling over that dream to no end, and still had nowhere to know it¡¯s meaning. Since between the two, Kasser had a better grip on matters as such, she decided to be forthright and seek help.


    ¡°Strange dreams? What dreams?¡±


    ¡°I saw water in my dream¡­ I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a lucid dream. It was really weird. It didn¡¯t fit Your Majesty¡¯s description at all,¡± she said with a sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if what I said to you is correct. Anika is you, not me. What kind of dream was it?¡±


    Speaking up to her, Kasser said no more. An Anika¡¯s abilities were not to be recklessly questioned.


    Time and again, the Sang-je had reiterated: Anika is a noble only by her existence. Rather than interpreting it as it sounds, people took it as a threat- If you don¡¯t treat Anika with honor, there will be consequences.


    There were many taboos about Anikas. `Do not try to question or dig into her existence` being the foremost. So, no one knew exactly what an Anika¡¯s Ramita was. Nor were the people bold enough to speculate, thus thwarting all hearsay.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be of any help at all.¡± Kasser¡¯s words carried a hint of helplessness.


    ¡°But you might think of something when you hear of it. Is there a rule that an Anika shouldn¡¯t tell anyone about her dream? Perhaps there is¡­¡± Suddenly, Eugene dropped her voice almost to a whisper and with a mischievous glint in her eyes said, ¡°Let¡¯s keep it a secret that only we know.¡±


    Kasser burst into laughter. He looked at her with a gentle and easy gaze. As soon, he realized that when he was with her, he laughed quite often.


    A strange impulse sprang up. He would¡¯ve kissed her if they hadn¡¯t been inside the wobbly carriage. It was a different feeling from the rapid heating of the body with a physical desire. It¡¯s not that hot, but it¡¯s hardly likely to cool.


    ¡°But I actually don¡¯t know what exactly I saw in my dream. It felt like I was walking on the water in my dream. I looked everywhere but could only see the horizon facing the sky.¡±


    Eugene narrowed her eyes thinly, recalling her dream. There was a scene that came to mind with a scene similar to her dream.


    The sea¡­


    But a sea? Firstly, the sea wasn¡¯t shallow and certainly not ankle-deep. That said, even the strongest Anika in history only saw a lake. So the sea didn¡¯t make sense¡­ there was no way it could be a sea!


    ¡°¡­ horizon?¡±


    Kasser did not know what her dream meant. But intuitively, he felt that it was not unusual.


    He was frustrated with the situation in which he could not help her because of his lack of ability. It seemed that the only way for her to get an answer was to meet the Sang-je.


    He had been trying to avoid it, and now he had gotten back to square one.


    Should I send her to the Holy City¡­?


    As a rule, he should have sent a letter to the Sang-je at the time she lost her memory. Then, the Sang-je¡¯s knights would have come to fetch her.


    Even now, he didn¡¯t know why he incessantly worried that she might regain her memory. Was it because of the fear of not getting a successor? Was it really just the reason?


    For the past three years, he had been waiting for the three years to end. He had asked the queen to carry out the contract and said he would get a successor as soon as possible. However, off late, he was not in a hurry because of his successor. Rather, he hoped that this situation would be maintained. He wanted to know more about her.


    What I really want is¡­


    Is it the successor? Or the one who can give birth to a successor?


    The contract with Jin Anika three years ago was simple. The things that would come after the birth of the child, had neither been planned nor discussed. The problem was that he wanted to see farther into the future but he was uncertain of Eugene¡¯s stance nor of her plans.


    Kasser suddenly felt as if there was a heavy stone on his chest. He even found it difficult to breathe, when he saw his hands, for the first time ever, they had turned pale.


    Right then, the carriage came to a halt. After a while, a voice was heard outside: ¡°Your Majesties, we have arrived. I shall now open the door.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the details later. Because I think it¡¯s going to be a long story.¡± He wanted her to know that he was invested in her being as a whole, and not just her body. And her dream and worries, if any, were his too.


    Eugene opened her eyes wide with surprise. She talked about her dream with a light heart but was embarrassed by his heavy reaction.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s probably a meaningless dream.¡±


    There was a lot she didn¡¯t know, despite being the crater of this world. And Kasser, who wasn¡¯t an Anika, wouldn¡¯t either. There was no point in burdening themselves.


    ¡°Tell me later. Not here.¡±


    With that, Kasser got up and went out of the carriage. He jumped to the side without stepping on the stairs and then extended his hand inside the open door.


    He took a small breath when the small white hand emerged and rested on his palm.


    His eyes shook when her upper body with its head slightly bent outwards came into view. He felt a slight thrill.


    He had seen men escorting women during the societal parties. Hand in hand, they would walk¡­ the men a constant shadow. It was a show of pride and a warning to keep the irrelevant out of reach.


    His grip on her hand gave him strength. He realized his greed, yet didn¡¯t want to let go of this hand.


    Eugene took his hand and stepped down the stairs, taking in the surroundings as she did.


    The carriage had stopped in front of an opulent restaurant. The soldiers cordoned off a certain section of the encompassing area and stood guard, blocking people¡¯s access. Even so, there were quite a few people gathered outside the invisible line.


    Today, unlike their last outing, the royalties were not disguised. Instead, they took control of their surroundings. Eugene had followed him because he¡¯d said the day out and disguises were more cumbersome. She hadn¡¯t minded it at that moment and was also looking forward to it somewhat. But she had certainly not expected things to be like this.

 Chapter 132

    Eugene smiled awkwardly at the man after coming down all the stairs. Countless eyes never left her. It felt like she was an exotic item under display. She felt dazed by the crowd; the murmurings and whispers putting her in a spot.


    Suddenly the commotion grew, and she turned in surprise.


    It was a young girl who had squeezed in between people and made it to the fore. She couldn¡¯t ignore the girl whose eyes were wide open with awe. There was a kind of charm to this little lass, and Eugene¡¯s gaze stayed on her a little longer.


    The moment Eugene waved her hand to the little girl, the roar of the crowd exploded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, my queen.¡± Kasser gently tugged her hand.


    They went inside, leaving a sea of charmed spectators and excited cheers in their wake. Although she was teeming with bewilderment within, outwardly Eugene was the epitome of calmness.  The shouts only got louder and bigger, even as they walked farther and deeper into the restaurant.


    The two entered the room where a table was laid by the staff with much meticulousness.


    ¡°It¡¯s still noisy.¡±


    Eugene was belatedly overwhelmed with shame. She couldn¡¯t believe she waved her hand. and was ashamed of stirring a commotion.


    Kasser smiled at her flustered form. Her na?ve reaction, how she was conscious of the surroundings, was cute. Her blushing face was so beautiful that he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you waved.¡±He remarked.


    ¡°Did I falter?¡± she asked with eager eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a mistake, but the number of people following you today was higher than I expected.¡±


    Eugene recalled the sight of celebrities leading the crowd in her world. She was just a passerby who had never been caught in the crowd. But it felt strange to think that people were following her around to see her.


    ¡°Do you come here often?¡±


    Eugene examined the internal structure. There were signs of a similar feeling, if not comparable to the large and colorful royal castle. She guessed it was definitely not a restaurant for ordinary people to come and go.


    ¡°Sometimes.¡± His tone was quite casual.


    Kasser was not the type to take care of his meals. When busy, he often passed it over, and when outside the palace, he ate light, at restaurants where the commoners frequented. But he couldn¡¯t take her to a place with clutter and the food just plain. Not only because it was her first time eating out.


    ¡°If you¡¯re more interested in nocturnal outings, let¡¯s do it next time, not today,¡± he said out of nowhere.


    He thought she would prefer the peace and quiet that came with clandestine spins veiled by the even sky to the clatter and clamour of now.


    ¡°I like this, too,¡± Eugene said with a smile.


    It was nice of him to bring her to a nice restaurant, and naturally to ask her to come back again. There was nothing she didn¡¯t like. If anything, she was looking forward to more of these.


    ¡°Is there a qualification limit to eat here? The commoners can¡¯t come in?¡± Looking around the sparsely populated restaurant, she asked.


    ¡°Not really. We just need to be able to afford the meal.¡±


    Soon, the restaurant staff began to serve the dishes. Eugene observed them with interest.


    They¡¯re wearing a uniform. They must be imitating the royal family.


    The robes of the courtiers were set according to their work and position. Like the palace, the employees here wore clothes of the same design. There was a uniformity that added to the grandiosity of this place.


    The shape of the food is similar.


    The form of placing a small quantity of food at the centre of the big plate was the same too.


    Seems like the royal family is the standard for the people here. They want to be like them and learn from them.


    The food tasted good. Eugene thought it was not much different from that served at the palace. A restaurant where a chef was as good as the palace would be one of the best restaurants indeed.


    He said that anyone could come in with money¡­ I don¡¯t know what other kingdoms are like, but I don¡¯t think discrimination is absolute even if there is a system of hierarchy. There was a commoner among the aide candidature.


    These days, it was fun for Eugene to discover and learn about the background that naturally permeated everything she saw and heard. And this impromptu do was only adding to it.


    The meal, it seemed, was not the only thing on the king¡¯s mind.


    Once they¡¯re done, Kasser said, ¡°There¡¯s a place to look around if you ride a short distance. It¡¯s where the oldest-old buildings are preserved in their original form and the largest buildings recently built.¡±


    As soon as they left the restaurant, however, Kasser was troubled to see people filling the area around the restaurant. He hadn¡¯t expected such a turnout. It seemed it would take a long time to make way for the carriage.


    ¡°Your Majesty, if it¡¯s not far, let¡¯s walk.¡± Eugene suggested an alternative.


    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Eugene replied, thinking he was asking if the crowd would feel uncomfortable.


    But Kasser¡¯s question had a different meaning. The aristocrats rode carriages when they traveled, even a short distance. They thought walking along the streets, mingling with the commoners, was beneath them and a disgrace.


    Eugene didn¡¯t know of such a culture, not that she would mind if she knew! Her outlook towards these societal norms was quite different after all.


    And just like that, the two most prominent personages of Haishi, the king and the queen began to walk. The guards formed a large circle around the royal couple to prevent intrusions. This also provided them some privacy.


    It was quiet despite the large crowd surrounding them. Eugene was able to converse with him without having to raise her voice.


    ¡°Does Your Majesty always gather people like this?¡±


    The King of Haishi had a stellar reputation in his kingdom and elsewhere too. it was only obvious that he would attract a throng wherever he went, like today.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never done this,¡± he said looking at her gently, ¡°They¡¯re all here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Me? Why¡­¡±


    Bang!


    Eugene raised her eyes reflexively, astonished.


    Red smoke was spreading through the clear skies¡­

 Chapter 133

    As soon as Kasser heard the sound of the flare, he looked up to the skies and immediately pulled Eugene into a tight embrace. It was not something he consciously intended to do, just that his body had instinctively reacted, and he did not question it.


    The only thought governing his mind was to bring the queen to the safety of the palace at the earliest and unscathed.


    ¡°The carri-¡­. I mean release the horses from the carriage and bring them to me. Immediately!¡±


    There were a lot of people around them to begin with. However, more and more people flocked towards the monarch, screaming in terror,  because they thought that the safest place was beside their king. As such, the ranks demarcating the royal couple was quickly breached.


    If they wanted to forcibly bring the carriage and push the frantic crowd away, it would result in many injuries. The people could as well as even hang on to the departing carriage for dear life.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    The troops that understood the king¡¯s orders moved without hesitance. A few of them ran towards the carriage and the rest yelled ¡®Get out of the way!¡¯ threateningly as they forcibly paved a way.


    At the moment, the sea of people reacted to the hollers of the warriors and started to withdraw.


    However, Kasser knew from experience that the most important thing right now was to leave this place as soon as possible. If the order began to collapse, then the king¡¯s name would be the object of ridicule. Another time, a sleight of hand and the king would be on his way from here. Except, he was not alone right now.


    Up until now, Kasser¡¯s life had been dedicated to protecting only himself¡­ this kingdom and the person inside of him. Never had he felt this desperate and impatient as in this moment¡­ or the fear of being unable to protect the queen.


    He tightly grasped the sword that one of his men had handed him. This was a special sword that could destroy the Larks. During the course of a day, a man was always tasked with protecting the sword, and as such, it would never leave the king¡¯s side. It was especially so if the master stepped out of the palace.


    But today had been a special case. The king was on a leisure trip with the queen. And it was the lull after the recent attack, things were supposed to be lax and it would be normal to be without the sword.


    In hindsight, he thought it was a good decision to have brought the sword even on a casual outing with the queen, however, he deeply regretted leaving Abu behind.


    I should have brought him along.


    Eugene held onto his arms tightly as he embraced her. Her hands were pale, heart racing. Up until now, she had been neatly tucked into the arms of safety.


    She¡¯d watched the flares explode in the sky from inside the palace like a spectator of fireworks. No matter how much chaos erupted outside, inside the palace was always quiet and peaceful. Except for the momentary anxiety, things would fall quickly into normalcy.


    Now, it was her first time ever being in the middle of the battlefield. Despite the fact that proactivity was a big part of daily life and that nothing should faze her in such circumstances, Eugene was very wrong about her ability to stay calm if Larks were to confront her. Right now, she wasn¡¯t ashamed to admit she was afraid.


    The terrifying cries of the people surrounding them only agitated her heart further. Some appealed and begged at the king¡¯s feet, some screamed at the top of their lungs, and some wailed in desperation.


    There was an intense flood of emotions tangible enough to feel at the surface of her skin. Eugene sighed breathlessly.


    Who would be able to stay calm in the face of death?


    Eugene realized she was like a flower blooming in a greenhouse. However, before Mahar, her life was like the weeds at the core of a beautiful garden. Sometimes she would scoff at the flowers in envy and resent that she could not be like them.


    She took a sharp breath. Her neck tingled at the sudden sensation. She didn¡¯t want to live like the weed she was in the past anymore.


    I am Queen. As the queen, what should I be doing right now?


    Kasser pulled her in even closer into his already tight embrace and whispered sweetly into her ears.


    ¡°Riding the horse proves to be a little difficult. I¡¯m going to climb up first, you just hold onto me tightly.¡± Exerting his superpowers, he revealed his plan to escape.


    Eugene recalled the past where she¡¯d tightly hugged herself only to jump off the balcony and she urgently spoke.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡±


    She knew exactly what she had to do next. She had to send the king to the battlefield!


    If the king helped the queen escape back to the palace with his superpowers, then the many witnesses would resent the king and accuse him of abandoning his people. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, the moral code dictated that safeguarding the subjects should be the foremost duty of a sovereign.


    Right now, the crowd was inundated with horror. They were unable to make any logical judgements. Even if the king were to help the queen escape and come back, there would be more people who would be emotionally responsive.


    Eugene had seen the way the king would diligently run around day and night in order to protect the kingdom. She couldn¡¯t let all his hard work go to waste in just one moment. She didn¡¯t want to bring down the reputation of the great king whom everyone respected.


    ¡°Leave, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kasser frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s a red flare. It¡¯s different from the other ones. You are the only one who is able to resolve this matter.¡±


    ¡°My queen, let¡¯s first get you to safet¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Eugene interrupted him in midsentence, besides this was no time to bicker about that.  ¡°You know as well as I do, if not more, that you must go now.¡±


    Eugene thought that there was no way that her resolve would go unnoticed by the king. When she saw his reaction and his inability to speak, she became more certain of it.


    BOOM!


    Another flare exploded up into the sky. Eugene bit her bottom lip at the sight of smoke from the red flare pervading the skies.


    The situation was rapidly plummeting. Another flare fueled the flames of fear in the people who were already overwhelmed. The resounding shrieks and yawps of terror from every direction were jarring enough to momentarily deafen one¡¯s ears.


    Eugene pushed Kasser away with all her might.


    ¡°I said to go now!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Kasser turned his head back and forth from the spreading red smoke to the woman in his arms, anxiety wreathe his stoic mien.


    Eugene was glad that he didn¡¯t leave even after coldly turning his back on her. She was more grateful that he was hesitating to leave her. This was precisely the reason she thought she could decisively let him go.


    ¡°I am not the one you need to protect right now. I am okay. I¡¯m Anika. Larks won¡¯t harm me.¡±


    Kasser closed his eyes and opened them again moments later. His once shaken up orbs were now calm and collected. He quickly scanned his surrounding troops and finally fixed his eyes on Sven.


    ¡°Escort the queen back to the palace at all costs!¡±

 Chapter 134

    Sven watched the other soldiers running around busily, but he planted himself firmly to the ground. Right now, his only mission was to bring the queen to safety.


    ¡°I will obey with my life, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kasser turned his body, crouched a little, and kicked high off the ground. As he soared higher into the sky, blue Praz wrapped around his body.


    ¡°Long live the king!¡±


    The people shouted watching the king fly further and further away in the direction of the red flares. The hopes of the king saving them from this horror had quickly driven out the fear that they had just been shrouded in. The heavy weighted atmosphere became lighter in moments.


    Eugene blinked rapidly as if it would calm her taut nerves. In reality, she was very very frightened. Back on earth, although life was difficult, it was still very peaceful. Wars were just tall-tales of long ago, but never did she imagine a reality with rioting monsters.


    It was said that Larks do not harm an Anika. However, when facing them directly, no one knew what could actually happen. In honest and sincere greed, she wanted to hang on to Kasser and ask him to take her to a safe place.


    You did a good thing.


    She was proud of herself. She was proud that she did not beg him. She almost gave herself a pat on the back when¡­


    ¡°My queen.¡±


    At the sound of someone calling her, she turned her head. The horse that the king had ordered to be brought over earlier on had almost arrived. Sven took the reins from the soldier who brought the horse, turned his head toward the queen, and bowed his head.


    ¡°Please mount the horse, my queen.¡±


    Eugene looked at the soldier who had spoken to her and then lifted her eyes.


    The new white horse was uniquely intriguing to the eye. She turned her head from side to side to look around her surroundings. With relentless momentum, the soldiers made sure that no one could approach the queen¡¯s perimeter.


    After the king had left towards the flare, the agitation had quelled to an extent. There was still some crying here and there, particularly children. She couldn¡¯t leave with how things were.


    ¡°Sir, Sven.¡± She called out tentatively.


    ¡°My queen.¡±


    ¡°I was told that in case of a red flare emergency to evacuate to the underground shelter.¡±


    When erecting a structure adjacent to the street, an underground shelter was the first to be constructed. In cases of emergencies that called for an evacuation, whether someone was coming towards or away from the street, they would have to seek the nearest underground shelter.


    By law, the building owners could not reject any person. Even so, a lot of big buildings were firmly shut right now.


    ¡°There is a limit to how many people each underground shelter can accommodate. An official will soon arrive to help organize this.¡±


    The shelters were not all of the same sizes. The larger buildings, of course, seemed to have larger space and a more solid foundation. Without a second thought, people would definitely try to evacuate to the larger shelters.


    However, today there were more people than usual. Large crowds gathered in hopes to see the royal couple with their own eyes. The building owners had closed the doors to avoid the annoyance of the throng.


    Doors to shelters were closed, and many people couldn¡¯t make it to another shelter because they didn¡¯t know which shelter was safe. There was a high probability that the people would run into danger whilst looking around for a safe place to hide.


    Eugene embraced and comforted a crying child in her arms as she turned her head towards the mother and frowned.


    ¡°Sir Sven, open up all the shelters immediately and get the children to safety first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen. I will relay that message now.¡±


    ¡°I said immediately. Wouldn¡¯t a message from the officials be better received, than those of the building owners?¡±


    ¡°My queen. But¡­.¡±


    ¡°Urgently. Bring the children to safety first.¡±


    Taken aback by the queen¡¯s authoritativeness, Sven and the other soldiers exchanged looks. He had to follow the king¡¯s orders, yet he couldn¡¯t just ignore the queen¡¯s commands either. Eugene leveled her gaze on Sven who was hesitating to follow her commands, the words that came next were befitting a royalty.


    ¡°The king has left this perimeter to fight the monster in order to protect these people here. I cannot just escape by myself. I don¡¯t intend to leave until this situation is cleared up so start now!¡± Her sharp tone left no room for argument, the queen had spoken.


    Almost instantaneously, the commotion came to a grinding halt and the surroundings quieted. Although Eugene¡¯s voice was not very loud; her voice carried through from a distance.


    Sven knew at that moment that her will was firm and unchanging, so he bowed his head. Even if the king were to rebuke him, he was ready to take full responsibility for his actions.


    ¡°At once, my queen.¡±


    Even if the queen were to be safe in her palace, his loyalty would still not have wavered. In an emergency situation the most important decision that could be made was providing safety and protection.


    But the queen wanted to care for the safety of her people, and Sven¡¯s eyes wavered for the first time. He was sincere when he told the king that he would protect the queen with his life. However, now, strong determination was added to his loyalty.


    ¡°You all heard Her Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    All the soldiers replied in one voice.


    ¡°All of you here will open the nearest shelters and the rest of you gather all the children.¡±


    The soldiers started to move in haste. Some ran around from shelter to shelter knocking on the doors and the others lined up children.


    Eugene had set up specific criteria for evacuation. Evacuation protocols for children and parents, females, and the elderly were immediately established. Everyone followed the orders without complaint. No one whined about who should be first in line and who should not. Adults yielded to the children and young men stood at the back.


    BOOM!


    A third flare had just exploded. Eugene was already looking up at the sky, and her face hardened at the sight. The red flare exploded in a direction completely different from where the king had fled towards.


    It was the third flare. No one knew what was really going on.


    ¡°My queen. You must escape! Hurry to the palace!¡±


    Sven was standing next to the queen and his face became contemplative as he urgently begged her. Eugene hesitated as she watched people being divided into the shelters. There were still many people remaining.


    ¡°My queen! You must leave at once!¡±


    GAHHHHH!


    A shrieking ear scratching noise was heard. And it was not far away.

 Chapter 135

    ¡°Ahhh! Get out of the way!¡±


    Several people standing behind the line screamed and pushed the person in front and ran to the shelter. The line collapsed in an instant.


    Those who wanted to enter first pushed each other and in a flash, it was bedlam in the streets. It was impossible for the few soldiers to control hundreds of people who had lost their reason.


    All the soldiers¡¯ eyes were on Eugene at the same time, looking for instructions from the commander.


    However, her eyes were like- What do I do?


    Roar!


    A thunderous bellow filled the air,  Sven rushed towards mayhem. Everything seemed to be happening almost in tandem.


    The time she was given was short. There was no time to ponder deeply. The hour demanded an intuitive decision.


    She got on the horse of Sven¡¯s recommendation when she began to line up people. The choice of riding a horse to the royal castle right away was the fastest and easiest mode of transport.


    All my life I¡¯ve lived with the idea that I¡¯m never altruistic. I never wanted to be a hero who saves the world.


    However, she took pride in her sense of responsibility. She must finish what she started. She couldn¡¯t leave the people as they were. If the monster were to come this way after she left, they would be bait.


    Bait¡­ If I become the bait?


    Eugene clasped the reins tightly as she had an epiphany. The most effective bait without the risk of injury was herself. She could save these people if she were to offer herself up. Amidst the agitated cries of the masses, her resolve deepened.


    Let¡¯s buy time until he arrives.


    She stared in the direction of the roar. Her heart tightened, she let out a breath she never knew she held. Even as terror surged within her with rapid speed, determination beat it to a hasty retreat.


    I¡¯m an Anika!


    Larks were particularly aggressive to humans. When people and livestock were side by side, Lark would attack humans first. They acted as if their mission- to kill human beings, was imprinted in their very bones.


    However, exceptions existed. One, Larks do not preemptively strike on humans and two, Larks do not attack Anikas.


    In Eugene¡¯s novel, Anika represented both good and evil. Jin became the incarnation of Mara, and Flora fought against Jin. But Flora never fought one on one with Jin. While the six kings pursued the camp, Flora took on the role of protecting humans from the Lark Corps.


    When Flora sprouted the seeds and released Ramita, Larks ceased all movements and flocked to her like ants crowding around a candy. The Larks bit each other off to preoccupy a place near Flora. The little Larks were brutally trampled on by the big Larks and exploded.


    Then in the meantime people evacuated and soldiers got rid of the Larks. While the Larks were distracted by Flora, they reacted little to the attack.


    Flora¡¯s powerful Ramita used a mysterious force to lure Larks. Human sacrifice was greatly reduced because of the neutralization of the Lark Army.


    Of course, such a miracle was possible because it was Flora. But even though she wasn¡¯t as capable as Flora, the Larks basically responded to Anika. There was a mention of it in the novel written by Eugene.


    At the end of the novel, the holy city which had absolute security on the level of a sanctuary could not hold out against the invasion of the Lark army. The holy city which had lost all order was in a state of chaos akin to the end of the world.


    Eugene described the appearances of various humans that were dragged down into the depths of fear. There was also a scene where a young female Anika had blocked the frontline of Larks in order to buy time so that her family could safely escape.


    It was only a passing scene, but it was based on the premise that ¡®Larks do not attack Anikas¡¯. If so, Eugene could hold on to at least one Lark like the young Anika in the novel.


    But deep in her heart, doubts whispered: Are you sure it won¡¯t attack you?


    Her dubiety was not unfounded. She had transmigrated and was living in Mahar as Jin Anika. But, was she really an Anika? Was Anika¡¯s Ramita a strength in her body or an ability imprinted in her soul?


    It was questionable whether the strength of the body could be derived by itself and not by the original owner. When it came to the power of the soul, the spirit of ¡°Eugene¡± was just covered in a shell with Anika¡äs outward features.


    Even if she met the Sang-je someday, she could not predict whether the Sang-je would treat her favorably or drive her into a corner. Perhaps Lark was almost the only one who could answer her question¡­ after all, it would instinctively find out whether she was Anika or not.


    It was a risky gamble indeed. If Eugene wasn¡¯t Anika, she could die in an attack by Lark.


    If I¡¯m not Anika, I can¡¯t just die in this world anyway¡­


    Strange feelings wriggled in her heart. When she¡¯d heard the shriek a little while ago, even before the chilling goosebumps had subsided, she¡¯d decided to deal with this head-on. She had never known she had such a reckless streak to herself.


    Eugene exclaimed, looking back at the scattered warriors.


    ¡°Hold this position, until everyone gets into the shelter safely!¡±


    The soldiers bowed their heads in answer.


    ¡°Sir Sven, with me. Now!¡±


    Eugene kicked the horse in the ribs even before Sven had answered. The knight scurried after Eugene, who was dashing ahead at a remarkable speed. Naturally, he thought the queen was going to the royal castle, but he yelped when he found out that it was a completely different direction.


    ¡°My queen! That¡¯s not the way! My queen!¡±


    Eugene kept sprinting onwards, even as Sven¡¯s cries reached her ears. She didn¡¯t have time to explain to him. Even in her state of trice, she couldn¡¯t help notice how remarkably well she was doing on a horse.


    She¡¯d never learnt to ride, but her body seemed to be reacting on its own to the rhythm of the horse¡¯s sway. Jin¡¯s equestrian skills must have been pretty good.

 Chapter 136

    ¡°My queen!¡± Sven anxiously called out.


    He thought the queen was in a state of delirium, unable to judge properly because of fear. Right now, the queen¡¯s horse was galloping at full speed, he¡¯s worried he wouldn¡¯t be able to narrow their distance.


    Kieeeeg!


    A shriek sounded again. The sound source felt as if it was much closer and at first glance, a human voice was faintly mixed. There seemed to be a battle with a Lark not far away.


    While Eugene slowed down slightly to gauge the exact direction, Sven caught up and stuck to Eugene side by side.


    ¡°My queen! The direction¡­¡±


    Eugene, whose eyes met Sven, shook her head tersely in response.


    Sven equated the queen¡¯s actions to trepidation. He had concluded that her terror drove into a frenzy and she¡¯d lost all sense of direction. By the time he reached her, he had gone through various scenarios of placating the terrified royalty. Simultaneously he was thinking of ways to stop the horse, even if it meant he had to jump before it. However, when the clear eyes determinedly expressed their intention, he was embarrassed.


    As soon as she turned the corner, Eugene pulled the reins of the horse with all her might. She stood up completely and breathed out. There was no telling whether it was because of fear or the excitement of the first horseback ride.


    Far away in the distance ahead, a Lark could be seen. The soldiers surrounding it were firing arrows. Considering it wasn¡¯t long after the flare, it was still a very quick response nevertheless.


    Uh¡­


    Eugene frowned.


    It¡¯s a rat. So gross!


    It was a giant brown rat. The arrows fired by the soldiers bounced off the air without touching the Lark¡¯s body. Being attacked from all directions, the monster couldn¡¯t decide where to strike and only screeched. As soon as it turned its head in the direction of an arrow, another arrow would fly in from the opposite direction. The synchronized efforts of adept soldiers were certainly keeping it busy.


    Right now, since the soldiers were handling the situation well, Eugene had no intention of joining the fray. If the soldiers could drag on until the king arrived, it would be a great feat. But considering the formidable opponent they were facing, it seemed like these soldiers wouldn¡¯t last long.


    Grade Purple!


    Eugene¡¯s eyes discerned a protective shield around the Lark¡¯s body, a hazy violet energy flowed from it. This was the most powerful Lark to ever appear this season. If where the king was now, had a Lark similar to this rat, it would take the king a while to get rid of it.


    How do I lure it?  She mulled.


    In the novel, Flora had carried seeds sealed with special treatment. When she sprouted the seeds, Larks responded. But right now, Eugene had no seeds. She didn¡¯t know where to get them from either.


    We have no choice but to approach.


    ¡°Sir Sven!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen¡±


    Sven couldn¡¯t understand what the queen had come this far for. But looking at the scenario he had a hunch. If she orders me to get rid of the Lark, I¡¯ll just disobey it. I cannot leave her side, my only mission is to safely escort her to the palace!


    ¡°I will lure the Lark, you will lead me to the town square.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Sven almost shouted back.


    ¡°I hear we are to lure the Lark, as much as possible, towards the town square?¡±


    Whenever a red flare appeared in the skies, the first thing the soldiers did was to locate the Lark and as much as possible steer it towards the town square. They had to maintain their positions until the king and the warriors arrived.


    The town square was open on all sides making it advantageous to besiege the Lark from all sides at the same time. There was no need to concern over a  building collapsing should the monster run amuck. Moreover, buried along the edges of the square were oil barrels that could double as weapons. This was a contingency measure.


    ¡°Yes, it is so¡­ my queen¡­ but why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain in detail. I don¡¯t know the way to the square¡­.¡±


    Kieeeeeg!


    The Lark bellowed at the soldier bothering it with his annoying attacks. At first it faltered when the oiled arrow hit it, but once it learned the arrow was barely threatening its protective shield, he regained its aggressiveness. Lowering its stance, with a swift and powerful motion, it swept its huge tail on the ground sending several soldiers flying.


    Shocked, the soldiers could not get up quickly. The monster¡¯s red eyes, fixated on a one convulsing soldier. Having determined its prey, it rushed onwards.


    ¡°No!¡± Eugene shrieked unconsciously.


    Right then, the Lark that brandished its teeth, trying to bite the soldier¡¯s neck¡­ hesitated. It turned exactly to where the screech had originated from¡­


    Larks weren¡¯t sensitive creatures. Their fundamental instinct was to attack the human nearest to it. So, once they had zeroed in on their prey, they would attack unbridled. That said, a distant scream held no meaning and invoked no response in them. This was how it was usually¡­


    But now, the red eyes were on Eugene and Sven.


    Huh?


    After a brief moment of stupefaction, Eugene recovered her senses. After all, she had not expected such a response to her scream. She was still mulling over the possibility of luring the beast when she was thrown an opportunity.


    ¡°To the square!¡± Eugene yelled at Sven and kicked the horse in the ribs.


    A seasoned knight, Sven was quick to respond. It would be too late if he moved after checking whether the Lark was following them. So right after Eugene¡¯s departure, he ran almost simultaneously.


    Red eyes flashed, the lark bent its back heavily and hollered. With that, the giant rat chased Eugene at a terrifying speed, gradually narrowing the distance between the pair of sprinting horses.


    Sven clenched his teeth and urged his horse onwards. His body was wreathed with goosebumps; he didn¡¯t need to look back to see what was chasing him¡­ he could sense the deathly aura the beast emanated.


    Why?


    He couldn¡¯t understand why the Lark was chasing him and the queen over the other soldiers around it. The typical characteristic of this monster was simple: attack the nearest human being.


    However, he had overlooked the fact that there were always variables in the world. Believing that soldiers could be a bait and gain time, he felt pathetic.

 Chapter 137

    The air was reeking of desolation and dread. Two horses rapidly galloped onwards with a relentless monster hard on heels. Those soldiers who had now been bestowed a respite looked on in shock and trepidation.


    For one, never had they seen a Lark give chase as such; and two, one of the persons in the trotting pair was the most unexpected.


    With the Lark right behind, Sven couldn¡¯t stop mid-way. He couldn¡¯t even turn around to gauge the distance between them. There was only one goal now: follow the queen¡¯s plan to lure it to the square until the very end. He had to put as much distance between him and the trailing death, hoping to find a warrior when they got there. A lot depended on luck and a lot more on speed.


    From time to time, he¡¯d side-eye to check on the queen. To guide the way, he was but one large step ahead of her horse. However, never once did he slow down nor did the royalty ever fall behind. It was only now that he remembered the queen was said to possess remarkable equestrian skills, and today he had had a chance to experience it first hand.


    ¡°To the right!¡± Sven shouted pointing at the approaching crossroads.


    Both horses turned at the corner, this straight road led right to the square. A tree could be seen in the middle of the square in the distance.


    There we go! She wouldn¡¯t need my lead anymore.


    Sven turned to look back, planning on drawing the Lark¡¯s attention to himself.


    He gritted his teeth, just when he thought they had gained some distance the Lark had caught up already. It looked as though it could almost bite the tail of the queen¡¯s horse. He¡¯s alarmed! Although the square was right in front of them, getting the monster off the queen¡¯s back was the top priority.


    He slowed down his horse and threw the hidden shuriken at the Lark. It was an emergency hidden weapon that all warriors possessed. The long needle-shaped weapon was capable of breaking through Lark¡¯s membrane shield and directly injure it.


    The weapon flew straight to the monster¡¯s ear. Although the shuriken could not cause fatal injury it was still effective in distracting it. He prepared himself for the ensuing attack.


    Alas, to his astonishment, there came none. The Lark simply flicked its ears and didn¡¯t even look at Sven.


    Dammit!


    It seemed like today the world was dead set upon defying him. First, the queen refused to return to the palace. Then the Lark refused to attack him. And now, his horse had resolved to disregard him.


    Even though Sven kicked the charger in the ribs with all his might, it slowed down rather than follow his instructions. The horse that was regarding the Lark with wary eyes refused to go any faster, acting like a harmless herbivore facing a predator. As the tug of war between the master and steed continued, the distance between him and the queen charging onward kept growing.


    Just a little further.


    As she turned the corner, Eugene spotted the tree in the middle of the town square. She slouched in order to reduce wind resistance. All she had to do was go straight, so she focused on speeding up her horse.


    She, who didn¡¯t know how to ride a bike in her world, was sprinting skillfully. The sound of the wind crashing into her ears, the view of the streets breezing past, and the rumbling of the hooves from under, all felt surreal.


    On the right flank, she noticed a movement catching up from behind.


    When did Sir Sven change sides?


    Eugene glanced to her left but couldn¡¯t spot Sven who was supposed to be helming the snare. She then looked to the right and her gaze met a huge, gray-furred thing that could not possibly be a man on horseback.


    The moment she realized that it was not a knight but a Lark running abreast, her horse had noticed the monster as well.


    Startled, the petrified animal lost the chase. Out of habit, it raised its front legs in the air while it¡¯s terrified neighs resounded through the streets. The abrupt halt threw the momentum of the racing horse into disarray; it lost balance, twisted, and tripped over its own leg with a loud thud.


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    Eugene bounced off the horse, her body flew away at a rapid pace. It all happened in the blink of an eye¡­


    Her first feeling was very ominous, the upside-down world unfolded like a panorama before her eyes. Was this the near-death experience that people talked about? She saw a white light drawing closer and closer¡­ gradually, her world plunged into darkness¡­ she lost consciousness.


    Before she could touch the ground, out of nowhere, a black beast appeared by her side. With nimble movements, the black panther gently caught the plummeting figure in its mouth.


    Abu carefully laid Eugene down on the ground. Her body staggered, appearing even more weightless. He gently nudged the motionless woman with the tip of his nose. He whimpered at her lack of response.


    He waited, patiently guarding her¡­ never once leaving her side.


    After a while Eugene regained consciousness. As she slowly opened her eyes she met a pair of red orbs looking down at her.


    Her mind was vacant. She was not afraid even when she saw those eyes as big as a child¡¯s head boring into her. All she saw in those blood-red orbs was warmth.


    ¡°¡­ Abu?¡± She whispered.


    ROOOAAAR!


    Abu¡¯s sudden sharp holler shook the surroundings, Eugene snapped back to her senses and the peaceful reunion turned into a pandemonium.


    While Abu was focused on tending to Eugene, the giant rat had bitten his tail. Right now, the king¡¯s Hwansu in his original form appeared colossal even against the giant rat. Such a scenario, where a little Lark launched a pre-emptive strike against a larger one was simply unheard of. It was a basic survival instinct after all.


    This was also the reason why Abu had completely ignored its presence in the first place. But this ¡®little one¡¯ had dared to sneak attack him.


    Despite Abu¡¯s thunderous warning, the giant brown rat didn¡¯t back down. It shrieked, flourished its pointed front teeth, seemingly ready for an assault.


    In response, brandishing his claws, Abu swung his front paws at the ¡®little one¡¯, the power sending it staggering to the ground.


    Unnerved, the Lark floundered to its feet, lifted its head, snarled, and dashed towards Abu without hesitation. Its sharp front teeth pierced into Abu¡äs forelimb like a knife.


    Abu was seething with rage, murderous intent flitted past his red eyes. Larks were forbidden from hunting without their master¡äs permission. Since the time he had arrived, Abu had been controlling himself, only looking to keep this errant ¡®little one¡¯ subdued until its master arrived. But now, he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. This one was asking for a good spanking!


    ¡°Roooaaarrr!¡±


    ¡°Kieeeeeeg!¡±


    Shudders spread through the skies as the two giant monsters faced off. The ground thumped as the duo flipped over and over. This fierce and frantic battle between the Lark and Abu would certainly not end easily.

 Chapter 138

    No matter how determined the other party seemed, it was quite obvious that the winner would be Abu. Even so, Eugene couldn¡¯t help her pounding heart. She curled her feet, hugged her knees as she looked towards the battlefield utterly nervous.


    No matter how big Abu was, to her, he¡¯d always be the cute little black panther that ran to her embrace when called.  So, in spite of knowing well his might and reality, seeing him battling it out before her eyes, she was on the edge. And the screech he let out upon being bitten by the Lark yet again, stabbed straight into her heart. She felt a lump in her throat, as horror suffused her misty eyes. However, when she saw Abu retaliate, she was somewhat comforted.


    Abu took a large bite of the Lark¡¯s nape as he leapt into the air. Thrusting his long fangs deep, he vigorously shook it. He was on high alert still, ready to thwart any reaction. When the victim did not counterattack, he flung it away albeit a little curious. It had been aggressive all along, but had suddenly given up?


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Incidentally, the hurled Lark fell right near Eugene. She screamed her guts out at the sight of the giant rat with a chomped off, tattered neck.


    Unless the nucleus is destroyed, the Lark does not dissipate.


    Bloody, gory, and ghastly, the creature was still very much alive though a little weak. Its eyes turned even redder the moment it spotted Eugene. In an instant, it started to crawl towards her.


    ¡°Argh! Don¡¯t come near me!¡± Eugene shrieked with disgust. She loathed the sight of it, so much that she felt sick in the stomach. Not because she was terrified but because it was a rat.


    She stared at it for a moment and started to back away. However, the crawling Lark was faster than her retreating steps. In a flash, it caught up to her, touching the tip of her hand in a frenzy.


    However, the moment she had intensely expressed her repulsion, she felt something hot slipping out of her body. It was a strange feeling, similar to a sense of liberation. It felt like a tight string, wound around the waist, was breaking off.


    Huh?


    At the touch of her hand, the Lark¡¯s gray fur shriveled up like a paper catching fire. Its hide hardened like stone.


    Crack!


    A slender, long stalk slowly peeked through the crack. Gradually, it bulged at the tip and a pair of tender leaves burgeoned.


    Leaf¡­?


    The abrupt changes in the giant rodent were astonishing. She fixated on the rapidly wilting body as fresh sprigs sprouted from between the gaps in quick succession.


    At first, she thought the Lark was turning into a mummy. But as she kept looking at it, the shape gradually disappeared to the point where she couldn¡ät recognize that it was originally a mouse.


    It¡äs¡­ a tree¡­


    Indeed, the Lark was turning into a tree. Its gray fur, limbs, claws, whiskers, and hair, the sharp teeth¡­ one by one morphed into a tree. In the end, what remained were two holes after the red orbs had faded away¡­ they took the form of a tree knot.


    It happened so fast, that it was hard to distinguish if it were a dream or reality. She closed her eyes and slowly opened them. She blinked several times, trying to fathom what it was that she was seeing. She looked down at her hands, feeling as though she had made it happen¡­ but she wasn¡¯t sure.


    Is this¡­ really because of me? Ahh¡­


    Suddenly, Eugene¡¯s body fell limp. It appeared like she had been sucked of all her strength. She leaned back, taking the support of the still growing `Lark tree` and soon succumbed to drowsiness.


    ?


    While Eugene slumbered, a wave of strange occurrences swept across the Kingdom of Haishi.


    It was like time had stopped¡­ The Larks suddenly ceased their attacks and looked up at the sky and let out deafening, haunting cries.


    Kasser, who was hunting a second lark after killing one, stopped in his tracks as he witnessed this peculiar behavior.


    The fiercely belligerent giant rat that was standing on its hind legs abruptly stopped and mimicked its counterpart.


    Unbeknownst to the many, the monsters weren¡¯t actually gazing at the horizon, but their eyes were looking into the distance at the Queen of Haishi, Eugene.


    Kiiiiiiii¡­ Kiiiiiiii¡­


    The Lark cried out in a way Kasser had never heard before. It evoked a feeling of grief, lament, and anguish¡­ as if a part of it was being torn away.


    Why are they acting as such?


    Kasser thought it was a ridiculous analogy. Larks had no feelings; it was nothing but a monster with only offensive instincts.  Even though the abrupt change as shocking, there were far from safety. He had to quickly get rid of this creature and rush to the site where the third flare had erupted.


    Before that j*rk Abu starts to hunt!


    He had sent Abu over to the third spot to gain him time. He¡¯d explicitly warned the Hwansu to keep in check, so as not to harm the people around. Kasser knew the beast would not defy him, but what about its primal instincts?


    In the world of Hwansus and Larks, the former had the upper hand. Not only were they more evolved and intelligent, but they also had the advantage of size. Every time the two pitted against one another, hands down the Larks lost. They were ready prey for the Hwansus that hunted them and devoured their nucleus.


    As much as Kasser was confident about Abu¡¯s obedience, he wasn¡¯t sure how he would react when his innate desires overpowered him. After all, there was a limit to its tolerance in the face of temptation.


    Taking advantage of its distracted state, Kasser flung and swung his sword around the Lark¡¯s neck. The giant rodent didn¡¯t as much as offer a resistance. The decapitated head went flying in the distance; he split its body and destroyed the nucleus. The Lark crumbled to dust and scattered in the air.


    That¡¯s strange.


    It was a purple-grade Lark. But it was the most absurdly easy hunting he had ever done.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    A soldier dragged a horse in. Kasser immediately cut off his brooding, jumped on the horse and trotted away with his soldiers in tow.

 Chapter 139

    Eugene blinked and stared at the blue sky. There was no sun anywhere in the sky as bright as midday. She had seen this kind of landscape before so she didn¡¯t find it strange.


    She rolled her feet lying down. She didn¡¯t feel anything but could hear the splash of water. Again, it was that strange dream that was hard to distinguish from lucid dreaming.


    Eugene quickly sat up, recalling the last scene before she fell asleep. The phenomenon of the Lark turning into a tree was undoubtedly the work of Ramita.


    Ramita is water.


    Water decreases when it is pumped out.


    If this dream is a lucid dream¡­ If I had used Ramita enough to turn the Lark into a tree, the water at the depth of my ankle would have dried up to the bottom.


    She stood up and looked down at her feet, there was no change. The water was still up to her ankles. When she looked around, she still saw the endless horizon facing the sky.


    Is it too big to be shallow?


    She looked towards the ground. The reason why she thought this place looked like the sea even though it was only up to her ankle was because of the color of the water. The color under the water was blue and dark. It was as if there was something deeper under her feet¡­


    Lifting one foot, she pushed it in, thinking it would go deeper. Of course, the foot that she thought would touch the hard floor did go down. She raised her leg in surprise.


    Eugene carefully rested her leg on the space in front of her. Sensing something at the end of her foot, she fumbled around for a while and stepped onto the solid ground. The surface didn¡¯t sink like it used to, even when she put more pressure on it.


    She attentively took a few more steps. There was no change in the depth of the water, it still reached up to her ankles. She started to walk a little faster, then decisively broke into a run.


    Little waves formed, water droplets sprang every time her feet went in and out of the water making noisy splashes. Even so, she couldn¡¯t feel the water like she did in her last dream. However, this dream was as vivid as real life.


    After running for a while, she came to a stop. She was not out of breath despite running for a prolonged period of time. In fact, she felt rather lighter than she had before started as if she could run forever.


    This is definitely not an ordinary dream.


    Ordinary dreams usually end after one realizes that it is a dream. Also, it wouldn¡¯t be this elaborate and drawn out. This was certainly different, and with a deeper meaning perhaps. And yet, she was unable to glean a grain of it all. However, she knew well, this was an opportunity she couldn¡¯t let go of.


    Eugene took a deep breath and crouched down. She took a moment and gazed at the water before slowly reaching towards it with open hands. But it seemed she was destined to be empty-handed.


    When she expected to reach the ground under, her hands touched none. When she felt the water was shallow, her hands went right through as if it were endless. No matter how many times she repeated her actions, first out of fun then solemnly, the result remained constant.


    I can¡¯t see the bottom.


    Even when she was looking at the deep blue surface while squatting, the visibility was no different from when she was standing. Suddenly, she had an idea. She put her hands in front of her and got on all fours, then slowly lowered her head.


    Her face made contact with the surface, she hesitated ever so slightly but still kept going and her whole face was immersed. She was at a point where she couldn¡¯t stop even when she thought that there was a solid floor. She bent her elbows further and continued to slowly lower her head into the dark, deep blue water.


    By now, she¡¯d reflexively shut her eyes tight and held her breath. Taking a moment, she tried to slowly inhale through the water. To her surprise, she had no problem breathing. Little by little, she opened her eyes. At first, they felt bleary, but she continued onward, turning her head to the left then to the right. Gradually, her eyes opened wide, she was in the water.


    Is this really¡­ all water?


    Every time she exhaled, air bubbles formed around her mouth and traveled up, her hair moved like seaweed. Despite it all, it felt a little unnatural. Unlike when under the usual water bodies, she wasn¡¯t gasping for breath. That said, she couldn¡¯t even feel the texture of water. She could only see as far as her sight could, anywhere deeper was just a dark, deep blue space.


    Lifting her hands, Eugene placed them to her sides. This time, she went into the water as if she were diving. Without any resistance, her entire body disappeared into the water. The water that was once only ankle-deep, swallowed her, leaving no trace.


    ?


    The shining, silver armor fit the man¡¯s body perfectly. The chest, back, and shoulders were a mark of exquisite craftsmanship. It was more of a work of art than an armor. Whenever the man walked, the cape on his shoulder, held by a brooch, moved elegantly.


    This man was a knight. He had a name but had not used it for a long time. The Sang-je baptized him Pides, so he was now known as Knight Pides.


    Protecting the Sang-je, the holiest and noblest of all, was a matter of great pride to a knight. And Pides was proud of himself for being one of the ninety-nine. The knights not only had the title but also military skills. There was no one who could win against these knights armed with holy forces, except for the six kings.


    Knight Pides took the stairs that descended into the basement. There was no one in front of the prayer room because the Sang-je usually went into the prayer room alone. It didn¡¯t need any guarding either since the one and only entrance to the basement was strictly guarded.


    He pushed the heavy door that led to the prayer room without hesitation. Then, kneeling on the platform in the middle of the room, he moved towards the Sang-je.


    It was unbridled actions such as this that often threw those visiting the Holy City into confusion. Pides would waltz into the Meeting Room as if he were walking into his own bedroom. As such, those visitors following him would be tricked into thinking there were still many sets of doors to go through until they met the Sang-je only to find him sitting in the very room.


    This was not because the knights lacked manners. The Sang-je knew when the knights came close to him, without even looking at them. He did not care much about manners, anyway. Consequently, the knights did not go through the process of knocking, asking for permission to enter, and introducing themselves.


    ¡°Your Holiness,¡± said Pides while gazing at the back of the personage. The Sang-je¡¯s radiant golden hair encouraged Pides¡¯ feelings of faith.


    ¡°Flora Anika responded to your summon. She has entered the Holy City and is waiting in the Meeting Room.¡±

 Chapter 140

    The Sang-je rose slowly and turned his body. He looked youthful, although it was impossible to know how old he was. It had been about forty years since he had inherited his title as the Sang-je. Time seemed to pass slowly for the Sang-je, the chosen one who received the blessing from Mahar. Every Sang-je kept their place for at least a century. No one knew if they aged at all during those hundred years.


    During the ten years when succession took place, the former Sang-je did not appear before the outside world. Only priests and knights who tended to the Sang-je at the time saw him, but they kept quiet. Therefore, the question of aging remained a mystery.


    The Sang-je was also beautiful. The white, glossy skin did not have any traces of color, even so it did not look pale rather fresh and pure. The long, blonde hair that touched the floor shined as if they were threads made of gold.


    Those who met Sang-je face-to-face would always be shocked by his exquisite beauty. They thought that he was truly the blessed Holy One as he had the beauty that humans could not possess.


    However, with light, there is darkness. The young and beautiful Sang-je could not see nor speak. Rumor had it that he had lost his sight due to God¡¯s luminance and burnt his vocal cord trying to bottle God¡¯s voice.


    The people perceived the Holy One as someone burdened with the tragedy of mankind immersed in immeasurable sadness.


    The Sang-je was facing the knight with eyes closed. Pides often forgot that the personage was blind for he always felt that the Sang-je looked at the world through his closed eyelids.


    ¡°Your Holiness. Should I escort Flora Anika to the prayer room?¡±


    ¡ª No need. I will go to the Meeting Room.


    The Sang-je¡¯s red lips did not move at all, but Pides could hear the clear voice in his ears.


    Since the Sang-je could not use his vocal cords, he used this unique method to communicate. As a result, Pides never even recognized that the Sang-je was mute.


    The Sang-je started walking past Pides, then stopped.


    ¡ª Pides, has the letter from the Kingdom of Hashi arrived yet?


    ¡°I am afraid not, Your Holiness. I have been checking every morning and afternoon. I¡¯ll report to you as soon as it arrives.¡±


    Pides had heard this question many times in the past few days. He thought that it was bizarre for the Sang-je to wait for someone¡¯s letter as he usually did not exchange letters with anyone. He gave some special treatment to the Anikas but there was no special relationship.


    Is it because Jin Anika is in the Kingdom of Hashi?


    It was no secret that the Sang-je was unusually interested in the two Anikas born after a period of ten years.


    The Sang-je acknowledged with a nod and moved towards the exit. With a steady gait as if everything before him was in plain sight, he reached the heavy doors that automatically opened. The guards at the entrance bowed to him as he ascended the stairs.


    ?


    When the doors opened, the black-haired woman sitting on the sofa stood up.


    Dense, curly hair covered her shoulders. Her facial features were a beautiful harmony; big, dark, pure eyes made her appear na?ve, her balanced eyelashes were long enough to create shadows. Smooth, radiant complexion, a touch of elegance, this woman was a sight to behold.


    Flora bowed to the Sang-je as he entered.


    ¡°May the blessings of Mahar be upon you. Flora Anika greets you.¡±


    ¡ª May the blessings of Mahar be upon you as well.


    The Sang-je sat down facing Flora, she followed after. They were alone in the Meeting Room. Since their meetings had always been private, the guards knew to leave the room without waiting for commands.


    ¡ª Flora Anika, did I interrupt your period of rest by summoning you so abruptly?


    ¡°No, Your Holiness. How could I not come running to you gaily when it is you that summoned me?¡± Flora replied with a smile.


    There were many people who made it their life¡¯s wish to meet the Sang-je face-to-face in vain. Only the Anikas could request to meet the Sang-je when they wanted to, while all the others had to be summoned including the six kings.


    Normally, there would be three instances for an Anika to be summoned by the Sang-je: upon birth, a lucid dream, and wedding. However, the two Anikas that were born after a decade, Jin and Flora, had been receiving special treatment from the Sang-je. They were frequently summoned by the Sang-je and were specially set apart from the other Anikas.


    Flora Anika basked in the fact that she was the Sang-je¡¯s blue-eyed girl. She liked the envious stares that she garnered from others whenever one of the Sang-je¡¯s knights came to escort her. After Jin Anika left for the Kingdom of Hashi, Flora had spent the past few years in happiness, being the sole recipient of the Sang-je¡¯s attention.


    However, today, she did not like the attention given to her.


    ¡ª Flora Anika, I have something to ask you.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡ª When was the last time you had a lucid dream?


    Flora¡¯s lowered eyes shook slightly, but she managed to keep her smile.


    ¡°Yesterday, Your Holiness.¡±


    The Anikas usually had irregular lucid dreams after their first one. It could be once in a few months or at larger increments. Their Ramita was a closely guarded secret from everyone but not among themselves. It was something that the Sang-je knew of or could be found out in the Secret Library.


    According to the information in the Secret Library, the Anikas with a strong Ramita had a shorter duration between lucid dreams compared to those with a weak Ramita. It was recorded that in the history of Anikas, the one with the strongest Ramita had a lucid dream about every 3 months.


    ¡ª When was your last lucid dream?


    ¡°Two months ago, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡ª Could you tell me about it?


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. It wasn¡¯t too different from my past lucid dreams. I was standing in the middle of a lake close to the land. The lake was overflowing with water that it almost covered the land.¡± Flora explained as if she was dreaming and seeing the scene that she was describing.

 Chapter 141

    As she spoke, Flora¡¯s thoughts traveled through her memories, far into the past. She felt as if she had gone back to being a little girl who was telling the story of her first lucid dream to the Sang-je.


    To an Anika, her first lucid dream is a defining moment. It is proof of her existence, the moment she is accepted and acknowledged. No matter the time and age, an Anika would never forget this momentous moment in her life. Flora, to this day, remembered it all as if it had happened only yesterday.


    As a young child, she lacked the desired vocabulary to describe the wonders that she had witnessed, the emotions she experienced. If only her excitement could be articulated, the little girl¡¯s fantastic debut would thrill all those who heard. Alas, she could only clumsily do her best to sufficiently express and explain what she¡¯d seen. She was a little upset about it, but there was nothing she could do. Once she was done narrating, she sat there eagerly looking at the Sang-je like she was now.


    ¡ª ¡°Flora Anika, it appears that you are receiving special blessings from Mahar.¡±


    It seemed like she would never tire of hearing those words. Every time they had met, the Sange-je had always reiterated, bringing her a joyous smile.


    ¡°Each day I live gratefully indebted to the benevolent Mahar.¡± She replied with a smile.


    When she was young she had not understood the meaning and only uttered the parroted words. But now, she knew.


    The Sang-je treated all the Anikas equally. He would never judge their value, do or say anything to imply that one was greater or lesser than the others. So, coming from him, the word ¡°special¡± represented the utmost praise.


    ¡ª ¡°I have recently heard His voice.¡±


    Taken aback, Flora stood up in surprise and bowed deeply towards the Sang-je.


    ¡°May Mahar¡¯s blessing be eternal,¡± she said. ¡°Felicitations to you, Sang-je.¡±


    ¡ª ¡°His words always carry a profound meaning. It would not be good to delay the interpretation of His words. This is why I¡¯ve asked to meet with you today.¡±


    Flora, in the middle of sitting back down, looked up with wide eyes. ¡°Was there something in His words that was meant for me?¡±


    The Sang-je shook his head.


    ¡ª ¡°I was unable to fully interpret His meaning. I only had the intense urge to meet with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ with me?¡± Flora was befuddled. She failed to make the connection between the course of events.


    ¡ª ¡°The Mahar concerns Himself especially when it comes to you. I was worried that perhaps something might have happened to you, but I am glad to see that you are well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have been doing well thanks to you, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡ª ¡°Flora Anika. If there are any changes to your lucid dream then please let me know immediately. Even if it¡¯s a small or seemingly insignificant change.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡ª ¡°I trust in your truthfulness¡±


    Flora¡¯s breath hitched, just for a second. It was such a short moment that no one other than herself would have noticed. With an expression of deepest faithfulness, she clasped her hands together and bowed her head.


    ¡°I merely obey the superior will of Mahar.¡±


    After Flora left, a knight entered.


    ¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone in until I call you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    The Presence-Chamber¡¯s doors closed as the knight left. The Sang-je, who had been sitting very still in the silent chamber, let out a small sigh.


    He had watched Flora Anika with keen interest ever since she was very young. She was of a pure and honest character. Perhaps in comparison to Jin, who was often summoned together with her, Flora¡¯s naivety was even more pronounced. The Sang-je was certain Flora was not one to lie before him.


    But over the years, the Sang-je had seen and had countless human beings by his side. Mankind was a paradox. The more one tried to understand, the more one was left confused. It was good as well as evil, yet at the same time neither good nor evil. If there was something one could say with certainty about this race it was that there exists nothing as unpredictable as a human.


    Humans¡­ they sure are quite difficult, he thought to himself.


    There were a multitude of people with a lifelong wish to see the Sang-je, if only just once, and there were also those who were afraid of coming close to even his shadow. They were wary of approaching him lest their inner thoughts are clearly read and laid bare.


    Every time he¡¯d think of this, the Sang-je would laugh dryly to himself. If only he could truly read the thoughts of mankind like a book, then every problem he was plagued with could be easily solved.


    Jin¡­ Flora¡­ Who is it? Which one will complete the final journey?


    The golden lashes lining his closed lids quivered.


    Or perhaps, it will be neither? Will I have to wait longer?


    His lashes slowly lifted upwards, the red irises revealed themselves. These eyes, focused on some point in empty space, resembled a pair of cold, crimson glass marbles.

 Chapter 142

    Exiting the Sang-je¡¯s palace, Flora climbed onto a waiting carriage. A few paces into the journey, her expression fell. Her heart, which had been barely holding together, started beating rapidly. Her two hands that were tightly gripping her skirt, turned pale, she bit her lip in nervousness.


    Surely I am mistaken¡­It is a mistake. Of course, there¡¯s no way that someone¡¯s Ramita would change!


    Anikas were forbidden from sharing their lucid dreams with anyone but the Sang-je, not even their own family. When she was younger she kept the secret because she was afraid of the knights who would frequently visit, saying they were sent by the Sang-je, warning her not to breathe a word. Now that she was older, she held her tongue because she understood that keeping the secret safe was equivalent to keeping herself safe.


    As much as the lucid dreams were confidential and a taboo, they were also a point of pride. For Anikas, having the lucid dream was akin to the high-society debutante. Only once your Ramita was revealed were you accepted as a full-fledged Anika. That was when your name was finally added to the list of those allowed into Anika-only meetings, and that was when you got permission to enter into the secret library. Every young Anika dreamt of and looked forward to the day she would experience her lucid dream and finally enter the palace to see the Sang-je.


    That said, even though there was no one privy to Flora¡¯s lucid dream, the fact that she possessed a strong Ramita was somewhat of a well-known ¡°secret¡±.


    Flora was no stranger to being in the limelight, surrounded by whispers and awes. She had tasted fame at quite a young age. Typically, an Anika¡¯s first lucid dream was around the age of ten. So, when she had hers at seven, she had astonished them all. In the clandestine world of Anikas, for a long time, this precocious occurrence had been a much talked about affair. Add to this the fact that she was one of the two Anikas to have been born upon a decade long wait, and the Sang-je¡¯s frequent summons, her status was markedly unique. It was only natural that the people perceived her differently than the others.


    I¡¯m an Anika who has received the special blessing of Mahar.


    In the secret library, Flora was perusing records of Roxy Anika, renowned for possessing the strongest Ramita in history. In her chronicle, the eminent personage had described her lucid dream. It was an incredibly vast lake, she had never once been able to walk along its shores all the way around.


    Flora was elated about this snippet of information. Like her predecessor, she too had seen a lake. It was so wide that it was impossible to reach its edge even if one were to walk all day. The records also said that Roxy would have this dream once every three months, but hers was once every two months.


    This could only mean that her Ramita was stronger. That she was even more special than this amazing historical figure! She was beyond ecstatic.


    However, she drew a lull when she suddenly thought back to last night.


    Last night, she had had a slightly different lucid dream. In her previous dreams, no matter which direction she looked, all she could see was water. But in this most recent dream, the water in the lake had noticeably diminished, so much so that she could clearly see the shore. It was then that she realized the lake she had presumed to be impossibly large, was not without a boundary after all. Its overflowing waters had simply concealed its edges.


    She had just stood there in shock until she woke up from her dream.


    Yes. I must have been mistaken. There must¡­ be some sort of mistake.


    When the Sang-je asked about her lucid dream, she felt as if her heart would stop. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to answer honestly. Even if the water had diminished, the fact that she had even seen a lake indicated a strong Ramita. But how could someone who had already tasted incomparable greatness settle for anything less? She could still see in her mind¡¯s eye the overflowing waters from before. She couldn¡¯t accept the fact that she might be less special than before.


    Hence, as a response to the Sang-je¡¯s question, she had drawn up the memory of her first lucid dream. Because the emotions and awe she had felt at that time were genuine, she was able to respond calmly.


    I didn¡¯t lie. In my next dream, I will see my usual Ramita again.


    She felt absolutely certain that in two months, in her next dream, she would be able to see a lake that was overflowing with water once again.

 Chapter 143

    Right at the center of the path to the town square, was a huge tree standing out of nowhere. The road that was wide enough for two carriages to comfortably pass one another, looked seriously crammed with the giant tree claiming a majority. The leftover space was not even sufficient for one carriage.


    This tree was unimaginably tall. Such was the thickness that it would take two able-bodied men to encompass it, the foliage so dense that one could hardly glimpse the underlying branches. It looked to be at least a decade old, but ironically it had never existed even until this morning. It had appeared out of thin air.


    Kasser looked up towards the tree, he seemed severely upset.


    He¡¯d put up a fence and stationed guards around it to prevent people from approaching the tree. But despite these efforts, there were still quite a gathering, Kasser had had to push people aside to make a path to it just now.


    Once the awestricken crowd became aware of their king¡¯s presence, they voluntarily took a few steps back, respectfully forming a wider circle behind him. He noticed the crowd had grown from when he had first arrived.


    Yesterday, three red flares had lit the sky after the sightings of a trio of grade purple Larks. The monsters had wreaked havoc at different locations in the city, but thankfully, despite the casualties, the damage was not widespread.


    Larks in general triggered terror amongst the masses. But so far, they had been spotted on the other side of the city walls. Even if there were occasions when the monsters had breached the perimeter, they were timely contained by the authorities.


    However, this incident had augmented the gap between the fear they felt when a Lark was spotted outside the city walls and when one appeared in the heart of their place of dwelling.


    Usually, it would be a while before people took to the streets after a red flare. But this time, it was different. Excited, people were out of their homes early the next morning, seemingly forgotten all about the shock from the previous day. They seemed to behave as though the active period had ended, and there were no looming threats of Larks.


    ¡°Was that tree really a Lark?¡±


    ¡°It really was! There are tons of witnesses.¡±


    ¡°I heard about it too. Apparently, when Queen Anika touched the Lark, it immediately fell to the ground, and then it turned into that tree.¡±


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    ¡°I heard that if you keep one of the branches of this tree as a charm, then Larks can¡¯t attack you!¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    The chatters, murmurs, and whispers of the people all made it to the king¡¯s ears. Although the conversations were all mixed up in their excitement, most of them were saying the same thing, enabling him to draw his own basic conclusion.


    ¡°Lester!¡±


    General Lester, who had been one step behind the king, responded quickly. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°It seems that there are false rumors spreading around. The idea that keeping a part of this tree would prevent attacks from Larks¡­ you must prevent them from believing such a ridiculous notion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The rumor that the tree sprouted by Queen Anika could ward off Larks had already spread quickly throughout Haishi. Some even believed that the reason the Larks were not able to enter the Holy City was because of the tree in the town square.


    But if that was the case, then someone would have already discovered a way to use Anikas¡¯ Ramitas against the Larks. Even if it was prohibited by the Sang-je, the survival instincts of humans could not be denied.


    And if it was true about the trees, then by now there would be nothing left of the tree in the town square because everyone would have broken off its branches.


    Kasser¡¯s mind replayed the events from yesterday. He had come as fast as possible to get rid of the Lark, but upon his arrival, all he had found was a tree that he had never seen before surrounded by all the guards and soldiers who were talking excitedly amongst themselves.


    And the way that his vision had trembled when he had spotted Eugene lying unconscious at the foot of the tree, he could not quite explain. Even now, when he recalled that scene, his heart seemed to sink into his stomach.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± General Lester addressed him carefully. ¡°Her Majesty¡­ is she still¡­?¡±


    A whole day had passed after the king had brought the unconscious queen back to the royal castle, there was still no word of her recovery. Kasser did not respond, only scowled.


    Lester made a face as if  he had been burned and kept his mouth shut. He had been attempting to ask for forgiveness on behalf of Sven and the other guards, but an ill-timed attempt would be likely to backfire.


    The guards who had accompanied the queen on the previous day were all currently in prison. They were charged with disobeying the king¡¯s orders to bring the queen directly to the castle.


    It was true that they made a mistake, but to get rid of those guards over this small incident would be a great waste of their skills. Especially Sven who was so incredibly talented and of great character that even the king had taken a liking to him. Lester surmised that the king himself probably did not feel too happy about having to address Sven¡¯s guilt.


    Still, I had better not bring up the fate of the imprisoned guards until the queen awakens. Lester thought. Broaching the subject now will only make matters worse.

 Chapter 144

    A lot had happened in a matter of a day. It was all so shocking, that it was hard to come to terms sooner.


    Standing amidst the murmurings of an overwhelmed crowd, Kasser sighed.


    It¡¯s hard to stop the rumor¡­


    Not many people were at the scene yesterday. After three red flares, the people probably went into an underground shelter for refuge. Most of the witnesses were warriors and soldiers.


    According to the later reports, the gist of the matter was that Abu had arrived at the scene and had a confrontation with the Lark. The two monsters fought tooth and nail; bloodied and bruised the weakened Lark had fallen to the ground, eventually turning into a tree upon the queen¡¯s touch.


    Even if they included the people who had peeked out of curiosity, the rumors could have been stopped if they had only hurried to crack down on the surrounding area.


    But yesterday they had no chance of thinking about it. Such a scenario was beyond the purview of many, let alone the king who was stupefied at the sight of the unconscious queen.


    When he had reached the spot after slaying the Lark, it had taken him a few breaths than he normally would, to come to terms with the situation. He had carefully carried Eugene to the palace, and into her chamber placing her gently on her bed. He spoke to no one, gave no instructions, just sat by her, vacantly fixated on her unconscious figure, waiting for her to wake up.


    When he came to it, it was suddenly dark around him. Looking towards the sky beyond the window, he discovered it was already night. It was the first time he¡¯d ever sat so absent-mindedly for so long. He had his moments of mulling, and regardless of how challenging the situation was, even when he was younger, he had never been abstracted, detached, or negligent of his duties.


    Alas, it was too late when he was reminded of the ¡®crackdown¡¯ and summoned Lester to check on the situation. No matter how powerful a king he was, he couldn¡¯t zip people¡¯s mouths or stop the stories that were traveling at lightning speed.


    In hindsight, although the attack was inside the city, it didn¡¯t do much harm. There were collateral casualties, but there was also a heroic tale that could only benefit once spread. It was a moving story, after all, bound to inspire patriotism in people and hoist the prestige of the royal family.


    Kasser was a well-grounded and prudent sovereign. He would always weigh the matter from all angles before drawing to any conclusion. Thus, although the traveling tales looked rosy, they were not without their share of thorns.


    He knew the matter that had been gnawing at him, the one he was afraid would occur and hoped it was later than sooner, was just around the corner. The rumors would soon make their way to Sang-je¡¯s ears¡­


    This whole incident involving the Larks is so strange¡­ it¡¯s unusual for them to have appeared in the first place. A Lark becomes a seed, not a tree¡­ Is there even such a thing!


    That tree in the town square of the Holy City, by the hands of the legendary Roxi Anika¡­ the one with the strongest Ramita in history¡­ It sprouted from a seed.


    Just how powerful is Eugene¡¯s Ramita?!


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Lester¡¯s cautious voice called out to the pensive king. ¡°It¡¯s one of the main roads of the city, if we cannot use it, it will cause a lot of inconveniences.¡±


    The tree, now a site of wonder, was situated in the most inconvenient of places. This path was one of the roads that lead to the town square, and by virtue of location, important.


    It was Lester¡¯s job to handle the cleaning up after a battle. He had cleared the scene from yesterday as per usual, except for the tree that was beyond his scope of authority. Had it been a normal tree, he would have uprooted it already. But this one had a special identity now and had turned out to be somewhat of a hassle too.


    It had garnered such attention that it was a task keeping people at bay.  And since he didn¡¯t know what was to be done with it, he had no choice but to guard. However, he was reluctant to leave a sentry next to this enormous relic. How long would he place one there for?


    Heck, he couldn¡¯t be expected to stand guard himself, he had better things to do besides protecting a tree all day long! Without a recourse, he had sought the king for instructions.


    But as soon as he saw the look on the king¡¯s face, which seemed to say, ¡®Did you have to call me now?,¡¯ he realized that he had been too impulsive. When had the king appeared vexed? Never. But he was now!


    ¡°We will put the fence high around the tree and deploy the soldiers until the rumors subside. How about paving a way by destroying the buildings around here? When the dry season begins, we will start construction in earnest.¡±


    Kasser looked around and nodded.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Kasser immediately turned towards the warrior who had just arrived. He approached the king, bowed his head, and said, ¡°Baroness Weis has sent a message. She asks that you hurry back to the palace.¡±


    His eyebrows furrowed.


    Lester, who¡¯d heard the man¡¯s words, was startled. He quickly dragged over a horse. Without wasting a moment, Kasser immediately mounted and dashed towards the palace


    As he looked at the hastening king from a distance, Lester was filled with anxiety. He only hoped the matter wasn¡¯t too serious.

 Chapter 145

    When Kasser arrived at the palace, he saw Marianne waiting at the entrance.


    He jumped off the horse and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Marianne was capable of handling even the major things. So, if she had decided to send him an urgent missive, the matter had to be extremely important. Thus, without an extra word, he had hurried back.


    When he had spotted her from afar, he had tried to discern the matter from her expression. However, her face held no hints¡­ so it was hard to place a finger on the gravity of the situation.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Marianne said solemnly, ¡°It would be better if you were to see the queen.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s heart sank. ¡°What is going on?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± She spoke in a whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I truly don¡¯t know. Please it would be better if you were to see for yourself.¡±


    Swiftly passing Marianne, Kasser went up the stairs and through the corridor¡­ with each stride, his pace gradually increasing. There was no one following him, but he was too focused on reaching the queen¡¯s chambers to find it unusual.


    By and by, inexplicably, his confidence started sinking. When he had reached the hallway to the queen¡¯s chamber, his heart felt inexplicably heavy. It was now that the incongruity finally struck him.


    This corridor was shrouded in pin-drop silence, there was not a soul around¡­


    He clicked his tongue in irritation. Where are all the attendants? Why is there no one by the doors? How dare they slack!


    When he reached the doors, he found it ajar. He angrily grabbed the doorknob, pushed the door, and tried to get inside¡­ startled, he took a step back.


    The scene that greeted him in the confines of the chamber was truly unfathomable even to the ever-serene King Kasser. For a moment, he felt his senses were playing tricks on him, he held his breath. Then, he shut his eyes tight, and gradually opened them again.


    What in the world is this?


    The entire room was filled with water. But unlike the usual water bodies, neither were there ripples nor did it overflow. It felt like the door was the boundary, not a drop made its way into the hallway. Suddenly, the queen¡¯s chamber had transformed into a giant bowl of water.


    There on, his gaze fell on the part that divided the chamber and the hallway¡­ right, where he stood. The water seemed to have cut out a section, forming a perfect wall between the two sides. He foundered deeper into confusion.


    He slowly brought his hand to the surface of the water. He touched it with his fingertips and rubbed them against each other. There was no feeling of wetness.


    Kasser now understood Marianne¡¯s inexplicable expression from earlier.


    His hand lingered near the water¡¯s surface. He thought he might be blocked by a hard wall, but without any resistance, his hand went through the water.


    His body stood at the door, only his hand passed into the chamber. He looked around, moving his hands in the water. Every time he moved his hands, a ripple emerged, but he still couldn¡¯t feel a thing. In other words, the water could only be seen, it didn¡¯t have a tangible form.


    He walked into the chamber. Once, he looked around the corridor beyond the open door, there was no doubt that he was inside the water.


    Is this Ramita?


    He had heard Ramita was ¡°water¡± but it was only today that he found out it was literally that¡­ water. He couldn¡¯t believe it would have a concrete shape.


    The world of Anika is obscure, its members secretive.  But there were a few things that, although known to all, have never received confirmation. For that matter Ramita.


    This was an unknown power the Anikas possessed, they were defined by it. It existed, yet no one had ever seen it. When Roxi Anika had sprouted the seed in full view, none had come forward to claim they had ¡®seen¡¯ it. Thus, Ramita, the enigma, only intensified with time.


    Unresolved intrigue leads to doubt, and Ramita was no stranger to conspiracy theories. Some conspiracists questioned the very existence of this power, going so far as to say this was an imaginary power concocted by Sang-je.


    Well, if they were to witness this, they would certainly shut up.


    What the hell is going on with the queen?


    He hurried to the bed where she lay and stopped right at the edge, clutching his chest. Inside his body, the hot energy erupted. It was a familiar feeling. It¡¯d been a long time since Praz had revealed its presence.


    During the active period, Praz was on a rampage in his body. So, as such, he was always trying to control Praz. That was why he was on edge all the time. However, these days, Praz was weirdly quiet. It was easy to control, like a custom weapon that fits in the hand.


    So, besides the time he was busy hunting Larks, it had been a very peaceful time for him personally. Until now.

 Chapter 146

    He gathered his breath and concentrated on his inner self. He tried to suppress Praz, but the wriggling brat hardly calmed down.


    Is the Ramita affecting you?


    Kasser glanced towards the door. If he moved now, he¡¯d lose his concentration and release the barely suppressed Praz. He felt like he was tying the Praz with a chain and held it tighter. Praz was gradually calming down, and little by little, he was regaining control.


    However, as soon as he relaxed for but a moment, a fireball-like energy popped out of his body. It was too late to catch it. In an instant, the blue energy that escaped from his body took the form of a giant snake and filled the bedroom.


    This is bad!


    This loss of control would be a disaster.


    He glared at his Praz, trying to find an opening to suppress it again. His brow furrowed as he pursued the translucent blue snake with his eyes. Praz didn¡¯t want to have a war of nerves with Kasser, it seemed distracted by something else.


    Praz bent its huge body, circled once in the water, and further reduced its size. After taking a lap around the chamber with a body that had already been reduced to half, it shrank itself further.


    It shrank further and further until it was about the size of his hand. This place was too narrow for swimming, so it seemed to have shrunk. As it swam around the chamber, his Praz looked satisfied.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Kasser felt the same way he did when he saw Abu as a small cat. There was no dignity at all in a span long blue snake.


    What the hell is going on!


    He let the playing Praz be and approached the bed. As she lay in the bed, Eugene¡¯s black hair swayed in the water, her white skin looked unusually pale.


    His chest had started to pound.


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s her powers running wild¡­


    The area filled with water was limited to the chamber alone. It meant that she was controlling it unconsciously. But his rationale prompted him.


    What if this was a side effect of Ramita? What if it¡¯s too much power for her body to accept?


    He was slightly alarmed. His knowledge in these things was very limited, in fact, close to nil. His inner voice told him this was beyond his power. He was heartbroken, he couldn¡¯t believe there was nothing he could do when his wife was in such a condition¡­ that it wasn¡¯t him but the Sang-je who could rescue her.


    He gritted his teeth, trying to rein his will.  What if his willfulness to keep her away from the Sang-je pushed her into danger?


    I need to send an urgent message to the Holy City.


    The letters delivered through messenger birds could not contain much content or secrets, but the speed was faster than any route. The express would reach the Holy City in a few days.


    ¡°Eugene¡­¡±


    When she had first asked him to call her by this name, all he could think of was keeping up with her whim. But now, more and more he felt an unknown satisfaction when he called her ¡°Eugene¡±. Rather than staying in the kingdom because of her status as a queen, it seemed that a person named Eugene was standing by his side through her own will.


    ¡°Eugene¡­ Eugene¡­ Eugene¡­¡±


    He repeatedly called out to her. When he had first seen her lying down, he felt dazed and angry after hearing what had happened. Now, all he could do was think of ways to bring her to safety.


    Eugene¡¯s eyelids moved ever so slightly. Her eyeballs shifted just as he was about to turn away to write the message.


    ¡°Eugene¡­¡±


    He called her out, one last time, with an earnest hope that she would open her eyes and look at him.


    Her eye¡¯s movements grew within her closed lids. The water rotated slowly around her. Then, it spun faster and all the water in the chamber began to get sucked into her body.


    The turbulent flow of water had no physical effect on Kasser, who was standing right beside her. He stared at the fantastic scene unfolding before his eyes. A huge stream of water was being absorbed by Eugene, creating a whirlpool and with that, the water in the chamber disappeared in an instant.


    The blue snake swam against the force of the sucking current. After holding out until the end, it jumped into Kasser¡äs body and disappeared as if it were returning to its original dwelling.


    Kasser looked around the room. There was no sign of water anywhere.


    Eugene opened her eyes with a gasp. She looked refreshed as if she had just awakened from a deep sleep. She blinked at Kasser and smiled.


    Deep down in Kasser¡¯s heart, heat spread out. It was totally different from when Praz was trying to break out. He just couldn¡¯t control it. He put his hand under her lying form and pulled her into an embrace.

 Chapter 147

    Anxiety, relief, helplessness, fear¡­ a myriad of emotions passed through the arms that held the lying figure. The feelings were unexpected to those involved, but they existed nonetheless.


    Eugene¡¯s confused orbs dart side to side, but her arms reflexively mirrored his¡­ tightly holding him by the waist. For a moment the boundary between dream and reality was vague, but soon she awoke completely.


    She let out a light laugh, she was momentarily surprised. Even before had opened her eyes fully, she had seen him and before she knew it she was nestled in his embrace. She felt good, wanted as if he seemed to say he wouldn¡¯t let go of her.


    Her heart was pounding but she knew not exactly why. The warmth that they were sharing, the sense of being needed¡­ she hoped this moment would last longer, for now, she was certain it wasn¡¯t an illusion. For the first time in her life, she who had never known what the sensation of touch was, who had nothing but awkward physical contacts with others, experienced how pleasant it all was.


    Since her time in this world, she had indulged in physical intimacy. But it was the s*xual kind. However, what she was feeling now, was suffused with a sense of security she had never ever felt before. And deep down she was well aware it was all because of the man she was with now, because of the feeling he invoked in her¡­ she liked him.


    Eugene furrowed her eyebrows, it felt like something was piercing her heart. But she was more astonished by the words that came unbidden to her mind.


    Like?! ¡­ This person¡­ I like him?!


    A small sigh slipped her lips, the throbbing only quickened.


    So this is how it feels when you like someone¡­


    It was a bittersweet feeling, painful yet pleasing. She didn¡¯t shy away from it somehow, and boldly submitted to it. Determined to express, uncaring about the response that awaited her, she raised her arms and hugged him by the shoulder.


    She was being held in an awkward posture, her upper body slightly raised. When she raised her upper body, her whole body rose. He gradually released her from his embrace after she sat up.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked softly, his gentle gaze never leaving her face.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Puzzled, she tilted her head slightly.


    ¡°Do you feel sick, or weird?¡± said Kasser,  ¡°Anything off, any symptoms as such?¡±


    Eugene shook her head. ¡°Nothing is wrong.¡±


    Now that she took note, she found that his expression was a bit different. The exhaustion and worry on his face, the way he spoke to her as if he were looking at a sick person, she felt the urge to reassure him and she did exactly that.


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m perfectly okay.¡±


    She then traced back to her last memory. After falling asleep under the Lark-tree, she was as soon transported into a dream. She had lost all semblance of time and when she woke up from it, she found herself her bedchamber, huddled in his arms.


    Perhaps he was immensely surprised when he had found me unconscious? She could think of nothing else that could warrant such a reaction from the typically stoic king.


    ¡°How long have passed out for?¡± she asked, her voice hoarse.


    ¡°You woke up in a day.¡± The underlying relief in his tone was hard to miss.


    ¡°¡­ Just one day?!¡± She was taken aback.  ¡°So the red flare was yesterday?¡± She reconfirmed.


    Kasser sighed, looked at her with profound eyes that masked too well the undercurrents.


    ¡°Eugene.¡± His voice was very low.


    Eugene replied in a drawl, feeling uncomfortable. ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you to go to the palace straightaway. I left you because I believed you would be safe.¡± He didn¡¯t seem happy.


    ¡°¡­ I wanted to be of help. I didn¡¯t want to run away alone.¡± She hurriedly added. ¡°The Lark didn¡¯t hurt me. It¡¯s all good in the end.¡± She felt that since it had all turned out well, there was no need to worry. The disaster had been handled and things were fine now.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the Lark.¡± He spoke solemnly. ¡°You fell down¡­ Don¡¯t you know how dangerous a fall can be? You could have been crippled or killed!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t believe how flippant this woman was towards her own life, how could she have little to no sense of self-preservation?! Throwing herself willingly in the clutches of danger, just what was in that mind of hers!


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Eugene had nothing to say about that. At that moment that she was bouncing off the horse, she admitted she was wreathed with a suffocating fear. If it weren¡¯t for Abu, she would have been badly hurt.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good in the end?!¡± He snorted. ¡°There¡¯s no need for such useless remarks. Are you saying that if you do some tricks on horseback, clap your hands and the results turn out good, you¡¯ll just bet your life every time? Will that always ensure your safety?¡± He demanded, palpably incensed.


    Eugene sullenly looked towards the man. She wasn¡¯t scared at all even though he was seriously reprimanding her. In fact, she was filled with¡­ excitement.


    No, no, she hadn¡¯t lost any screws. It was just that his words, although filled with ridicule and anger, warmed her heart.  She was stranger to sarcastic scoldings and unprovoked verbal abuse, her family had seen to it that she lacked none of that. However, the sincere concern, distress, and despair that Kasser was glossing with his rebuke, was foreign yet fetching.


    Family¡­?


    Eugene was surprised at herself thinking about including him in that category. True, under the societal norms, since he was her husband and by extension her family. But this was a contractual marriage with Jin Anika, one that she, Eugene, wasn¡¯t even bound to.


    Three years¡­ if you help me maintain a formal marriage for three years, I¡¯ll give you a successor.


    Why me?


    Suddenly, a memory surfaced¨C it was a scene where she was talking to him. To be precise, Jin was talking to him.


    What are you going to do after you have a baby?


    I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll tell you later. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad offer for a king. You need a successor, don¡¯t you?


    The scene changed.


    Do you think I don¡¯t know? The king tells her everything. I¡¯m the joke here!


    Don¡¯t be ridiculous! No matter what you say, Marianne will never leave!


    Kasser frowned, seeing that she was lost in thoughts.


    ¡°Eugene, are you listening?¡± he asked, calling her attention to him.

 Chapter 148

    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Eugene stared at him unfamiliarly. In her memory, the Fourth King, Kasser, was certainly the same man in front of her, but why did he feel so different.


    A chilly visage and frosty tone.


    This man, who called her ¡°Eugene¡±, had never once spoken as coldly as she remembered. She sighed as if she had suddenly come to a realization.


    ¡°It was you¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Her abrupt words confused him.


    ¡°The one who called me¡­¡±


    In her dream, she was exploring the limitless waters like the infinite sea. For her, who had never learned how to swim, the water was as comfortable as a plain. As she swam, she felt like a mermaid exploring the shoreless form, delighting in its mystic enormity.


    Immersed in her merriment, she seemed to have forgotten everything. She was brought out of her frolicking the moment she heard something.


    I have to go back.


    That sound seemed to have been her name, but she wasn¡¯t able to point out the source.


    ¡°I¡­ I thought I heard your voice in my dream.¡± Thinking back to it, it did feel like his voice, although it sounded faint.


    ¡°If I had known, I should have called you sooner. You were unconscious all day, and then you woke up because I called you?¡± Kasser said with a look of despondency.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say, the way things had transpired was truly beyond his comprehension.


    But the truth was she wasn¡¯t unconscious but in a prolonged sleep. However, Eugene didn¡¯t think it was appropriate to say so, in fact, the look on the man¡¯s face steered her away from revealing it.


    Instead, in response, he held his hands tightly, not missing the softness in his tone, and unabashedly smiled at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to discuss it with you next time before I do anything. It¡¯s my fault this time.¡± She tried to appease him.


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t say something you won¡¯t follow.¡± He outright called her bluff and went on to remind her. ¡°Be careful not to make promises that you cannot keep¡­¡±


    Kasser had been in a foul mood all day. Seeing her unconscious, his mind was filled with worry and resentment. However, all the negativity had vanished, just like that, when she had snaked her hands around him and laughed na?vely.


    It wasn¡¯t something to be overlooked. He knew¡­


    Kasser glanced down at his own hands held by both of hers, gently tugged himself free and wrapped his arm around her back.


    With the sudden pull, Eugene leaned on his chest, about to fall. His hand rubbed her shoulder, stroked her neck. His lips gently brushed against her cheeks, eyelids, and temples.


    She was still on the surface as he rained light kisses, but inside her heart was throbbing. She was abashed, a little embarrassed even unlike when she had received a much more explicit caress. Oddly, he seemed more affectionate like he was tending to a treasure.


    Seemingly coming to his senses, he remembered something important that he had otherwise forgotten until now. ¡°I¡¯ll send for a doctor.¡±


    She knew it was futile to refute, she wouldn¡¯t be convinced if she were to say she was fine, more so she didn¡¯t want to reject his affection. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go out of the castle until Sang-je¡¯s knight arrives.¡±


    ¡°What?! A knight of Sang-je?¡± Eugene pushed him away and raised her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sending a dispatch to the Holy City. I¡¯m sure there will be a knight here before the end of the season. Then we can start as soon as the dry season begins.¡±


    Eugene was confused. What in the world had happened while she slept?


    ¡°What do you mean? Why is a knight coming? And a dispatch? Start for where?¡± She hurriedly shot a barrage of questions.


    ¡°The Holy City.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eyes widened to their limits.


    ¡°You should go better Sang-je as soon as possible.¡± He added in a low tone.


    His deep-seated fear of her memories returning, and the ensuing estrangement that he had envisioned was the root cause for his reluctance to take her to the Holy City. But now, rationality had prevailed, her well-being a top priority.


    ¡°Because of the Lark becoming a tree?¡± she asked in disbelief.


    ¡°There is that, but there¡¯s something else too. We¡¯ll talk later. Right now, you need to know Sang-je will summon you anyway. Rumors are rife, a Lark has become a tree. Your Ramita seems to be beyond the ordinary.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Eugene shook her head. ¡°I think I should go to the Sang-je, but not so suddenly. And you said that Sang Je will summon me anyway. We can wait and decide when the knight comes.¡±


    ¡°You should have gone straight to the Holy City after you lost your memory,¡± Kasser said gravely.


    He couldn¡¯t trust her back then. At first, he had suspected she was pretending to lose her memories. After that, he thought she would abandon her contract if she went to the Holy City. There were still suspicions that she might not come back once she went to the Holy City. The thought that he had assumed this made his stomach twist from worry, rather than anger. He didn¡¯t want to let her out of his sight, not even for a moment.


    But if she got into trouble because of her greed, he would regret it even more. He was sincerely hoping that she would not go the wrong way.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t figure out what he was thinking. These days, he had not even mentioned his successor. She found it strange, especially because she knew how important and obsessed he was about having an heir.


    ¡°Do you want me to go?¡± she asked, looking at him keenly.

 Chapter 149

    ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡±


    When she was toying with the idea of meeting the Sang-je, Eugene had considered ways to obtain his consent to go to the Holy City. She thought he wouldn¡¯t let her go before she had a baby. But when he told her to go, on his own accord, and for her sake, it made her reconsider a lot of things.


    According to Jin Anika¡¯s memories, the relationship between the two was calculated. She is ¡®Jin Anika¡¯ who had signed a contract. In his eyes, she was still the same. He couldn¡¯t possibly know that her soul had changed. Animosity and mistrust was the foundation of this marriage, she had seen it too in the initial days. His unconcealed skepticism of her was hard to miss, and he had a good reason for it. So then what had happened to effect this change? He hadn¡¯t mentioned the heir in a long time now, and even letting her leave like this?


    Was he sick of this kind of marriage then?


    ¡°By any chance¡­ Have you changed your mind about me giving you a successor?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± His tone was sharp, thinking she was about to breach the contract.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not qualified?¡±


    Her words were totally unexpected. Kasser was taken aback, for a moment even ashamed of his thought just then. He sighed looking at the innocent eyes looking at him earnestly.


    ¡°No. Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you ask me to go away for such a vague reason, I can¡¯t help but imagine the worst!¡±


    After the dry season began, Eugene had compiled a list of things she wanted to do. Changing the interior of the castle, starting work in earnest with aides, attending social gatherings, etc. She had only just gotten used to living here and started to adjust to her life and status of Queen of Hashi. However, if she were to go to the Holy City now, she would be out of her mind.


    ¡°What is the worst?¡± Kasser queried.


    ¡°That you don¡¯t want to keep this marriage any longer.¡±


    He looked at Eugene in silence. She could not tell anything from his expression.


    It¡¯s too much to deal with a king who¡¯s good at concealing his thoughts.


    ¡°I want you to meet the Sang-je and find your memories.¡±


    Kasser no longer wanted to avoid it and wanted to confront it head-on. Whatever awaited him post her memory-recovery, he decided to face it sooner than later. There was no point in dithering and living in supposition.


    ¡°Memories¡­ Why? You told me not to try to regain them.¡± She was astonished. He had never pressured her about it up until now, this was too abrupt.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you something, but you can answer it only when you find your memories.¡± Finally, he had revealed his thoughts.


    What did she want from her three-year marriage? Kasser felt he had to know that so he could talk about the future.


    ¡°I¡­ ¡­What if I said I already got back my memories?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± This time it was Kasser¡¯s eyes that widened to their limits.


    ¡°When I opened my eyes a little while ago and saw you, I remembered a little.¡±


    Eugene kept thinking about Jin Anika¡¯s conversation with him as the scene changed. It felt like the memory of this body had been absorbed more than before. And she was certain it wasn¡¯t an illusion but something that had actually transpired.


    ¡°You remembered something?¡± His tone was part anxious and part incredulous.


    ¡°Yes, but not everything. I recollected quite a few conversations I had with you.¡±


    Kasser looked closely at her, not wanting to miss her reaction. Now that she has remembered some things, would she change again?


    ¡°I¡­ Uhm¡­ cough¡­¡± She was finding it hard to speak, her cough was a clumsy way of masking her nervousness. But continue, she had to as the man was gazing at her expectantly


    ¡°I¡­ I remembered our marriage proposal.¡± She blurted out.


    Kasser¡¯s face melted at the sight of her awkward smile. She was still his ¡®Eugene¡¯. He was inexplicably elated.


    ¡°What do you want to ask me?¡± she managed to ask.


    ¡°¡­ Reason. The reason you asked me to marry you.¡± That was the one thing that had always perplexed him, why she had walked to him out of the blue and proposed marriage.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eugene said awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t remember, so I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s new memories weren¡¯t all that clear. At that time, Jin¡¯s feelings and thoughts were unknown. Like an audience watching a movie, she could hear what she had said, saw him looking into Jin¡¯s eyes. And right then, the film had ended. She was in no position to discern the other¡¯s thoughts and hence furnish the man with an answer.


    Kasser, who had been nervous as he waited for her answer, laughed in vain.


    ¡°Is the reason important?¡±


    ¡°If I can give you what you had wanted, I would gladly do so, and be done with it.¡±


    Looking at her eyes filled with complex emotions, he went on to say.


    ¡°And then¡­ I want to start over.¡±

 Chapter 150

    ¡°And then¡­ I want to start over.¡±


    The air stilled, a heavy silence engulfed the man and the woman who were looking into each other¡¯s eyes. The pair of hearts was anxious, but the orbs were perfectly serene, not once betraying the turbulent undercurrents.


    Kasser was impatient, the pounding in his chest was driving him into a frenzy. How would she respond? Would she agree? Or was he in for a disappointment? And if it were the latter, he certainly didn¡¯t know what to do, because for the first time the King of Hashi was clueless.


    On her part, Eugene spent a few breaths in incredulity. At first, she thought she had misheard but subsequently, the doubt morphed to fear¡­ She was afraid to interpret his words exactly as she heard them. She didn¡¯t want to presume under the influence of her own emotions and misunderstand, she was sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the repercussions. She took a deep breath inwardly and decided to seek confirmation, there was no other recourse to this.


    ¡°By starting over¡­ you mean, with me?¡± she asked, gingerly, not once averting her gaze.


    ¡°Who else is here besides you?¡± Came the sarcastic response.


    For some reason, she felt that the man was avoiding the subject. She didn¡¯t know why, but she was now more determined to be direct.


    ¡°Starting over with what?¡±


    However, in the fleeting moment between asking the question and looking at his expression, Eugene realized she had asked the wrong question. She must seem overly na?ve, or worse pretending to be na?ve.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­¡± Eugene started, but instead of finishing, she let out a sigh. She closed her eyes and opened them again. ¡°I¡­ thought you didn¡¯t like me.¡±


    Kasser was visibly surprised. ¡°Did I treat you so terribly that I made you think that way?¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Eugene hurriedly shook her head.


    She then lowered her face into her hands, seemingly embarrassed and at a loss for words. She felt as if she had suddenly become very stupid. Her confused thoughts entangled themselves and sent her mind spinning, she was neither able to explain herself nor think of the right response.


    Kasser had been nice to her, his words and actions were measured and scrupulous. However, to her, his niceties were simply the natural product of a well-educated and well-bred nobility. Or that they were simply a means to achieve his end goal of gaining a successor.


    But, she didn¡¯t think he was someone who was so set on his goal that he would go so far as to fake his own feelings to achieve it. Every time she had gleaned a bit as to the kind of queen Jin had been, she had inadvertently ended up learning more about the kind of person King Kasser was. He was not emotional, had patience, and evinced humanity from time to time. He was loved and respected by his subjects and subordinates, and for his young age, he was quite the sagacious monarch.


    Every time her thoughts had leaned towards the fact that he was a good man, Eugene had forced down her wavering feelings and tried her best to remain unemotional. She didn¡¯t want to embarrass herself by investing too much into this precarious bond that was built on mutual gains rather than feelings, for all she knew it could be unrequited and a delusion on her part.


    It was not that she was overcautious or pessimistic, but because she knew he only saw her as ¡°Jin Anika,¡± and the only thing he wanted from her was his successor.


    ¡°Before I lost my memory. Um ¡­ I heard that our past three years of marriage did not exactly go smoothly.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t because I disliked you, it was ¡­¡± He trailed off.


    He looked at Eugene¡¯s face and tried to recall the queen¡¯s appearance from before. But he couldn¡¯t remember anything at all. Even until just recently, he had been comparing her previous appearance to her current self and thinking, ¡®How could a person change so much?¡¯. But lately, for some inexplicable reason, he had stopped thinking of her previous self altogether.


    ¡°It was that I didn¡¯t know what kind of person you were.¡±


    He didn¡¯t believe that two different persons could exist inside of one body. So even in her past self, some of her present self must have been existent. It was just that he didn¡¯t know about it.


    Eugene had had no idea that Kasser had gone through such an inner turmoil on his own. So his statement seemed very sudden.


    Could it be? Was this perhaps because of the time when she had refused to sleep with him a while ago?


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± she said carefully, ¡°I won¡¯t break my promise to bear a successor to you.¡±


    At this, Kasser looked at her with some surprise, then upon realizing what she meant he frowned and let out a bitter laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that all I¡¯m doing right now is just trying to convince you to bear my successor? It appears that your trust in me is absolutely at rock bottom.¡±


    He understood where her thoughts stemmed from, and could he fault her for that? Nevertheless, he was unresigned to it.


    Eugene felt she was on the verge of tears. She really didn¡¯t mean it in that way, but the more she spoke, the more she made it seem like she thought of him as a bad man.


    ¡°But, but you must admit it is strange. The suggestion of ¡®starting over¡¯ sounds like you¡¯re saying to just forget everything that has already happened so far. But even in the past as well as the present ¨C I¡¯m still myself.¡±


    Eugene had no intention of denouncing the preexisting past of ¡®Jin Anika¡¯ from this reality. She knew it would be a delusion on her part for if she were to live in this body, she would have to accept this body¡¯s past. The best that she could do was to right the wrongs as best as possible.


    Taken aback, Kasser muttered to himself, ¡®Is that so?¡¯ and fell deep in thought for a moment. Then he spoke.


    ¡°If that¡¯s how it sounded, then I¡¯m sorry I misspoke. But¡­.¡± He paused, seemingly lost in thought again. Then, nodding to himself as if he had made up his mind, he continued.


    ¡°Still, there¡¯s no better phrase than ¡®starting over¡¯ to express what it is that I mean. I want to talk about my relationship with you, the one who is sitting here right now. I¡¯m not sure if I can include your past self in this conversation, though.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this when you¡¯re supposed to say that you care for me regardless of my past or present, or something emotional like that?¡± Saying so and seeing Kasser fall into serious thought once again, Eugene burst into laughter. ¡°How can you split a person into two? Who am I now, then?¡±


    ¡°You are Eugene.¡±

 Chapter 151

    Eugene felt as if her breath was caught in her throat, she stopped laughing. She looked at him in some shock. Had he found her out? But that was impossible. Who could possibly imagine the truth?


    ¡°You said you wanted me to call you Eugene. That¡¯s the ¡®you¡¯ that I want to start over with.¡± He explained to avoid being misunderstood.


    ¡°And if I were to recover my memory and return to my past self?¡± She countered.


    Kasser responded with a dry smile. ¡°I apologize if it seemed as if I was engaging in foolish wordplay. You are right that it¡¯s not possible to split your past self away from you. So, even if you were to remember everything and return to the way you were before, that is all right. As long as your current character does not disappear completely, you will of course still be yourself. I¡¯m not denying that fact.¡±


    As she delved, she realized he did not think of ¡®Jin¡¯ and ¡®Eugene¡¯ as two different people. But what he said was even more surprising to her than if he had said that he knew they were two different beings. It seemed like, even as he said ¡°I can¡¯t handle your past self,¡± he was also saying that he didn¡¯t care about how her past was at all.


    If this had happened just a few days ago, Eugene would have been sadly unable to respond to him. She had been wandering through this world trying to figure out her own identity. But after yesterday¡¯s events, her internal identity crisis had quieted. That said, there was still a pressing, gnawing query.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I know this is a strange question to suddenly ask in this situation, but ¡­ is Ramita a power connected to the soul, or to the body?¡±


    Kasser didn¡¯t hesitate for even a moment in his reply. ¡°To the soul, of course.¡±


    The absolute certainty in his answer comforted her. Whoever Eugene thought she was, she was, without doubt, an Anika. She had the right to confidently live out her life in this world. At least, this part of her was no illusion or lie. The incident and the theories she had gathered, all pointed to the fact that at least some part of what his world saw her as, an Anika, was true.


    ¡°Eugene,¡± Kasser said, ¡°In the past, I didn¡¯t understand you. In fact, I didn¡¯t even try to. But of course, this place would have felt strange and unfamiliar to someone like you, who left your homeland and traveled afar. If I had tried to talk with you more back then, like I¡¯m doing right now, things might have been different.¡±


    As he spoke, Kasser became embarrassed and ashamed of his own small-mindedness. He realized that in the past, he hadn¡¯t thought even once to knock on the doors of his queen, who had always stuck to her own little world. The difference in their relationship now was almost all due to her efforts.


    Eugene shook her head. The past that the king regretted so deeply, was actually a relief to her current self. If this man had loved Jin, then she would have felt nothing but guilt and pain every time she looked at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about the past,¡± she said to him. ¡°My memory hasn¡¯t even fully returned, and I¡¯ve decided now to go forward only looking ahead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to say.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± she tilted her head, looking at him quizzically.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying, let¡¯s only look ahead and go forward together, from now on.¡±


    As she watched a smile spread across Kasser¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t help reciprocating. Of course, she understood his meaning, to continue to improve and grow together in their relationship moving forward. But what was with this business-like and completely boring way of expressing it as if they were making a trade agreement or something?


    She liked him. It was an emotion that felt soft and squishy in her chest. Of course, there were many reasons that led to her liking of him. His good personality, great looks, his position of power, etc.


    When your emotions start moving, however, you start liking that person for themself regardless of all of those good and practical reasons. Eugene had come to the point where she was attracted to the very man that was Kasser. Her feelings wouldn¡¯t change, regardless of his status and identity.


    But she didn¡¯t want her love to be one-sided. She wanted him to like her as much as she liked him. From this current conversation, though, she could not figure out what his emotions towards her exactly were. She could be straightforward and ask, ¡°Do you like me?¡±. But she got the feeling that whatever his answer, she would not be able to know whether it was really true. It¡¯s possible that he only needed someone to hold the position of queen in his kingdom. And knowing what a dedicated ruler Kasser was, it wasn¡¯t a far fetched notion.


    Eugene smiled lightly and nodded. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s start over, then. You¡¯re saying let¡¯s not speak of the contract anymore, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 152

    Kasser looked at her with an uncertain expression. He had heard the answer he wanted to hear from her, but somehow it wasn¡¯t quite satisfactory. There seemed to be something important that was missing, but he wasn¡¯t able to put a finger on it.


    ¡°But whatever my goal for our marriage was, there¡¯s no need for you to fulfill that now. So there¡¯s no need to go to the Sang-je to try to recover my memory for that reason.¡±


    Even if Eugene went to the Sang-je, there was, of course, no hope of recovering her memory. Since the problem wasn¡¯t actually memory loss, it was the fact that she had become a totally different person. And no matter how powerful the Holy One was, there was no way he could come up with an explanation, much less a solution, to this bizarre occurrence.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll decide when I go to the Sang-je. Don¡¯t send out any royal orders to the Holy City.¡±


    Kasser seemed unconvinced. ¡°It¡¯s not just about your memory.¡± He clarified. ¡°It¡¯s because your Ramita has been strange.¡±


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t had any physical issues.¡± Eugene pointed.


    ¡°I¡¯m also worried you may have overexerted your powers.¡± He had, at last, come clean of his reason to seek out the Sang-je.


    ¡°You mean the water might have run dry?¡±


    Kasser recalled the vision of the water that had filled up the entire bedroom earlier. The foreign and queer feeling it gave, defeating all logic and rationale.


    ¡°Although that doesn¡¯t seem likely to be the case.¡± Somewhere Eugene could connect this to the incident with the Lark, but there was no way she could say with certainty what more convince the man who had been through it. ¡°If you¡¯re that worried, there¡¯s a solution. We can just find out whether it¡¯s run dry or still fine.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Kasser looked at her eagerly. If there was a way to bypass the Sang-je, he would merrily jump at it.


    ¡°We could test the seed-¡±


    ¡°Eugene!¡±


    At Kasser¡¯s raised voice, Eugene screwed her eyes shut. She knew she had touched the taboo, and how much this man was against that idea. Nonetheless, she had wanted to take a chance, hoping the incident would have influenced him. But it seems somethings remained.


    As she opened her gleaming orbs again to look at him, she smiled playfully. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go ¡­ please?¡±


    As if possessed Kasser looked into her sparkling black eyes. His insides seemed to flutter as if something were floating around in there. He felt he would do anything for her.


    ¡°Do as you please, then.¡±


    He suddenly felt he had become weak. Having always been stronger than others, it was his first time experiencing such a feeling of powerlessness. But the weirder thing was, he didn¡¯t mind it.


    ?


    After sunset the second day, Eugene went out of the castle to visit the Lark Tree. She¡¯d had no intention to go undercover at first, but this time Kasser had insisted on it. And once she approached the tree, she realized why.


    There was a sea of people gathered around the tree. In order to get through the crowd and closer to the tree, there was no way that she wouldn¡¯t bump into other people. But Eugene was able to go forth easily thanks to Kasser¡¯s protective maneuvers around her.


    It¡¯s nice to have someone tall and strong to open up the way.


    They were ambling their way forward. Eugene only assumed it was due to the throng, but that wasn¡¯t the only reason. They were slow because Kasser was busy pushing away the people around them who came even a little too close to Eugene. He didn¡¯t like the idea of anyone touching her. It wasn¡¯t just for her safety, he just didn¡¯t like it.


    After a lot of tugging and pushing, the pair of royalty finally made it to the fore and. There was a fence around the tree, and soldiers were guarding it. A little further around the first fence, there was also a second fence that had been put up. If the first fence was to protect the tree, the second one was to prevent people from coming near it.


    The security is heavy, huh.


    Eugene had heard of the rumors that were spreading around, so she understood the reason for the enclosures. But she was still a little sad. It would have been nice if people could have sat in the shade of the tree or just comfortably enjoyed its presence like with the tree in the town square.


    Right then, she was brought out of her musings by the murmurings around her.


    ¡°This tree is even larger than I had expected from what I heard!¡±


    ¡°It was definitely worth a whole day¡¯s walk to come and see it. Even just looking at it, it seems sanctified.¡±


    ¡°Was this tree really a Lark?¡±


    ¡°They say that as soon as the queen showed up, the Lark trembled on the ground in fear.¡±


    ¡°I heard that all she had to do was say, ¡®Become a tree!¡¯ and it did!¡±


    As she listened to all the ramblings around her, Eugene flushed. She had heard of the rumor that a branch of the tree could become a charm to chase away Larks, but here it seemed that rumors far beyond that were already starting to spread.


    She felt embarrassed to listen to these people praising her to each other while confidently telling these ridiculous stories as if they had seen it themselves.

 Chapter 153

    Eugene looked up at the tree in awe. It looked like any regular old tree on the outside. When you looked at it, without knowing anything, you would have never thought that it was once a Lark.


    ¡®Is this really something I did?¡¯ She thought in disbelief.


    Eugene had passed out the moment she watched the Lark, that had touched her hand, begin to transform into a tree. The more she took in the sight of this fully grown tree, the more she thought it was even larger than she expected.


    ¡°My Ramita¡­¡± she murmured to herself.


    Would the original Jin have been able to do something like this?


    She thought about how comparable the people of this reality were to the characters in the novel she had written.


    For example, the man right behind her, the Desert King, Kasser. His name, position, and ability were all exactly the same as what she had written down in her novel. Another was Jin Anika, whose body Eugene had taken, she was the same way too. Everything down to her name, position, and even the fact that she married the Desert King and came to the Hashi kingdom was exactly as in the novel as well.


    In the novel, the reason that Jin Anika coveted the power of Mara despite her status and wealth was because she was insecure because, though she was an Anika by birth, she didn¡¯t possess the power that an Anika should. The one they were born with.


    Eugene then recalled one of the lines that she had written in the novel.


    ¡®The power of Jin Anika¡¯s Ramita was weak ever since birth. Her body was akin to an empty bowl, and thus craved the powers of darkness. This allowed her to be ensnared with evil magic all the more.¡¯


    ¡®I wonder what the strength of Jin¡¯s Ramita was like before I entered this body,¡¯ Eugene thought to herself.


    Her dream of swimming in the endless waters of the ocean was still vivid in her memory. And she was certain that lucid dream had been her own. She couldn¡¯t explain it, but she felt that the world inside of that dream had been made entirely for her.


    ¡®I wonder why Jin met with the Servants of Mara.¡¯


    Was it simply to gain the power of Mara, like in the novel? Or was there another reason?


    ¡®If only I knew the reason why she married the Desert King, that could be a hint.¡¯


    Though she had a few snippets of Jin here and there, she didn¡¯t have any memory at all from when Jin decided to marry the Desert King, and thus couldn¡¯t deduce what she wanted at that time.


    But honestly, Eugene didn¡¯t mind that she didn¡¯t have access to these memories.


    If her own memories had indeed been overwritten to make it so as if she was actually Jin, then she wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell who she really was. And that would¡¯ve been a great problem for her, and she wouldn¡¯t want that. She preferred the situation as it is.


    She wanted to be separate from Jin, she wanted to be Eugene. Someone with her own thoughts and consciousness, but has enough insight on the events that transpired in Jin Anika¡¯s life before.


    Eventually the growing crowd had pulled her out of her thoughts as their growing mumbling broke through. She could even hear some of the things they were whispering to each other¡­


    ¡°So does this mean that our Queen Anika is the most powerful person in the whole world? Since she would be able to turn any Lark into a tree like this with just one touch.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that right?¡±


    More and other theories of the same idea were beginning to spread. She wanted to remain ignorant, and ignore their poorly hidden praise, but it was difficult. It was apparent to her they were beginning to see her as this amazing Queen, a hero. Already they¡¯ve had grandeur expectations of her, and imagining wildly about what she could do¡­


    She turned back to face Kasser. He lowered his head slightly towards hers once she did, and she tilted her head and whispered to him¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave now.¡±


    ¡°What about the tree branch?¡± he whispered back in inquiry¡­


    Eugene had wanted to not only to see the Lark tree with her own eyes, but also to break off one of its branches to bring back with her to the palace. She was curious as to whether the tree would hold some sort of special power due to its transformation from her Ramita.


    But as soon as she had seen the tree, she had known. This tree was already no longer a Lark, not anymore.


    Larks always gave off a very distinct, disconcerting feeling when it came to her. When she had asked Kasser, he said that he felt it as well. Almost akin to sensing the change in the air from a dry period to an active period.


    There were just some things that only those with special powers could sense.


    At this point, if they were to approach any closer to the tree, they would surely become the center of the crowd¡¯s attention once more. And should they break off a branch off of it, chaos might break out in their midst. Even if there was some sort of special power in the tree, it couldn¡¯t possibly be so groundbreaking that it would be worth the risk, she quickly decided.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t need it.¡± she brushed off, ¡°And besides, I think it would be difficult to break off a branch right now. Later perhaps, when there are less people around, I want to come back and take a closer look.¡±


    ¡®Later, huh? I¡¯m not so sure about that¡­¡¯ thought Kasser.


    He predicted that he would not be able to order the fence to be taken down any time soon. The crowd seemed huge this time, but it was still the active season ¨C as soon as the dry season would begin, he could expect even more people would come flocking to see the tree.


    And because rumors like this spread like wildfire, it was highly possible the news would reach people from other nations. Once that happened, they would likely come flooding the kingdom, clamoring to see it for themselves.


    The two of them then began making their way through the crowd, intending to return. As they were leaving, it made them move a lot faster in leaving as they left the dense crowd behind.

 Chapter 154

    Once the two had finally made it to the outer edge of the crowd, the royal escorts began moving and joined them immediately on sight.


    Perhaps it would have been easier making their way through the crowd escorted by their guards, but the queen was also a major aspect of why the crowd was over eager to gather. They wanted to see her in person, and being surrounded by the guards would defeat the purpose.


    Before she even got on the carriage, Eugene turned around and took one final look around her. Her eyes skimmed through each of the guards with her, but noted not one of them was someone she recognized. She thought it strange, especially since she hadn¡¯t seen Sven, or any of the other guards she was familiar with since they¡¯ve left the castle.


    She finally went in, and sat down, before the carriage finally moved. Once in the privacy of the carriage confines, Eugene turned to Kasser.


    ¡°Your Highness, the guards with me on that day,¡± she began, ¡°Were any of them injured?¡± she asked with worry.


    ¡°No.¡± he replied, and Eugene felt the relief slip into her frame as she finally relaxed.


    She made a mistake that day. She¡¯d given them orders to evacuate the citizens, but hadn¡¯t given them any orders what to do after that, and thus had given them a half-command.


    ¡°Then, where¡¯s Sven? I haven¡¯t seen him.¡± she added.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking into choosing a new group of escorts for you.¡± he informed her. And Eugene whipped her head towards him in surprise, her eyes widening.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It would be better for you to choose those with actual formal training in being a royal escort. Your original escorts had never even had any escorting experience before.¡± he explained, and Eugene felt dismayed.


    So it was just as she thought. Her lack of orders she had given that day had caused them troubles, and as a result, Kasser thought it would be better to replace them.


    ¡°Did Sven refuse to escort me any longer?¡± she fretted, but Kasser dismissed her worries.


    ¡°Whether or not he remains to be your escort is no decision of Sven.¡± his tone made Eugene feel cold, as if he no longer wanted to discuss the topic. Immediately she recalled his furious statements from yesterday¡­


    ¡®You fell off your horse! Don¡¯t you know how dangerous it is to fall off of your horse?!¡¯


    Sven had been the only one present when Eugene had fallen off of her horse. So the only way that Kasser could know about what had happened was if Sven had told him about it, because Eugene certainly hadn¡¯t told the king.


    Her falling from the horse was not even Sven¡¯s fault. She knew that it had been a dangerous situation, additionally, he had disobeyed the king¡¯s orders to return immediately to the castle, but that was because of her own insistence. She felt a cold dread settle in the pit of her stomach.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Is Sven being punished?¡±


    Kasser did not respond. But his silence was a resounding yes to her ears. Eugene could not bear the thought of Sven being punished because of her own faults.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Sven didn¡¯t even do anything wrong. I was stubborn. Sven did his best to try to discourage me from doing what I wanted. Even the other guards were only obeying my orders.¡± she pleaded. Those guards had had no other choice. If they had ignored her direct orders in favor of following the king¡¯s orders, they could have received punishment for disobedience.


    Kasser finally looked at her as she pleaded, but he remained silent as he stared her down. For the first time since they got close, Eugene felt a crippling fear of him.


    She was painfully reminded that this is the King. In a society with a caste-system as theirs, being king gave you boundless authority, far beyond the highest power the world Eugene came from had. With his word alone, a man could either live or die.


    She felt a sudden empathy for Sven and the other guards.


    Back in her own world, she had been chased down by loan sharks for money that she had never even seen before, and she had lost her job because of her gambling-addicted brother who had made a scene in front of her company building.


    To live a life that was completely controlled by others against your own will¡­


    It was truly demeaning.


    She shuddered at the thought that she might become the reason that these people with so much potential ended up having no future.


    ¡°Please, I would rather that you punish me instead. The fact that innocent people would have to take on the punishment for my own wrongs¡­ it¡¯s too awful.¡± she continued.


    Kasser let out a small sigh.


    When he saw her expression as she said the words ¡®too awful¡¯, she looked as if it was too much for someone simply trying to protect those that they cared about. It resembled greatly the expression of someone who detested extreme injustice.


    To be completely honest, he himself had been hesitant to give the order to put the guards in prison. And now that the queen had awoken in good health, he hadn¡¯t any intention of giving them a harsh punishment after that. He had only been meaning to end it with just a short probation and changing out the queen¡¯s official escorts.


    But if Eugene herself was going to be so stubbornly opposed to the idea, then was there even a point to punishing the guards at all?


    ¡°So what is it that you want, then?¡± he sighed out, and Eugene blinked before thinking about it.


    ¡°Have you already ordered their punishment?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. They¡¯re on probation.¡±


    ¡°Then probation is enough. Give them back their positions. And I would like it if they could keep escorting me as well.¡± she told him. Kasser seemed to be mulling about it for a while, before he finally sighed.


    ¡°Alright.¡± he agreed resignedly.

 Chapter 155

    Surprised at how easily he agreed to do as she wanted, Eugene regarded him with some suspicion and examined his expression. Kasser gave her a light smile when he noticed her observing him.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m saying I¡¯ll do as you please.¡±


    The carriage slowly came to a halt. After a moment, they heard the sound of someone outside saying ¡°Your Majesties, I shall open the door now.¡±


    Eugene called out to Kasser as he stood up from his seat. When he turned his head to face her, she felt a mixture of grateful and apologetic wash over her.


    ¡°Was I too stubborn? I didn¡¯t mean to make you do anything too extreme.¡±


    ¡°You acting stubborn wouldn¡¯t make the impossible somehow become possible.¡± he reassured her.


    Above his face, she suddenly saw a vision. It was a memory belonging to Jin.


    ¡®If there¡¯s something you want, just ask for it. Your acting won¡¯t make the impossible become possible.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re no fun. Well, I want to see the treasure room.¡¯


    Before she could even begin to interpret what she had just seen, Kasser had stepped off of the carriage and was offering his hand to her. She took it and also stepped down from the carriage.


    ¡°Your Majesties, welcome back.¡± Marianne, who had come to welcome the two of them, bowed deeply. Eugene smiled a bit sadly as she looked at Marianne.


    Since yesterday, her feelings when she saw Marianne had changed. It was mainly because of Jin¡¯s memories that would come to her every time that she looked at Marianne.


    It began right after she had her lucid dream. Eugene had started seeing Jin¡¯s memories much more frequently. Before, they had mostly consisted of just familiar feelings or frozen scenes from the past, but now she could see moving pictures and even hear the words being said.


    The way that the memories came was similar to before. There had to be some sort of reason or trigger for them. People, places, conversations, and many more¡­


    But the thing that had her shaken the most was the memory she had seen yesterday when she saw Marianne was quite unpleasant.


    She had been shocked at the very first scene she saw, in which Jin had thrown a cup of tea right into Marianne¡¯s face.


    ¡®How disrespectful. Don¡¯t talk back to me, you swine.¡¯ Jin had spat at her. Every memory after that had only been filled with similar instances. Insult after insult Jin hurled at the woman, who had raised the king, someone decades older than herself.


    She always did look down on people born in the lower class, or non royal.


    And despite knowing that it wasn¡¯t her that did this, Eugene still felt as if the actions were her own. And she was deeply apologetic for it. But the more she saw Jin¡¯s memories, the more she felt amazed by Marianne and her strength.


    She continued to help her, Eugene, knowing the fact Jin had been cruel before.


    From the memories as well, Eugene knew now how Jin had once spoken to others before. She knew if she were to have met someone like that before, then she wouldn¡¯t have mistaken them for anyone else but nasty. Jin had always spoken to the king with a sickly sweet voice, a nectar filled with poison, but spoke the opposite way towards others, even Marianne.


    As soon as the king went inside the castle, with a few servants scrambling after him for reports, Eugene fell in step with Marianne, both walking at a leisurely pace.


    ¡°Have you been able to see the tree, Your Majesty?¡± Marianne asked her.


    ¡°We did see it. But there were too many people there.¡± she answered, and Marianne nodded in understanding.


    ¡°It¡¯s all anyone¡¯s talking about these days, no matter where you go, it¡¯s no surprise there would be a crowd. I¡¯d like to see it too. ¡° she sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s really just a tree. You would be disappointed if you got your hopes up for something special.¡±


    ¡°I could never be disappointed. Even getting to see it with my own two eyes would be an honor.¡±


    Eugene had heard from Kasser yesterday about the water that had filled the bedroom. He had said that Marianne had witnessed it as well, but Marianne herself didn¡¯t mention anything about it or ask about it at all. Her attitude hadn¡¯t changed one bit.


    ¡°A servant stopped by your office earlier. He had brought some documents from His Highness, so I placed them on the desk.¡± Marianne informed her.


    ¡°Really? I wonder what it is.¡± She mused. Eugene went into her office where she saw the envelope laying atop her desk.


    She took the envelope,  and opened it. She took out the documents inside to scan them.


    They were documents she had seen before ¨C the ones submitted by the candidates for the position of queen¡¯s aide. She remembered that the king had taken these in order to take a look at them. But the stack of documents was much thinner than when she had last seen them.


    ¡®Why are there only three candidates here? Oh¡­ right. I¡¯d asked him to make recommendations. I suppose these are the ones he¡¯s recommending, then?¡¯ she thought as she perused through them.


    She looked through the documents of the three remaining candidates. Two in their late twenties, one in her early thirties. All three were female.


    ¡®I guess these three must be the most skilled.¡¯


    Eugene, of course, had no clue who any of these people were. She trusted that the king would have recommended people who he believed would do the job well.


    She had the thought that maybe Marianne would know one of these people, so she called her in to ask. And just as she expected, instead of simply shaking her head no, Marianne had told her that she would go and find out the general consensus on these people. This made Eugene happy.


    ¡°Thank you, Marianne.¡±


    ¡°Im simply fulfilling my duties, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and also.¡± Eugene had almost forgotten about the memory she had seen as she was stepping off the carriage. But now she suddenly remembered it again.


    ¡°What is the ¡®treasure room¡¯? And where is it?¡±

 Chapter 156

    Upon hearing the question, Marianne¡¯s expression changed. Eugene didn¡¯t think too much of it when she asked about what the treasure is, and where it is located.


    Marianne let out a sigh of resignation, making her look frustrated. She didn¡¯t want to appear too nonchalant, as doing so would look like she¡¯s trying to deceive the Queen.


    ¡°Where did you hear about this?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it. I remembered it.¡±


    ¡°You remembered it?¡± Marianne asked in a confused tone.


    Suddenly feeling anxious, Marianne¡¯s face fell into a stony expression- the same expression she sported when Eugene came back after a meeting with Rodrigo.


    At first, Eugene thought nothing of Marianne¡¯s stiff relationship with Jin, just like when it¡¯s with Kasser. But she came to understand what Marianne was truly afraid of.


    Eugene saw from Jin¡¯s memories that Marianne was treated unfairly for such a long time. She felt sorry for Marianne, who had to suffer on her own, until now.


    She realized that Marianne will always be cautious around her, having no idea that there is another person inside the queen¡¯s body.


    ¡°My memories has yet to return completely, but I do remember some of them. And I am able to recall the harsh treatment I bestowed upon you.¡±


    Marianne¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing the Queen¡¯s words. She smiled towards the person in front of her. Eugene tried to continue but she was suddenly cut short-


    ¡°My Queen¡±, Marianne said in a soft voice


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± she continued, ¡°It¡¯s something that happened in the past.¡±


    Eugene looked at Marianne quizzically, as if confused.¡°Is this one of the rules a person should follow, when belonging to the high society?¡±


    Eugene did not have a set of social etiquettes to study from- she simply got it from Marianne, and learned from experience.


    ¡°Yes, sort of. But it does not only apply to social settings, but in all occasions as well.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m not allowed to learn from my mistakes? Or give my sincere apologies?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that you should be careful, especially when you¡¯re in public where a lot of people would be able to hear you. You, along with King Kasser, hold the highest positions in this nation, and lapses are something that should be avoided.¡±


    ¡°What If I make a mistake? I don¡¯t think hiding my mistakes would do the nation well.¡±


    ¡°Apologizing for your faults is enough, but there¡¯s no need for the public to know.¡±


    Eugene nodded with an uncomfortable look on her face. She used to hear about how the King is shameless where she came from, and that may be applicable to her as well.


    ¡°What if I made a personal mistake? How do I apologize then?¡±


    ¡°Invite them somewhere private and go over it with a cup of tea. That should be enough.¡±


    Deep in her thoughts, Eugene insisted on her apology,


    ¡°I still want to apologize to you, Marianne. It¡¯s just the two of us here, anyway. I realized that I treated you harshly and I¡¯m sorry for that. I¡¯m also grateful for you- being with me & helping me. Please continue to do so.¡±


    Marianne paid her respects by bowing a full nighty degree to the Queen in front of her.


    Slowly straightening her back, her face showed calmness- replacing the anxiety that plastered her face a moment ago.


    ¡°My Queen, I cannot tell you about the national treasure.¡±


    ¡°Will I have to ask His Highness?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Queen.¡±


    Eugene nodded.


    She stopped asking about the treasure. Honestly speaking, she did not even hear about it, but when she saw it in Jin¡¯s memories, she¡¯s pretty sure that Marianne knows about the national treasure.


    She didn¡¯t think that Marianne directly lied to her. She knows full well that Marianne was probably instructed- and she¡¯s pretty sure that the one who ordered her was no one but the King himself.


    ***


    Servants had dropped by in the evening.


    Facing her vanity mirror, she stared at her reflection, and saw restlessness written all over her face. She sent the servant back to the King.


    She covered her blushing face with her hands, and she slowly fanned herself, trying to cool the heat emitting from her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± she internally asked herself


    ¡°It¡¯s not even my first time¡±


    The King left the palace and went straight to the repository. It¡¯s been a week since they last slept together, but why did she refuse to sleep with him this time? It will be a while until the King comes back, as he will personally see through the red flare incident.


    ¡°I want us to start over.¡± This is what the King said before he left.


    Eugene¡¯s face became a lot redder than it already is as she reminisced their conversation in her head. Is it because she knew that the King could already differentiate ¡®Jin¡¯ and ¡®Eugene?¡¯ It felt like she¡¯s back to the time when they first spent the night together.

 Chapter 157

    Her heart was furiously beating against her chest and she¡¯s unable to calm herself down. She counted the hours, the minutes until the king¡¯s arrival to the palace.


    However, Kasser did not arrive at his usual time. A steady silence floated outside Eugene¡¯s room, and her anticipation towards his arrival died down.


    ¡°Where could he be at this hour?¡± uttered Eugene with a sullen expression.


    ¡°What is he trying to do?¡± She would just have to wait for the servant to inform her about the King¡¯s whereabouts. Time passed and the King has yet to arrive.


    ¡°He should have told me that he wouldn¡¯t be able to make it,¡± she whined internally


    Drained with all the waiting that she did, she eventually tired herself out, and decided to sleep her distress away.


    When Eugene had fallen asleep, the door quietly opened and revealed the entrance of the king. He specifically told his servants to not inform her about his arrival anymore, as he would be arriving so late in the evening.


    Kasser approached the bed where Eugene currently lay, and seeing her in that state shifted something deep inside the King.


    ¡°Eugene¡±


    Eugene did not move one bit. He too had been impatient lately with what¡¯s happened between them, and time kept slowing down, taunting him with the sight of the sleeping woman before him.


    Kasser should have just sent the reports back to the administration, instead of dealing with it inside the office. He really thought that the reports could be taken care of quickly, and he did not expect that it would take so much of his time.


    He did implement the rule of not postponing a day¡¯s work to the following day. Doing so will only have the employees being heavily reprimanded. As a result, the administration did not hesitate to report to him even if it is past working hours already.


    Tired from today¡¯s events, Kasser sighed and roughly sat on the bed, making the foam jiggle. Despite his movements, Eugene remained soundly asleep.


    He lifted a folded leg onto the bed, leaned his arm onto one knee, and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. He slowly looked at Eugene and he can¡¯t help but stare at her face, with desire looming over his eyes.


    Eugene suddenly turned in the bed, making her pajama dress go up above her knees, revealing her long, slim legs. Kasser shifted his gaze towards her exposed limbs. All his blood ran down south, his pants suddenly feeling tight and uncomfortable.


    He couldn¡¯t wait any longer.


    Kasser scooted near Eugene¡¯s legs as he grabbed both her ankles, feeling his way up to her exposed calves and gently massaged them. Her smooth skin felt so soft and wonderful under his large hands and from then on, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to restrain himself anymore.


    He continued feeling his way up to Eugene¡¯s body, softly caressing all of her spots and he leaned down on her, hovering above her while placing both his arms on the sides of her head. He kissed her forehead first, then the eyes, nose and lips.


    Eugene stirred slowly from Kasser¡¯s ministrations. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the man hovering above her. Still dazed with sleep, she mumbled a soft ¡°hmmm¡±, still confused on what¡¯s really happening.


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    Kasser no longer reigned himself in as he aggressively kissed all over Eugene¡¯s face. The kisses seem to never stop, making Eugene giggle at Kasser¡¯s actions.


    He then kissed her mouth, swallowing her giggles along the way. He forcefully pushed his tongue towards hers as proceeded on sucking and kissing.


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    Eugene let out a short sound. She can feel Kasser surrounding her mentally and physically as she felt sensations all over her body. She also felt something poking into her middle.


    Finally realizing what¡¯s going on, Eugene¡¯s no longer sleepy as heat pooled around her stomach as she wrapped her arms around Kasser¡¯s neck. His scent filled her nostrils as they kissed.


    Kasser thoroughly explored her mouth- never stopping while feeling around Eugene¡¯s legs with one hand. He grabbed Eugene¡¯s leg and wrapped it around his waist as her dress rolls up to her stomach.


    Eugene then wrapped her other leg to his waist, clinging herself to him completely. They are now wrapped with one another like inseparable vines. He pushed his hardness against the clothed space between her legs.


    They are still not fully together since they haven¡¯t discarded their undergarments yet. But Kasser kept on grinding his hips against Eugene¡¯s, stimulating her even more.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ mmm..¡±


    Eugene let out a low moan as they pushed into one another, the roll of their hips simultaneously grinding together, not slowing themselves down as they pushed & pushed, pleasure skyrocketing between them.

 Chapter 158

    She didn¡¯t exactly know what she wanted. But she knew for sure that she longed for this man hovering above her to keep doing what he does. The sensations hit her so deeply that she almost felt frustrated, wanting more pleasure to bring her to completion.


    She gripped her thighs more tightly to his waist and slightly raised her hips to seek more friction. Centering her middle to match his as they continually grind on each other.


    He almost lost it. The muscles on his back stretched taut and the immense lu$t overwhelmed his senses. He waited so long for this night to come and it¡¯s finally happening. He didn¡¯t rush as he took his time in unraveling his woman, feeling like he¡¯s got all the time in the world.


    He pressed his mouth further against hers. His t0ngue swept inside as if he¡¯s searching for something, deepening the kiss once more.


    Eugene¡¯s eyes fluttered. The way he caressed her tongue and sucking it into his mouth ignited her senses so much that it consumed her whole being. Electrifying her nerves in the process.


    She matched her breathing with his, feeling that it is more pleasurable that way when they are in perfect synchronization.


    ¡°Mmmh.¡±


    A series of mo@ns kept slipping past her mouth as she struggled to keep them at bay. How could she when she was already feeling so overwhelmed by his actions- from his hands that kept on massaging her twin peaks, and his er3ction that never stopped grinding against her middle.


    She first thought that making love with him would somehow exhaust her. He was always passionate and persistent, and to top it all off, his stamina was also incredible. He no longer held himself back from his intense desires, and she didn¡¯t mind one bit.


    But tonight, he seemed more desperate than usual. His energy skyrocketed as if Eugene had woken up the beast inside him.


    He finally lets go of her tongue, which is almost numb from all the sucking he¡¯s been doing. Eugene gasped as he dove straight into her neck, and sucked the delicate skin there.


    He busied himself with her neck as he kept on sucking and nibbling, tickling her slightly as she let out a small whimper, feeling overpowered. He moved his mouth next to her ear and whispered huskily,


    ¡°Arms up.¡±


    It felt like he finally reached his limit. With a shaky breath, she obediently raised her arms above her head, completely submitting to him.


    Without missing a beat, he took hold of her hem and easily rolled her nightgown upwards, removing the dress from her body.


    She bit her lips raw as she felt her whole body throb in pleasure. Seeing him struggling to restrain himself makes her feel so excited, like how he softly caresses her limbs while his eyes are nothing but predatory, or how he¡¯s trying to resist his hands from seizing her completely, making sure she knows that she¡¯s well taken care of.


    It is as if she¡¯s watching him struggle right in front of her, conflicted between being a gentleman and ravaging her completely. It really spurred her on.


    No one knows he¡¯s like this. Not even his nanny who watched him grow up, that the King who was always cold, calculating and disciplined is unable to restrain himself from lu$t.


    Eugene liked the thought that only she gets to know this side of him. A knowledge that could only be shared between the two of them, man and wife, making her feel that she¡¯s closer to him than ever.


    She felt chills went up her body as the night air swept in. But it didn¡¯t last long; her body was quickly covered by a damp, muscular one, engulfing her in the process.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Her back arched reflexively when he placed his mouth over her breast, sucking on it greedily. Her skin stretched taut under his tongue.


    Kasser buried his nose into her chest, inhaling her flesh deeply, and her soft, sweet scent captivating his nostrils. Simultaneously licking, and breathing in her scent at the same time.


    He continued on tasting her body, marveling at her sweet taste that seemed to paralyze his senses.


    He wasn¡¯t even sure if he¡¯s this real¡ªnot sure if he¡¯s just imagining it. Lustful desires quickly took over his senses and filled him in a euphoric trance. He was also aware that all of his five senses are reacting to the woman beneath him.


    He suddenly wished that he could throw away his reputation as king just to ask someone, anyone. Was this what s3x between a man and a woman was always like? Why did he only desire and thirst after her all the more, with every time that he made love to her?


    Did everyone feel the same ecstasy?


    Emotions and excitement die down when repeated continually. That is a given. He remembered when he first successfully killed a lark, he couldn¡¯t keep his excitement at all. But now, he barely had it in him to be excited even if he killed a dozen of them in a day.


    But why was it that his desire for her did not seem to weaken? Instead, it only seemed to grow stronger every time. He¡¯s almost afraid of the fact that he may be lu$ting after her regardless of where he is.


    And every time he¡¯s reminded that it¡¯s his wife he had desires for, he felt like he¡¯s on top of the world, and excitement bloomed through his veins.


    He licked on her taut bud and pressed on it with his mouth. Rolling it and teasing it all the more with his tongue.


    Her body trembled underneath him, shaking from his actions. He was reminded yet again that only him got to taste her sweetness.


    ¡°Mine.¡± A strong feeling of possessiveness overcame him and his blue eyes darkened even more.

 Chapter 159

    His hand traveled down her body, skimming her ribs and grasping at her hips. Her slightly damp skin felt so good under his fingertips, her curves enticing him even more. It felt endless as he ran his hand along her figure.


    He¡¯s having difficulty keeping his thoughts straight. His whole being feels like he¡¯s on fire, and his er3ction was hard as stone.


    He remembered how it felt being inside her, how her tightness seemed to engulf him completely. His body was begging for release, for climax.


    But he kept on restraining himself, wanting to prolong this moment even further. ¡®A little more¡­ just a little more.¡¯ He whispered repeatedly to himself.


    He finally removed his lips from her bre@sts and slowly moved to her chest, lining up kisses along her stomach, her hips and continued to move downwards.


    His lips made its¡¯ way to her privates, grazing his teeth along the fabric of her underwe@r.


    ¡°Nnh!¡±


    Her body succumbed to the gentle kisses he¡¯s giving her, and involuntarily thrust her hips upward. She was about to close her spread legs but was abruptly stopped by his hands.


    His hands had been kneading along the inside of her thighs, and he grasped her from behind as he pulled her underwear down.


    Eugene screwed her eyes shut and turned her head to the side. She suddenly felt so exposed, with the cold air biting at her now bare body.


    He spread her legs even further and her face felt hot from embarrassment.


    She lay still and obedient as she nibbled on her lips. She felt shy as her body trembled with expectation.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Fireworks exploded behind her eyes as he caressed her s3x with his lips, and proceeded to lick up and down.


    How could he do this? She never imagined something like this happening. She didn¡¯t think that she could get used to this.


    But after a few moments, the pleasure seemed to escalate.


    ¡°Ahh.. Mhm¡­¡±


    Her whole body trembled. The pleasure she felt seemed endless. And every time his nose brush past her nether lips, it felt like she was being electrified.


    He tickled her cl!t with his tongue then gathered it fully to his lips as he sucked. The feeling surprised her so much that she moaned loudly.


    ¡°Ah! Ahhh¡±


    He licked all the juices that came out of her. His lips kept on moving against her folds, taking his time like he did with her bre@sts. He pressed on her inner skin and drove this tongue deeper.


    ¡°Nnnh!¡±


    She mumbled incoherently as she arched her back and came. Her hips jerked in spasms, and her eyelids saw nothing but white, hot pleasure as the sensation traveled all over body- to her waist, back, and everything.


    ¡°Ahhh¡±


    She gasped for breath. Her s3x still pulsing slightly after reaching its¡¯ clim@x. Her strength left her body completely as she crashed.


    Kasser held her weak legs in his hand and stared at her folds, now moist with her juices.


    He imagined how she would taste like if he were to lick her, and he¡¯s almost tempted to do so.


    He was pretty sure he could spend the entire night tasting and biting all over body, but he pushed away his thoughts to the side.


    He didn¡¯t want to drain her completely with multiple org@sms, as he wanted to prepare her for the grand event.


    He inserted his fingers inside her opening, feeling her inner flesh loose as her entrance swallowed his fingers up. She tried to close her thighs but doing so prompted him to look at her face.


    She shyly avoided his gaze as his mouth curved upwards.


    At first, she felt shy and embarrassed that Kasser mouthed her heat just moments before, now she can easily spread her legs open in front of him. He was charmed by the thought of his wife opening up for him.


    He righted his body as he first removed his shirt, then his pants, and his drawers were gone too. His length was now swollen and fully er3ct.


    Her eyes became huge when she saw it, standing proud and it is more emphasized by the brightly lit room. She wasn¡¯t able to ask for the lights to be turned off.


    It was her first time seeing it in all of its¡¯ glory, gone are the days wherein she could only see its¡¯ outline in the darkness. It was quite large and beyond anything that she could have imagined.


    She felt genuinely confused as to how that thing could hide in a pair of pants without being noticed. It was massive.


    She gasped and lifted her upper body with her elbows. Showing her concerns as he neared her,


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He moved swiftly in front of her and pulled her legs towards him, putting her back into her original position.


    He climbed on top of her as she voiced out her concerns,


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to fit!¡±


    Kasser responded with a short laugh.


    ¡°It will.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s too big.¡±


    ¡°Are you doing this on purpose? If I lose my mind any further, you¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s face went white. As he slowly smiled, she saw the deep blue fire in his eyes. His expression as he licked his own lips seemed indeed like that of someone that had already half lost his mind.


    His hands gripped her thighs as he pushed his hips between her legs, and placed his arms on either side of her head.


    ¡°Ahh..¡±


    Eugene swallowed when she felt his tip at her entrance. She placed her hands atop of his shoulders and she¡¯s unable to push him away. His hardened member slowly passed through her core, and deeply slid into her.

 Chapter 160

    The only sound that echoed in the room were the gasps that escaped from between Eugene¡¯s lips. The pressure that had built up within had suddenly surged up to her throat.


    She couldn¡¯t get the sight of his member out of her mind. It felt so firm, and filled her up so well, she could hardly believe that was the one pushing into her at this very moment. Unlike when it first entered her, it slid in so easily through her slicked walls.


    She was so turned on, she was lubr!cating to make it easier for him. Not to mention the earlier org@sm helped a lot. She definitely felt a lot more loose, and relaxed.


    She remembered the soreness she¡¯d had days after their last time together. But the pleasure outweighed the pain, she hardly paid attention to it. All that mattered now was how she felt like this was a perfect moment, an evidence of how they were made for each other as she readily accepted him without much resistance.


    She had been nervous upon remembering the pain of the very first time he had entered her, but it turned out to be all for nothing. She felt a little embarrassed at having overreacted just now. As her gaze lazily passed over his face, she suddenly locked her eyes on his expression.


    It was her first time seeing his face under bright light as he entered her. His eyebrows were creased as he bit his lower lip in deep concentration. But she could see the undeniable pleasure in his clear blue eyes. She found herself mesmerized just by looking at him, she could only look away.


    A new wave of pleasure washed over her as a sudden heat travelled through her body.


    The pleasure he felt was contagious. She found herself relentlessly writhing and twisting as electric sensations ran through her veins. She heard him suck in a breath, as she felt her walls tightened up around him, she arched her back as he thrusted in rhythmically.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Augh.¡±


    Kasser shuddered. He let out a low and guttural m0an, which escaped from his lips, as if he¡¯d been holding it back for so long, but now couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore.


    She didn¡¯t even realize she could be turned on some more until she heard it. Her body trembled at the sound as she let out breathy gasps.


    ¡°Eugene¡­ unh!¡±


    Her hips rose to meet his thru$ts. Every movement he gave only served to excite Eugene more, the way she saw things, how she heard them¡­


    She could feel herself convulse, suck!ng in sharp breaths¡­


    He must have gasped as she tightened up, because it was only shortly after his breath stuttered could she feel her body seize up once more. She felt so ecstatic, she was almost at the climax.


    It was like a chain reaction had been set off. Her walls were clamping tightly around him, the onslaught of pleasure kept coming, wave after wave after wave¡­


    Kasser threw his head back, eyes squeezed shut, before he looked down, staring at Eugene¡¯s writhing body beneath his, his senses tingling with pleasure. He could feel the sheen of sweat building up on his back, the cold air hitting it¡­


    He slammed himself straight into her, groaning as he bottomed out, fully sheathed inside her.


    ¡°Hnn!¡±


    Eugene¡¯s hands scrambled for purchase on his shoulders, fingertips digging into his skin, threatening to draw blood. Something at the way they pressed in stinging pain woke something in him, and then he saw blinding white as he lost a few seconds of consciousness with one final thrust.


    Eugene¡¯s body met the thrust as she shuddered, gasping for breath as her body shook. She let out a scream of pleasure.


    ¡°Aaahh!¡±


    He took deep breaths, trying to regain lucidity as his hips resumed their thrust!ng against her sensitive entrance. He liked the way her overstimulated walls clammed up at his every movement, trying to sw@llow him, inviting him into her warm core¡­


    But he was thirsty as he was in pleasure. He¡¯d never get used to the feel of being inside her.


    He wanted to go deeper, bury himself deeper inside of her, to reach her womb. It didn¡¯t matter if he had pushed as far as he could, it¡¯s not enough¡­


    Never enough.


    Everything about her was like opium. Her skin, her scent¡­ her voice.


    Oh, her voice, it was like music to his ears, the way she¡¯d call out for him, let out gasps of pleasure and m0an for him to go harder¡­ faster¡­


    Deeper¡­


    Eugene was getting impatient. She could barely move her hips, but that won¡¯t stop her. So she moved her body, lifting her hips as much as she could still do to hurry up his own thrust!ng. Her hands moved to the headboard, lifting her higher up on the pillows¡­


    ¡°Uhh! Ahh!¡±


    She hooked her legs around his waists, her imagination running wild, conjuring images of his penetration. The sudden images flashing through her mind effectively converted her fear to pleasure once more. It made her inhibitions loose, as she soon began acting impulsively.


    Using her legs, she pulled him in, welcoming him even deeper. Kasser couldn¡¯t help but feel himself lose his mind.


    He gave another hard, deep thrust, causing her body to shake and writhe as she fell back onto the bed, pinning her to the mattress.


    ¡°Ah! Hmh!¡±


    It was as if the heat from their two bodies suddenly filled the entire chamber. The sheets of the bed were tossed haphazardly all around their entangled bodies. Eugene could even feel the mattress beginning to get damp from all the sweat and fluids assaulting the sheets.


    Eugene¡¯s eyes fluttered open, her vision blurred and in swirls as she tried to focus. She was too drunk in pleasure, her body felt too hot, she was sinking back into the plane of des!re.

 Chapter 161

    After a few more plunge, the King arched his back. At that moment, Eugene had also found release.


    ¡°Hnng!¡±


    Her body grew taut as she let out a lengthy mo@n. Hot seed spilled into her, coating her insides as she milked him dry. Kasser held his breath as he released thick ropes of white, he was beginning to see stars. It was always such a treat climaxing inside her.


    And then he fell limp, careful not to crush her with his weight. He nuzzled at the crook of her neck as both of them lied still, the sounds of their ragged breaths now the only thing filling the room. It didn¡¯t take long for Kasser¡¯s breathing to even out, but Eugene was still heaving from their frivolous l0vem@king.


    Kasser suddenly burst out in laughter. He raised his head and looked at her with a playful expression.


    ¡°It won¡¯t fit, huh?¡± he teased. And Eugene, who had been trying to catch her breath, could only flush in embarrassment.


    Who could blame her? She was in shock at the sight of him that it was the first thing that came to mind. Coincidentally, it was also the first thing out of her mouth. In hindsight she should¡¯ve known better. They¡¯d been doing it numerous times now, there was no way it wouldn¡¯t fit.


    Of course after she¡¯d said it, she had all but thrown herself at him, enthusiastically wrapping her legs to pull him closer to grind against him in pure pleasure. Even if he were to accuse her of pretending to be naive, she wouldn¡¯t have disagreed.


    She gave him a mean pout, knowing he brought it up intentionally just to tease her.


    ¡°You¡¯re heavy.¡± she huffed. He wasn¡¯t that heavy, but for now, half-heartedly throwing him off her with a poorly made excuse was the only thing she could do. He chuckled at her reaction.


    She was naive yet bold, with a bit of a weird side, and yet that unpredictability was her charm.


    With a sigh, he lifted himself up away from her, before languidly pulling out. His seed dribbled out of her, and her body grew tense, feeling the emptiness for a moment, before she reflexively closed her legs together.


    He laid his body down beside her, positioning his body towards her. He propped his head up on his open palm, as he fixed his eyes upon her with a gentle gaze. He stared at her with a burning desire, she feared she¡¯d catch fire.


    What is this woman? He genuinely wondered. What was it about her that was shaking him to his very core?


    Eugene was confused as to why he was laying there without doing anything to her, but she welcomed this brief respite. She relaxed her body, trying to recover at least a little bit of her strength.


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t help but ask anyway.


    ¡°Do you have something you want to say?¡± she hummed at him.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Kasser took a deep breath as he continued to stare at her unabashed.


    He thought about what a relief it was that he decided not to send her to the Holy City yet. How could he have thought to send her by herself? Right now, he felt he never wanted to let her out of his sight, not even for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s just what?¡± she prodded, tilting her head up at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I neve thought I¡¯d love the thought of simply looking at you this much.¡± He admitted, and Eugene couldn¡¯t help but feel prickles in the back of her eyes. He sounded quite the romantic, but Eugene¡¯s expression held something odd¡­


    ¡°Your body¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to agree with what you¡¯ve just said.¡± she hesitantly rebutted.


    She couldn¡¯t help but think if the room had been dark, his words would¡¯ve been much more romantic. But when he hardened up once more, she couldn¡¯t help but feel the romance part had been ruined, somewhat.


    Kasser suddenly burst into another fit of laughter. Chuckling, he swiftly rolled over on top of her once more. He laced their fingers together as he pinned her down. This was not the time to lie around and do nothing. The night was too still too young.


    The thoughts in his mind were wild and vulgar. He would have no doubt Eugene would¡¯ve been quite embarrassed to learn of them. Swiftly, he leaned down and caught her lips in another bruising kiss. And just like that, he was raring to go once more.


    * * *


    Am I weak to pleasure?


    Eugene thought this to herself as she thought of the passionate l0vem@king they¡¯d engaged in the past night over and over again. The problems she¡¯d had just a week ago, though it caused her tremendous stress that she even lost her appetite, seemed to pale in comparison to what was troubling her now.


    Of course, in that one week, a lot had happened. Eugene had gained the identity of an Anika with an incredibly strong Ramita, and the man who had in all but name, and was formerly known as her husband, had confessed his desire to pursue a proper relationship with her.


    The more she thought about it though, none of her problems had been actually solved yet.


    Eugene still didn¡¯t understand who she was, or why she had come into this world. She also had yet to completely confess everything to the king, and admit to the fact she was an entirely different person, not Jin, not even a bit, but Eugene.


    But right now, none of those thoughts plagued her, but something completely different from two weeks ago. Her deepest fears were all but gone now, and she had the strongest of feelings everything would now turn out alright in the end.


    Is it because of the Ramita? She wondered. Not for the first time she would connect it to the lucid dream she¡¯d had. The freedom she¡¯d experienced from swimming through the endless water had yet to leave her. It was always present, always in the back of her mind.


    And from time to time, thinking about it made her feel wonderful.

 Chapter 162

    Life is so unpredictable. I never thought a day would come when I would actually be able to understand the praise and glory attributed to Anikas, she mused with amusement. Thinking about her Ramita made her feel secure. If before her arrival to Mahar made her feel like she¡¯d won the lottery, now it felt like this was the winning prize!


    She felt invincible, that there wasn¡¯t anything she couldn¡¯t do with her Ramita. It wasn¡¯t like her power had any direct effects on the people around her.


    She was starting to realize that simply spending her days cowering in the fear of the unknown wasn¡¯t going to help with anything. So she felt that there was no longer any need to push Kasser away in fear of not being worthy enough for him.


    Also, it would be ridiculous to take his saying of starting over in the literal sense. Were they supposed to go on dates, and be shy in bed? Pretend to be anything but innocent? They have feelings for each other, but aside from that, she won¡¯t deny she loved him beneath the sheets.


    She¡¯d even gone as far as climaxing from his tongue alone, she¡¯s way past that level of naivety.


    With all these thoughts going through her mind, she barely noticed she¡¯d arrive at the library. Due to there having been so much going on in the past few days, it had been a while since the last time she had visited the place.


    I¡¯ll probably be able to see a new memory.


    Placing her hand on the door handle, she took in a deep breath before pushing the door. On one hand she was feeling excitedly expectant; on the other hand, she felt somewhat afraid of what she might discover.


    She entered the library and closed the door quietly behind her. She slowly looked around the book-filled library walls, fingers lightly trailing against the spine of the books. Nothing had changed since the last time she had come here.


    Even the book she had left upon the table was still exactly how she had left it.


    As she approached the table, Eugene came to a sudden stop. One of Jin¡¯s memories suddenly appeared before her. Eugene held her breath and focused on watching the memory, engraving it into her own.


    Jin had placed an old book on the table and opened its cover. Right next to her, there was a sharp dagger and a brightly lit oil-lantern. She lifted the dagger, passing its blade through the lantern¡¯s flame. Once the blade had been deemed heated enough, she used the dagger to slice through the pages of the book.


    Several of its pages fell to the floor¡­


    ¡®Way of magic, vessel, medium. Looks like I still have a long way to go.¡¯ Jin muttered to herself as she closed the book with a disinterested sigh. Placing the dagger back on the table, Jin closed the book¡­


    And the memory ended.


    Eugene searched around the library, looking for the book that bore the same cover as the one she saw in her memory. Skimming through the endless row seemed endless, and luckily for her, the book that she sought was placed on the table along with other volumes.


    Quickly, she looked for the page that had been roughly cut out by a dagger blade, and the jagged scraps matched the one she saw in Jin¡¯s memory.


    She tried to recall the contents of the page, but the only thing that she saw from the memory was the swift cutting of the blade as it tore through the paper, no memory of Jin reading along the page.


    All she knows from the brief glance that she had is that the pages are full of scientific diagrams and drawings, and a few words strewn across the page written in short phrases describing the illustrations.


    ¡°Way of magic, vessel, medium¡­¡±


    These are the words that Jin muttered to herself. Eugene had no idea what she meant, but she guessed that it might have been important. ¡°It¡¯s probably related to the page that she cut.¡± Eugene thought.


    Having seen this memory, Eugene finally confirmed her suspicions. Jin had not been collecting books as a hobby, but she was looking for something specific, and she had managed to find it in this book, ripped the pages off and kept it to herself.


    ¡°Where could she possibly hide those pages?¡±


    Eugene probed the other books on the table, but unluckily for her she wasn¡¯t able to stir up additional memories. She thought maybe she could search through the room for more clues, but she stopped in her tracks and called it a day. She realized that even if she spends the whole day in the library, she still won¡¯t find out much considering that the memory she remembers is entirely incomplete, deeming the search worthless. The recollection gave her a hint, though.


    She has to use that hint to her advantage and search in a different way.


    She was no longer the girl that didn¡¯t know anything and barely understood everything. No longer the clueless girl that had been dropped into Mahar. She had already learned so much.


    She had access to money and power whenever she needed it. With Marianne acting as her loyal investigator, Eugene¡¯s trust towards her grew stronger. As long as their actions won¡¯t negatively impact the kingdom, everything will fall into place.


    Eugene exited the library. The guard keeping watch in front of the study bowed his head towards her in reverence as she passed him.


    ¡°Once this is all over, I¡¯m going to get rid of that library.¡±


    Eugene wanted to destroy all the remaining traces that Jin had left in this world, starting with that library.  It seemed like she¡¯s committing a crime doing this, but it did not bother her one bit.


    With an unfazed look, Eugene realized, ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s not like Jin did something to me personally¡­¡±


    If anything, she¡¯s the one who¡¯s supposed to be feeling sorry for having taken over Jin¡¯s body. But she couldn¡¯t seem to diminish the hatred she felt for Jin from time to time.

 Chapter 163

    ¡°Way of magic¡­.¡±


    She thought that maybe the diagrams from the torn page had something to do with the words ¡°Way of magic¡±, seeing that Jin had muttered these words while clutching on the sheets.


    There also had been something similar to that on Earth- where she had originally lived. Like that of a dark magic, or the ability to summon demons.


    Back in the Middle Ages when religion reigned all over the world, dark magic was something that was greatly respected, people believed in its existence and they made sure to live their lives in accordance with its teachings. But modern society today was different, and people think of those as nothing but tales.


    Like Earth, science prevails in Mahar. But even with the idealistic nature of Mahar, unexplainable events seem to happen on a daily basis.


    ¡°I wonder if it has something to do with summoning Mara, the God.¡± Eugene thought.


    But then the story didn¡¯t make any sense. Rodrigo said that Jin had disappeared right before the ritual, and it seemed like he didn¡¯t know the reason why the queen went to the desert. If Jin wanted to summon Mara, she shouldn¡¯t feel the need to hide it from them.


    Getting help from the servants of Mara would have benefited Jin so much, but why did she feel the need to gather those old texts instead? It wasn¡¯t as if they didn¡¯t know each other, and she even had the title ¡®Saint¡¯ attached to her name.


    Completely lost in her thoughts, Eugene traversed along the corridors with no maid trailing beside her. She didn¡¯t ask for company because she didn¡¯t think that she would take so long in the library.


    Nearing the galleries, her thoughts drifted to the memories of her playing with Abu. She fondly reminisced as she trudged along.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Abu since that day¡­¡±


    She wasn¡¯t able to thank him properly. If it weren¡¯t for Abu, she would¡¯ve been severely injured from falling off the horse.


    Eugene went to the spot where she and Abu would always meet. She also made sure to arrive at the same time of day like they used to, and even faced the direction where Abu would always come from. She called for him and waited, but the small, black panther did not appear.


    ¡°Abu!¡±


    Eugene called for him again. But still, Abu did not show up. Even with Abu¡¯s absence, Eugene decided to wait further. She was confused as to why the King¡¯s hwansu was not appearing, even though he¡¯s definitely around the area.


    Hwansu is a type of Lark, and now she¡¯s able to sense the presence of a Lark nearby. She was able to perceive them before too, but it had been unclear back then.


    Ever since she had a lucid dream of being able to use her Ramita, her senses seemed to double over and have grown sharper. The peculiar feeling she always sensed from a Lark felt much stronger, more recognizable now.


    ¡°Abu. If you don¡¯t come out right this second, I swear I¡¯m going to leave!¡±


    Upon hearing her words, the small, black panther suddenly made an appearance. He was situated underneath a bush, slowly crawling out of its position, not exuding his usual demeanor of confidence and enthusiasm.


    The panther¡¯s ears were flattened back against its head, and his shoulders stooped low to the ground. He looked almost pitiful in that state.


    She was suddenly reminded of Abu¡¯s fierce state. The sight of Abu fighting a monster whose size is as big as a house is still clear in her mind as if it happened yesterday. Abu was confident and unwavering then, unlike the panther that she was seeing now.


    He looked so cute in this state that she wanted to pull him into a hug and rub her face directly to his soft, matted fur. Laughter is also threatening to burst out of her, but she held it in her chest instead.


    She didn;t know why the panther¡¯s acting like this, but he seemed so serious that she¡¯s glad she¡¯s able to reign her laughter in, not wanting to offend the panther in any way.


    ¡°Abu, what¡¯s wrong? Are you mad at me?¡± Eugene asked.


    He answered her by lying down on the soft ground and wagging his tail. He seemed to be saying ¡®no¡¯.


    ¡°I was really thankful for the help you¡¯ve given me that day. Sorry for saying that just now. Is that why you¡¯re upset?¡± She asked the panther.


    He only continued wagging his tail.


    ¡°Hmmm. What could be the problem? I can¡¯t figure it out.¡±


    Eugene approached Abu slowly, not wanting to scare the panther off as she made her way towards him. Abu didn¡¯t seem bothered with their close proximity. Eugene stretched out her hands and pulled the black panther close to her, closing him into an embrace.


    ¡°Abu, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    As if she was comforting a child, she patted Abu as she held him in her arms. Abu seemed to enjoy her affections that he began to purr at her ministrations. Regaining his spirits quickly, his ears suddenly turned upwards, looking like his old self again.


    The truth was, Abu was not able to forget Eugene¡¯s screams of fear when he threw the rat right next to her.


    After that incident, he was worried that Eugene might not like him anymore. Even when he was praised for helping her when she fell off the horse, it still did not ease his worries away.


    But now with Eugene hugging him and playing with him the same way she always did before, his fears slowly melted down and diminished completely. He even flipped to his back to show his playfulness.


    He could not speak, but he looked at her as if he¡¯s promising her that he will never throw a rat towards her again.

 Chapter 164

    ¡°So cute, Abu.¡±


    Eugene smiled and squatted right next to the panther. She scratched his chin lightly with her fingertips.


    I wonder if the reason why Abu likes me is because of my Ramita¡­


    She heard that Abu didn¡¯t show any interest towards Jin. Jin was an Anika, even if her abilities are weak, she would still have a Ramita.


    Maybe Abu doesn¡¯t react to just any Ramita, but only reacts to a strong, powerful one, like those written in novels where Larks are always gathered around Flora?


    What kind of an ability is a Ramita, exactly?


    She wasn¡¯t entirely sure if the transformation of a Lark into a tree means anything.


    That was just a tree.


    There was nothing suspicious about the tree she had seen yesterday, and the fact that the Lark transformed into a tree, a completely different life form, probably meant that the Lark was already destroyed and from its¡¯ place, a tree was born.


    Destruction is equivalent to death. If that is how a Lark dies, by transforming into a tree, Larks should be avoiding Anikas then. But why do Larks gather themselves around Anikas, instead of trying to get rid of them?


    BANG!


    A loud flare made Eugene look up. Yellow smoke filled the sky as she let out a sigh of relief. She had been through so much, a yellow flare seemed like it¡¯s nothing to worry about.


    Abu, who had been lying on his back and playfully hitting her hand with his snout and paws, suddenly stood back on his feet. He turned his head as if his ears were catching on to something, and he immediately took off running. His tiny body began to grow bigger and bigger.


    ¡°His master must have called for him.¡± Eugene muttered.


    Eugene looked at him running with pride written all over her face. ¡°So bright for a young animal!¡± and then she burst out into laughter.


    She almost forgot that he¡¯s not young, and he¡¯s probably older than she was. Abu was at least several decades old.


    Most Hwansu that has little experience were clumsy, but Abu was more than just smart- in many ways his peers were not.


    Not only that, but he could also easily adapt to the laws of humankind. She heard that his loyalty towards the king was unmatched, but he looked down on other human beings. This only meant that he understood the different levels of hierarchy in the society.


    She had become so used to his cub-like form, always thinking that he was young when he¡¯s not.


    She returned to the castle and a maid came to her with a report.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the royal aides have come to greet you. They are waiting in the drawing room of your office.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Eugene said.


    This morning, Marianne came to Eugene bearing information that the King had recommended three aides for her.


    All three of them bore pretty good reputations, almost faultless, even. So she notified the General that she would be hiring them as royal aides, effective immediately.


    She went to her office¡¯s drawing room. Three women were waiting with tense expressions. According to their resumes, they already had experience, but they all looked nervous and they looked like amateurs when they are not.


    ¡°Greetings, your Majesty.¡± They all greeted her.


    ¡°Greetings. Would you please tell me your names?¡±


    Sandy, Regina, and Sandra. Eugene memorized their names and their corresponding faces as they introduced themselves. They all looked different from one another, each bearing unique looks, so there¡¯s no way Eugene would get all them mixed up.


    ¡°As you all know by now, there is no one here to assign your jobs for you, or give you instructions. You are the first ones here, with no structure currently in place. So I can¡¯t tell you exactly what it is you should be doing. Your job could be easier than expected, but there may be hardships as well. I ask the three of you to trust and help each other out in the task of being my aides. Healthy competition is good, but I will not tolerate problems that will arise from jealousy- such troubles will be dealt with accordingly, so please do keep that in mind.¡±


    Eugene intentionally provided a strict atmosphere with her command. She did not intend to instill fear on her aides, or pressure them in any way.


    It was because she knew that it is better to appear strict and professional, than to seem amiable which will make it easy for them to overstep their boundaries. She did not want to appear na?ve in front of them.


    ¡°We will do as you command, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°We will ensure that there are no problems, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°It is an honor to serve you, and be by your side, Your Grace.¡±


    They all responded dutifully. Eugene was surprised to see such reactions from them, completely different from what she had expected. They stood in their places as their bright, shining eyes regarded the Queen with nothing but admiration and respect.

 Chapter 165

    The assigned aides gave Eugene their full attention as she spoke. Aware of their unwavering gaze, Eugene cleared her throat to ease the intensity of the atmosphere.


    ¡°The greetings are enough for today. I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°We will see you tomorrow, Your Grace.¡± They bid their goodbyes in unison as they turned to leave the room.


    Eugene went to her study to list down all the things she needed to discuss tomorrow with her aides, enumerating all of them down on paper- starting with the budget of the palace.


    Until now, the Chief General was the one in charge of the palace budget. The system went like this: The Chief General provides a detailed plan on how the budget will be spent, making sure that all fund allocations are listed down, and then she presents it to the king to get his approval for budget execution. One can rely on the Chief General¡¯s rational measures.


    No budget misappropriation went under her supervision. However, the plans seemed passive and consistent, and no changes were proposed despite the continual rise of prices every year. This resulted in careful spending by the people in the palace- almost frugal, even.


    No wonder that the chamberlain had come to visit.


    Eugene thought of the day when the chamberlain came to her as he laid out grounds for budget increase. He didn¡¯t say it directly, but he managed to have Eugene understand the need for such allocation.


    She found out that there were little to no extra supplies for those people who are living in the palace. The shortage is obvious, and the current number of supplies would not be able to suffice all the people living there.


    The insufficiency would have made sense if the whole kingdom was poor and poverty-stricken, but it¡¯s not and it¡¯s only like that because of Jin Anika¡¯s costly leisure back then.


    A servant knocked on Eugene¡¯s door.


    ¡°Your Grace, the Chief General is here to see you.¡± The servant said as she entered the study.


    ¡°Send her in.¡± Eugene nodded.


    Sarah came in and greeted the queen formally. Eugene looked at Sarah with a gentle gaze.


    When Eugene had taken responsibility over the budget allocations, she personally checked on all the receipts provided by Sarah. And with that, she began to trust Sarah more. Seeing all the proof of purchases presented to her, and no indication of personal use.


    Although the approval for such purchases came from the king, Sarah was still the one who manages the huge amount of money, and she¡¯s the one who¡¯s distributing it to their respective allocations.


    ¡°Is there something you need to tell me?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°We will be hiring temporary employees. There will be an additional of 12 workers that will start working tomorrow and it¡¯s only until the dry season starts. I also brought a list of their names.¡± Sarah answered.


    Eugene nodded ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Sarah placed the file atop the study¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Do I need to meet these people personally? Did I greet nonpermanent employees back then?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°You have not, Your Grace. There¡¯s no need for you to meet them, as they are not responsible for any work related to you.¡±


    Eugene thought with certainty that she would see Rodrigo¡¯s name on the list. She decided to maintain her ways to find out how Rodrigo neared the palace.


    After Sarah left the study, Eugene opened the file that contains the temporary employees¡¯ names, and she noted that there¡¯s nothing peculiar on that list.


    BOOM!


    Upon hearing the signal flare, Eugene immediately stood up from her desk and went to the window to oversee what¡¯s happening. She smiled when she saw blue smoke floating around the sky.


    She stood watching by the window as the smoke slowly evaporated. ¡°Abu will return with the king mounted on his back.¡± She thought to herself, immediately missing Kasser.


    ¡°The treasure trove.¡±


    Eugene suddenly remembered, and she needed to ask about it to the king. Thinking that it was a good reason, Eugene didn¡¯t hesitate as she turned her back and left the study.


    There was a line leading up to the office. Officials are cueing in to personally deliver their messages to the king. It was an uncommon sight, but it seemed to happen every now and then.


    Two months had already passed since that active period started, and there was only about 26 days left.


    The Hashi regions that are located so far away from the desert get attacked the most. The Larks are always closing in on those regions in the early phase of the active period. Those regions start to let their guards down after a month, and by the end of the second month, officials start to make their journey towards the desert to personally report to the king.


    The officials in line stirred up as they turned around, stunned expressions written all over their faces when they saw the queen approaching the office.


    The queen arrived with her servants. For most of the officials, it was their first time to see the queen personally. But they knew that it was indeed the queen, widely known of her distinct characteristics.


    The queen is well known by her black hair and black eyes that emphasized her beauty completely. She was beautiful and mysterious at the same time. The officials looked at her as if she had a halo floating above her head, fully captivated by the tale of the queen transforming a Lark into a tree.


    Those who are aware of their surroundings bowed quickly as she passed by them. But there were a few officials who remained standing- still in a trance of meeting the queen personally, as they get nudged to their sides by their peers, reminding them to pay their respects.


    The chamberlain ran towards the queen and bowed.


    ¡°Your Grace.¡±


    Eugene was taken aback by the crowd of people waiting in line for the king¡¯s office. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± The queen asked.


    ¡°These officials are about to report to the king, Your Grace.¡±


    Eugene glanced around the crowded area ¡°Is it always like this?¡±


    Not always. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± The chamberlain assured her.


    ¡°I guess the king has more work than usual, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. May I ask what brings our queen here?¡±


    ¡°I came to see His Majesty but it¡¯s not important, really. I will see him later when he¡¯s not busy.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°No, Your Grace.¡± The chamberlain said as he ushered the queen into the reception room and went to the king¡¯s office. It was her first time visiting the king¡¯s workplace. Everyone also knew that the queen and king had been getting along well.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t anything urgent at the moment, I will let His Majesty know right away.¡± Turning around, the chamberlain left.

 Chapter 166

    There were a few people lined up in front of the king¡¯s desk. Kasser¡¯s eyes moved up and down as he read document after document. He wasn¡¯t able to rest at all ever since the day started due to the amount of work that needs to be done.


    He had no choice but to get up in the middle of the night when he was notified of a signal flare. He managed to hunt down the Lark with ease, and he resumed office right after his morning pursuit.


    It was always busy at this time of year. It was an annual occurrence and it is something that he is used to doing, but Kasser desperately did not want to be drowning in work right now.


    Kasser is kneading his temples with one hand, unable to focus on the document in front of him as his mind drifts somewhere else.


    It was his sworn duty to prioritize the kingdom more than anything else, but he¡¯s pretty distracted at the moment, with thoughts unrelated to the work in front of him.


    He remembered the sounds of his footsteps when he left the queen¡¯s chamber this early morning. What he wanted to do then was to put off work, and cuddle with his queen instead. It is unlike him to be thinking such things, to be so emotional that he¡¯s willing to postpone work, but he snapped out of his thoughts and went about his day, and be the Monarch that he is.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± The king asked with an irritated tone. He thought that the chamberlain had brought more work for him.


    ¡°The queen is here to see you.¡±


    Kasser did not expect that at all. He raised one eyebrow in confusion.


    ¡°It seems that Her Grace has something to discuss with you. I have escorted her to the reception room, should I bring her in?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please tell her to come in.¡±


    The king put down the documents he was reading and arranged them in a neat pile. The chamberlain then gathered all the officials lingering about the office and left.


    Eugene went to the office as soon as the party left.


    Eugene smiled shyly towards the king when their eyes met. She was suddenly feeling embarrassed for coming here out of the blue when the king had more important matters to attend to.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I apologize for bothering you at this busy time.¡± Eugene said


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. I was about to take a break, anyway.¡±


    Kasser stood up from his desk and led Eugene to the couch. She sat down as she observed the office. The place looked the same the last time Eugene went here when she took a peak at a Hwansu lizard. The office is minimal, with a few furniture pieces here and there.


    ¡°Tell me, does it make you uncomfortable when I visit you here in the office?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never prohibited you from coming here, have I? Feel free to come here anytime.¡± The king assured her.


    She thought that the king was being too considerate. She noticed the stack of documents piled on his table, and the long cue of officials waiting outside. It was a pretty busy day for the king, and Eugene was thankful that she was well accommodated despite the hectic schedule.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the little kid.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°Little kid?¡± The king asked with a confused tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s a name that I made up. By little kid I meant the Hwansu you brought from the repository.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the lobby near my bedroom. Do you want to see it now?¡± His brows furrowed significantly. Is it what she came for after all? The little pest?


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t come here for that. I wanted to ask you something, but it¡¯s not important. You don¡¯t have to answer me right away, okay?¡±


    Kasser nodded.


    ¡°What is the treasure trove?¡± Eugene continued ¡°And why couldn¡¯t I go there?¡±


    Kasser frowned ever so slightly, barely noticeable. He assumed that Eugene remembered the treasure trove when she said that she regained some of her memories.


    ¡°The old you used to go there frequently.¡± Kasser said in all honesty. He also told Eugene that he did not want to mention treasure trove in fear that it¡¯d stir up her memories.


    ¡°How often did I go there?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°I heard that you went to the treasure trove lots of times. Currently, there has to be my approval for the doors to be opened, however, the old you went to that place freely.¡±


    ¡°What did I do there exactly?¡±


    ¡®I wish I could ask you the same question¡¯, Kasser thought to himself.


    ¡°You used to say that you wanted to see the kingdom¡¯s most valued treasures¡±, Kasser answered with a patient tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Eugene asked, partly unconvinced.


    ¡°Yes, except for the day when you went out into the desert.¡± Kasser remarked. Eugene wanted to know more.


    ¡°So, the necklace that I took was the one that was kept in the treasure trove.¡± Eugene realized that Kasser didn¡¯t question her further about the missing treasure. He¡¯d rather hide the fact that the treasure was stolen, than to have the old Jin Anika back. She felt odd when she realized how much Kasser detested the former queen.


    ¡°Well, actually¡­¡± Kasser hesitated as he took a glance at Eugene and continued,


    ¡°That necklace is not the missing treasure.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Eugene asked, clearly confused.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Kasser looked at Eugene with a nervous expression. He didn¡¯t want her to think that he thought of her as a thief.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what the missing treasure is.¡± Eugene continued, ¡°I think I might be able to remember.¡±


    It never passed in Eugene¡¯s mind that Kasser thought of her as a thief, anyway. There¡¯s no need for Kasser to lie.


    ¡°I want to visit the treasure trove.¡±


    Kasser complied with Eugene¡¯s request, seeing that he has no reason to keep the treasure trove a secret to her anymore.


    ¡°There¡¯s just something that I need to do right now, how about we go there in the afternoon?¡±


    Eugene nodded, ¡°Alright. Sounds good to me.¡±


    ?


    As the afternoon rolled by, Eugene got ready, fully prepared to go outside the palace for today¡¯s trek to the treasure trove. The chamberlain went to her chambers to pick her up, and Kasser escorted her towards an unfamiliar hallway.


    Eugene didn¡¯t think that the treasure trove was located inside the Palace. Looking at it now, Eugene realized that she had not explored the palace as thoroughly as she thought she did. She only went to areas that are familiar to her, never stepping foot on uncharted grounds. And she was only able to go around the palace with the maids leading the way.


    The place was, as expected, heavily guarded with royal guards lining up the corridor all the way to the stairs. It seems like this was the only path that leads to the treasure trove.


    There was a set of doubled-arched doors waiting for them as they descended the spiral staircase. Guards were stationed in front of the doors too as they kept watch.


    ¡°Open the door.¡± Kasser commanded.


    ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡± A guard unhinged the lock and loosened up the chains interlocking the opening. The guards pushed the hardware to the side as they pulled the door open. A woman wouldn¡¯t be able to open this alone, Eugene realized as she saw the guards exert so much effort in opening the heavy door.


    Then suddenly, memories started to fill her head as she appeared fascinated with the place slowly unveiling before her very eyes. The sight in front of her was so similar with the memory that she wasn¡¯t able to distinguish one from the other.


    ¡®What did Jin feel when these doors were opened? What exactly was she thinking?¡¯ Eugene thought internally. She also realized that getting in touch with Jin¡¯s emotions wouldn¡¯t be good for her, but still, she wanted to know.


    ¡°Do you want to go alone?¡± Kasser asked her.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s go together. I might need your guidance, Your Majesty.¡± Eugene said. She would need all the help she could get from Kasser.


    Kasser and Eugene went inside. There was a long, wide hallway stretched out in front of them. And the sides were lined up with multiple doors, all of it leading to different rooms.


    Eugene did not remember anything, nor did it stir up any memories. But the pathway felt somehow familiar as they went straight ahead, with Kasser trying to match her pace.


    Reaching the end of the long hallway, Eugene stopped in front of the door and clutched the knob, carefully turning it in as she opened the door. She did it in a meticulous manner, and it was as if she was reenacting her actions from the past.


    The memory stopped as soon as she entered the room. It was made more spacious by its¡¯ dimly lit high ceiling.


    She walked further into the room as she took in her surroundings. There was a statue placed on one side, stone tablets with carved inscriptions, and a few items that looked like animal horns.


    At the sides of the hallway stood a wide enough space that could fit two people. And in that space sat a bunch of treasures with no barricade or storage box to guard them. One could touch the treasures by simply reaching their arms out.


    The treasures looked random, no uniformity to its characteristics. They were significantly distinct from one another that the room looked like a storage room of some antique shop. These did not even look expensive. Eugene assumed that these were historical artifacts that are pretty significant.


    Eugene suddenly stopped walking.


    Where is it?


    Eugene heard Jin¡¯s voice as she was once again pulled back into Jin¡¯s memories.


    It¡¯s supposed to be here. It has to be here.


    Eugene followed Jin¡¯s line of thought. To Kasser, Eugene looked like she was simply looking at all the artifacts, but her mind was elsewhere, focusing intently on Jin¡¯s memories.


    Eugene stopped, following closely to the place where Jin had stopped in the memory. Jin¡¯s attention was transfixed on a sculpture of a pair of two hands cradling a dark, oval-shaped egg.


    It¡¯s here. I knew it would be here. Jin said in a trembling voice.


    Eugene felt Jin¡¯s intense emotions. She had heard Jin¡¯s voice several times in her memories, but never like this- never with such honest, passionate feelings.


    I found it. I finally found it!


    Jin let out a scream of laughter, screeching with victory. The sound completely showing her overflowing bliss.


    The flashback abruptly ended. She was pulled back to reality and she realized that the sculpture in front of her is different- it no longer held the dark, oval-shaped egg like the one in Jin¡¯s memories.


    ¡°This is it.¡± This was the item that Jin stole and went to the desert with.


    Eugene turned and faced Kasser, ¡°Is this the missing treasure?¡±


    ¡°You remembered?¡± Kasser asked.


    ¡°Like I told you before, the memories I regained only contain bits and pieces. I remembered that I had such great interest with the object placed here, but I don¡¯t remember why I took it, or when I took it. What is the object that used to be here?¡± Eugene asked, pointing at the sculpture.


    ¡°It was a seed.¡±


    ¡°A Lark seed? That big?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually not sure if it was a seed or not.¡± Kasser said as he scratched his head. He straightened his back and told Eugene the history of the national treasure.


    A long time ago, there was an enormous Lark that had managed to find its way into the palace. Lark appearances were pretty common back then. With no walls barricading the kingdom, one can only depend on the palace to protect its civilians from the desert.


    It was a known fact that the proportions of the said Lark are massive compared to the size of the palace. And Kasser really thought that this legend was overly exaggerated, because it was nearly impossible for a human to be able to fend off a Lark that huge. The Desert King at the time had been extremely lucky.


    ¡°It is a trophy signifying the victory back then.¡± Kasser said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Larks leave traces. I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. They disappear without a trace. What I¡¯m saying is that I¡¯m not entirely sure of its identity.¡± Kasser explained.


    Eugene kept her attention towards the sculpture. She wanted to see more memories, but nothing appeared before her anymore.


    ¡°What if it really was a seed?¡± Eugene turned her attention back to Kasser. Goosebumps erupted on her skin as she imagined how gigantic the monster it contains if it was indeed a seed. It was no doubt the biggest monster to have ever walked this world.


    ¡°There were speculations about it.¡± Kasser said.


    Eugene nodded in understanding, ¡°Meaning the Lark turned into a seed before it was completely destroyed.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also a theory that says that the seed got its dark color from dried-up blood, making it an empty seed. It does make sense when you think about it, especially if the nucleus was indeed destroyed.¡± Kasser elaborated.

 Chapter 167

    Kasser complied with Eugene¡¯s request, seeing that he has no reason to keep the treasure trove a secret to her anymore.


    ¡°There¡¯s just something that I need to do right now, how about we go there in the afternoon?¡±


    Eugene nodded, ¡°Alright. Sounds good to me.¡±


    ?


    As the afternoon rolled by, Eugene got ready, fully prepared to go outside the palace for today¡¯s trek to the treasure trove. The chamberlain went to her chambers to pick her up, and Kasser escorted her towards an unfamiliar hallway.


    Eugene didn¡¯t think that the treasure trove was located inside the Palace. Looking at it now, Eugene realized that she had not explored the palace as thoroughly as she thought she did. She only went to areas that are familiar to her, never stepping foot on uncharted grounds. And she was only able to go around the palace with the maids leading the way.


    The place was, as expected, heavily guarded with royal guards lining up the corridor all the way to the stairs. It seems like this was the only path that leads to the treasure trove.


    There was a set of doubled-arched doors waiting for them as they descended the spiral staircase. Guards were stationed in front of the doors too as they kept watch.


    ¡°Open the door.¡± Kasser commanded.


    ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡± A guard unhinged the lock and loosened up the chains interlocking the opening. The guards pushed the hardware to the side as they pulled the door open. A woman wouldn¡¯t be able to open this alone, Eugene realized as she saw the guards exert so much effort in opening the heavy door.


    Then suddenly, memories started to fill her head as she appeared fascinated with the place slowly unveiling before her very eyes. The sight in front of her was so similar with the memory that she wasn¡¯t able to distinguish one from the other.


    ¡®What did Jin feel when these doors were opened? What exactly was she thinking?¡¯ Eugene thought internally. She also realized that getting in touch with Jin¡¯s emotions wouldn¡¯t be good for her, but still, she wanted to know.


    ¡°Do you want to go alone?¡± Kasser asked her.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s go together. I might need your guidance, Your Majesty.¡± Eugene said. She would need all the help she could get from Kasser.


    Kasser and Eugene went inside. There was a long, wide hallway stretched out in front of them. And the sides were lined up with multiple doors, all of it leading to different rooms.


    Eugene did not remember anything, nor did it stir up any memories. But the pathway felt somehow familiar as they went straight ahead, with Kasser trying to match her pace.


    Reaching the end of the long hallway, Eugene stopped in front of the door and clutched the knob, carefully turning it in as she opened the door. She did it in a meticulous manner, and it was as if she was reenacting her actions from the past.


    The memory stopped as soon as she entered the room. It was made more spacious by its¡¯ dimly lit high ceiling.


    She walked further into the room as she took in her surroundings. There was a statue placed on one side, stone tablets with carved inscriptions, and a few items that looked like animal horns.


    At the sides of the hallway stood a wide enough space that could fit two people. And in that space sat a bunch of treasures with no barricade or storage box to guard them. One could touch the treasures by simply reaching their arms out.


    The treasures looked random, no uniformity to its characteristics. They were significantly distinct from one another that the room looked like a storage room of some antique shop. These did not even look expensive. Eugene assumed that these were historical artifacts that are pretty significant.


    Eugene suddenly stopped walking.


    Where is it?


    Eugene heard Jin¡¯s voice as she was once again pulled back into Jin¡¯s memories.


    It¡¯s supposed to be here. It has to be here.


    Eugene followed Jin¡¯s line of thought. To Kasser, Eugene looked like she was simply looking at all the artifacts, but her mind was elsewhere, focusing intently on Jin¡¯s memories.


    Eugene stopped, following closely to the place where Jin had stopped in the memory. Jin¡¯s attention was transfixed on a sculpture of a pair of two hands cradling a dark, oval-shaped egg.


    It¡¯s here. I knew it would be here. Jin said in a trembling voice.


    Eugene felt Jin¡¯s intense emotions. She had heard Jin¡¯s voice several times in her memories, but never like this- never with such honest, passionate feelings.


    I found it. I finally found it!


    Jin let out a scream of laughter, screeching with victory. The sound completely showing her overflowing bliss.


    The flashback abruptly ended. She was pulled back to reality and she realized that the sculpture in front of her is different- it no longer held the dark, oval-shaped egg like the one in Jin¡¯s memories.


    ¡°This is it.¡± This was the item that Jin stole and went to the desert with.


    Eugene turned and faced Kasser, ¡°Is this the missing treasure?¡±


    ¡°You remembered?¡± Kasser asked.


    ¡°Like I told you before, the memories I regained only contain bits and pieces. I remembered that I had such great interest with the object placed here, but I don¡¯t remember why I took it, or when I took it. What is the object that used to be here?¡± Eugene asked, pointing at the sculpture.


    ¡°It was a seed.¡±


    ¡°A Lark seed? That big?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually not sure if it was a seed or not.¡± Kasser said as he scratched his head. He straightened his back and told Eugene the history of the national treasure.


    A long time ago, there was an enormous Lark that had managed to find its way into the palace. Lark appearances were pretty common back then. With no walls barricading the kingdom, one can only depend on the palace to protect its civilians from the desert.


    It was a known fact that the proportions of the said Lark are massive compared to the size of the palace. And Kasser really thought that this legend was overly exaggerated, because it was nearly impossible for a human to be able to fend off a Lark that huge. The Desert King at the time had been extremely lucky.


    ¡°It is a trophy signifying the victory back then.¡± Kasser said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Larks leave traces. I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. They disappear without a trace. What I¡¯m saying is that I¡¯m not entirely sure of its identity.¡± Kasser explained.


    Eugene kept her attention towards the sculpture. She wanted to see more memories, but nothing appeared before her anymore.


    ¡°What if it really was a seed?¡± Eugene turned her attention back to Kasser. Goosebumps erupted on her skin as she imagined how gigantic the monster it contains if it was indeed a seed. It was no doubt the biggest monster to have ever walked this world.


    ¡°There were speculations about it.¡± Kasser said.


    Eugene nodded in understanding, ¡°Meaning the Lark turned into a seed before it was completely destroyed.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also a theory that says that the seed got its dark color from dried-up blood, making it an empty seed. It does make sense when you think about it, especially if the nucleus was indeed destroyed.¡± Kasser elaborated.

 Chapter 168

    ¡°An empty seed¡­¡±


    Eugene gained more clues from all the memories she had seen today. She now knew that Jin went to the treasure trove specifically to find the Lark seed, and the ancient books that she collected had something to do with the seed as well.


    ¡°Do people know of this treasure?¡± Eugene asked.


    She saw from the memories that when Jin came looking for the seed, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it¡¯s placed in the treasure trove at all. She took her chances when she went there, and she probably gained information about its¡¯ existence from a reliable source, too.


    ¡°Almost no one knows about it, since I never confirmed its existence.¡± said the king.


    ¡°But who could possibly know of its¡¯ whereabouts?¡± Eugene asked as her forehead scrunched in concentration.


    ¡°The people who are assigned to maintain and check on this treasure trove must have seen it.¡±


    ¡°What about the people from the other kingdoms, like the Holy City?¡± Eugene prodded further.


    With Eugene¡¯s question, Kasser thought deeply to himself, thinking of other people who might have known of its¡¯ existence, and the only person he could think of was ¡®that woman¡¯, the woman who gave birth to him. He was almost certain that she had wandered into the treasure trove when she resided here in the palace.


    With uneasiness, Kasser thought of other people who could have gone here, and another person popped into his mind.


    ¡°Sang-je¡­?¡± Kasser guessed.


    Eugene felt her heart sink. It¡¯s likely that Jin had gotten the information from Sang-je. ¡°Does Sang-je know about the treasures each kingdom has?¡±


    ¡°Not really, but this seed is a historical artifact, so it was probably reported to Sang-je. If a written report was made, then the knowledge of this seed has been kept at this palace, until now.¡±


    Eugene nodded. It¡¯s no use jumping to conclusions when they have no solid evidence that it was indeed Sang-je who had informed Jin of the seed¡¯s existence. Jin could have also found out about it when she came across the written report.


    Eugene had so many questions.


    ¡®I wonder if Jin had married the Desert King solely for the seed?¡¯ Eugene thought internally. It sounded ridiculous, but it was possible. The seed was kept in a secured place, and one can only have access to it when they have the king¡¯s permission.


    ¡®But Jin wasn¡¯t even sure of its location in the first place. What if it wasn¡¯t here? Why was she so rash? And why is the seed so important anyway?¡¯ Eugene questioned, as thought after thought came crashing into her head.


    ¡°Your Majesty, may I know the significance of this seed?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what uses it possesses. But it is valuable since it is the national treasure.¡±


    ¡°National treasure?¡± Eugene asked in a surprised tone. She only thought of it as an artifact. ¡°Are you saying that the national treasure was stolen? I thought you were going to hide the fact that it was stolen.¡± Eugene went on.


    ¡°I told you, it is not well known, it¡¯s only symbolic, really. Nothing we can¡¯t handle.¡± Kasser answered her in a relaxed manner.


    ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty.¡± Eugene said, suddenly aware of her informalities towards the king.


    Eugene didn¡¯t exactly remember when Jin took the seed, but she was sure that she did. Even if she regained more memories, taking it back from Jin was highly unlikely, and she wouldn¡¯t even know how to retrieve it in the first place.


    Kasser chuckled lightly at Eugene¡¯s glum expression. He felt strange, seeing that the woman in front of him is way different with the person who had stolen the seed. Both of them had the same identical bodies, yes, but their personalities were leagues apart.


    ¡°Does this mean that the necklace you were talking about was nonexistent?¡± Eugene asked Kasser as they left the treasure trove.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not entirely nonexistent.¡±


    ¡°Is it here then?¡± Eugene asked in a heighted tone.


    ¡°Yes. What I told you before is true, except for the fact that you stole it.¡± Kasser replied, finding Eugene¡¯s excitement odd.


    ¡°Can I take a look at it?¡±


    Nodding his head, Kasser led Eugene to the room where the necklace is currently placed. Eugene was bewildered at the sight in front of her. The room was filled with various accessories and brilliant gems- rings, earrings, necklaces, tiaras and a lot more.


    She was no expert when it comes to jewelry, but she could tell from a glance that these are made of the finest, highest quality. The craftsmanship of each and every piece was unique and well intricately made by the best goldsmiths in town. The karats¡¯ reflection scattered all around the room, showing off its brilliance and splendor.


    And there it was- the diamond necklace she was formerly told. Up close, the diamond shone brightly- each facet reflecting light in all directions.


    Eugene was smitten with things that are shiny and lustrous. Before she was transmigrated to Mahar, all she did was buy inexpensive, low-quality earrings from different kiosks. It didn¡¯t bother her one bit that the accessories she bought were substandard.


    Her hobby of collecting accessories was further fulfilled in Mahar. She now owns a box of high-quality jewelry, no longer like the cheap ones she used to have. It was a joy for her to wear a different necklace everyday. However, she realized that the jewelry box she had in her room was nothing compared to the sight in front of her.


    ¡°You mentioned once that I would get to wear this necklace during a wedding or a coronation. Does that mean that I don¡¯t have a chance to wear this necklace soon?¡± Eugene asked as she stared continually at the diamond.


    ¡°Yes, because there are no huge ceremonies coming up.¡± Kasser answered.


    Eugene was still entranced with the necklace in front of her. It was Kasser¡¯s first time to see this side of her. The queen before did not show any interest in jewels, and all she wanted then was ancient books. She had gone in and out of the treasure trove several times, but she did not mind the jewels at all. She only took the national treasure and left.


    Kasser made a mental note on the back of his head, ¡®My wife likes jewels.¡¯

 Chapter 169

    Days went by like a breeze. People were scattering in and out of the palace like ants, all of them too occupied with their own posts to pay any attention to matters unrelated to work. The same thing could also be said to both Kasser and Eugene. The royals were not exempted to the days¡¯ work. Government officials were lining up outside the door of the king¡¯s office, and Royal Aides to the queen were busy shuffling back and forth with piles of documents in their hold.


    Eugene took a break just after lunch. She went to the balcony with a cup of tea in her hands, facing the relaxing view of the castle¡¯s gardens. The light breeze was pleasant enough, chilling her skin just slightly as she sipped on her hot tea. It was a nice weather to relax in despite the active season, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad, realizing that there¡¯s still no news.


    The news that she was thinking about was that of Rodrigo. Was he looking for the right opportunity? It had been a few days since she heard that there would be temporary workers coming in the palace, why is he still not coming in?


    ¡°Your Majesty, you called for me?¡± Eugene had sent a maid to call and fetch Marianne for her. Eugene turned and beckoned her to come in. Marianne entered the room, and bowed respectfully.


    Eugene noticed that ever since she¡¯d taken the Royal Aides under her wing, Marianne seemed to be withdrawn from her, barely attending to Eugene¡¯s presence unless called. She used to be attached to the hip with Eugene, but now all she does are the occasional greetings every morning & evening.


    It baffled Eugene completely, not knowing the reason for Marianne¡¯s subtle withdrawal. She also felt like she couldn¡¯t directly ask her what her reason was, and it¡¯s not like Marianne¡¯s attitude changed anyway. It bothered her so much that she called on the General to ask for his opinion. ¡°She probably thinks that she has already provided you all the help she could give.¡± The General said in a confident tone.


    ¡°But I still need help.¡± Eugene muttered.


    ¡°Nothing has changed. If you need her, just give her a call. I also think that she¡¯s being careful too, just in case people from the outside misinterprets your closeness, by implying that she¡¯s trying to get a hold of you.¡± Explained General Sarah.


    From that conversation, Eugene came to realize how thoughtful Marianne truly was. Even if she wasn¡¯t part of royalty, she obviously knew her place, and she knows to do her job well. Having served as the King¡¯s nanny and a General for several decades without any trouble.


    ¡°Take a seat.¡± Eugene told her.


    Marianne obliged, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Zanne appeared and placed a cup of tea in front of Marianne, and left.


    Looking at the view outside, Eugene said, ¡°The weather¡¯s so nice. I wanted to serve you a cup of tea.¡± She turned her back and smiled towards Marianne ¡°And I also have a favor to ask.¡± This request made it seem like that the Queen simply invited Marianne over for the sake of getting favors, but Marianne just smiled towards her.


    Their teacup is almost empty when Eugene brought up the subject again, ¡°I need information, but I don¡¯t know where to start. It¡¯s pretty hard to explain.¡± Eugene was trying to understand what ¡®Way of magic, vessel, medium¡¯ meant in the memory. She had considered contacting the servants of Mara, but she didn¡¯t want to get involved with them as much as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just any information one could easily have access to, and it¡¯s not a secret too. It¡¯s just that it is something that is not common around here. It¡¯s probably related to dark magic. That sort of thing.¡± Eugene explained further.


    After a short while Marianne responded, ¡°Should I look for a storyteller who is well-versed with legends and tales?¡± Eugene nodded, satisfied that Marianne was able to understand what she was trying to say. ¡°One more thing, are there people who specialize in the study of society?¡± Eugene went on.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡± Marianne answered.


    ¡°When I looked at the books in the library, I noticed that the quality of those volumes are top-tier, despite being made so long ago. They seem to be very valuable too, very artistic in nature. I¡¯m sure that there must be people out there who have great interest in such things.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I will try to find out.¡± Marianne nodded and left the study. Eugene leaned on the balcony railing as she looked down at the gardens, with her mind filled with thoughts.


    ¡°If my memories won¡¯t show me, I will find out myself.¡± Eugene thought internally.


    She went in and out of the library multiple times, but no additional memories seem to resurface. She also went back to the treasure room, but still, nothing. She couldn¡¯t completely rely on those memories that only came to her at random.


    The sound of something being placed atop the table startled Eugene out of her reverie. She turned around and saw a birdcage on the desk, and was held by a man. She was surprised by the king¡¯s sudden appearance.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Eugene said.


    Kasser walked up to Eugene in a flash. He took her face gently in his two hands and pulled her into a deep kiss. The kiss was chaste, barely lingering as he pulled away quickly. With a confused expression Eugene asked, ¡°Are you finished with your meeting?¡±


    She heard that the king would be immersed in a very long meeting. Yesterday all they managed was lunch together, but today they weren¡¯t able to do that at all because of the busy day. ¡°It¡¯s just a short break. I have to return soon.¡± Kasser replied.


    ¡°Why the Hwansu?¡± Eugene asked as she took a glance at the birdcage. Inside the cage, a squirrel Hwansu crawled up and down the railings, clearly excited about seeing Eugene.


    ¡°It seemed like you were curious about little kid, so I brought him to you.¡± Kasser said.

 Chapter 170

    Yesterday when they were eating lunch, Eugene talked about the Hwansu, saying that it was important for a Hwansu¡¯s development to have regular interactions when they were still young. ¡°Little kid? Is that the Hwansu¡¯s final name?¡± Eugene asked.


    Kasser nodded, and Eugene looked at him in confusion. ¡°You should¡¯ve put more effort into giving him a name.¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s the name that you gave him, so I could say that plenty of effort was put into it.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t supposed to be-¡° Eugene was cut off abruptly as Kasser swooped her in for another kiss. ¡°I have to leave soon. Pay attention to me please.¡±


    Eugene giggled at Kasser¡¯s antics. His blue eyes were full of playfulness and it was still new to her. It was a curious sight, was he always like this? It seemed like he used the Hwansu as an excuse to come see her.


    Nonetheless, his insistence on seeing her despite his tight schedule made her happy. She stretched out her arms and circled them around his neck. He pulled her in closer by wrapping his arms around her waist in return. They closed their eyes as his tongue made its way through her mouth.


    They were immersed in each other for a long time. The passionate interlocking of lips seemed endless that it made Eugene gasp for air. Breaking the kiss, Eugene turned her head to avoid more pecks from Kasser as she quickly said, ¡°I thought you have to leave soon!¡± Slightly pushing him away. Kasser sighed heavily and his expression showed that he did not want to leave her.


    ¡°Hurry and go! All of them must be waiting for you.¡± Eugene exclaimed.


    After urging him to go back to his meeting, he finally left the room, leaving Eugene alone again with her thoughts. She couldn¡¯t help but trace her lips with her fingers, feeling it tingle slightly after all the sucking and biting they¡¯ve been doing for the past minute. She was giddy as she remembered how Kasser kissed her with such desperation and need.


    Snapping out of her thoughts, Eugene approached the birdcage and lowered her head towards the Hwansu squirrel. ¡°Hi there, little kid. How are you?¡± She cooed as she opened the door cage, with the squirrel bouncing out of the cage and climbed up her arm onto her shoulder. ¡°Your master is busy lately, so I¡¯m sure he wasn¡¯t able to play with you regularly. I¡¯ll come visit you instead. Okay?¡±


    After playing with little kid for a while, she put him back in his cage. It was not common for a Hwansu to show loyalty to someone who is not their master. But this hwansu was still so young, so he would likely follow his instincts than to be thinking about loyalties. It was purely instinctive for little kid to show closeness to Eugene.


    Little kid and Abu are both the King¡¯s Hwansu. Maybe they see his affection towards me, that¡¯s why they are fond of me as well.


    Eugene placed the birdcage in her waiting room. Seeing it made her want to see Abu as well. She didn¡¯t bring a maid with her every time she visited Abu, and it was her daily routine to go there by herself.


    On her way out, Eugene was stopped in her tracks, surprised to see a maid lingering about the space. There was a certain part of the castle where maids would go shuffling back and forth, but this place wasn¡¯t part of it. Eugene never ran into a maid here, until now.


    Eugene¡¯s expression hardened when she saw the maid approaching her direction. About two or three steps away, the maid stopped and bowed all the way to the ground. ¡°Tanya Molly at your service, your Majesty.¡±


    She could suddenly see one of Jin¡¯s memories.


    ¡°Tanya Poppy at your service, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I am your master, Tanya.¡± Jin spoke.


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    The girl in front of Eugene still had her head bent down. But in the memory, the maid had lifted her head, and a different face showed itself, a face that Eugene had never seen before.


    Poppy? Even the name was unfamiliar to her. It wasn¡¯t the name of any of the five maids that had disappeared after going out to the desert with her.


    The one I suspected was Ellie. But then who is this Poppy? And is her name Tanya as well? Eugene thought. And as if answering her thoughts, a male voice said,


    ¡°Tanya is a name that means faithful servant. This girl will be your faithful servant. You just have to tell her that you are her master. Then she will be completely at your mercy, like a duckling that had just hatched from its egg.¡±


    The voice sounded like Rodrigo¡¯s. It was when he told Jin before sending the servants to the castle.


    Eugene looked at the girl that was still bowing facedown to the ground. The name Tanya seemed like a code. Her greeting was normal, but her presence in this part of the palace is not. It seemed like she knew about the Queen¡¯s whereabouts, and when she would be alone.


    ¡°¡­ I am your Master, Tanya.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The maid said as she lifted her head slowly. She looked normal, but there¡¯s something in her eyes that seemed off, very different from that of a normal person. Eugene couldn¡¯t exactly point out what it is, but those eyes looked hollow, similar with the eyes of those who had fallen deeply into the teachings of a false religion, clearly the eyes of a devout follower.

 Chapter 171

    ¡°Anika Flora.¡±


    Flora flinched and looked up when she was called. A woman with the same, jet-black hair smiled at her and continued, ¡°What are you thinking about so deeply that you don¡¯t hear it when someone is calling you multiple times?¡±


    Another black-haired woman next to her added, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    Flora smiled, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I was thinking about the time I met His Holiness.¡±


    Upon hearing her answer, the other Anikas sported an expression of both amazement and jealousy. Many Anikas were gathered around a long sofa, with Flora sitting at the center. Only black hair could be seen everywhere you look at. This is where rare Anikas are located, only the few dozen of them existing in the whole world.


    Today was one of the days when Anikas would gather together. Only Anikas were allowed at this meeting. The meeting served a very long history, being the only one where every single Anika had their name on the attendee list. They were not forced to attend, but most Anikas won¡¯t miss it for the world.


    ¡°His Holiness has a special liking to Anika Flora.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s probably nothing else in this world he is interested in as he is with Anika Flora, being someone who does not interest himself with the things of this world.¡±


    There were groups of people all over the room, but the most packed part of the space is where Anika Flora was sitting. Anikas are already special, but Flora is the most special of them all.


    ¡°To be more specific, he shows the most interest in Anika Flora, and Jin Anika.¡± Someone added. It¡¯s clear that they wanted to express that the Sang-je doesn¡¯t have special interest in Flora alone.


    The atmosphere had suddenly become tense, but Flora smiled sweetly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that Jin Anika and I were born in the same year, and on the same day. The Sang-je said that it is something that never happened before, that¡¯s why he shows great interest to the both of us. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Everyone in the room was silent for a moment, nodding along in agreement that Anikas Jin and Flora were indeed special amongst them.


    ¡°You know, I remember reading in the secret library that there¡¯s been no record of there being more than one Anika born under the same year.¡± informed an Anika. She had her hair up in a ponytail, her tresses swinging as she moved her head. She was young looking, someone in their early twenties.


    ¡°Quite right, I remember that as well, there¡¯s also never been a record of no Anika being born at all in ten whole years!¡± added another, who possessed a head full of thick, and luscious curls. She looked to be older, around her mid-to-late thirties.


    ¡°But aren¡¯t there other instances where no Anikas were born in the year as well?¡±


    ¡°While it is quite a rare predicament, there had been instances where no Anika had been born, but not for that long. Once in every few decades, sure, maybe in two, three or even five, but never ten.¡±


    ¡°Oh that reminds me, Anika Roxy was born after five years, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Roughly three of them affirmed that was indeed the case. They looked at each other before giggling in amusement.


    Every Anika in this room were of different ages, and they were all talking about it around Flora. The oldest was around her late thirties, while the youngest was barely even a woman. But in their side of the room, they were all in the younger bracket.


    The other Anikas had broken off into separate groups, and they were older, wiser even.


    As both Jin and Flora were born after a decade of no Anikas born, they didn¡¯t have much to acquaint themselves with their own age brackets. And while no one else shared the same age, a ten-year gap was still too steep, even for a generation gap.


    Back when they were still young, it wasn¡¯t that much of a big deal. But when they grew up, most Anikas had already split up, gone off into their different groups where they belonged to. But mainly, the Anikas had two major groups.


    The first one consisted of all the younger Anikas, the ones born after Jin and Flora. While the second were the Anikas born before them, which made them all ten or more years older. As it stood right now, there weren¡¯t many  Anikas yet born after them, but that would change over time.


    In the current gathering, there were only two Anikas who were older than Flora that joined them. Amongst the others, these two were the only one who kept an amicable relationship between the two groups.


    Suddenly, there was a commotion by the entrance, and all the chatter stopped as the Anikas paused and wondered. All attention was now focused on the entrance.


    ¡°I wonder if His Holiness had finally arrived.¡±


    ¡°Should we go and check?¡±


    ¡°I think we should.¡±


    The two of the eldest in the group stood up as they took it upon themselves to investigate. The two were also well-known to be quite close with one another, as close as sisters they would say. As soon as they left, there was an eruption of chatter as the Anikas gossiped to one another about them.


    ¡°Have you noticed? They¡¯re always together.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s no wonder, after all, they¡¯ve both chosen to be part of the Holy Knights, of course they¡¯d grow closer.¡±


    It was a fact that though some Anikas do marry into other families, some would decide not to do so. And thus, they would join the ranks of the Holy Knights instead. From there they enter a rigorous routine of training and education until they are finished. By the time they are done, they would return to the Holy City, and live out their life in moderation.


    It is also noted that there are only two possibilities an Anika¡¯s life would pan out, albeit both ways were in the extremes. Live extravagantly by means of their status and power, or live humbly, forsaking their influence and worldly pleasures.


    ¡°Sigh, but to be honest, I can¡¯t help but feel a little regretful. They¡¯re so close to each other and both seem happy with the path they have taken. Ah, I¡¯m jealous.¡± huffed out one Anika in a whine, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I wouldn¡¯t trade my life for theirs any day, but I can¡¯t help but respect them for it.¡±


    Indeed. For an Anika, there were many more choices one could have to live comfortably, and yet they¡¯d choose life as boring as a knights. It was a decision not many Anikas could do. Her sentiments were agreed upon by the other Anikas.

 Chapter 172

    Suddenly, the conversation turned back to Flora¡­


    ¡°Ah, but Anika Flora,¡± piped up one of them, as Flora turned to her, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel a little lonely without having Jin with you? I distinctly remember you both were close knit when you were much younger. Much like those two are right now.¡±


    Despite being worded as though she expected Flora to affirm, her tone of voice implied nothing else but otherwise. None of the Anikas thought that Flora would even wish Jin was still around. After all, the Flora she was now was a confident, and well-spoken woman. But as kids, Flora used to trail after Jin, she was so quiet around the other Anika, so reserved¡­


    As if she wanted to be anywhere else but with her. And the moment Jin left the Holy City, Flora finally began to express herself more, in her words, and in her thoughts. And to some, if not most, it was an unwelcome change.


    ¡°Well, the one thing that¡¯s been certain is that as we grow older, our lives will eventually change.¡± Flora answered rather vaguely, ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think any of us would have expected for Jin to just leave like that.¡± she answered, ending it with a pristine smile.


    She¡¯d learned after all, from following Jin around. She hadn¡¯t wasted her time trailing after someone she was uncomfortable with. Anikas weren¡¯t like the sharp-tongued people of the upper-class society. Like kittens, they always bared their claws out to the world.


    But while Anikas were indeed special since birth, they still come from different families, with varying backgrounds. As Jin was born in a prominent, and wealthy family, Flora had been born from a family with much humble beginnings.


    With Jin¡¯s connections with many of the other noble families, she¡¯d drag Flora around with her to every meeting. Flora knew it wasn¡¯t Jin being nice, she was incapable to be so. But rather Jin used her like one would with an accessory. To draw attention to herself.


    Anikas all inherently possessed an exquisite beauty, but even so, Flora had been identified as the one who was most beautiful. But whenever she stood next to Jin, all of Flora¡¯s excellent traits became unnoticeable. She¡¯d be nothing but a mere shadow of one who could command attention better than her.


    If Jin was a splendid rose in the garden, Flora was but a subtle beautiful lily. The contrast between the two were evident whenever they stood side by side, and it made Jin stand out even more.


    Even their personalities were opposites.


    As opposed to Flora, who ever rarely would strongly express her own opinion, Jin acted like she had nothing in the world to be afraid of. She acted like she was a god, and looked down upon others. She did not hesitate to crush down those that got in her way, nor did she bother with the criticism of others.


    With her strong personality, it catapulted her to fame. And thus the rose grew her thorns, or the butterfly revealed her poison nectar. Some would even go as far to say Anika Jin¡¯s scent was that of a poison. But despite the obvious distaste people would have of her, none of them had the courage to be upfront about it to her.


    After all, Jin had powerful people backing her. Not just the Sang-je, who showed a special interest in her, but she had parents who¡¯d do anything for her. They were that wealthy and powerful. Which made Flora, who¡¯d been dragged around by Jin everywhere she could, had a complicated relationship with the Anika.


    They were both closer than the rest, yet still strangers at heart too. And so Flora thought that if Jin was going to use her, then she¡¯d use Jin for her own gain as well. And as she followed the brazzen Anika, she too had begun to form her own connections in the upper-class society.


    And then their relationship came to an abrupt halt the moment Jin had left to marry the Dessert King in haste.


    She felt as though she was freed of her shackles, relieved Jin was no longer around. And she began to discover more things for herself, like her true thoughts and feelings¡­


    Her utmost desire to erase Jin from her own life.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite a few years now, but it¡¯s still such a shock. Who would have known that Anika Jin would marry a king?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. And the Desert King, no less! That¡¯s the kingdom at the very end of the desert.¡±


    The conversation went on for a long time, with Jin as the topic. Flora didn¡¯t show it, but she felt uncomfortable with the knowledge that even now, she could never be fully freed of Jin.


    Three years have passed, yet still¡­


    She was the one that remained, yet people had still not forgotten Jin. And when they would talk about her, they would frequently show curiosity or, dare she say it, longing.


    None of them know how insidious she truly is.


    While Jin could care less how she would come across in front of most people, she¡¯d always be on her best behavior whenever Anikas would begin to gather. She knew which lines not to cross, and the Anikas were the few who¡¯d been spared of her cruelty.


    For the other Anikas, all they had were baseless rumours, ones they couldn¡¯t begin to even imagine, because Jin had always been a demure girl around them, and so they ignored it in favor they were only rumours of jealousy. It made Flora even more upset when the younger Anikas would even look up to Jin, thinking she was just confident.


    It made her sick to the stomach.


    ¡°Everyone.¡± a familiar voice broke away from the terrible thoughts Flora was having. The chatter paused as they realized the two Anikas had finally arrived, and with them was a young girl, roughly ten years of age. They smiled as they gently brought the girl in front of them.


    ¡°This is Anika Margaret, she will be joining our gatherings from now on.¡± they introduced. The Anikas looked at her for a moment, before they began to give her a warm welcome.


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    ¡°Anika Margaret! Welcome!¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Anika Margaret!¡±

 Chapter 173

    The young girl merely smiled shyly with a nervous expression on her face. She had never seen so many Anikas gathered in one place. It was very intimidating.


    The Anikas on the other hand were very excited at her arrival. Immediately after her introduction, they sat her down on the sofa, and began gathering around her, asking question after question, not giving her ample time to answer before another was thrown at her. The questions ranged from how old she was, to when she first got her lucid dream of her Ramita, and plenty more¡­


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve got a new Anika, should we do this? It¡¯s been so long!¡±


    One Anika had suddenly left, before she returned briefly into the room, carrying with her a small basket. Immediately, a strange expression washed over everyone¡¯s faces.


    Inside the basket were a handful of candies wrapped in thin papers and twisted off at the ends before tied closed with strings. All of the Anikas from the group that had been sitting around the sofa took one piece of the basket filled with candy. Not understanding what was happening, Margaret followed suit, and took a piece of candy.


    ¡°Who should we start with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start, then we can go around to my left.¡± The woman who said this was also located on Margaret¡¯s left, which meant that Margaret would be the last one to take her turn.


    Not soon after that was decided, the first Anika unwrapped her candy. The candy inside was translucent and had an elongated shape like a kidney bean. She then placed the candy atop her two outstretched hands, before folding her fingers over them and closed her eyes.


    After a moment, she opened her hands and the candy was glowing with a faint light. Then the candy split in half and two green leaves rose out of the crevice, sprouting from its center.


    From there, the plant grew and grew upwards and stopped when it was about the height equivalent to that of a palm¡¯s width. The lush leaves then withered, and with that the plant crumbled into dust and disappeared. Soon, there was nothing left in her hands.


    Margaret was in awe at what happened, before she eagerly watched what would happen with the next Anika.


    The next Anika also opened her candy. The plant that sprouted from her piece of candy grew to a bit less than a palm¡¯s width. Some of the older Anikas that had been conversing amongst themselves on the other side of the room chuckled to themselves. Margaret couldn¡¯t help but overhear them¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re young, too young.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s their childish desire to prove themselves.¡±


    The Sang-je had one thing he did not want the Anikas to do, and that was to compare themselves to the others based on their own Ramitas. But Anikas, despite their special ability, were still human. And the human heart had always possessed an innate desire to prove themselves superior over the rest of their companions.


    No one knew where the candies were from, nor how they were created, but someone before had found a way to measure one¡¯s Ramita. The candies were made using a seed that had been soaked in oil, and made to appear translucent within.


    The thing was, they weren¡¯t technically disobeying the Sang-je¡¯s command for them. They weren¡¯t revealing any of their dreams to anyone, even. All they were doing was channeling their ramitas into the seeds.


    Margaret continued to watch and listen to the older Anikas. Some Anikas, especially the older ones, remembered their own performances back when they were still younger. Now that they were older, they¡¯d realize that there really was no point in doing these things. All the ranking and comparing their Ramitas based on a seed.


    But the young ones were much too complacent, and strong-willed. They wouldn¡¯t listen to the wisdom of their elders, not until they realize these themselves too.


    And so they kept going, one Anika to the next. Each seed had grown and withered, though there was some slight difference, there really wasn¡¯t much to take note of. Each grew between one, to three palm¡¯s length in size¡­


    When came Flora¡¯s turn, the other Anikas began to protest, stopping her.


    ¡°Anika Flora, you should go last!¡±


    ¡°Right. Anika Flora¡¯s turn should be the beautiful conclusion.¡±


    Flora smiled as she listened to their praise, and put her seed down. Her turn was skipped, and the next person went instead. Soon, it was Margaret¡¯s turn. Everyone, especially the middle-aged Anikas had stepped a little closer to watch how she would perform. This made the ten year old more nervous than before.


    All of these Anikas¡¯ eyes upon her. Just as she had seen everyone else do, she unwrapped the candy and held it in her hand. She didn¡¯t understand what was the point of this whole ritual. She didn¡¯t even know that she had the choice to even refuse to participate when she didn¡¯t want to.


    One day in the future she would probably look back on this day and realize that they had taken advantage of her. It was unfair of them to knowingly pressure such a young and naive Anika and trick her into revealing the level of her Ramita. And later, when another younger Anika would arrive, she would join them the next time they¡¯d do another one of these demonstrations and do the exact same thing they¡¯d done to her.


    After closing her eyes and focusing on the seed, Margaret finally opened up her palms to reveal the seed. The plant that had risen from the seed was about one and a half palm widths tall.


    The Anikas that had been watching thought to themselves.


    Is it a pond, then?


    It¡¯s a pond.


    A pond?


    Probably about thigh-deep, then.


    Each of them assessed her by their own knowledge, as Margaret squirmed under their scrutiny. She watched as her own plant and withered, and silence soon befell around her.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s my turn next.¡± Flora piped up.


    It was time for the grand finale.


    Flora stepped forward slightly, and gripped the translucent seed in her two hands. The eldest Anikas, who hardly showed any interest until now, even moved forward to watch.


    It wasn¡¯t because they were curious about Flora¡¯s Ramita levels. No¡­


    But because they knew what Flora was capable of, and indeed would be quite a sight to behold. Not one that they would see everyday.


    And then, Flora opened her hands.


    In a flash, the plant that rose up from her outstretched palms. It grew and it grew, rapidly overtaking the average record of the other Anika¡¯s ramita. Margaret¡¯s eyes remained stunned by the growth of the seed Flora had in her hands¡­


    It continued to grow, surpassing even that of a normal human¡¯s height. And when it nearly touched the ceiling, the plant stopped growing.

 Chapter 174

    The leaves started to pulverize into dust before they even reached the peak. Everyone was so immersed with the plant that had grown tremendously that they didn¡¯t catch sight of the change that¡¯s happening in Flora¡¯s palms.


    Two things were different about Flora¡¯s seed to that of the others: One, the plant was noticeably taller than what they expected, and two, the seed itself had already exploded even before the leaves started disappearing.


    It meant that the translucent seed could not handle the intensity of Flora¡¯s Ramita.


    With her palms up, Flora looked down and stared at her hands, turning them a bit as if she¡¯s mesmerized. The rate at which the seed had exploded was slightly slower than before that it¡¯s almost imperceptible, and Flora was the only one who noticed.


    Pides opened the door leading to the office and entered, approaching the Sang-Je who was seated at his desk. Placed on the table was a document that the Sang-Je seemed to be reading, which was a strange sight since he was visually impaired.


    But when one looked closely, the Sang-Je was facing straight ahead with his eyes closed, and only his hands are upon the document, which was nothing but a blank canvas. To make do with the Sang-Je¡¯s blindness, the documents were developed into an enhanced form of Braille. The Sang-Je would just have to skim it through his fingertips to interpret the written messages.


    To maintain confidentiality, the Braille was only readable to both the Sang-je and a few knights who had put the messages into translation. The trained knights had their own desks too inside the office.


    Even with Pides bursting into the room, the three knights that were working inside the office remained unfazed. Too engrossed with the documents they were creating.


    ¡°Your Holiness. I have completed the task and returned.¡± Pides said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Today holds the regular meeting of the Anikas. And whenever they have these meetings, the Sang-Je would usually send expensive wines or fancy desserts over as a gift.


    ¡°Once their meeting is over, please meet with Anika Margaret and send my regards.¡± The Sang-Je said.


    Five days ago, the Sang-Je received a request for meeting from Margaret. The girl enthusiastically spoke about her lucid dream, with excitement and delight evident in her expression as she said, ¡°I saw a pond. And when I waded right into it, the water came up to my waist!¡±


    For a small girl such as herself, the height of which the water reached was equivalent to reaching an adult¡¯s thigh.


    Today, Margaret would get to attend the meeting and greet the other Anikas for the first time. Ten years old was still quite young, but since she already had her lucid dream, everyone has to treat her like an adult, like equals. No one would go easy on her just because she was younger than any of them, and she might have trouble interacting with older, dishonest adults.


    Sending a knight over to Margaret was meant as an assuring gesture, as if saying that ¡®there would always be someone who is willing to help you in times of hardships, and that you will always be watched over.¡¯


    The Sang-Je looked after all of the Anikas with utmost care, not just Margaret. The Sang-Je¡¯s immeasurable love and guidance was deeply rooted into the Anikas¡¯ hearts. Some of them even going as far as thinking that the Sang-Je was their one and only ally, even more than their parents or husbands or children.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. I will report back immediately.¡± Pides said as he left, prompting the Sang-Je to continue with his reading.


    After reading page after page of documents, the Sang-Je turned his head towards where the knights were sitting. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. You may return and rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡± The knights said in unison as they immediately stopped working and stood up. They paid their respect towards the Sang-Je, bowing a full ninety degree before turning around and leaving the office.


    Left alone in the office, the Sang-je remained seated at his desk, lost in his thoughts. ¡°It was before the active season started.¡±


    About a month and a half ago, a strange occurrence took place, shaking the laws of the universe out of order. The Sang-Je had sensed this, but he was not able to pinpoint what it is exactly since it happened so quickly. The only thing he was able to identify was the general direction where it had come from.


    The direction came from the Hashi Kingdom¡ª where Anika Jin was.


    He had sent a knight over the Kingdom to deliver a formal message, and when the knight came back, he said that nothing seemed unusual, deeming everything¡¯s in order.


    The Sang-Je sent another message directed to the Desert King, disguising it as a simple greeting by sending it through the regular mail. It would arrive so much faster than a messenger during the active season, plus, he would be able to gauge the Kingdom¡¯s situation without raising any suspicions.


    If the King had run into a troublesome situation, or if something happened to Anika Jin, the Sang-Je was sure that he would receive a letter from the King asking for advice, but still, there was no response. ¡°I suppose I won¡¯t receive a letter from the Desert King until the active season¡¯s over.¡± The Sang-Je thought. With the distance between the Holy City and the Hashi Kingdom, it made sense that the reply had not arrived yet.


    If King Kasser did send a reply through a messenger, that is.


    That probably also meant that the response bore no important message or urgent matters.


    ¡°But I definitely felt it.¡± The Sang-Je was not the type to shrug off his hunches, nor he¡¯s the one to make mistakes. He was not a mere mortal after all.


    Without a doubt, something definitely did happen. It could or could not have anything to do with Anika Jin.


    That place stood a dormant volcano, where miles and miles of sand stretched on beyond Hashi Kingdom, the place where ¡®Mara¡¯ was hiding.


    ¡°I suppose I must investigate.¡±

 Chapter 175

    During the dry season, the Sang-Je would send out messages through a knight to each and every kingdom. But the knight he had sent out to Hashi Kingdom then had received a particular order.


    The Sang-Je¡¯s eyebrow twitched as a gentle smile spread across his face. ¡°Anika Heidi.¡±


    Anika Heidi, whose name the Sang-Je just muttered was growing a plant out of her translucent seed that was placed on her palms.


    Each Anika took their turn in holding the seed with their hands as Sang-je murmured each of their names to himself, his smile growing even wider. ¡°Anika Denise. Anika Kasey. Anika Emily¡­¡±


    The Sang-Je stopped as his brows knit together for a short moment, then smoothened out again as he nodded. ¡°Anika Margaret. So this is Margaret¡¯s Ramita.¡± The Sang-Je grinned from ear to ear, stretching out his face even more causing wrinkles on his face. The scent of the Ramitas, which he hadn¡¯t smelled for quite a while, was so sweet and pleasing.


    Then suddenly, he held his breath in.


    ¡°¡­ Anika Flora.¡±


    As always, Flora¡¯s Ramita was outstandingly incomparable with that of the other Anikas. It is as if a gentle breeze was tickling his nose. Then the air suddenly shifted to a relentless wind, knocking his breath out of him.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The Sang-Je tilted his head to the left. ¡°How strange.¡± The powerful wind suddenly felt calmer than usual.


    Ramitas never changes. But the Sang-Je decided to set the thought aside for now. It¡¯s not like the translucent seed was one hundred percent reliable anyway. If one would compare the seed to a device, it would probably be closest to a ruler. Meaning to say that it could only measure up to a certain maximum, never exceeding more than what the ruler provides. And since Flora¡¯s Ramita was much stronger than the seed could measure, it was expected that it could be unreliable at times.


    The Sang-Je had been using the seeds as a barometer in figuring out the strength of the Ramitas ever since. Even though the Anikas used the seeds to rank themselves up by their levels, they paid no attention to the seeds¡¯ origin¡ª or where it came from.


    There was only one Anika whose Ramita level the Sang-Je was not sure of.


    Anika Jin. Jin was the only Anika to refuse the translucent seed, and it happened during her first attendance at the meeting.


    Eugene probed around the castle, asking if there¡¯s any maid with the name ¡®Poppy¡¯, and according to the staff records, there wasn¡¯t anyone working in the Palace that bore such name. She asked Zanne too if the name was familiar, but she said that she had never heard it before. She even had the General check the records dating back three years to see if there¡¯s anyone by the name of Poppy, but still, nothing. There was no way that the General missed it upon his checking since he is very meticulous.


    Thinking hard for a solid minute, Eugene suddenly came up with an idea. ¡°General. Do we keep track of all the temporary workers that we employed in the castle?¡±


    ¡°Older documents are usually disposed of.¡± The General said.


    ¡°What about in the past three years?¡±


    ¡°We may still have that record. Let me check.¡± The General said as he left the perimeters.


    It did not take him long to check the records and when he came back, he reported with the news Eugene wanted to hear. ¡°Your Majesty. There was a woman named Poppy who worked temporarily at the castle as per the records.¡±


    According to the General¡¯s report, Poppy had been employed as a temporary hire about two and a half years ago. The General¡¯s demeanor was strangely stiff for someone who had acquired important information.


    ¡°Is this someone you remember?¡± Eugene asked her.


    The General nodded. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Anything particular I should know about?¡±


    ¡°That person died before she even finished working here. She¡­ took her own life.¡± The General explained.


    ¡°You mean she committed suicide?¡± Eugene did not expect that.


    ¡°Yes, but the circumstances were strange.¡±


    Sarah was the one who explained Poppy¡¯s sudden death. Poppy was hired to work for ten days, but she left the castle without informing her advisors on the fifth day. She disappeared in the morning and never came back.


    The woman who had been sharing a room with her tried to cover for her at first, even taking upon herself to do Poppy¡¯s share of work. But when Poppy still did not return to the castle, she had no choice but to report it to their advisor.


    Sarah assumed that Poppy must have left the castle for some sort of an emergency. Considering that the wage for working at the castle was more than enough, there¡¯s no reason for Poppy to just bail out, having already worked there for five days.


    They sent a person to check on Poppy, and went to the address cited on her files. And from there, Poppy¡¯s body was found dead, which was drowned in her own bathtub.


    ¡°I had a feeling that it was a murder disguised as a suicide, but in the end, no leads came up and the case was closed as a suicide.¡± Sarah explained.


    ¡°Suicide¡­¡± Eugene thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m your master, right Tanya?¡± *Tanya means faithful servant.


    As if on cue, Jin¡¯s memories started to play out in front of Eugene, with Poppy bowing her head towards Jin ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°What can you do for me?¡±


    ¡°I would do anything my master wishes me to do.¡± Poppy said, with a voice sounding like in a trance.


    Jin grinned as she fell into laughter. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Hearing Jin utter those words with such venom made Eugene shiver all over. Even though it was something that happened in the past written in memory, Eugene found herself whispering the words ¡®don¡¯t do it¡¯ over and over again, and she knew then that Jin was about to do something horrible.


    ¡°Prove me your loyalty so I can trust you.¡± Jin said.


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°You said you would do anything I wish for?¡±


    Poppy nodded. ¡°Yes master. Anything. Just say the word.¡±


    ¡°Then take this path leading outside the castle and go home. Fill your bathtub with water, then go in and submerge yourself into the tub, all the way to your head. Hold your breath and only come out when I say so.¡± Jin said.

 Chapter 176

    The memory ended there. Eugene can¡¯t seem to shake the void feeling that took over her body, feeling her energy deplete seeing such gruesome memories.


    Eugene had been standing still, no words coming out of her mouth for a long while. Worried about the Queen¡¯s motionless stance, the General spoke. ¡°Your Majesty. Should I try to find out what happened to her after she left the castle?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Thank you for your efforts. You may go now.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The General nodded and left.


    Eugene sent the other maids away as well, leaving her alone in the waiting room as she collapsed straight into the sofa. ¡°Jin.. how can a person be so cruel?¡±


    Poppy was the first Tanya. After Poppy¡¯s death, Ellie must have been the second Tanya to work inside the castle. Eugene knew why Jin had to resort to such drastic measures, she wanted to make sure the servant sent by Rodrigo was reliable, and took it upon herself to test Poppy¡¯s loyalty, to see the lengths she would go to obey her orders.


    Eugene understood why she had done it, since she thought about the same thing when she saw Molly earlier. She wondered if Molly would go back to Rodrigo to report on what she has seen and heard, or maybe Molly was brought in to act as an obedient servant, when in reality she is nothing but a spy. Even if Eugene thought of checking where her loyalties lie, she does not intend to find out by using the same method Jin did.


    ¡°She probably meant it as a warning to Rodrigo.¡± Eugene said as she wrapped her arms around herself, still feeling goose bumps come up at her arms. ¡°Molly, what should I do with her?¡± She thought hard, but she was not able to come up with any solutions. A maid knocked on her door and she beckoned her to come in.


    ¡°Your Majesty. The chancellor is requesting to see you. He says that should you allow it, he would like to come and see you this afternoon.¡±


    ***


    Verus arrived at the queen¡¯s office in the afternoon, slightly earlier than the call time they agreed on. He was waiting for the maid to return, killing time by taking in his surroundings as his eyes drifted towards the closed door in front of him, mixed emotions bubbling inside him.


    It had been about ten days since his last visit, and a lot of things had happened since then. During these active seasons, everyone always directed their attention towards the King, with nothing but reverence spewing out of their mouths as they praise him repeatedly.


    But now, the people¡¯s attention had their eyes set on the queen, amazed by the fact that she had transformed a Lark into a tree. People who haven¡¯t seen the tree in person were mocked, saying that they were missing out greatly and that is why Verus had come to see it, curiosity getting the better of him.


    Verus was not the type to easily believe what other people would have to say, since it is likely to be filled with nothing but exaggerations. Even though there were countless stories about it already all from different people, Verus still wanted to see it for himself, trusting his judgment more than anyone else¡¯s.


    He called Sven, who had been present when it happened. Apart from himself, he could also rely on Sven to tell him the truth. ¡°You were there, right? Did you actually see the Lark transforming into a tree?¡±


    ¡°Did you really call me to ask me that?¡± Sven replied, irritation evident in his voice. His tone was kind of accusatory, as if he¡¯s saying, ¡®how dare you doubt the queen¡¯s powers?¡¯


    ¡°Why else would I call you here? I just want to hear it from a first-hand witness.¡± Verus responded calmly. He was surprised to see Sven acting defensive, though. Sven seemed to have pledged his complete loyalty towards the queen, which confused Verus since Sven was not someone who could easily be bought with wealth or power.


    Before requesting for a meeting with the queen, Verus had many conflicting thoughts. The information that he had acquired was significant enough, and he was torn between reporting it to the queen since she was the one who asked him to investigate, and bringing the news immediately to the king.


    If this happened ten days ago, Verus would have gone directly to the King without any second thoughts. But the lark situation changed Verus¡¯ perspective completely. Why would the queen, who had that kind of power, need to interact with the servants of Mara?


    The queen had given the order, and the king gave him his permission to lead the investigation, so he guessed that reporting it to the queen first would be the ideal choice.


    The door opened and the maid came out, bowing to him slightly. ¡°Come on in.¡±

 Chapter 177

    Verus went inside the office and bowed to Eugene who was sitting on a sofa. With her permission, Verus sat down at the seat across from her. ¡°I have come to report my findings regarding the matters you asked me about.¡±


    When Chancellor Verus had requested for a meeting, she initially thought that he would ask her more questions pertaining to the investigation. But in just about ten days, he managed to gather the information she needed. Eugene was highly impressed.


    She was slowly adjusting to this world¡¯s much, unhurried pace. Even a simple order given to a maid took quite a while. In this world, ten days was nothing much, so it made sense that the chancellor¡¯s skills were known to be top-notch.


    ¡°You said that you had suspicions regarding the information broker, Cage, had been using his brokerage fees for some underground purpose. So I dug into his records pertaining to his wealth.¡± Verus said.


    Since he had been ordered to investigate in secret, he had been extra careful to not raise suspicions. He didn¡¯t think that it was anything serious, and even if these suspicions were true, the worst thing he could be doing was paying the nobility for support.


    In Kingdoms like the Hashi Kingdom where non-violent Kings reigned, people who are vying for political power seldom resort to bloodbaths. It differs for each Kingdom, but basically it was all the same.


    But the fights for economic power were quite intense. Merchants would usually form alliances amongst themselves, even working with noblemen in order to run scams or even commit assassinations just to get rid of their competition. All of them would resort to drastic measures to get to the top.


    Verus was originally in that track, investigating more about the disputes the bourgeois normally had, but then he found something unusual.


    ¡°Cage didn¡¯t have any property or assets under his name. But then I found out that he was running a small store under a false name.¡± Verus said.


    Eugene listened in on Verus¡¯ words, concentrating deeply on what he had to say. It seemed as if Rodrigo purposefully made those different identities, to use it to his advantage.


    ¡°The store made little to no profit. And under the possession of the store, there was a small warehouse too.¡±


    Verus had a persistent personality. If he started digging and had found something relevant in his searches, he won¡¯t just stop there. He would probe even more, trying to tie up the loose ends of everything he¡¯s managed to get his hands on. It would sometimes take him the whole day, and he¡¯s not stopping until he¡¯s satisfied. His fruitful investigations make him forget all the exhaustion he went under.


    He thought that it was strange that Cage had a warehouse when he¡¯s barely making any income from that store. There¡¯s no use for that since he had nothing to keep anyway. And if he wasn¡¯t using the warehouse to store goods, what is he using it for, then? It would have been a smarter choice to have it rented out to generate more money, right? Since making profit was the sole purpose of any merchant.


    Verus also found out that the warehouse had been recently built, and he took it upon himself to see what construction materials were bought and used for the assembly of the warehouse, and from there he found another loophole. ¡°It appears that the warehouse was originally built as a darkroom.¡±


    ¡°And? Is there something odd about it? Eugene asked, raising her brows slightly.


    ¡°The rent for a darkroom is quite high. On top of that, there are almost none of them readily available in the market. So a tenant could price it whatever he wants since it is a rare commodity.¡± Verus explained.


    It would make so much sense to simply get rid of the unprofitable store in its¡¯ entirety and to just have the darkroom rented out.


    ¡°But the warehouse isn¡¯t even registered as a darkroom warehouse, which is pretty suspicious.¡± Verus said.


    ¡°Did you check to confirm that it was indeed a darkroom warehouse?


    ¡°Not yet. But based on the materials that were used to construct it, there¡¯s no doubt about it.¡±


    Eugene furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Did Rodrigo do something inside that warehouse?¡± She thought that maybe the ritual Rodrigo was talking about had something to do with the warehouse.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Building a darkroom warehouse costs a lot of money. Based on the store¡¯s lack of profit, it would be impossible for them to construct one. They didn¡¯t even take out a loan. If I may ask, how much did you pay Cage in brokerage fees?¡± Verus asked, waiting for an answer.


    Hearing Verus¡¯ question made Eugene silent, making her break out in a cold sweat. She wanted to lie, but she knew that there would be bank records and statements regarding her spending, and she would be eventually found out when an investigation takes place.


    Since it was the queen¡¯s account, Verus wasn¡¯t allowed to investigate unless she permits it. And she decided that there was no point in deceiving the chancellor with lies.


    Taking a deep breath, Eugene spilled out the amount that had been spent over the past three years, the sum making Verus hitch his breath.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Verus said, falling silent for a moment. The sight made Eugene feel embarrassed as she let out a small cough.


    ¡°It seems that the man has used the money you¡¯ve given him for his own accord.¡± Verus said, still stunned with how much money the queen had spent. But still, he didn¡¯t make any conclusions based on his personal bias. If the queen had spent the money from the kingdom¡¯s treasury, then that would be a huge problem, but using money out of her own pocket is an entirely different story.


    He thought that the queen probably did not understand how huge the sum was.


    ¡°The amount you paid him is more than enough to build a warehouse. I will investigate what else he might¡¯ve used the money for, and we have enough grounds to chase him down and arrest him. What would you like to do?¡± Verus said, intently waiting on the queen¡¯s answer.

 Chapter 178

    Eugene had no intention of doing anything to Rodrigo right now, seeing that she might get a lot of information out of him. ¡°I need to think about it. I feel like it¡¯s not enough reason to arrest him just because he used the money I gave him. It¡¯s not like he stole the money from me anyway.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t plan to have him arrested now, should I just keep on investigating?¡±


    Eugene swallowed nervously, her throat suddenly feeling constricted. ¡°Did he commit any crime?¡± Eugene asked, trying to feign calmness.


    ¡°That I¡¯m not sure of.¡±


    Verus had also found out that there¡¯s been a transaction between Cage and a person that was involved with the servants of Mara. He suspected that Cage might be one of the servants, and he planned to investigate further. He held his tongue, keeping his schemes to himself.


    ¡°If you find out anything unusual, let me know immediately. Okay?¡± Eugene deadpanned, trying to mask off her anxiousness with a straight face.


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy with work. I won¡¯t hold you up any longer. Thank you for carrying out my request in such a short time.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°I only did my duty, Your Majesty.¡± Verus replied as he stood up, bowed low and quickly left the office.


    With Verus gone, Eugene¡¯s serious demeanor changed into a distressed one as anxiety filled her up. Pacing around the room with clammy hands, Eugene muttered repeatedly, ¡°What do I do? What should I do?¡±


    He used Jin¡¯s money to build the warehouse¡ªthe darkroom warehouse that was under suspicion.


    When Eugene had asked the chancellor to investigate Rodrigo, she only intended to get more information about his identity by the name of Cage. She didn¡¯t expect that Verus would uncover something so huge¡ªand quickly at that, too. ¡°Rodrigo, is that all you¡¯ve got? You¡¯re already being found out in such a short time.¡±


    It seemed like the chancellor still had no idea about Rodrigo¡¯s true identity, but he might figure it out soon enough. Rodrigo and his actions among the servants of Mara would surely be brought to light, along with the fact that the funding has been provided by none other than the queen, to whom they refer to as a Saint. How was she supposed to explain that?


    Eugene had no idea what it was Jin was trying to accomplish through her relationship with the servants of Mara. She didn¡¯t know where to go from here, and she couldn¡¯t make something out of what Rodrigo had said to her, and the situation with Tanya Molly too. She didn¡¯t know where to begin.


    She was lost in her thoughts for quite a while. With her arms crossed, Eugene raised her head slightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s my only option.¡±


    ?


    After the king¡¯s servant had come and gone, he went straight to the queen¡¯s chambers.


    Under normal circumstances, Eugene would have been waiting for Kasser while seated on her bed, but now that she¡¯s tensed and restless, she opted to wait for him while sitting on her sofa instead.


    Entering the room, Kasser faced the bed, expecting Eugene to be lounging over there. Turning around, he saw Eugene standing up from her seat and he marched straight towards her. ¡°Your Majesty. I have something to tell you.¡± Eugene said as he reached her closer.


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Right now.¡±


    Kasser scratched his temples. ¡°Are you sure that it has to be right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It absolutely has to be right now.¡± They went in back and forth.


    Eugene motioned for him to sit down on the sofa across her. It was his first time seeing her face today after the brief time they spent at lunch together. Why was it so hard for him to see his wife¡¯s face? He felt that it was very unfair. What he wanted to do now is pick her up bridal style, lay her on her back and kiss her repeatedly. He felt like they¡¯re wasting time by talking when they should be canoodling right now.


    He sat down reluctantly.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Eugene said with hesitation. She stopped there as if she was having trouble voicing out her words. Seeing her on edge made Kasser curious on what she¡¯s about to say.


    ¡°Uhm.. I¡¯ve made a mistake. Well, at least I think I have¡­¡± Eugene said quietly.


    Waiting for her to go on, he leaned his body back towards the backrest of the sofa as he stared at her intently.


    ¡°It happened previously. It¡¯s something that I did before I lost my memories.¡± Eugene continued.


    Eugene filled him in by saying that she had asked the Chancellor to investigate Cage, and the conversation they had in the afternoon. She also told him about all the information the Chancellor had managed to gather up.


    ¡°So he built a warehouse with the money you gave him. Is there a problem? If he did something you find disrespectful, just call him out for it.¡± Kasser said.


    Eugene spoke carefully, wary of how he might react when he found out. ¡°That man¡­ he¡¯s not just an information broker.¡±

 Chapter 179

    Kasser stared at her wordlessly, his face unreadable as he waited for her to go on. Seeing him look at her attentively made Eugene fidget as she continued, ¡°I think he has multiple names, and the name ¡®Cage¡¯ is what he used when he was acting as an information broker.¡±


    Before meeting with Kasser, Eugene rehearsed the lines in her room, making sure to choose each word carefully so she wouldn¡¯t slip up. She couldn¡¯t tell Kasser the whole truth, so she decided to omit some parts of the narrative and she had to make certain that it all blended seamlessly, not wanting him to grow suspicious.


    ¡°One of his other names is Rodrigo. A servant of¡­ Mara.¡±


    After her meeting with the chancellor, Eugene realized that she couldn¡¯t handle all of this by herself, given the fact that her memory is pretty unreliable. With that notion in mind, she decided to come clean to the King and tell him what she could, and ask him for help. He¡¯s the only one who could cover up Jin¡¯s past actions no matter what it was. He was the Desert King, the ruler of this kingdom after all.


    Kasser¡¯s expression remained unreadable even after hearing Eugene¡¯s words. ¡°What does his other identities have to do with you?¡± Kasser asked, raising one eyebrow. His voice remained calm, and he didn¡¯t falter one bit even when the servants of Mara was brought up.


    Eugene was surprised to see him unfazed. Marianne told her before that the king did not trust the servants of Mara, but despite his mistrust towards them, he remained neutral, not showing anything that resembles hatred and disgust.


    ¡°Because I kept meeting with him even though I knew that he was one of the servants of Mara, and even gave him a large amount of money.¡± Eugene answered.


    ¡°But all you did was purchase information from an information broker, and paid him for it.¡± Kasser said, still confused with Eugene¡¯s apprehension.


    ¡°I paid him much more than the average brokerage fee costs.¡±


    ¡°If the buyer and the seller agreed on a certain price, then that¡¯s not something one should make a big deal out of.¡± Kasser said nonchalantly, making Eugene nervous even more. She didn¡¯t want to deceive him by making it as simple as overpriced costs, what she wanted to do was to confess what Jin had done, and for him to make a decision based on that.


    Eugene took a deep breath. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a simple trade by a buyer and seller. I wouldn¡¯t have brought this up if it were that mundane. I recalled that I was funding the servants of Mara, and¡ª¡° Eugene gulped as she continued, ¡°He called me a Saint.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s calm expression suddenly shifted into a furious one. ¡°What a vicious man, resorting to such methods just to deceive you.¡± His voice raged, making Eugene flinch in front of him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s trying to trick you into believing his lies.¡± Kasser muttered as he continued ¡°Did he somehow found out that you owned a lot of money?¡±


    It was clear that Kasser¡¯s anger was directed towards Rodrigo, not Eugene. Eugene realized that he must have concluded that she was naively scammed of her money, making Eugene scoff to herself. She really thought that he would understand what she¡¯s trying to say, but this misunderstanding says otherwise.


    ¡°Your Majesty. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± Eugene said, slightly frustrated that she had to prove what she¡¯s guilty of instead of defending herself.


    ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    Eugene fell silent, not knowing how to make him understand.


    ¡°You¡¯re anxious about the fact that he called you one of their Saints, am I right?¡± Kasser asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Eugene deadpanned.


    ¡°If you used that title given to you to take advantage of people, then you¡¯re guilty of a terrible crime. Did you do anything like that?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember because you didn¡¯t do anything like that. If you did, I would definitely know about it.¡± Kasser said, trying to ease Eugene¡¯s worries away.


    Eugene nodded her head upon hearing Kasser¡¯s affirmation. Jin had snuck out of the castle to meet with Rodrigo, but it couldn¡¯t have been very frequent. Jin would be undoubtedly caught if she went out several times. Eugene realized that living as a villainess queen entailed having a lot of watchful eyes, eyeing her everywhere and anytime.


    ¡°You¡¯re a queen. The power you have over this nation is much more than any power you could ever have from any title, and there was nothing you could have gained with being called a ¡®Saint¡¯.¡± Kasser told her.


    Eugene stood gaping at him, his reasoning perfectly logical. But what concerns her is what Jin had done, which cannot be explained rationally.


    ¡®Then what could be the reason behind funding all that money into the servants of Mara?¡±


    ¡°I should be the one asking you that.¡± Kasser said.


    Eugene didn¡¯t realize that she had voiced her thoughts out. ¡°Well, I must have kept this relationship with the servants of Mara a secret for a reason. Even if I didn¡¯t follow through with it, it¡¯s still a crime to plan something like this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kasser asked.


    ¡°You know.., like summoning Mara or something like that.¡± Eugene didn¡¯t realize how absurd she sounded, prompting Kasser to snort at her remark.


    ¡°Summoning the vile God for what?¡± Kasser said as he bellowed in laughter.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Eugene frowned, she was angry that he would take everything she had said lightly. Kasser noticed Eugene glaring at him. He tried to stop his laughter as he composed himself, forcing his cheeks so stay still as he formed a non-convincing frown.


    ¡°If this is how you¡¯ll react, then next time when something happens you won¡¯t find me telling you any of it.¡± Eugene said, clearly irritated.


    Even in her aggravated expression, Kasser still found her so beautiful, and he had to push his desires away since all he wanted to do was kiss her lips repeatedly. And if he did smother her with kisses, Eugene would definitely grow even more upset. The time they had together was already fleeting, and he didn¡¯t want to waste any more time with Eugene being mad at him.


    ¡°Calm down. I didn¡¯t mean to make fun of you. It just seemed illogical.¡± Kasser explained.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Mara. That¡¯s the god that the servants serve. Is it even possible to summon a God?¡±


    It was possible in Eugene¡¯s novel, but that¡¯s it. It was just a novel.

 Chapter 180

    ¡°The Sang-je is a holy man who has been protecting the Holy City for a very long time, according to his God, Mahar. But no one has ever actually seen Mahar. And I think that if a God were to come down into this world, that would only signify the end of the world.¡± Kasser told her. Eugene looked at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°Gods. They are an entity we can¡¯t even begin to imagine. Would a life form even survive when it comes in contact with such being?¡±


    Eugene listened closely, giving her full attention as Kasser went on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say that it is possible to summon a God, and you¡¯re somehow involved with that. Then what could possibly be your reason to summon one?¡±


    ¡°Desiring Mara¡¯s power¡­.¡± Eugene spoke mindlessly, stating Jin¡¯s end goal for summoning Mara.


    ¡°What for? You¡¯re an Anika with unmatched Ramita levels. You already have that blessing from the Gods, so why would you still yearn for more power? From an evil god at that, too¡±


    Jin had little to no Ramita when she was born, that¡¯s why her desire to have a different and much stronger power resonated so deeply within her. But that was only true based on the novel.


    Having this conversation with Kasser made Eugene even more confused than she already was. She felt like the things she worried about were actually irrelevant.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that I was the one who funded the servants and kept a close relationship with them, even earning the title Saint amongst them.¡± Eugene repeated. Making sure that Kasser understands the predicament she was in.


    Kasser nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It won¡¯t do you any good when that fact is made known to the public. They would definitely use that against you.¡± His demeanor remained serious as he continued. ¡°Now, tell me what it is that you want.¡±


    Eugene turned her towards him, surprised and a little bit embarrassed that he managed to see right through her.


    The reason why she told him all of this was not simply because she want to atone for her terrible actions, nor did she want to get his empathy and assure her that it¡¯s okay to make mistakes, what she wanted to happen was for Kasser to come up with a solution. She didn¡¯t want to be trapped in Jin¡¯s chain of wrongdoings any longer.


    ¡°I¡­.¡±


    Eugene found it difficult to voice out her intentions, feeling sheepish that she wanted to be free from her dark past.


    Kasser waited for her to continue, but seeing her struggle to form words prompted him to make a decision. ¡°I¡¯ll send out a royal decree to track down all the servants of Mara and kick them out so that they can¡¯t stay anywhere within the Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Eugene said urgently. ¡°I heard that you haven¡¯t been persecuting them ever since. I don¡¯t want anything to change regarding the servants of Mara.¡±


    ¡°Then should I just order for that man¡¯s arrest?¡±


    Eugene shook her head. ¡°Please, just don¡¯t do anything for the meantime. I¡¯m thinking of having a meeting with that man.¡±


    Kasser scowled upon hearing her answer. ¡°Why? What for?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I might remember something when I meet up with him, and I want to know why I gave him so much money. The chancellor might also do an investigation regarding him, and report it directly to you. Could you possibly slow his investigation down?¡±


    He remembered what Verus had reported to him earlier regarding the servants of Mara, deeming their actions suspicious as he ordered him to investigate. And hearing what Eugene said made him grow even more doubtful since so much money was involved with the servants of Mara, so it makes sense that they were growing stronger.


    He didn¡¯t understand why Eugene was keen to meet up with him to recall her memories, though. What¡¯s the point?


    There were times when Eugene seemed stuck pondering deeply into her memories. Kasser was satisfied with what they have now in the present, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t blame her for wanting to recover her memories, and he understood the reason behind her growing anxiety.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Kasser gave in to her request to leave Rodrigo alone for the meantime. Hearing his short, direct answer surprised Eugene. She didn¡¯t expect him to acquiesce so quickly.


    ¡°You have my word. But I can¡¯t guarantee that I would just let him be. Seeing what he did to you, there¡¯s a pretty good chance that he¡¯s committed other crimes as well. I¡¯ll put him on a time limit for a month. After the dry season starts, I¡¯ll be the one to take care of him.¡± Kasser said.


    Eugene nodded her head, fully agreeing on Kasser¡¯s terms. Letting out a small sigh, the uneasiness she felt earlier slowly melted away. She felt like she could breath a lot easier now.


    She knew that he would not be able to refuse her, but she kind of expected him to chastise her at least. She felt lighter, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit worried. Is it really going to be okay?


    ¡°Eugene.¡± Kasser suddenly called, snapping Eugene out of her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll find you a new, skilled information broker.¡±


    She raised her eyebrow. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m upset just because I¡¯ve lost the information broker? The one who helped me collect those old books?¡±


    ¡°That hobby of yours was important to you.¡±


    ¡°Not anymore. You know that I haven¡¯t been buying books lately.¡±


    ¡°Well it is the active season.¡± Kasser said as he shrugged.


    ¡°Right. Jin only buys book during the dry season.¡±


    During the active season, the goods that are up for sale became much more limited. The only goods that were readily available in the market were usually just necessities, and luxury items such as old books were only available during the dry season.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost interest in collecting books, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll buy anymore.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°Why all of the sudden?¡± Kasser asked.


    ¡°No reason exactly. That¡¯s just how hobbies work, sometimes you like it, sometimes you don¡¯t¡ª¡° Eugene stopped in her tracks, noticing that Kasser was looking at her so gently that she couldn¡¯t help but laugh at him.


    ¡°You really have a knack of making serious discussions lighter.¡± Eugene said as she shook her head, her lips forming a pout.


    Seeing her endearing expression made Kasser laugh as he stood up from his seat, leaned down towards her personal space and lifted her in his arms. The sudden action made Eugene squeak as Kasser took her towards the bed.


    We are working hard to be able to serve full, uncut chapters in this site (~2500 words) from now on. Please bear with us as we adjust to this change and hopefully, we can provide a schedule soon. Thank you everyone.

 Chapter 181

    Note: Full, uncut chapters will be posted from hereon. Thank you.


    Kasser sat Eugene carefully on the bed, making sure she¡¯s comfortable as he kneeled in front of her. He gently caressed her shoulders before leaning in and capturing her lips with his own.


    Parting her lips to tell Kasser to hold on for a while, she only managed to open her mouth as he devoured her completely¡ª her words dying on her tongue.


    Kasser could feel her penetrating gaze, looking at him like she¡¯s signaling him to stop, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to stop kissing her.


    Recently, he¡¯s been having a hard time controlling himself whenever he¡¯s with Eugene. It¡¯s like his body was not his own, and his patience hung thinly by a thread.


    He¡¯s always overcome with this irresistible urge to touch and kiss her, and when he gets a little bit of her, his greed skyrockets as if it was ignited even more. The hunger he felt was evident in his kisses.


    It was the only thing he looks forward to after spending the whole day submerged in work. During nighttime, Eugene was all his, and he didn¡¯t want to waste any moment spent with her.


    He pried her mouth open with his tongue, kissing her deeply and passionately. They were in a tangle of wet lips, mingled breaths and tongues wet with each other¡¯s saliva. He had memorized her taste by now, but she still tasted as sweet as ever.


    Hovering her from above, Kasser caged Eugene in as she slowly leaned back, her head tilted in an angle to fully accommodate his lips. Mouths chased each other, swallowing one another down as they kept their lips locked.


    ¡°Hnn.¡± Eugene moaned as his tongue made its way inside, winding around hers like a slithering snake as he sucked her in deeply into his mouth. Eugene felt a tingling sensation run down her spine, and she unconsciously let out a moan from the back of her throat.


    With her half-lidded eyes, she could see his slanted, protruding nose. Her eyelashes fluttering as she struggled to keep them open with the pleasure she¡¯s been feeling. Closing her eyes shut, her lower abdomen tingled with excitement. It¡¯s like her whole body was on fire.


    They were so engrossed with each other that she felt like they reached a new level of intimacy, despite having made love a number of times.


    Satisfied with her taste, he took his lips from hers to catch a quick breath, leaning down once again as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips, then slightly brushed on her cheeks and eyelids as if he¡¯s committing her to memory. Barely even lasting a second, he proceeded to kiss her even more passionately, mouthing her a little harder.


    ¡°My King¡ª hnn. W-wait.¡± Eugene stuttered. There was something that she had to tell him. Eugene turned her head to the side to avoid his kisses, but Kasser dipped low and burrowed his face against her neck. He planted a kiss there, gently biting down on her flesh as he sucked on her skin. His ministrations made her want more.


    ¡°Ahh.. ¡° Eugene moaned as she lifted her hands up to his chest. She pushed at him lightly and said, ¡°My King.. There¡¯s still something we need to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± He mumbled against her skin as he continued to pepper her face with countless kisses.


    She glared at his stubbornness. ¡°Oh, you.¡± She mumbled as Kasser went on as if he never heard her.


    She already told him that she would meet up with Rodrigo, wouldn¡¯t it be fine to go meet him since Kasser had already given his permission?


    Kasser attacked her neck again with relentless kisses, making Eugene giggle at the contact. He liked these soft, lingering moments between them, and he mentally told himself to not do anything that may cause a rift in their relationship.


    He hoped that they could be like this forever.


    ¡°We will meet outside the castle.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Kasser asked directly to her ear, softly nibbling at the soft skin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him to be on his guard. I will go meet him alone.¡±


    Hearing her words made Kasser stop kissing. ¡°What are you talking about? What about your escort?¡±


    Eugene tilted her head down, making eye contact with him and said, ¡°There won¡¯t be an escort. I¡¯ll go alone.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± Kasser said sternly, cutting her idea off.


    Eugene blinked, looking at his eyes that seemed to grow cold and hard. Not bearing the softness it had a few moments before.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just call him to the palace?¡± Kasser asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t talk to him in the castle because it might take long.¡±


    Kasser stared at her for a few moments and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always talked with him outside. If I suddenly told him to meet me here, he would be really suspicious. If I want to get my answers, I need to make sure that he trusts me.¡± Eugene explained.


    ¡°Well, if you never had a private conversation with him, all this wouldn¡¯t have happened. ¡° Kasser said.


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s¡ª¡± Eugene lowered her eyes and continued, ¡°Before¡­  before that incident. I remember meeting with him outside.¡±


    ¡°Met him? Alone?¡± Kasser said in a low voice. Apprehension evident in his voice now that he knew Rodrigo¡¯s true identity. Eugene¡¯s mouth grew dry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I was alone. I¡¯m pretty sure that I had brought a maid with me, and that maid served as a messenger. It¡¯s one of the maids who went to the desert with me and went missing.¡± Eugene said as she supported herself on her elbows, the bed dipping slightly from her weight. Kasser leaned back and sat down next to her. The heated atmosphere they were in earlier evaporated, replaced by an air of stiffness around them.


    She told him about Ellie, who came in as a temporary servant and soon became a maid. ¡°There¡¯s a woman named Molly, who also served as a temporary maid like Ellie, who¡¯s also acting as a messenger.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s expression turned a lot harder than it already was, making Eugene sweat profusely seeing him at edge. She felt that he had become angrier upon hearing of her past ventures of going out without his permission.


    His anger was evident on his eyes. His exasperation finally reaching his breaking point, and Eugene thought that it might have something to do with social status.


    It¡¯s not like he¡¯s a lenient ruler, he¡¯s just really careful when it comes to using his authority, not wanting to make his subordinates feel oppressed and looked down upon.


    Eugene has yet to learn the fullness of the hierarchical system when it comes to social status. She didn¡¯t know how sensitive he¡¯d get regarding this matter.


    The palace was the symbol of the King¡¯s absolute power. It¡¯s his resting place, and commoners frolicking the place are something he can¡¯t fully stomach. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.


    Kasser gritted his teeth, wanting to wipe the rats out of his vicinity. He took in a deep series of breaths as he was reminded of his agreement with Eugene.


    One month. He had promised to leave it out of his hands for a month and he intended to keep his promise. When the grace period¡¯s up, he planned to search every nook and cranny of the capital to clear out all the rats lingering by.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Molly in and keep her with me for a while. She¡¯ll come with me.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°Did you know that his messenger entered the palace?¡±


    Eugene shivered upon hearing Kasser¡¯s direct questioning. Everything¡¯s going too fast, making her heart thump wildly in her chest. ¡°Y-yes. He told me.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°The other day. When he came to see me.¡± Eugene answered as she toyed with her hands.


    ¡°You said that you never had a private meeting with him.¡± Kasser stated, repeating the words she had said earlier.


    Someone would¡¯ve overhead this information if Rodrigo did utter the words.


    Eugene gulped nervously. She was scared to think of how he would react when she tells him about Rodrigo¡¯s hypnosis ability, which wouldn¡¯t help her situation at all.


    ¡®Should I just lie? But I already told him almost everything. Should I just be honest and come clean?¡¯ Eugene thought internally.


    ¡°He has an unusual ability.¡± Eugene explained the scope of Rodrigo¡¯s skills to Kasser. She described the scene she saw that day since she didn¡¯t know what it was exactly.


    She glanced at him, and his expression didn¡¯t change much as she went on. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. As long as he thinks I¡¯m a Saint, he can¡¯t and won¡¯t hurt me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Be realistic.¡± Kasser cut her off. ¡°You¡¯re going out of the palace and only bringing one maid with you, to meet up with a person who can manipulate minds. That¡¯s what you¡¯re saying, right?¡± He said as he laughed humorously. It was the coldest expression she had ever seen on him.


    ¡°Call him to the castle. I¡¯ve already agreed with your terms, now do me this favor. Would you?¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t be able to get what I want from him.¡± Eugene said with a slight whine to her voice.


    ¡°What is it that you want to hear?¡± Kasser asked, clearly exasperated.


    ¡°The reason why I gave him a large amount of money, and why I¡¯ve been called a Saintess.¡±


    Kasser lifted his eyebrows. ¡°Why do you need to know that?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just cover up what I did, not really knowing what it is I¡¯m covering up.¡±


    ¡°Just cover it up!¡±


    Their voices grew louder in volume as they argued back and forth.


    ¡°Cover what exactly? The case involving the cult?¡± Eugene continued, ¡°or the past where I was Jin?¡±


    There was no reason for Eugene to be upset since Kasser was not really fond of Jin. She had long decided to wipe out any remnants of Jin¡¯s past, replacing it with her own present and future.


    He had told her that they would start all over, willing to embrace her past fully. Did he say that on a whim? Her confidence in him shook slightly, making her question the depth of his words.


    ¡°You said that it doesn¡¯t matter that I provided the servants of Mara with money or the fact that I was called a Saintess. If that¡¯s the case, why won¡¯t you let me meet him then?¡± Eugene asked sharply, accusation lacing her voice.


    Is he having suspicions that she might meet with Rodrigo and plan something?


    Kasser didn¡¯t fail to catch on what she¡¯s trying to say, making him shake his head lightly from the absurdity of her allegations. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll do something to you. I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯re meeting up with such a dangerous man without an escort.¡±


    Eugene stopped short upon hearing his words dripped in nothing but sincerity.


    ¡°If you¡¯re anxious because you can¡¯t remember anything, you don¡¯t have to worry because I¡¯ll take care of it and I¡¯ll make sure that you won¡¯t get into trouble. You don¡¯t have to go through such risks just to get in touch with him.¡± Kasser said in a soft voice.


    ¡®Worried.. He¡¯s just worried about me.¡¯ Her mind is still stuck with what he said earlier. She smiled widely at him, making Kasser blink his eyes as he realized what she¡¯s trying to do. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Eugene said as she slowly approached him with a grin plastered on her face.


    ¡°No. I said no.¡± Kasser repeated, turning his head away from her gaze.


    He flinched when her hand reached for his thigh, making him soft all over. He couldn¡¯t find it in himself to push her body away, which is nearing so close to him.


    After all, he couldn¡¯t resist at all- her and her wiles.


    ¡°Your Majesty. I must meet him to find out. No matter how bad it got, I couldn¡¯t have given him that much money just to get information. There must be another reason.¡±


    Eugene knew that she only had this one chance to try to persuade him. The numerous things Jin had done were tangled like cobwebs, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to go forward with this if she missed a clue¡ª no matter how big or small it was.


    ¡°I need to know why I¡¯m involved with the cult. If I don¡¯t find out, I won¡¯t be able to move on from this because of the nagging anxiety of not knowing what will happen. Your Majesty..  Please.¡±


    Kasser visibly flinched at her pleading. After a short while, he exhaled a deep sigh, fully acquiescing to her request as he wrapped his hands around her back and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Fine. Just once. No more than that.¡±

 Chapter 182

    ¡°Yes. Just once.¡± Eugene replied quickly as she nodded her head. She had no choice but to comply with his request, knowing that she was lucky enough to get this much.


    ¡®Good. There¡¯s nothing that will hold me back now.¡¯ She thought to herself.


    She was relieved that he didn¡¯t respond to her cold-heartedly. If she didn¡¯t trust him, everything could¡¯ve gone wrong.


    While Eugene was trapped in her thoughts contemplating her next move, Kasser remained tense and bothered beside her. A hardened expression etched his face, no matter how much he thought he still felt the plan was just too dangerous. He ran his hand through his hair, regret filling his insides and swallowing him whole.


    ¡°Struggles don¡¯t make it impossible.¡±


    He had told her that a few days ago, and he didn¡¯t expect her to take his words to heart. He felt displeased thinking about how weak his resolve was when it came to her.


    Kasser removed her hands that were still clinging to him, grabbing her shoulders as he fixed his gaze on her face. He wanted to tell her to look for another way, but her smiling, pleased face rendered him speechless. The final decision was always up to him. He didn¡¯t really pay attention to the consequences of his words or actions, and being considerate of other people¡¯s feelings was completely foreign to him.


    Unable to control her overflowing emotions, Eugene suddenly brought her face towards his, aiming a kiss on his lips, but landing on the spot between his lower lip and chin instead.


    She broke into peals of laughter at her own carelessness as she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his lips.


    Kasser¡¯s eyes glistened as he stared at her. With a resigned sigh, he looked up momentarily and said with a tone full of mirth, ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing this intentionally. This sudden affection.¡± Kasser replied.


    Her eyes widened at his teasing. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t intentional. I didn¡¯t plan it at all.¡± Eugene denied as she crossed her arms around his neck, looking directly into his eyes. Her tongue slid out, softly licking his lips then proceeded to suck his bottom lip. She was doing exactly what he¡¯d always done to her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t plan it,¡± Eugene said, looking straight to his eyes, ¡°I just wanted to do it.¡±


    Kasser stared back at her with the same intensity, the air around them felt hot as he swept her in for a kiss.


    At the swift action, Eugene arched her head back towards the bed, reciprocating his kiss with equal passion. She placed her hands onto his shoulders, gently squeezing at the hard plane of his muscles beneath her fingertips. A light moan slipped out of her as they seamlessly moved together. It seemed like Kasser was not the only one who looked forward to this night.


    ***


    Kasser woke up from his slumber, feeling a strong energy bubbling inside his body. His eyes fluttered open and he saw a translucent blue snake slipping out of him.


    Praz ran away immediately as he felt his master awake. Kasser relaxed when he saw water rising from the direction of Praz¡¯s movement.


    He looked around, carefully taking in his surroundings with his eyes. He realized that it was the crack of dawn, casting the bedroom a hazy, dream-like atmosphere from the early morning glow. He could still see the illusionary water filling the bedroom from where he lay.


    Kasser stretched out his hand, waving his hand slightly as the water shook in front of him. He could not feel anything, but the scene before him looked real, vivid enough to convince a person into believing that it was tangible.


    It was still a mysterious sight to him, despite seeing it for the second time now. He turned his head to the side and saw Eugene sleeping peacefully beside him.


    His arm rested under Eugene¡¯s pillow, supporting her head like a secondary cushion. Every time he wakes up in the morning, he would either be holding her hand or his arm would be a makeshift pillow she would lie on. He didn¡¯t exactly remember when they started doing this, as they transitioned into this so easily and naturally in only a short period of time.


    Back then, about a few months ago, he would wake up from his sleep lying so far away from her, almost nearing the edge of the bed. He couldn¡¯t even sleep well at night because he was uncomfortable, even when he slept alone. Those days felt distant even when it¡¯s only been a few months.


    But now, sleeping with someone beside him doesn¡¯t bother him in the slightest. Even when their bodies are close and touching, that won¡¯t hinder him from getting a good night¡¯s sleep. He was used to it by now that he would surely feel strange if everything changed.


    He carefully pulled his arm out and switched to a seating position. His eyes went up, a frown made its way to his face upon seeing Praz floating around the bedroom.


    Praz, who was in the shape of a snake, was playing with the water suspended in the air. His tail was like that of a fish¡¯s, pattering and disrupting the water.


    He stared at the blue snake in annoyance and clicked his tongue. Growing skeptical at the sight in front him, he decided to avert his eyes as he took in Eugene¡¯s sleeping form. Eugene flipped to her side, now facing the direction he was looking at.


    He laughed quietly to himself seeing how deeply she¡¯s sleeping, her breathing coming in slow and heavy at the same time. ¡®What was that about, not being able to sleep?¡¯


    Kasser stayed still for a while, losing track of time as he looked at her sleeping face fondly, completely pleased to have such a beautiful view.


    A few moments passed the bedroom grew brighter, sunrays seeping through the curtains as light filled the room slowly, signaling a new day ahead. The illusionary water disappeared, as if it evaporated under the luminosity of the sun.


    Before the water completely disappeared, Praz had returned to his body. Just like the last time, the water did not get sucked inside Eugene¡¯s body, and simply appeared as if they were air.


    ¡®Is she becoming better at controlling her Ramita?¡¯ Kasser asked, getting out of bed to start his day. He planned to tell her about what he saw later, since it¡¯s about time for him to start working. He had woken up earlier than usual, but his mind was alert as ever.


    He wanted to wake Eugene but thought of how she must have been exhausted from last night¡¯s affair. Hence, he gave her sleeping form a soft kiss, made sure she was covered warm with the blankets and left silently.


    ***


    Kasser had asked his aide to bring in some documents. The aide brought in a thick pile of papers inside his office, placing it carefully on his desk.


    The side of the pile bore different shades of colors, showing their age through the passage of time. The bottom part of the pile was yellow, the middle one was slightly discolored, and the top portion of the documents was white. The documents are arranged according to their dates.


    Kasser had already read the files that were placed on the top pile. The other documents were made before he had ascended to the throne and some were written during the reign of the previous king, perhaps even earlier.


    He read through the latest documents, taking his time to read each one carefully from the beginning to end, while taking only certain excerpts from the older documents.


    After reading for a quite a while, he straightened his back out and tapped his fingers on the desk, his mind deep in thoughts. All the documents that he read had information about Mara¡¯s servants. ¡®The high priest¡­¡¯


    Kasser was surprised when Eugene mentioned ¡®The high priest¡¯ during their conversation yesterday. He knew about the ranks within the servants of Mara, but only to some extent. ¡®The high priest is the eminent one.¡±


    The reason why he did not send his people out and take them down was pretty simple. He thought that it would be a waste of energy and manpower to do such, trivial thing. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s neglecting the situation completely, it is just one of the kingdom¡¯s rules to conduct necessary precautions when handling affairs such as this. Those rules won¡¯t hinder him from looking for more information, though.


    They were a private organization, but they had flaws everywhere. He also coerced the servants of Mara by telling them to do their best in proving that they are harmless, and even telling them that he would keep a blind eye to a certain degree.


    He told Eugene that it was not a big deal, but in reality, Kasser took this matter seriously. It won¡¯t do them any good when the fact that she had sponsored a cult and even referred to as Saintess, became public. It will only tamper her image.


    And if the purpose of her support towards the cult was to summon Mara, then that¡¯s all the more reason why the idea needs to be sealed off from the public. It doesn¡¯t matter if the summoning was possible or not, the mere attempt of doing so would definitely raise suspicions.


    Of course, he did not believe that the Queen wanted to summon Mara at all, since there was no reason for her to do so. What he was concerned about was that even if they did shake the accusations off, she would still be suspected.


    Kasser called for Verus, who immediately entered upon hearing his name.


    ¡°How¡¯s the mission coming along?¡± Kasser asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m currently grasping the situation. I¡¯ll handle it, and report to you immediately.¡± Verus answered.


    ¡°No. If you¡¯re doing anything right now, stop all of it.¡± Kasser said sternly.


    ¡°Your Highness, there are still some things we need to keep an eye on. Please reconsider.¡± Verus replied politely. He knew how to twist his words despite talking to the King. But he was determined to push through with his assignment, confident that he would do it correctly.


    Even though he had risen to the chancellor position at such a young age and had power in his hands, it did not give him the leverage to talk freely since he was supported by most of the officials. If he were the type of official who was only obedient to the King, those who eyed for his seat would definitely resort to tactics just to pull him down from his position.


    ¡°Let me rephrase. I¡¯m not saying to put a complete stop to it. What I¡¯m saying is that you should change the direction.¡± Kasser replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand, Your Highness.¡± Verus said, clearly confused.


    ¡°Do it quietly and secretly so they don¡¯t notice.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty. How much secrecy do you speak of? We¡¯re in the process of collecting information, so we¡¯ve always been cautious. We see to it that we take a careful approach.¡± Verus replied.


    ¡°No need to focus your attention on collecting information. Find out the consequences of their actions instead and track their movements too. And from the capital, get the names of the servants, along with the main members of the cult.¡±


    Verus¡¯ expression softened as he listened to the King¡¯s instructions. It seemed like that the King was adamant in knowing the full identity of the cult. It was a different perspective from the Kingdom¡¯s previous policy of managing the cult only if they caused major accidents.


    ¡°Are you saying that whatever it is that they do, we should only focus on securing the list of their members?¡± Verus confirmed.


    ¡°For the time being, yes.¡±


    A draft of what he¡¯s about to do filled Verus¡¯ mind. It would be a good idea to spread rumors that the Hashi Kingdom might recognize cults, as to make them vigilant.


    ¡°I will proceed as per your orders. However, please allow me to continue my personal investigation, for other purposes.¡±


    ¡°You mean information broker ¡®Cage¡¯, right?¡¯ Kasser asked.


    Verus¡¯ eyes grew wide as he bent his head down. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. We¡¯re investigating him.¡±


    ¡°So I heard. What does it have to do with this?¡±


    He was reluctant in saying it at first since the queen secretly ordered for this investigation, but he was relieved that the King already knew.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s related to the cult, and I think that he¡¯s the one who supports them.¡±


    ¡°Cult or not, he¡¯s still an offender since he deceived the queen into wasting her money. He has to be caught and he needs to pay for his wrongdoings. Don¡¯t investigate him until I give you a heads up, but do not let your eyes off of him. He¡¯s very cunning. So do keep a watchful eye over him. Also, do not keep a warrior on watch. Understand?¡± Kasser said in a grave voice.


    Kasser gained key information from his conversation last night with Eugene, that a priest-level cult member would be able to sense the presence of the King and a warrior.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow your orders, Your Majesty.¡±


    After Verus got out of the room, Kasser called in a few more people to assign some work, as he began to map out his plans in driving the cult out.


    This chapter was brought to you by Keopi Translations. Please read at the original site.

 Chapter 183

    The queen met with her three aides, all of them seated on the round table situated inside her office. They were talking amongst themselves as they organized the first draft of her schedule for the dry season. People would surely say that the plan had been set way too late, if the itinerary were finalized just now since they are nearing close to the active period, which is exactly a week from today.


    However, this was only the first draft, and she only managed to decide on a month¡¯s program. This is the best she could come up with since there¡¯s nothing like this for the past three years, and she basically started from scratch. The kingdom was unfortunate to have been ruled over by a passive queen for years.


    Luckily, her aides were there to help in some affairs Eugene needs to take care of. They sorted out and read through old documents and even took notes of important things. They made sure that they¡¯ve written everything down, spending countless days and nights hunched over books and files just so they could compile the relevant data accordingly.


    Then, they took pride in their efforts as the queen read the first draft, satisfied how they¡¯ve managed to do their job correctly.


    Their eyes had deep, dark circles, but they felt reborn upon completing their assignments. They were entirely pleased, thinking that coming to work as the queen¡¯s aides was the best decision they have ever made.


    There were people who tried to sway them from applying for the queen¡¯s aides position, saying that it would not do their careers any good since there¡¯s literally nothing to do there. That notion came from the rumors that the queen lived a secluded life, even going as far as saying that she had mental and physical issues.


    However, Sandy, Regina and Sandra didn¡¯t mind one bit, and had resolved themselves to live a mundane life. The situation changed drastically when the Lark tree incident happened. Everyone grew envious of them, as they had the privilege to meet Queen Jin immediately after the incident.


    They were also given the important task of creating a budget. Being able to review and distribute the budget to the different areas of the castle was a priceless experience in itself.


    Despite being worn out from helping in creating the queen¡¯s schedule, they were still excited nonetheless in building a new foundation for the future.


    ¡°Do we need to meet the head of the merchant group?¡± Eugene asked after reading the first draft.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Sandra answered quickly, prompting the other two to close their mouths.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be able to meet them all, but it is your responsibility to meet the suppliers for the castle, and resolve the differences.¡± The aide added.


    Eugene was surprised to hear that it¡¯s part of her responsibilities. ¡®Their workload would increase if mine does, why does it seem like they¡¯re keen about it?¡¯ She asked internally. It is indeed the queen¡¯s responsibility to plan and manage the castle¡¯s budget, and to negotiate with the suppliers.


    ¡®They really seemed eager to work, which is a good thing, I guess.¡¯


    Eugene thought that Sandra¡¯s statement was valid enough, though there¡¯s a little difference between Eugene¡¯s viewpoint and her aides¡¯. Eugene was not exactly sure about the full extent of her authority as the queen.


    She thought that she shouldn¡¯t be handling minor things like the palace budget when she could be doing exactly what the king does, thus lending him a hand in his hectic schedule. However, her aides really believed that they should stretch her authority as much as possible, taking it upon themselves to expand the queen¡¯s power by asserting certain tasks.


    The most bothersome situation the aides faced was when they had set the tasks, but the King shouldered the responsibility himself. The aides could not simply take back what was originally the queen¡¯s, since doing so would mean that they are questioning the king¡¯s authority. The officials that were stuck in the middle endured the most pressure, the aides even more so as they sent the official papers directly to the king.


    However, the anxiety they¡¯ve been feeling diminished quickly when the king gave his full support, allowing the queen full authority on everything she wants to do, whatever that may be.


    Since then, the aides grew more confident and assured.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t there anything scheduled for this afternoon?¡± Eugene asked as she pointed on a specific date.


    ¡°We allotted that day specifically since His Majesty would be returning that day.¡± Regina answered.


    ¡°Return? Why? Where is he going?¡± Eugene asked as she lifted her eyebrow.


    Eugene didn¡¯t miss how the aides¡¯ eyes widened upon hearing her question. She trusted them enough to tell her what she needed to know. ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty will go to the desert to perform a ritual, just like he always does on the first day of the dry season.¡± Regina responded.


    Regina took her time explaining the ritual that was always performed during the dry season, and Eugene¡¯s eyes flashed when she heard that the queen had accompanied him before. It happened on the first year anniversary of their marriage.


    She had been trying endlessly to look for a way to go to the desert, for the sake of looking into Jin¡¯s memories. And now, an opportunity presented itself in front of her, and she will not let it pass.


    ¡°Empty my schedule for that day. I will accompany His Majesty for the ritual this dry season.¡±


    The aides were surprised at the sudden change of schedule, but they proceeded to modify the program according to the queen¡¯s orders.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for now. I appreciate your hard work. Let¡¯s finalize this schedule and be done with it, and all of you should go rest. You look like you have not slept a wink.¡± Eugene said.


    The three aides took a glance at the Queen before them, noticing the sweet smile directed at them.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± They all said simultaneously as they turned to leave the room.


    Eugene slumped down on the sofa, stretching her arms above her head as fatigue crept into her slowly. Her whole body hurt from the day¡¯s workload. ¡®It hurts everywhere.. Is it because of my period?¡¯


    Eugene¡¯s period started two days ago, which meant that she was far from being pregnant. She felt relieved when she saw blood smeared on her underwear that morning, since she was not ready to give birth and become a mother.


    She already had too many problems as it is, deeming her unfit to become a parent at this point. However, she was not concerned about the man who would serve as the child¡¯s father, should she become pregnant. Kasser was a good spouse and she¡¯s confident that he would be a great father too. Eugene palmed her stomach slowly, and she could not imagine having a baby inside her.


    ¡®However¡­¡¯


    A series of knocks snapped her out of her reverie. She heard Marianne¡¯s voice behind the door, righting herself up as she beckoned her to come in.


    Marianne looked at the desk that was filled with papers before glancing at the sofa where Eugene was sitting on. ¡°Do you feel unwell?¡± She asked Eugene in a worried tone.


    ¡°Just a bit tired. Nothing to worry about. What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I brought the storyteller you requested, he knows all the hearsays out there. Is now a good time? I can bring him some other time if you¡¯re already exhausted.¡± Marianne said.


    Eugene shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll see him now.¡±


    Marianne nodded as she went out of the room, and brought in a middle aged man. He looked apprehensive, looking down at his feet as if he¡¯s an offender.


    ¡°It was nice of you to come here. I called you to ask a few things.¡± Eugene spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Your Highness anything that I know of.¡± The man said timidly.


    ¡°I heard that you know a lot of strange, unusual things.¡±


    ¡°I just heard stories here and there.¡±


    Eugene nodded at Marianne, who placed a small pouch in front of him. ¡°Open it.¡± Eugene prodded.


    With shaking hands, the man reached for the bag as he struggled to pry the pouch open. Carefully unfastening the clasps, his demeanor went stiff upon seeing the contents of the purse.


    ¡°That¡¯s for the inconvenience of coming here. If you tell me what you know, I¡¯ll give you the double of what¡¯s inside there. Understood?¡±


    The man clutched the pouch tighter while nodding his head vigorously.


    ¡°A spell, a dish, whatever it is. Can you think of anything relevant to these words? Tell me no matter how minor it is. However, I will not allow lies. You should be honest with me if you don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Eugene told her of the three words she got from Jin¡¯s memories, but she left out one of word.


    He contemplated for a while and let out a resigned sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The man sounded apologetic, and Eugene understood completely. She did not expect she would get a clue so fast anyway.


    ¡°Whatever it is that you heard inside this room, you have to keep it to yourself. Okay? Kindly see yourself out.¡± Eugene said flatly.


    The man nodded as he headed straight to the exit, but he stopped abruptly in his tracks and faced Eugene with an alarmed expression. ¡°I remember something!¡±


    Marianne shot him a warning look, chastising him with her eyes as he shouted. The man lowered his head in embarrassment.


    Eugene glared at him. ¡°I told you, I do not tolerate lies. Are you betting your life for the sake of having riches?¡± She asked pointedly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a lie. My maternal great grandmother was born a magician, and she definitely said something about a spell.¡±


    ¡°A magician?¡± Eugene asked, looking at Marianne who was equally confused.


    The man went on, ¡°There are those who look at other people¡¯s fortunes with spells. While there are a few who have extraordinary powers, others are nothing but swindlers.¡±


    Eugene understood the concept of the shamans, with the help of Marianne¡¯s lengthy explanation.


    ¡°So what exactly do you remember?¡±


    ¡°I heard that word from her. May I be allowed a second chance after meeting with her?¡±


    Eugene thought his request over. ¡°May I meet with your great grandmother instead?¡±


    The man scratched his head and told her that his great grandmother was nothing but a rude hermit, and she¡¯s someone Eugene would not want to meet with. But she knew how greedy this man is as she went on, ¡°I¡¯ll give you more than what is in that pouch, should you bring your great grandmother to me.¡±


    The man nodded in agreement, and told Eugene that he would do whatever it takes.

 Chapter 184

    After seeing the man out, Marianne went back to the office and approached Eugene. The queen had her back facing the door, standing in front of a birdcage that was placed on a shelf right next to the window. The cage housed a squirrel that was poised and waiting, jumping out of its¡¯ coop the moment Eugene unlatched the opening. He scurried up the length of Eugene¡¯s arm to sit on her shoulder.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m currently looking for other storytellers. It will take me some time to locate them since they live as nomads.¡± Marianne said.


    ¡°Seems like he¡¯s a well-known storyteller, a renowned one in his trade.¡± Eugene said as she turned to Marianne.


    ¡°I heard that he knows many bizarre tales and stories.¡±


    ¡°I may need to meet another person after meeting with his great grandmother. So you need to keep looking, but do not focus on that entirely.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Marianne nodded.


    Eugene lifted her left hand above her chest, palm up as the squirrel quickly scrambled down her shoulder to rest on her hand. It sat there looking at Eugene while waving his bushy tail excitedly. The Hwansu retreated back towards her shoulder when Eugene motioned her hand down, and she repeated the action with her right hand this time, wiggling her fingers slightly to signal the squirrel to move.


    The creature was quick to understand, shuffling back and forth on her hands, making Eugene giggle softly at his antics. She stroked the squirrel¡¯s head in admiration, the beast leaning its small head towards her fingers, as if prodding her to go on.


    Marianne stood watching the squirrel¡¯s movements, amazed to see how well the king¡¯s Hwansu responded to the queen.


    ¡°The aides think that this squirrel is my pet.¡±


    The squirrel¡¯s birdcage became Eugene¡¯s after the king brought it to her. She couldn¡¯t imagine Kasser playing with the squirrel since he only summons Abu to hunt Larks. The cage was originally placed in the lobby, and Eugene didn¡¯t want the squirrel to be left alone so she moved it inside her office, taking care of it for a while. The aides have no idea about the squirrel¡¯s true identity since Eugene never told them.


    ¡°They would never be able to guess that this is a Hwansu.¡±


    ¡°It has red eyes and red horns. How can they still not know? The characteristics are so evident already.¡±


    ¡°They probably think that Hwansus look pretty exceptional.¡±


    ¡°Do they think that such adorable squirrel is not fit to be a Hwansu?¡± Eugene asked defensively.


    Marianne smiled at her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have known if Your Highness didn¡¯t tell me, and Hwansus are known to be obedient only to their masters.¡±


    Eugene suddenly thought of Abu¡ª the black leopard, sometimes taking the form of a huge horned horse, was famously known for being the Desert King¡¯s Hwansu. He was unlike this small creature in front of her. However, she played with the formidable beast every day, and she wondered what Marianne would think if she saw a downsized version of Abu purring at her feet.


    ¡°What do you think would happen if it changes its¡¯ master to me?¡± Eugene jokingly said. She was surprised to see Marianne¡¯s expression fall upon hearing her harmless jest.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Marianne asked in a serious tone, as if contemplating.


    ¡®Does she think that I might steal the King¡¯s Hwansu away from him?¡¯ Eugene¡¯s mood dropped, realizing that she might¡¯ve sounded insensitive. She masked her emotions away and said, ¡°It was a joke. The Hwansu would only recognize his first master as his only master.¡±


    She knew that Marianne veered more towards the Desert King, since she raised the him herself and was originally his nanny. Eugene understood that completely.


    ¡°How is Molly?¡± Eugene asked, changing the subject as she placed the squirrel back inside its cage.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t do anything out of the ordinary, nor does she talk to anyone. And she does her job really well.¡±


    Eugene took Molly under her wing to serve as one of her maids. She used to have Zanne only to tend to her, now she has two. Other maids were changed often as a precautionary measure for the queen who had lost her memories, the rule being mandated by Marianne. Eugene had to tell both the General and Marianne that Molly was someone who was sent in on purpose by the servants of Mara, with the intent of forming a connection with the queen.


    She also told them to keep a keen eye and observe Molly as much as possible. Eugene rather found it difficult to place Molly close to her, despite needing to convince her that she trusted her. She decided to assign Marianne once again as her trusted servant, and had Molly perform basic tasks.


    ¡°While it is indeed the General¡¯s job, please tell her to not make drastic changes about the procedures.¡±


    General Sarah was shocked when she found out that someone, who had ill intentions towards the queen, had entered the castle. She was the one who allowed temporary help to tend to the palace, making her liable for the unexpected breach. She was so ashamed that she wanted to tender her resignation, but Eugene convinced her otherwise.


    ¡°I¡¯m at fault, Your Highness. I have no excuse for it. I¡¯ll make sure to double check everything so something like this will never happen again.¡± General Sarah said in a firm voice, determined to prove herself worthy of the Queen¡¯s trust.


    Eugene was worried that Rodrigo would grow suspicious if such procedures were changed abruptly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Marianne told her in an assuring tone.


    Eugene nodded. She trusted Marianne well enough, especially when she spoke with certainty.


    Just as they were conversing, a flare suddenly burst with a loud bang, making the two women flinch at the noise. They were not at all surprised since yellow flares had been pretty common these past few days, and blue ones would burst whenever the King goes to the site. It was a peaceful time during the active period since only a few had been injured, and lightly at that too. Eugene looked up, her eyes widening at the smoke that scattered all over the sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s a red flare!¡± Eugene was suddenly reminded of the day when she faced the large rat Lark. She remembered how the soldiers caged the Lark in with lances but failed miserably. No one died in front of her that day, but she was told that there had been casualties in other areas. She can¡¯t keep still, thinking that there might be people out there injured, or worse, killed.


    ¡°I have to go.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going, Your Highness?¡±


    Eugene ignored her question as she hurriedly walked past Marianne. She stopped in her tracks as she realized that even if she ran towards the direction of his office, the king would¡¯ve probably jumped over the castle walls on Abu¡¯s back by then. Marianne approached Eugene¡¯s still form. ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What happens when Larks appear everywhere, just like the last time?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°That rarely happens, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I can help His Majesty if there are a lot of them.¡± Eugene said in a firm voice.


    The queen looked like she was ready to head out, but Marianne would not allow her to leave the palace. ¡°There has been only one flare, please wait and trust His Majesty.¡±


    Eugene did not move from where she stood as she stared at the sky. It only took a few moments when the blue flare burst, but she felt like she had been waiting for days. Eugene inhaled deeply, realizing just then that she¡¯s been holding her breath all this time.


    ¡°I have an idea.¡± Eugene murmured, looking at the sky as the smoke slowly evaporated.


    ¡°I can follow him right after he arrives at the site when a flare lights up. If there are multiple flares, I can go out there and help. It would be difficult to do that for all flares, perhaps I can do that solely for the red ones¡­¡± Eugene said, looking at Marianne as she gauged her expression.


    Marianne looked conflicted, like she wanted to tell Eugene how absurd her idea was. Choosing her words carefully, she said ¡°Your Highness, you have to protect the castle, especially when the king is away.¡±


    ¡°Well.. That¡¯s right.¡± Eugene reluctantly agreed. She knew that she had to assume full responsibility over the palace when the king is nowhere present. There are times when Eugene needs to be reminded of her role as the Queen, and the responsibilities that came with it.


    ¡°You said that a red flare only bursts two or three times during the active period.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what the records say.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I would only go during those times.¡± Eugene stopped short as she contemplated on her decision. ¡°I have to discuss this with the King, and ask for his opinion.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Marianne said in a gentle voice, hesitation evident in her tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Speak.¡± Eugene prodded her to continue.


    Marianne took a deep breath before she proceeded. ¡°Please listen to what I¡¯m about to say, as I¡¯m saying this out of loyalty. I understand your intentions completely, but I¡¯m afraid that this would bring no good. It will be seen as a violation of authority.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°His Highness hunts Larks so that innocent civilians won¡¯t get hurt. It¡¯s what he does best. And the king¡¯s authority should not be violated in any way.¡±


    Eugene did not understand what Marianne was implying. She would appreciate it if the baroness would make her point across, instead of dragging it like this.


    ¡°Whose authority would I be violating when I go out to hunt Larks?¡±


    Marianne became silent, making Eugene stare at her upon realization.


    ¡°Is it.. His Majesty?¡± Eugene almost snorted. ¡°Baroness, His Majesty would never¡­ He is..¡± Eugene stopped upon seeing Marianne¡¯s stony expression.


    ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯m afraid to speak such things with you, but you have drastically changed after you lost your memories. You always act as if by instinct only, and you don¡¯t think about the consequences of your actions. It would be a much peaceful household if you would just take it easy. However, you stand in the middle of this kingdom, where your goodness could easily be misinterpreted, and you know full well that misunderstandings always start from trivial matters.¡±

 Chapter 185

    Marianne bowed her head low, feeling remorseful after her outburst. ¡°I apologize for my shrewdness, Your Highness.¡±


    Eugene didn¡¯t know how to respond to Marianne¡¯s statement as she gaped at her, no words coming out of her lips. Marianne¡¯s sentiments can easily be misinterpreted as a ploy of pitting the king and queen against each other. Marianne knew that her stance could put her in a tight position, but she said it anyway in the hopes of making the queen understand.


    Eugene trusted Marianne well enough to know that she uttered the words without malice, and it came with sincere intentions.


    ¡°I understand where you¡¯re coming from.¡± Eugene said after a short while.


    Eugene wanted to tell her that Kasser was not that shallow, but a voice in her head told her that she doesn¡¯t know him well enough to say that, since she¡¯s only been with him for about two months. Unlike Marianne, who had looked after the king ever since he was young, making her perception of the king¡¯s character more credible than Eugene¡¯s.


    ¡°Do you think I should slow down?¡±


    Marianne shook her head, not daring to cross the line. ¡°Your Grace, how can I interfere with your plans? I don¡¯t force you to listen to me. I am nothing but an old woman after all.¡±


    As if a bucket of ice cold water was thrown over her, Eugene quickly snapped to her senses. With the help of Marianne¡¯s sound advice, she realized that she needed to step back for a while, and recalculate her steps.


    ¡°I understand now.¡±


    ¡°I will not bother Your Grace anymore.¡± When silence filled the room, Marianne saw fit that her presence be removed from the room, to give the queen some time to herself. Some time to think through her next course of action.


    She gave a courtesy bow before leaving the room.


    Alone to herself once more, Eugene let out a loud sigh, looking up at the ceiling in frustration as she muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not as na?ve as you think I am.¡± She did everything she could to survive in this world that was completely foreign to her, and was able to adapt seamlessly.


    But on a second thought, she did hide what she knew about Polly, the servant who took her own life following Jin¡¯s command, when she spoke to the king. She was afraid that Kasser might think of her as someone sinful, if he knew about Jin¡¯s actions which led to Poppy¡¯s demise. This action of hers just proved that she indeed acts solely on her instinct.


    It was a selfish act to cover all of Jin¡¯s vile actions under the guise of memory loss. With that notion in mind, she began to understand why Marianne thought of her as someone foolish and naive.


    ¡®Power.¡¯


    In the historical dramas and movies that Eugene used to binge watch on, The King and Queen had tried every possible antic they could think of in order to influence the majority to their side, manipulating and controlling each other in the battle for supremacy. While the royals had initially wed for love, the selfish greed took over greatly, causing a great divide between the two as they continually betray and conspire against one another. Eugene suddenly thought of her relationship with the Desert King as she was reminded of the common tale¡ª a tale about a maiden who completely changed after gaining the King¡¯s favors, letting the want for sovereignty wash over her.


    ¡®Will I change one day?¡¯


    Eugene didn¡¯t want to end up like those power-hungry monsters, but greed has its way to a person¡¯s heart. It corrupts you without you knowing.


    ***


    Molly came out of the castle just after sunset, showing the guard her permit as per protocol. ¡°You have to be here by tomorrow morning, since you cannot enter the palace if you arrive at noon. Got it?¡± The castle guard said.


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Molly answered as she took the permit back and placed it inside her pocket.


    ¡°Next.¡± The guard spoke behind her, signaling the others to do the same. Many people were shuffling out of the palace after work, each bearing the same permit Molly had in her grasp.


    Molly pulled the hood over her head that was attached to the cape she was wearing. She took her time walking, passing by the town plaza as she went straight to the street that was lined with small houses. She stood in front of a single-story home that looked really simple compared to the others, knocking on the wooden door several times and waited. An elderly woman opened the door.


    ¡°Molly!¡± The woman greeted her enthusiastically, pulling Molly into a soft hug. They looked exactly like those families who had been reunited after a long separation. The door closed behind her as she settled in.


    This house used to be Poppy¡¯s, and a new family boarded this place after Poppy¡¯s death. The eldest daughter¡¯s name was Elly, who died in an accident which made her whole family move away, making Molly and her grandmother the third household to live inside this place.


    ¡°You should have supper.¡± Her grandmother told her, thinking that Molly might be famished after a long day at work.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go meet him first.¡±


    Molly went inside a small room that served as a warehouse. Knowing what she¡¯s about to do, the grandmother brought in a long towel as Molly skimmed the spice rack, taking out a vial that blended uniformly with the various condiments and herbs. Molly grabbed the towel from her grandmother¡¯s hand as she uncapped the vial, wetting the towel with the contained liquid and then wrapped her face so only her eyes were visible.


    She crouched slightly, feeling the edge of the carpet that covered the whole perimeter of the wooden floor as she pulled a part to its side, revealing a secret door underneath. Molly yanked the door open, nothing but dark abyss loomed inside the square space. She pivoted her body as she placed one foot after the other, slowly descending into the pitch, black void.


    ¡°Watch your steps.¡± Her grandmother reminded her as she worriedly stared at her granddaughter¡¯s retreating form. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I do this quite often.¡± Molly assured her.


    As Molly¡¯s figure grew smaller and smaller, the grandmother then closed the door, pulling the carpet over as she smoothened the curves out with her feet. The floor looked exactly like it did a few moments ago.


    Molly took her time going down the length of the deep steps, knowing full well that it would do her great injury if she missed a step, since the pit was about the height of three people stacked on top of the other. And there¡¯s a great chance that she would die if she falls, since she placed a lot of poisonous dry herbs as a preventive measure to avoid invasions.


    Nearing close to the landing, she got a whiff of the tangy smell of herbs, its scent making way pass her nostrils despite a towel covering both her nose and mouth.


    Molly jumped the remaining step with a soft thud, sighing in relief as she stretched her arms to the sides, carefully moving towards the darkness. She swung her hands slightly as she felt for a wall, using her hands to guide her towards a connected corridor. The passage was so narrow that a person would not be able to crawl comfortably. Molly then took out a wooden plank that had wheels on its sides, which was placed inside a small opening. She laid flat on the plank and kicked the ground as hard as she could, propelling her forward the hall as she pulled on the rope that was suspended above her, using it to maneuver her momentum more as the wheels took her further in.


    The passage opened to a spacious area, her arms shaking violently from exhaustion as she used her elbows to prop herself up from the plank. She crouched in a crawling position, elbowing her way inside until she¡¯s met with a stone wall that she pushed with her whole strength, the stone rolling slowly to let in a faint light coming from behind it.


    Molly pushed further, following the light until she came out to a living room with an old fireplace. She looked around the quiet room, taking the bell that was placed on the table and ringing it a few times before plopping herself onto the sofa.


    Molly heard a faint sound of a door opening and closing. She did not look back. She knew that someone knows that she¡¯s here already, and all she needs to do now is to wait.


    ***


    Eugene stared at the landscape before her, sipping her tea while she sat on a table that was placed on top of the bridge connecting the palace¡¯s two towers. She only had a few days left to enjoy the pleasant weather. ¡°It¡¯s been two months already.¡±


    It¡¯s been two months since Eugene opened her eyes to this world, and she would never be able to forget this active period for the rest of her life. This season marked a new life for her, making her feel as if she had been reborn.


    She did not have any downtime like this for the past few weeks. She was loaded with work lately, and there were a lot of hectic days that stopped her from coming here. But now, she¡¯s able to drink her tea freely without feeling like she¡¯s being chased down, which is exactly what she felt before. Jumping into this world that was completely alien to her had been the better choice, and Eugene wanted to thank whoever it is, whether it¡¯s god or a demon, that gave her the opportunity for this new life she had. Her head was filled with thoughts as she sipped from her teacup mindlessly.


    ¡°Mistress.¡±


    A voice called out, breaking her concentration. She lowered her teacup and turned sideways, and saw Molly standing next to her.


    ¡°Have you delivered the message?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°Yes, mistress.¡±


    Eugene had Molly deliver a message to Rodrigo, saying that she would go out and meet him. Molly went out last night and came back early this morning, and Eugene met up with her here for privacy.


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He would like to meet you a few days earlier than the designated day, if it¡¯s possible.¡± Molly answered.


    Eugene informed him to meet a week after the dry season starts, and that¡¯s the only time she¡¯s available since she will be going to the desert for the ritual. ¡°He would like to meet in four days¡¯ time, because there¡¯s something urgent he needs to say.¡± Molly continued.


    ¡°How presumptuous of him,¡± Eugene said coldly while clicking her tongue in dismay. While she¡¯s considering rescheduling, she knew that Rodrigo¡¯s Jin would never agree to such a request. She always made sure to act like Jin whenever Molly¡¯s around, under the assumption that Molly would inform Rodrigo about everything that she had seen or heard.


    ¡°Who is he to decide our meeting? After telling him that I found time for him, this is what I get?¡± Eugene snapped.


    Upon hearing the anger in her voice, Molly quickly dropped to her knees and bowed her head low, almost touching the ground. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry. He said that he would be waiting for Your Highness at the sanctum regardless of your decision after four days. He¡¯s begging for the meeting to take place as soon as possible.¡± Molly said with a quivering voice.


    Eugene feigned coldness as she looked at Molly¡¯s kneeling form.


    ¡®Why is Rodrigo in a rush? Is it because I cut off his funds?¡¯


    It was a good sign that Rodrigo was keen about meeting with her, since a person as bothered as him would be a lot easier to take advantage of.


    ¡°Leave.¡± Eugene told Molly.


    Four days. He wanted to meet in four days time, which is before the dry season starts. While Eugene was already considering Rodrigo¡¯s set date, she didn¡¯t exactly tell Molly her confirmation as she drove the girl out of her sight. She was having mixed feelings in meeting up with Rodrigo days earlier than her preferred schedule, as she felt like a warrior gearing up before a huge battle.


    Stuck with her thoughts, Eugene spoke to the maids trailing close behind her. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking a walk alone. Don¡¯t follow me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    She went straight to her usual meeting place with Abu. She called for his name as the leopard came running towards her, lying down on her feet as he bared his stomach to her. ¡°Abu.¡± Eugene smiled, softly stroking the soft, matted fur with her fingertips, tickling the beast fondly as the beast purred continuously.

 Chapter 186

    Abu was so small, Eugene couldn¡¯t get enough of his adorable form while she tickled him by his belly. It seems to her she¡¯s the only one who bore fondness towards a Hwansu, since for the people here, Larks could never be the object of cuteness..


    Abu was a well-known Hwansu that symbolizes the king. Hence, people would expect him to look huge and strong, but no one would see Abu now and feel the dignity of the king.


    ¡®Kasser was the most respected person in the whole kingdom, and he would surely take offense if his own Hwansu looked far from intimidating.¡¯


    Eugene remembered his face when he first saw Abu in a smaller state. He was clearly displeased.


    ¡®He didn¡¯t say anything to me but.. Was he disappointed?¡¯ At that time, Eugene didn¡¯t think that Abu¡¯s appearance would greatly affect Kasser¡¯s mood. She thought everything was okay since she got his permission to go and play with Abu.


    ¡®How inconsiderate of me.¡¯ Eugene pondered, thinking how it was completely insensitive of her to just dismiss Kasser¡¯s obvious distaste. And suddenly, a fleeting thought came to her, making her sigh in relief.


    ¡®Was it because of that?¡¯ A few days ago, Eugene threw a joke. She jested, ¡°What if the little one changes its master?¡± Marianne was not amused though, taking Eugene¡¯s words a little too serious. ¡®Marianne seemed distraught about what would happen if the Hwansu did change its owner.


    Marianne considered the king¡¯s position, thinking that he might feel distressed should the Hwansu be taken away from him. However, that assumption seemed more like it was Marianne¡¯s personal disposition rather than the king¡¯s own, especially with Marianne¡¯s devotion towards him.


    Marianne feared that the exchange might lead to conflicted reactions between the queen and the king, so she repeated her advice once again, telling Eugene to rethink her actions and its consequences.


    For several days, Marianne¡¯s words resonated to Eugene, making the queen frustrated and disgruntled.


    ¡®It¡¯s true that I need to be careful.¡¯  Eugene agreed. She didn¡¯t believe that Kasser would think badly of her intentions, but it¡¯s better to slow down and rethink things, before everything goes out of hand. Eugene knew that being a queen came with many responsibilities, and one of her duties is to make sure that she and the king maintain a cordial relationship. Added the fact that there are many people surrounding the royals giving advice, whose words might provoke the severity of the situation.


    ¡°Abu.¡± Eugene said as she removed her hand that was petting the leopard. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you something important, so you need to sit down.¡±


    Abu, who was lying on his back on the floor, picked up his ears when he heard Eugene¡¯s words. He then shifted his body and sat obediently on his buttocks, giving Eugene his undivided attention. Eugene had to resist the urge to hug him upon seeing his attentive, round eyes staring up at her.


    ¡°Let us promise one thing. When you become small and be friendly with me, you have to make sure that no one sees it but us, okay? Well it¡¯s okay in front of your master, too. Anyway, don¡¯t be like this when there are other people present, got it?¡± Eugene said sternly.


    Abu stared at her dumbfounded, as if he¡¯s asking Eugene the reason why he needs to control himself, or he doesn¡¯t understand at all. Eugene then came up with a more detailed explanation, ¡°Abu. I want others to think that you are a big and strong Hwansu. But no one will take you seriously if they see me hugging you while you are in your smaller state, since people usually look down on small animals. Do you understand?¡±


    Abu whimpered in understanding. He knew that the size of a Hwansu is important not only in the human world, but also in the world of Larks. Everyone had this concept inside their heads that the scale of a Hwansu is equivalent to the size of its strength.


    The smart lark understood that Eugene was only looking after him. He tilted his head to the side while looking at her, seeming like he¡¯s asking her to go on. Seeing Abu look at her like that made her stretch out her hands and pulled Abu into her embrace.


    ¡°Look at this adorable guy. Abu, why are you so cute?¡± Eugene cooed as she rubbed the leopard¡¯s head with her cheeks repeatedly, muttering childish remarks while pinching and squeezing lightly at Abu¡¯s limbs. Abu let out an annoyed cry, looking downright uncomfortable from Eugene¡¯s antics. While he enjoyed Eugene¡¯s fondling most of the time, it can be quite annoying if it gets too much.


    A small but fat forefoot pushed at Eugene¡¯s face, wanting space from her clinginess. She giggled and sat Abu back down on the ground.


    She straightened her back, slightly stretching it from side to side as she let the wind caress her face. It¡¯s a pity to return to the palace with such lovely weather outside. She looked down at Abu, smiling fondly as she asked. ¡°Abu. Let¡¯s take a walk, shall we?¡±


    Abu¡¯s tail came up, waggling it excitedly. The black leopard followed Eugene as they strolled together side by side.


    ***


    Sloan kingdom came to ask for a concession. During the active period, agreements were settled in advance between the two countries that border each other. They worked out the issues regarding Lark hunting and the protection of its civilians. This kingdom was the only country that borders Hashi kingdom.


    It was a regular and an orderly procedure, nothing extraordinary. Kasser only needed to stamp his confirmation seal onto the papers. After imprinting his signature, he kept his hold on the papers absentmindedly, suddenly reminded of the promise he made with the queen. She told me to invite the Princess of Sloan. It¡¯s time to send an envoy.


    Kasser looked up abruptly from his preoccupied state. ¡®Abu?¡¯ He thought, feeling a subtle touch on his nerves. It seemed like Abu was calling for him. The king and his Hwansu had the ability to signal each other through nerves, and it only doesn¡¯t work when they are miles apart. Abu never called him, until today. ¡®What¡¯s happening?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t expect anything bad to happen inside the castle, but sensing Abu¡¯s call for him had him worried since he never did that before. He laid the papers down onto his desk and stood up hastily, the chair making a screeching sound as it scratched the flooring. His servant approached him the moment he got to his feet, but the king shooed him away with his hands.


    Kasser opened the balcony window, looking down from above as his eyes met with Eugene¡¯s, who was watching from below.


    ***


    While she was walking with Abu, Eugene wondered where the king¡¯s office balcony would be from the countless balconies that were protruding out of the castle walls. Although she had already memorized the castle by now, seeing it from the outside is altogether different, since one won¡¯t be able to make out the inner parts of the Palace just by looking from the outside.


    When she asked Abu where his master is, Abu led her under the terrace of the office, positive of the king¡¯s location. The balcony was pretty high up, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear her voice if she calls for him. Not that Eugene was planning to anyway, since doing so wouldn¡¯t be appropriate.


    Eugene asked Abu to call his master and waited. Abu didn¡¯t growl or anything of that sort. He just stared at the office terrace intently, and after a few moments, the balcony window opened and Kasser peeked his head out of the opening.


    ¡°Abu, that was amazing.¡± Eugene praised Abu and waved her hands towards the king. He stared at Eugene for a short moment then went back inside his office without saying anything. ¡°He must be very busy.¡± Eugene said, smiling down at Abu. She looked up once again, her eyes widening at the sight above her.


    Kasser was standing on the balcony railing as a blue snake slithered around his body, which guided him down from where they stood at the railing. They went down gracefully, and Kasser didn¡¯t seem fazed by the pull downwards. He landed on the floor with a soft thud, barely making any sound.


    Eugene was awestruck with the sight, despite having seen this for a couple of times already. The blue snake unwrapped itself around Kasser¡¯s body and rushed to Eugene¡¯s space quickly, making her step back as the snake faded and disappeared before reaching her completely.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Kasser asked the worried-looking Eugene.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Why did it do that so suddenly though? Does your Praz not like my presence.¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°No, it does that sometimes. Don¡¯t let it bother you, alright?¡± Kasser assured her. ¡®Not like her presence? Probably the opposite.¡¯  Kasser recalled how Praz swam and played with the illusion of water she had created, clearly enjoying himself.


    Ever since he became king, he had never lost control of Praz, until recently. He was frequently uncontrollable these days, but oddly enough, he didn¡¯t feel any danger. He knew that he couldn¡¯t blame Praz for jumping down here, since he was the one who¡¯s excited to see her, even putting off the meeting that was already scheduled yesterday.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Kasser asked,


    Eugene shook her head no.


    ¡°I heard Abu calling for me, though.¡±


    ¡°I made Abu call you, Your Majesty.¡± Eugene said sheepishly.


    Kasser moved his gaze towards the wild beast in front of him. He looked at him attentively, as if trying to communicate with him through his eyes. He really thought that Abu would only call him if he were in danger or in a dying state, since Abu is pretty independent.


    When he was a child, Kasser had seen another king¡¯s Hwansu. The Hwansu didn¡¯t leave the king¡¯s side at all. The beast followed the king closely, refusing to leave his side even just for a second. With that thought in mind, he thought that he would be able to share a close bond with such a beast when the day comes that he gets one.


    But the Hwansu he received maintained a set distance, only coming to him when called. It didn¡¯t bother Kasser as much as he thought it would, and he realized that the distance served them well, since he knew that it would annoy him if the Hwansu were constantly by his side.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Eugene said. Kasser shifted his gaze from Abu to Eugene.


    ¡°Because I made Abu do that. Hwansus only calls their masters for certain circumstances, right?¡± Eugene continued.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. He does what he wants anyway.¡± Kasser said.


    ¡°Well, not only that.¡± Eugene muttered, turning her head to the side as she continued, ¡°Since Abu is Your Majesty¡¯s Hwansu, I wonder if I should treat it as such and keep my distance?¡±


    Kasser laughed softheartedly at Eugene¡¯s plight. He leaned in to her space and stole a quick peck at Eugene¡¯s lips, making her feel flustered at the unexpected kiss. ¡°I like the fact that you get along with Abu. You don¡¯t have to overthink it. Just do what you normally do.¡± Kasser said with a shrug.


    Eugene smiled at Kasser¡¯s indifference. It seemed like it didn¡¯t bother him at all.


    After a short while, Eugene¡¯s smiling face turned into a serious one as she pondered on her thoughts. She was trying to put her thoughts in order, trusting Kasser¡¯s judgment more than anything else. ¡°Molly came to me after meeting with Rodrigo.¡±


    Eugene had already discussed with Kasser all the necessary steps and planning to meet up with Rodrigo, making sure to inform him of everything he needed to know.


    ¡°He wants to meet me as soon as possible.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°In three days.¡±


    ¡°Three days.. Isn¡¯t that too early?¡± Kasser asked, worry etching his voice. It bothered him that Eugene would go meet with Rodrigo without an escort. His mind shifted on its gears, trying to think of a way to keep his wife safe without hindering her from her agendas. There were no useful escorts for now since the warriors he had were entirely excluded. He wasn¡¯t interested in what Eugene and Rodrigo would be talking about. All he really wanted was for her to return safe and sound.


    Looking down, he spotted the black leopard lying with its paws under his chin, his mind coming to a full stop as realization crept in. He had a great idea.

 Chapter 187

    Based on the intelligence report, Cage, going by the name Rodrigo, operated a small store selling miscellaneous items. People passing by the vicinity would assume that it¡¯s nothing but a shop like its nearby establishments.


    Little did they know, the shop only served as a guise, hiding the fact that it is actually the place where Cage bought and sold information. Although there were people who really came to buy goods, all of the usual transactions were handled by an employee, whose task was to serve customers and protect the store at the same time, as to not make the establishment look suspicious.


    This morning, Cage had been in a bad shape, coughing his lungs out all morning as he struggled to hold it in together. His coughs troubled him the whole day and by late afternoon, he decided to leave the store early and went straight home. Once inside his abode, he summoned a doctor to tend to him.


    A few moments later, a doctor could be seen on his doorstep and went inside. He did not take too long and left the place soon after. To anyone lingering by, it was not an unusual sight, just a doctor stopping by for a sick patient.


    However, people didn¡¯t know that the man who left Cage¡¯s house was not the doctor anymore. Rather, it was none other than Rodrigo in disguise.


    Rodrigo was already a cautious man, but the past few days had him take extra precautions. Strange rumors had been circulating in the town and he could not risk exposing himself and the rest of the cult.


    Like wildfire, rumors about the possibility of the kingdom recognizing and accepting cults serving the evil god Mara spread. This grew by the day, making the whole congregation at edge. Even though people weren¡¯t entirely convinced, some part of them actually believed it.


    Even though rebellions were not treated badly in the Kingdom, Rodrigo and servants like him were still unable to talk proudly about their cult. He was always on his guard, if people around hear him speak of the cult, they would for sure report him and have him arrested by the soldiers for surveillance.


    Those who had faith in Mara had to hide from the naysayers¡¯ eyes, and most of them wished that they were able to gather around confidently and pray during the day¡ª when the sun shines so brightly as it looms over the horizon.


    However beautiful that dream may be, Rodrigo didn¡¯t think that it is likely to happen, ¡®There¡¯s no way the Kingdom would recognize us.¡¯ Why would the Hashi Kingdom recognize the Mara Church, and turn their backs on the Sang-Je?


    Even if that thought was possible, Rodrigo didn¡¯t want it at all. ¡®Troubles are what makes the faith, faithful. How can I receive God, without having to suffer?¡¯


    The oppression human beings have to deal with was ideal. That way, the power to control church believers became stronger, making it easier to pursue things in accordance to the will of God.


    ¡®What a foolish dream, such, silly things. The fact that such rumors are circulating is already unusual in itself.¡±


    Mind heavy with thoughts, Rodrigo walked mindlessly as he arrived at his destination. It was a street lined with small shops across the road. During the active period, the stores open late in the afternoon and close late at night, so by the time he reached the street, all the stores were lit up brightly and in full swing.


    Rodrigo went past the narrow side street in between the stores, coming in at the entrance located at the back as he went up the second floor. It was one of the sanctuaries prepared by the Church.


    The people of the Church called the place where they hold their private meetings, or a place to hide in, as sanctuaries. Only a few sanctuaries were formed in urban areas compared to the remote places.


    It costs a lot of money to buy or rent a building. The majority of servants of Mara was mostly low and poor, and collecting donations from the unfortunate could only do so much. However, thanks to Rodrigo¡¯s help, the congregation grew in numbers rapidly and continuously. Among all the believers, Rodrigo was the prime of them all, for being a resourceful and an effective member.


    And with the power of money, Rodrigo¡¯s influence with the Church soared greatly.


    Rodrigo placed the bag down, the first time he¡¯s letting go of it since carrying it the moment he left the house. He looked around the small room, a stressed out expression worrying his face.


    This was the recently prepared sanctuary, with one year¡¯s worth of rent already paid in advance. No problem for the time being, however, Rodrigo was worried if he could still maintain it after that. He was having financial troubles lately, and he¡¯s already thinking of places he could gain money from. So far he¡¯s trying to make do with his depleting funds.


    There was only one reason why he proclaimed Queen Jin as a Saintess. Jin had donated a huge amount of money to the Church, so even if Rodrigo took some of it for his personal gain, the budget remained unscathed and abundant.


    But of course, he paid for the money he acquired. ¡®I sent three different Tanyas inside the castle, and gave up two sanctuaries. This was one of the sanctuaries the Church had prepared for decades, one of the few left.¡¯


    There were secret bases from where Molly and her grandmother¡¯s house stood and the house that was connected through their basement. The bases were prepared with great care by the Church.


    Molly¡¯s house was the first sanctuary established by the Church, and while they were digging the basement of the warehouse for the purpose of creating a secret meeting place there, they stumbled upon a closed sewer pipe and they used it to create a secret tunnel. It took more than ten years to complete the passage between the two sanctuaries.


    However, the locations containing the Church¡¯s history, and where they communicate with the queen were no longer useful, and his attempts in bringing a Tanya inside the castle were already proven dangerous.


    He found himself not trusting the queen as he used to, so he arranged all the contact points between the sanctuary and the Church, being able to severe its ties the moment it gets found.


    After all, the value of the two sanctuaries was more than the queen¡¯s donation.


    ¡®Tanya Molly must bring the queen.¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t wait for the day when the queen finally chooses. He was impatient for several reasons.


    One of which is money. He would do almost everything just to have the donation in his hands. ¡®If it¡¯s this one, I guess it would be good enough.¡¯


    He opened the bag and shoved his hand inside, taking out an item that was wrapped in leather and placed it on the table. ¡®Because the High Priest didn¡¯t give any answers.¡¯


    Another reason why Rodrigo had been restless was because of the High Priest¡¯s absence. After the queen was shrined as a Saintess, the High Priest often sent messengers to Rodrigo. And in the last couple of years, Rodrigo had heard the voice of the High Priest several times compared to the last decades. Lately though, the High Priest remained silent and unspeaking, despite how they earnestly called for him.


    ¡®It started after that day.¡¯


    The day the High Priest showed up is also the day he disappeared completely, when three Larks appeared in the middle of the capital, which caused a commotion.


    ¡®The day the lark tree appeared.¡¯ Rodrigo frowned.


    At first, Rodrigo was afraid, couldn¡¯t bring himself to go near the lark tree. He initially thought that the spiritual tree that was blessed by Mahar would affect him in any way, with him being blessed with Mara¡¯s power.


    However, having budget constraints and the absence of the High Priest overwhelmed him greatly, making him courageous as he stood watching at the tree from a distance. He couldn¡¯t feel anything then, so he opted to go towards the fence that surrounds the tree, and he felt nothing. ¡®Is that really a lark tree?¡¯


    He had his doubts about the tree. Everyone seemed to believe that the queen transformed a lark into one, but he wasn¡¯t sure if it¡¯s actually true.


    ¡®Why the queen, of all people?¡¯ He was confused the moment he was commanded by the High Priest to proclaim the Anika Queen as a Saintess. The question lingered on the back of his mind even while he¡¯s receiving the donations from the queen herself.


    ¡®If the Queen is a Saintess, why would she make a lark tree to contribute to Mahar¡¯s prestige? With this, how is she deserving of the high position as a Saintessess?¡¯


    T/N: Mahar (to which this world is named after) is their righteous god, while Mara is believed to be the opposite¡ªthe source of all evil.


    If Ramita is the power of Mahar, how can a person who was bestowed with such a gift be a Saintess of Mara?


    Rodrigo wanted to get answers to that persisting question inside his head, and he planned to have it resolved when he gets in touch with the High Priest.


    A knock on the door made him turn his head, his eyes glowing a reddish hue. If it was a person he doesn¡¯t know, his orbs were ready to manipulate and hypnotize.


    ¡°Elder, I have brought your guest.¡±


    Upon hearing the familiar voice, Rodrigo¡¯s glowing eyes simmered down as it regained its¡¯ muted color. He quickly stood up from his seat and opened the door. Two people stood waiting for him.


    Rodrigo bowed his head deeply towards the woman holding a small basket right next to Molly. ¡°You have given me a precious visit, I¡¯m thankful.¡± Rodrigo said.


    Looking down at Rodrigo, Eugene saw Jin¡¯s memories unfolding right in front of her eyes. The place was like that of a shop¡¯s, where miscellaneous items were scattered around.


    [Thank you for your precious visit. What an honor it is to receive you. I am Rodrigo. Greetings to the Saintess. May Mara¡¯s blessing be everlasting.]


    [Saintess?]


    [I was commanded to serve you like I would a Saintess.]


    The memory seemed like it¡¯s their first meeting.


    [If I am a Saintess, what can you do for me then?]


    [I will do everything in my power to do whatever it is the Saintess wills.]


    [You¡¯re an information trader in the field, am I right? I heard that you are the best in your field.]


    [I¡¯m thankful that you¡¯re appreciative of my talents.]


    [In the near future, make sure to use your full abilities solely for me.]


    The memory slowly disappeared. Eugene passed by Rodrigo and went inside the space, looking around the small, compact room. Molly took the basket from Eugene¡¯s hand and placed it atop of the table. She decided to wait patiently as she took a chair from underneath the table and sat dutifully.


    ¡®I¡¯m proud of him. I will give him a reward once we return.¡¯ Yesterday, she practiced walking around with Abu placed inside the basket. Abu cried pitifully, clearly disgruntled for being placed inside the container.


    Eugene really thought that it would not work, but Abu stayed quiet, not making any sound nor did he move at all. Even the cloth covering him did not sway one bit.


    Closing the door behind him, Rodrigo turned and bowed to Eugene. ¡°Mara¡¯s servant greets the Saintess. I was looking forward to seeing you again, and I¡¯m humbled that you agreed to my request of meeting here.¡±


    ¡°You may get up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity. May Mara bless you forever.¡± Rodrigo pulled himself from the ground as he stood up. As if unsure what to do, he clasped his hands together and slightly bowed his head.


    ¡°Why did you wait here?¡± Eugene thought that their meeting would take place on the building situated on the street lined with other warehouses, the one she saw in the memory. However, Molly, who was leading the way, turned to the wrong place, which shocked Eugene. If not for Abu inside the basket, she would¡¯ve been very nervous.


    ¡°The warriors snooped around so we decided to change places. Please forgive me for failing to inform you of the new meeting place in advance.¡±


    ¡®Are there other places like this?¡¯


    ¡°I waited for news when I brought the Tanya inside the castle. Has the Tanya been a capable servant for the Saintess?¡¯ Rodrigo asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I plan to observe her more.¡±


    ¡°Saintess, Tanyas are loyal servants.¡± Rodrigo assured her,


    Eugene stomped her fist fiercely on the table. ¡°Loyal? Do you have any idea how much I suffered because of the people you let in?¡± Eugene asked, almost shouting.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand, Saintess. Did that child do something wrong?¡± Rodrigo asked quietly.


    ¡°Before that!¡±


    Eugene brought up the missing maid, Tanya Eli. Rodrigo had no idea that Tanya Eli went missing after going to the desert with Jin. It was a useful tactic to question Rodrigo. ¡°My position had become troublesome. That¡¯s why I stopped my donations and asked you to wait patiently.¡±


    Rodrigo knew about the queen¡¯s situation courtesy of his informant, Molly. Molly obeyed Rodrigo as much as she obeyed Eugene, serving the two obediently and fiercely.


    When Rodrigo found out that the queen was actively engaged in various duties that are way different from before, Rodrigo got worried and pondered on what exactly the queen was doing. He even speculated that she was going to betray the Church of Mara, thinking that it is no longer worth her time, but he was perplexed to hear her unexpected words. And he was glad that all his doubts were eased now.


    ¡°Saintess, what did the child do?¡±


    Advance chapters of the novels are now available at Keopi¡¯s Patreon! Please do know that offering support is not in any way compulsory, and only a means to support the team behind the translations. Thank you very much. ????

 Chapter 188

    Eugene scoffed upon hearing Rodrigo¡¯s question. ¡°You think you can still fix it? If I tell you what¡¯s going on?¡± She replied coldly, her question not warranting an answer.


    ¡°B-but Saintess¡­¡± Rodrigo muttered, his voice shaking tremendously as he went on, ¡°Whatever the child did, I am sure that it was done out of loyalty to the Saint¡ª¡°


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Eugene said sharply, cutting Rodrigo off midsentence. ¡°You disappoint me.¡±


    Rodrigo bit his lips, closing it in a thin line as he bowed low, his chin nearly touching his chest. Based on his experiences, it is best to beg the queen for forgiveness should he fall short of her expectations of him. ¡°Please forgive me, for my efforts failed to meet the Saintesss¡¯ expectations.¡± Rodrigo said glumly.


    A new memory suddenly appeared in front of Eugene¡¯s eyes. It was a scene where Rodrigo was pleading desperately in front of Jin, crouching down on the ground with his head a few inches away from the floor.


    ¡°Useless!¡± Jin screeched venomously.


    Rodrigo¡¯s body trembled on the ground, fear-stricken as he begged. [Saint, please wait a little longer. I¡¯m doing the best I can, p-please.¡±]


    ¡°A little more, you say? Did you really think that I came all the way here just to hear something like that? May I remind you that it has been two months already since you told me that you would bring something!¡± Jin screamed, her voice looming around them.


    ¡°Saintess, searching for the source is really difficult¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your excuses! I¡¯ll give you 10 days and I won¡¯t wait any longer!¡±


    Eugene could hear how furious Jin was with Rodrigo, her shrieks lingered for a moment in her ears, as if echoing from a distance.


    What is that object? Is it an old book?


    Jin also mentioned his abilities as Cage as an information broker during her first meeting with Rodrigo. Something seemed amiss with the whole situation, and Eugene was ashamed to come up with the wrong speculation.


    It seemed like the actual reason why Jin met with Rodrigo was only to have someone collect the old books that she desired. ¡®She risked contacting the Mara denomination, gave them money and had them call her Saintess, just for¡­books?


    Eugene pondered long and hard before meeting with Rodrigo. She didn¡¯t know the right questions to ask in order to get the answers she needed. Rodrigo, who was guarded enough to make several identities, kept his mouth shut despite noticing a slight change in the atmosphere.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time. Tell me why you asked to see me so urgently.¡± Eugene prodded, intentionally telling Rodrigo that she wouldn¡¯t be staying long as to aggravate him even further. Making Rodrigo feel restless was one of her plans before meeting him.


    ¡°Saintess, I prepared a gift for you. It is an item that you will be surely satisfied with, so please take it.¡±


    Eugene lifted one eyebrow, curious as to what the item was. ¡®Must be a bribe for an angry person.¡¯  Rodrigo couldn¡¯t bring himself out of this situation he was in, and it must be one of his tactics before that appeased Jin completely.


    Rodrigo looked up at Eugene, looking at her as if he¡¯s waiting for her permission. She returned his gaze without saying anything. Rodrigo turned around to retrieve the item, unfolded the leather that was enveloped around the object and placed it on the table facing her.


    It was an old leather-bound book adorned with small, colorful gems. The book was unmistakably old.


    Eugene stared at the book that lay face down on the table. Rodrigo seemed to have provided books directly to Jin, as well as information about which old, dated books were available. Rodrigo then gauged Eugene¡¯s reaction, his fingers fidgeting as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s the object the Saintess was looking for all this time. There are quite a few incantations cited there.¡±


    ¡®What?¡¯


    Eugene felt her heart jump slightly at Rodrigo¡¯s words. Trying to contain her expression, she willed herself to stay calm and appear indifferent.


    ¡°Good job.¡± Eugene said flatly to Rodrigo, not showing any ounce of eagerness as she instructed Molly to take the book.


    ¡®Finally. A clue.¡¯ This book alone made her trip worthwhile.


    Molly meticulously wrapped the book back in its leather cloak, finishing it off by tying it with a string.


    Rodrigo clasped his hands together as he spoke carefully. ¡°Saintess, I was told that there is another valuable item. I have to go through several people to gather more information¡­¡±


    Eugene sneered at him internally. She knew where Rodrigo was getting at. ¡®He was persistent because he ran out of money.¡¯ Kasser and Eugene thought that he was adamant in meeting up so early because of monetary reasons, and it turns out they were right all along.


    She thought that Rodrigo was shameless, and she was reminded of Kasser¡¯s words, ¡°For those who want riches, nothing blinds them as effectively as wealth.¡± Kasser provided Eugene a handful of jewelry, saying that she could give Rodrigo that instead of money, should he ask for some financial aid.


    Eugene slipped her hand through the gap in the basket, searching for the jewelry pocket that was placed inside. She held her laughter in as she felt Abu¡¯s fur instead, patting it softly before reaching for the pouch. Eugene pulled her hand out and threw the jewelry harshly over the table.


    There were quite a few gems inside the bag, and Eugene knew that it would be enough to bait Rodrigo in. ¡°I won¡¯t be writing notes for the time being.¡±


    ¡°I am grateful that the Saint has given so much to the Church.¡± Rodrigo said, appreciation evident in his voice.


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t matter what world it is¡ªwhether it is this one or that, money still works the best.¡¯ Eugene thought it was funny, how money seemed to be powerful wherever she is.


    She got up from her seat abruptly, making Rodrigo look up as he pleaded. ¡°Saintess, please give me a little more time.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay long, I told you that, didn¡¯t I? ¡± Eugene said, walking past Rodrigo. ¡°Get to the point. You don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Eugene tried to make her encounter with Rodrigo as brief as possible, since prolonging it might cause her to slip up, which might make him suspicious.


    ¡°The day of the next ritual has been set already, Saintess.¡±


    Eugene stopped in her tracks. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at Rodrigo who was still facing down. She bit her lips as Rodrigo continued, ¡°Saintess, we wish to have you on the day of rituals and announce your divine status within the denomination during the next dry season, and the subsequent active period. And the High Priest said that he would see you whenever you please.¡±


    ***


    When Eugene and Molly left the square and reached deep into the busy street, soldiers began to flock the square in huge numbers, all of them driving the people away from the plaza.


    ¡°We are keeping the people at bay for an oil tank inspection.¡±


    ¡°We have to empty the square, everyone please leave the area.¡±


    Under the direct order of the person in command, soldiers scoured around the perimeter and went to their designated posts, sending the people back inside their homes as per protocol. During the active period, the square was crowded with people from sunset to midnight, and people frolicking the area complained as they were suddenly driven out.


    ¡°Why are they keeping us away?¡±


    ¡°They are checking the oil container.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the oil tank inspection done after the dry season starts?¡±


    ¡°Well, the dry season starts after tomorrow anyway, maybe they decided to do it early.¡±


    People whispered and talked among themselves, following the soldiers¡¯ orders as they left the town square.


    Oil containers were buried around the edge of the square for Lark hunting. Checking the sump in preparation for the active period was a procedure that was never to be neglected at any cost, and it is conducted before and immediately after the active period.


    Those who knew the importance of the inspection abided with the soldiers¡¯ orders dutifully, walking out of the plaza and even urging other people to do the same. Some got into their carriages and evacuated the premises, and the large plaza that was swarming with people eventually became deserted.


    Most of the carriages already took off, leaving only a few carriages that have yet to leave the plaza. One of which was the carriage Eugene and Molly had been riding going here from the royal palace.


    ¡®What should I do?¡¯ The coachman handling the carriage fell into deep thought, his head looking to both sides as he contemplated on his options. After a short while, he decided that he would go pick up his passengers from the place they departed from earlier. He promised that he wouldn¡¯t get stuck in this place until he came back from his errands. In addition to that, he also received a generous amount of wage, and he planned to get much more after he picked them up later.


    The coachman stayed on his spot, and he would move his carriage to a nearby area should a soldier chase him away. However, no soldier came to his direction, only focusing on driving out people off the square. ¡®Is it ok to stay here, given that this is a corner?¡¯


    Even the soldiers passing by gave no attention to the carriage and the coachman sitting on it, as if they didn¡¯t see him at all. The coachman grew tense, seeing the soldiers go past him. He wanted to stay and wait for his passengers here, since other customers would demand him to stay put and wait at a particular location, and they would sometimes pay less if he didn¡¯t follow through with the instructions.


    The coachman went down from his carriage and sat on the perch, watching the workers going about their business.


    The workers were formed in a circle, standing at the sides of the plaza as they formed themselves into three. Each group opened the lid of the wooden box that was buried in the ground, and pulled out a cylindrical glass bottle from the pit.


    ¡®So that¡¯s how an oil can look like.¡¯ The coachman stared intently at the sight before him. His attention focused solely on the container, not noticing the slight movement surrounding the carriage.


    Tap. Tap.


    Hearing the small sound of tapping beside him, the coachman turned his head. ¡°What¡ª¡° his screams abruptly cut off by a thick cloth covering his mouth. His eyes widened in fear upon seeing the man move in front of him, tying the coachman¡¯s hands with a rope as he was overpowered completely. He was roughly dragged down from the perch to the ground, and the warriors surrounding the area stood by watching at the helpless man in front of them.


    ¡®Save me! Please!¡¯ The coachman was begging with his eyes, but the workers and soldiers nearby both turned a blind eye as they went on with their affairs.


    The coachman wiggled frantically to no avail, his body tied tight and he was forced into his knees on the ground.


    ¡®What? Why are you doing this to me?¡¯


    He tried to lift his head, but the hand holding his nape pressed his head back down. The coachman turned his gaze sideways and saw the man¡¯s hand, his pupils dilated at the sight. ¡®A warrior?¡¯


    A beaded leather bracelet was wrapped around the man¡¯s sleeve¡ª the emblem of the warriors.


    ¡®Why is a warrior doing this?¡¯ He was both relieved and afraid at the same time, pondering deeply what his sins were to be treated with such, harsh treatment. He saw a pair of feet slowly approaching his direction, his head still bent low on the ground.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The warrior behind him spoke, putting more pressure on the coachman¡¯s neck.


    The coachman felt his soul leave his body. He wouldn¡¯t dare to call the person standing in front of him. His whole body quivered in fear, cold sweat dripping down his back.


    ¡°Take him.¡±


    It was probably the first and last thing he would hear from the King himself.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The warrior roughly dragged the struggling coachman to his feet. The warrior would be conducting a brief interrogation, and if the coachman were found to be an ordinary person that has nothing to do with the Mara Church, he would be released immediately without any repercussions.


    Kasser glanced at the back of the coachman for a short moment, before entering the carriage and closing the door. The warriors dispersed in select areas, hiding themselves into corners, while still having a clear view of the carriage. And a man disguised as a coachman sat on the perch.


    Kasser sat in the dark carriage and waited for Eugene¡¯s return patiently. But as time passed, wrinkles started to crease on his forehead as his eyebrows furrowed, his bluish eyes glowing a little more brightly than it already is. He could feel his patience hanging thinly by a thread, nearly breaking when a tapping sound snapped him out of his trance. The tapping motion went on three times, indicating that Eugene was already coming.

 Chapter 189

    Two women clad in cloaks strode through the streets under the night sky, the streetlamps emitting a soft, yellow light into the darkness as it illuminated the women¡¯s silhouettes onto the pavement. With their hoods pulled over their heads, the two went on with their evening walk, passing by a pair of soldiers.


    ¡°So, what happened to Hans?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡±


    Eugene, who was deep in her thoughts, overheard the conversation the soldiers were having. She turned her head towards them, noticing the scene around them.


    Despite the glooming hour, the street they were walking on had no strange ambiance to it, no sense of anything menacing due to the lampposts set at certain intervals. There were quite a few people walking too, others even heading in the same direction as Eugene and Molly.


    The sight of two women walking together was not something unusual, nor will it make anyone suspicious since people of different ages and sizes seemed to frequent the area¡ª whether it¡¯s early in the morning, or the late hours of the evening.


    She only came to appreciate the tranquility of the streets later on, since she was quite a nervous wreck when she went to see Rodrigo. She regarded both the stillness of the street, and the energy that came with it with such reverence.


    ¡®Jin must have come out like this too, when she met up with Rodrigo before.¡¯ Eugene thought, deeming the place safe enough since Jin used to bring only one maid with her with no escorts. ¡®There are only a few countries where it¡¯s safe to roam around at night. I wonder if other Kingdoms are like this too.¡¯


    During Eugene¡¯s first outing, there were about five warriors that escorted her as per Kasser¡¯s command. Eugene laughed at the memory.


    Living in the capital meant that the security was sufficient. However, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but feel unsure since there were many people in the vicinity. She did not expect this crowd at all.


    In commemoration of the oncoming dry season, almost all shops came up with offers like discounted prices, buy one get ones, and other promos to lure people inside their store. And with that, the number of people that went out at night increased tenfold, making the plaza brim with life due to the onslaught of the masses. More patrols were also assigned at certain posts to keep a watchful eye over the bustling crowd.


    Eugene had no idea that this is the first time that a large-scale event was occurring when the active period is not even over yet, and it is also the first event that was instructed by the King himself.


    She felt a slight movement on her arm, making her glance down at the basket she was holding on. ¡®Just for a while now, Abu.¡¯


    Fortunately for Eugene, there was no need for Abu¡¯s appearance today. But the beast¡¯s company sure made her feel at ease when she¡¯s having a meeting with Rodrigo. She didn¡¯t feel the initial anxiety she had, all thanks to Abu¡¯s presence beside her.


    Eugene and Molly stopped at an intersection in front of the square. They noticed that the plaza, which is supposedly overflowing with people, was empty, save for the few operating workers. Eugene could see the trees centered at the square very well.


    ¡°It looks like they are checking the oil container, Master.¡± Molly said, seeing the workers working in pairs all over the square.


    Eugene nodded. ¡°I see.¡±


    Molly took in their surroundings, completely perplexed at the sight in front of her. ¡®Why did they start the maintenance today?¡¯ She also noticed that the carriage they had ridden going here was nowhere to be seen.


    Before Molly entered the castle, she was informed that she would be serving the queen. She was told that Anika Jin was nothing but a harsh woman who doesn¡¯t forgive one¡¯s mistakes, making Molly grow conscious whenever she¡¯s around her. And because of that, Molly made sure to attend to the queen¡¯s needs dutifully, and do whatever it is asked of her.


    It would surely look suspicious if there¡¯s only one carriage standing in the vicinity, so the king instructed them to park the carriage in various places nearby. Molly sighed in relief, suddenly remembering the wagon¡¯s location. ¡°Master. The wagon is over there.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go then.¡± Eugene answered.


    Molly led the way towards the wagon¡¯s spot. Upon reaching the carriage, Molly knocked on the metal repeatedly, but the coachman paid them no mind. Molly placed the old book she was holding in the nook of her arm, and with one hand, she grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. ¡°Master. What¡ª¡°


    Molly¡¯s face grew pale the moment she pried the door open. The old book fell from her grasp with a loud thud.


    Kasser stared at Molly with such cold, ferocity that it made Molly tremble where she stood. After today, the spy of the cult would never see the sun shine again.


    Molly swallowed nervously, her palms sweating as fear engulfed her entire being. The king looked at her like a wild beast about to devour its prey, and like a prey, Molly stood rooted on her spot, completely unmoving.


    Eugene, who was also waiting outside the carriage, immediately noticed Molly¡¯s still form. She came closer and peeked inside, making eye contact with Kasser in the process. Kasser smiled at her, his eyes turning into crescent moons as he extended his hand towards Eugene, urging her to go inside the carriage.


    Eugene made a confused expression, surprised at Kasser¡¯s unexpected appearance. She smiled back at him sweetly, unaware of Kasser¡¯s grim expression just moments before. She took his hand on hers, and she was abruptly pulled inside, landing straight into his arms.


    The door closed behind her with a soft click, locking them inside the small, dark compartment.


    ?


    Kasser fidgeted at the metal rod beside him, adjusting the opening of the curtain as moonlight streamed inside the wagon, casting both of their faces with shadows. Their faces were so close to each other that they could feel each other¡¯s breaths.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re going here, I thought you¡¯d wait for me at the castle. Was this your plan all along?¡± Eugene asked.


    Kasser shrugged. ¡°I changed my mind.¡±


    He knew that he couldn¡¯t keep still waiting for her at the castle, so he decided to wait here instead, which is so much closer to her, should something unforeseen happen.


    ¡°You worry too much. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Eugene asked softly as she continued. ¡°There were many people on the street, and it was bright too, so it is entirely safe for a woman to wander.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Kasser asked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that it¡¯s safe to walk the streets at night since the capital¡¯s security is good? I remember hearing it from Marianne, but I didn¡¯t think too much of it. And when I went out before, you had me escorted by a bunch of warriors since you¡¯re nowhere present.¡± Eugene said, her voice slightly higher than intended. If only their surroundings were bright enough, Kasser would definitely see Eugene¡¯s reminiscent expression pasted on her face.


    ¡°You sound excited.¡± Kasser said as he reached for Eugene¡¯s hood, flipping it behind her.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The tone of your voice sounds different.¡± Kasser said.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Eugene cupped her face with her hands, willing to calm her pounding heart inside her chest. As soon as she saw Kasser¡¯s face, the feeling she held in suddenly burst.


    The more she thought about it, the more she came to realize that Jin only used Rodrigo to get that old, dated book. It wasn¡¯t like Jin tried to use Mara¡¯s Church for some specific reason, nor was she trying to make some type of conspiracy. It was her hobby¡ª the hobby that made her use most of the budget under her royal name, draining her bank almost entirely.


    Eugene has yet to know the reason why Jin had been collecting those old books specifically, but it somehow gave her relief to find out that Jin wasn¡¯t connected deep within the Mara¡¯s Church, and she felt like she could finally let the burden off her chest.


    ¡°I met Rodrigo and I remembered something important.¡± Eugene said, her mouth slightly curving upwards as she struggled to keep her smiles in.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Kasser asked, thinking that it must be something good since Eugene¡¯s eyes shone so brightly it reflected the meager light surrounding them. Kasser supposed that this enthusiastic demeanor of hers is much better than her feeling dispirited.


    However, Kasser wanted to see her infuriated towards Rodrigo, and maybe be a little upset over the fact that he only sent Abu to accompany her. Kasser wished that Eugene would rely on him, and ask for his help since it¡¯s really difficult to do things alone. A burden shared, is a burden halved.


    Kasser was astounded how insecure he¡¯s gotten.


    ¡°I gave him money so he could get information about collecting old books. I used to buy books directly from him.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that already?¡± Kasser asked in a puzzled tone. ¡°I just didn¡¯t know that he supplied the books himself.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. That..¡± Eugene stopped, as if trying to form her words inside her head. ¡°I thought that.. I might have done something terrible.¡± She said sheepishly, her voice small and trembling.


    Kasser chuckled slightly, recalling what she said last time. ¡°You mean summoning Mara?¡±


    Eugene stared at him intently, not amused at Kasser sneering at her. ¡°I¡¯m being serious. And this is what I get¡­¡± Eugene stopped talking, feeling her throat constrict from the emotions bubbling within her.


    Hearing her voice slowly die down, Kasser immediately looked at her with a stern expression. ¡°I¡¯m not laughing at what you¡¯re saying. I just thought that you couldn¡¯t have possibly done anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why do you trust me so much?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°Because I believe that you didn¡¯t do anything despicable. You¡¯re still you, after all.¡±


    ¡°Why do you believe me then?¡± Eugene prodded.


    ¡°Like I told you, because it¡¯s you. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how people are on the inside. What if I suddenly turn my back on you?¡± Eugene challenged.


    ¡°You worry too much.¡± Kasser grinned. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of things that might not even happen.¡±


    Eugene realized that Kasser was too na?ve for his own good, and she understood why there¡¯s so many good-hearted people surrounding him. He was not the type to be easily shaken once he sets his eyes into something, giving his complete faith in everything that he does, and to the people around him too. Perhaps he has yet to be betrayed by someone he wholeheartedly believed in.


    With this, she was suddenly reminded of the king in her novel¡ªa person with a hardened heart; a man who cannot turn back to the person he once was.


    ¡®If this person is greatly betrayed, he will surely be like the King in the novel.¡¯ Eugene felt her chest tighten at the thought of Kasser turning into a cold-blooded King.


    Eugene knew what he had been afraid of. Kasser might have thought that she would suddenly disappear after meeting up with Rodrigo.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to let him down.¡¯ She was glad to have come here and met him before Jin had the chance to do anything.


    ¡°You can¡¯t forgive him.¡± Kasser said, making Eugene snap out of her thoughts. She looked at Kasser and didn¡¯t say anything, only realizing then that he was talking about Rodrigo.


    ¡°Not a chance.¡± Kasser added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan to.¡± Eugene answered, blinking her eyes.


    Kasser¡¯s eyes softened at Eugene¡¯s assuring words. ¡°I thought you changed your mind since you gave him money for information.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that I bought information from him, but it is also true that I covered it.¡±


    Jin wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to not know that Rodrigo was asking for too much. Jin was probably aware of it, but decided to turn a blind eye for the sake of the old books.


    ¡°Your Majesty. I am¡ª¡° Eugene was cut short, distracted by the whimpering sound that seemed to resonate inside the carriage. Eugene burst into laughter when she realized that it was Abu. She lifted the cloth from the basket and consoled the wailing beast. ¡°Sorry Abu. I totally forgot about you.¡±


    Abu wailed continuously, clearly upset for having stayed inside the container for too long. Abu¡¯s matte-black hair blended with the shadows. His red, glowing eyes were the only thing visible about him.


    Kasser reached for the basket and scooped Abu out with one hand. He adjusted the small beast in his hands, grabbing Abu by the collar and lifted in front of him.


    The kitten-sized Abu cried loudly, his paws wiggling frantically from the uncomfortable position he was in.


    ¡°Abu. Go to the castle.¡± Kasser said as he opened the window beside him, throwing Abu outward as if he weighed nothing. Eugene let out a shriek, completely shocked with Kasser¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Your Majesty! I wasn¡¯t able to thank Abu yet!¡± Eugene said as Kasser closed the window.


    ¡°You can do it later.¡± Kasser said nonchalantly.


    Eugene took a bated breath, clearly in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re so mean.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Kasser said, facing Eugene¡¯s direction. ¡°You told me that it¡¯s enough to just take Abu with you, and you didn¡¯t even let me see you off. Who¡¯s the mean one now?¡±

 Chapter 190

    Eugene stared at him, surprised by such an unexpected statement. In her head, the idea that Kasser was slow to blame others was firmly rooted. She looked back over what she¡¯d done, trying to see where she had gone wrong.


    ¡°You did see me off. At lunch earlier¡­¡±


    It had been earlier that day, only a few hours ago. Eugene could clearly remember their conversation over lunch.


    ¡°Will you really be okay alone?¡± Kasser had asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be alone. Abu and the maid are coming with me.¡±


    ¡°That maid is what worries me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing she can do to hurt me. She¡¯ll be in trouble if she does.¡±


    Nothing had really stood out to her as strange during the meal; it was the same atmosphere as always. They hadn¡¯t even discussed the outing for that long. The only thing that Eugene could think of was that she had refused to join him for dinner.


    Dining custom here called for more formality when dining together than dining alone, and more formality at dinner than at lunch. A dinner with Kasser could stretch out longer than two hours. If she ate with him, it wouldn¡¯t have left her any time to go out, so she¡¯d turned him down.


    He¡¯d accepted her refusal graciously, nodding and letting the moment pass without comment. King Kasser Eugene knew wasn¡¯t one to be hurt by something like that and harbor resentment about it later.


    ¡°You told me to be careful. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°Not that.¡±


    Eugene frowned, wracking her memory. Was it before that? She remembered the conversation she¡¯d had with him last night.


    ¡°Let me know before you leave tomorrow. I have to see you off,¡± Kasser had said to her.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because my outing must be a secret. What if Molly thinks something is amiss? Don¡¯t come near here after sunset. Don¡¯t worry, Abu will be enough of an escort.¡±


    That conversation had taken place after a passionate tryst, while she was lying prone on top of him, skin to skin. Eugene¡¯s face flushed as she remembered how hot and intimate the air in the bedroom had been while they lay tangled together.


    That conversation made more sense in context with Kasser¡¯s claim that, ¡°You declined to let me see you off.¡± The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous Eugene felt. He wasn¡¯t talking about today, but last night. His request had made no sense. The outing was supposed to be covert; him coming to watch her leave would have been counterintuitive.


    Kasser said nothing, turning his gaze aside, ¡°What were you trying to say a while ago?¡±


    ¡°Oh, about that.¡±


    Eugene tried to answer, but shut her mouth. The longer she stared at him, the more her lips trembled. Her shoulders shook. A single giggle slipped past her sealed lips, and she could hold it no more, bursting into laughter. Kasser¡¯s resigned expression and weary sigh only made her laugh harder.


    This was the man who said it was okay to steal a national treasure and lose it, give money to the Mara church, or be called a saint by the cults, and he had been upset by not being allowed to watch her depart. He¡¯d even come all the way to the square to wait for her.


    The ruler of the Hashi kingdom was renowned for being rational and stern, for loving his country and its people. Eugene often felt Kasser was a king who was respected by his people. Even if they didn¡¯t sing his praises, they looked upon him with reverence and awe.


    Not only was he a perfect king, he was an incredible person. Eugene often admired him. So this side of him, so human and a little grumpy, was unexpected. It gave her joy, seeing a side of him that so few others were privy to.


    Still laughing, Eugene threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. She could feel the pleasant thudding of his heart in his chest, a little faster than normal. She felt light, giddy, almost as though she¡¯d had a few glasses of wine.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± she said. ¡°You have no idea how happy I am. It¡¯s not because I met him and regained my memory. I¡¯m glad to know I didn¡¯t do anything to hurt you. I tried to say this a while ago.¡±


    Eugene loosened her hold on him, pushing him back a little so she could look at him.


    ¡°I am sorry because of what has been revealed. It¡¯s hard for me to hold my head up high, but I wanted to be a little proud. In order to do that, I must figure out everything that went wrong and fix my mistakes. So I insisted upon meeting him.¡±


    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes.¡±


    Kasser stroked her cheeks with the backs of his hands. His chest ached as his heart filled with emotion. She was so lovely, expressing herself so calmly and honestly.


    He pondered her question; why did he believe in her? Seeing her like this, he had no choice but to put his faith in her. She always expressed her thoughts and feelings clearly, in a way that left no room for ambiguity.


    The educated elites of the world to which Kasser belonged always had an escape plan hidden in their words, a way to twist away from taking responsibility or owning what they said. Eugene was worlds apart from them, and every conversation with her was refreshing. He often found himself following her with eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to put things right. You have no reason not to be proud.¡±


    Eugene blinked, her eyes glistening. She seemed to be wrestling with a surge of emotions. ¡°What if I keep making mistakes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Kasser reassured her.


    ¡°You might have to spend the rest of your life cleaning up the mess I¡¯ve made.¡±


    ¡°The rest of my life, huh?¡± His fingers brushed over her cheek, caught under her chin and lifted it slightly. ¡°It¡¯s worth trying.¡±


    Eugene closed her eyes as his face tilted and lowered toward hers. His lips covered hers, hot and firm. He slowly sucked on her bottom lip, worshiping it. The tip of his tongue teased along the seam of her lips then cut between them, sliding into her mouth. He stroked it against hers, encouraging a short moan from her throat.


    He massaged the sensitive inner flesh, licked her teeth, and sucked her tongue hard. The kiss went on for an age, unhurried. Craving more or her, he kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, and pressed his lips against her neck. Eugene¡¯s head fell back as his face nuzzled under her chin. Her body pressed into the wall of the carriage, pinned there by Kasser¡¯s warm weight.


    Eugene moaned as his hand groped the swell of her chest.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Your Majesty¡­ Mmm¡­¡±


    She pushed Kasser away when he kept kissing her neck. ¡°Stop¡­ Not here.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one here.¡±


    Suddenly her mind conjured the image of the empty plaza she had seen before. Eugene pushed Kasser harder. He moved back, giving her room to breathe.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the carriage started? We¡¯ve been sitting here for a while now.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re waiting for my order to go.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my gosh! Are you saying they¡¯ve been waiting this entire time, watching the carriage? What must they think we¡¯ve been doing?¡±


    Kasser laughed. ¡°What do you think we¡¯ve been doing?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°What are we doing?¡±


    Eugene stared at the smirking king. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it was your plan to check the sump? To empty the square?¡±


    ¡°Originally, this is what we do around this time. The timing just happened to overlap with each other,¡± Kasser lied casually.


    Eugene narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ¡°You didn¡¯t send an escort after me, did you? I made it clear to you not to do that. He might notice.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    There was no escort, but Kasser had arranged for a large number of patrols. He thought there was nothing wrong with strengthening their presence on the streets in the interests of crime prevention, due to the massive events of the stores.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go now. Oh, and be sure to apologize to Abu when we return.¡±


    ¡°Apologize?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how hard Abu worked today? And you just threw him out like that.¡±


    Kasser dismissed her words. ¡°I am his master, not his friend.¡±


    Eugene was going to criticize his tone, but she closed her mouth and thought instead. It might be wrong to think of the relationship between Hwansu and their owners like a relationship between people. Among beasts, hierarchy according to power was important.


    ¡°Then at least praise him for his work. You have to tell him when he does a good job. Alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright..¡±


    Kasser rapped twice on the carriage wall, and a moment later it jolted into motion.


    Eugene realized that someone had been sitting on the perch the entire time and covered her burning face in her hands. When she finally glanced at Kasser, he was frowning at her, confused as to what was wrong. She couldn¡¯t get used to the customs here, the way they didn¡¯t seem to notice the eyes and ears of the common people.


    * * *


    The air in the bedroom hung hot and heavy. Eugene lay stretched out on top of Kasser, using him like a large cushion. Little by little his hand, which had been idly rubbing her skin, began caressing her in earnest. He stroked the inside of her thigh, squeezed her buttocks, and swept his palms up, savouring the curves of her waist.


    She was exhausted after her last climax, wanting only to fall asleep, but when he touched her so gently¡­ She slowly relaxed, warming up again the more he caressed her.


    He wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck, pressing lightly to bring her forward. Bowing his head, he kissed her hair. Kasser¡¯s sweet, simple kisses were more stimulating than even a passionate one. It made her feel as though she knew what the expression ¡°to share love¡± was trying to describe.


    Eugene lifted her head from his bare chest, gazing up at him. He kissed her, covering her lips with his own. What started out as a light press deepened until their tongues were entangled.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Kasser sucked on her tongue. A thrill ran up her spine and she moaned. He surged up underneath her, his firm body pressing against her, skin to skin. It felt like the moment a resting beast began to stretch awake.


    As he got up, he gently lifted Eugene and turned her so her back touched the bed. Rising above her, he immediately pressed her legs open and slotted himself between them. He drafted his down her abdomen and caressed her lady garden, checking she was well lubricated. When he found her slick, he pushed his member all the way inside her.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Eugene squeezed her edges shut. The feeling of a thick, hard male part spreading her inner walls was intense. Accepting him was always overwhelming, even though the seeds he¡¯d left inside her earlier served as a lubricant.

 Chapter 191

    He was deep inside her, his lips pressed against hers, his tongue in her mouth, entangling hers. He nibbled and sucked her tongue.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    Whenever he released her mouth for a second, Eugene would moan. She got used to the heavy presence between her legs, which suddenly felt like it belonged there to begin with, the length inside of her, rubbing her inner walls.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    After leaving only the thickest portion inside, he pushed back in. He covered her quivering body with his own, grabbed her hands and held them against the headboard of the bed, and began to thrust.


    He penetrated deeply and her trembling thighs wrapped themselves around his waist. Whenever he pulled out, her small entrance followed wanting for more.


    Her instinctive reactions aroused him. Kasser pounded harder and the sound of flesh slapping against each other reverberated in the quiet chamber.


    ¡°Hnmm¡­ Ahhhh¡­¡±


    Even the stiffness on the inside gave her pleasure and she felt goosebumps all over her body. Through time, her body had become more sensitive to his touch.


    She seemed increasingly addicted to the feel of him moving inside her. However, she admits that she was a human weak susceptible to pain and pleasure, hence the occasional groans.


    She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the sweat running down the man¡¯s corded chest.


    They say women are less susceptible to visual stimulation than men, but that didn¡¯t seem like her case. A heat rose in her, his fold clamped tighter around his length as he pounded.


    Kasser groaned and kissed her again. As reaction, he freed her arms and wrapped them around his thick neck.


    ?


    ¡°Did you decide who will accompany me?¡±


    The three aides looked at one another. No one answered. A few days earlier, Eugene had asked who would go with her. She planned to have just one aide accompany her to the desert with the king.


    All three were willing to go with her, so she had asked them to discuss amongst themselves and decide.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t decided yet? We leave tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Eugene had said that she couldn¡¯t help them, the decision was theirs to make.


    ¡°Then, let us decide by drawing a lot.¡±


    The aides immediately objected. ¡°Your Majesty. It¡¯s too important a matter to decide by lottery.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s unfair to decide this with random luck.¡±


    ¡°Then who will yield?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Eugene said after thinking for a moment.


    ¡°I suggest a method where both your choice and luck will work.¡±


    Eugene unfolded a paper and drew three long vertical lines. Ladders were drawn by instructing the three aides to cross the vertical lines with horizontal lines.


    With only the top and bottom visible, the middle was covered with paper, the three people were asked to choose one of the top lines. Eugene then encircled one line at the bottom, of which will signify the winner. After explaining the method to the three people, they proceeded with the ladder lottery.


    The three women traced their paths in the ladders in deep thought, dubious of this method of lottery they witnessed for the first time.


    In the end, Sandy won and her countenance displayed how euphoric she felt inside, while outwardly remaining composed as always while the other two tried to hide their disappointment. It would be such a great honour to be part of the seasonal royal ritual to the desert.


    ¡°Are there any disagreements with the results?¡±


    The expressions of the two people who failed were glum, but they did not protest. Eugene fought to control her mirth and tried to keep a straight face.


    ¡°Since the ritual is an event that repeats every time the dry season begins, are there not many opportunities for you two as well?¡± Eugene asked, genuinely wondering why her aides were so keen on attending the ritual.


    ¡°Not anyone can volunteer. His Majesty and the former king always chose warriors as companies.¡± Regina answered.


    ¡°But queens are supposed to attend too, right?¡± Eugene asked, pertaining to herself and the mother of Kasser, previous queen of Hashi Kingdom.


    ¡°Yes, that is what is expected, but for the most part, His Majesty attended alone.¡±


    ¡®Ah¡­ that¡¯s right. He said Jin only attended the first one.¡¯


    And it had been a long time since the previous queen left the kingdom and lived in the Holy City.


    The queen¡¯s seat had been vacant for a long time, so she was told that Marianne was actually in charge of the living conditions of the palace for a long time.


    ¡°When His Majesty travels alone, does he strictly limit the qualifications of those who go with him?¡±


    ¡°He does not. However, in reality, few people can endure the heat and difficulty the expedition to the desert would offer. Now that the heat is much scorcher and the storms wilder, the journey would take five days, longer than the usual three days. ¡°


    ¡° I see.¡±


    She understood that it was a strong march that took place through the desert on horseback all day. The average person could not keep up with the incredible stamina of the king and the warriors.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the journey to and fro the desert still difficult? Why do you want to go with us?¡± Eugene queried with curiosity.


    ¡°I would like to see the sacred place where the ritual is held.¡±


    ¡°Just once, I wanted to go and see.¡±


    The aides replied enthusiastically.


    Eugene had been told that the sacred lands were the place where the King had laid the foundation of the country, but she imagined it as a nondescript place where only ruins remained. It was not until now that she knew that it held special importance for the people of this country.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry for the two who can¡¯t go with us this time. There will be another chance in the next dry season.¡±


    The assistants¡¯ facial expressions changed as they replied. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    After the aides left, Eugene belatedly realized what their strange expressions implied.


    ¡®Ah¡­ Do they think they have no chance next time? Since in the next dry season, it¡¯s not sure whether or not I will go with His Majesty?¡¯


    In short, the aide considered Eugene¡¯s participation in this ritual journey was mere whim of hers. This was an event attended by both the king and his wife, but people got used to her absence and negligence of her responsibilities, which was disappointing. Eugene could only sigh and console her heart.


    ¡®Just watch. The next one, and the one after that. I will attend without fail. ¡¯


    It wouldn¡¯t do to just give them her word. She would have to uphold their belief in her.


    ¡®Next, and the next¡­¡¯


    Eugene realized that she was drawing a vague yet concrete future. When she had arrived here, she was eager to just endure the day. And now, she¡¯s here, not only surviving but also getting rather fond of the world she was thrown to.


    She shook her head in amazement. A strange feeling of liberation overtook her and lightened her burden of worries. It felt like sinking deep in a pool of water and coming out, refreshed and rejuvenated.


    ¡®The activity period is over.¡¯


    Eugene took a deep breath and smiled. She was ready to begin her life afresh.


    ***


    Kasser was deep in thought. ¡®The high priest¡­¡¯


    There were plenty of reports on the desk.


    He looked again at the survey on the Mara Church, which he had seen a while ago. In particular, the contents of the organizational structure of the church were excerpted and examined separately.


    Mara¡¯s force spread evenly across six kingdoms. They were more active in the Hashi kingdom, which was relatively less oppressed, but not all cults were flocking to the kingdom.


    Rarely did this kind of people leave their homeland. However, regardless of the location, this cult members, worshippers of the devil, need to be suppressed. Kasser felt more prejudice against them knowing that they had included his wife in their dirty games.


    He wasn¡¯t sure of the exact numbers, but he figured they were five to ten priests in this kingdom.


    He recalled the conversation he had had with Eugene.


    ¡°Rodrigo told me that he would announce the status of a Saint through a ceremony. I don¡¯t know the purpose of the ceremony nor his intent behind it. I couldn¡¯t ask because he didn¡¯t offer any details. But to anoint me as one, it¡¯s probably¡­¡±


    ¡°This implies that the news hasn¡¯t been published yet. ¡°


    ¡°Yes. Therefore, I don¡¯t think many people know that I was called Saintess by him. ¡°


    Kasser had come to a similar conclusion with Eugene.


    It would be easier to cover up the whole thing if it could be solved only by catching hold of Rodrigo and keeping his mouth shut.


    But what she said next, worried him


    ¡°Rodrigo says he wants the High Priest to meet me. I can¡¯t remember who the High Priest is or whether I¡¯ve met him before. ¡°


    ¡°The high priest..?¡±


    Kasser had no memory of ever receiving a report that said there was an upper class reigning over the priests. He went through all the reports again, but there was none.


    This matter had been a sore to him recently. He thought that he was aware of all the socialites and kept an eye on them to be able to control them at any time, but something was amiss.


    Even if he missed thousands of the underlings, he had to get the leader under him.


    ¡®I need to do some research.¡¯


    Kasser wrote a brief order.


    ¨DResearch the ranks within the cult again. Find out whether they have a rank called ¡°high priest¡± or ¡°saint¡± .


    He called one of his men and handed him a sealed letter. ¡°Give this to the chancellor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kasser roughly pushed aside the reports on the Mara denomination and opened the documents awaiting the king¡¯s approval. As he thoroughly examined them, his hand paused mid-air as he turned the page. He frowned and then his brow cleared.


    ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯


    ***


    At the end of the active period, he suddenly felt uncomfortable and looked down at his chest. His Praz was eerily quiet. During the active period, his Praz was violent in his body. It was like a state of excitement in humans. The awakened Praz offered an advantage of violent powerful energy, that was useful when hunting for Lark.


    The only disadvantage was that Kasser had to keep himself awake and his nerves in control all day long to suppress his inner energy.


    However, it has never been this easy to draw out powers while controlling Praz, like this activity period. And when he entered into the dry season right after the active period, the energy of Praz suddenly diminished, and he felt anxious.


    This time, however, he couldn¡¯t feel the difference.


    ¡®Eugene.¡¯


    He raised his head.


    ¡®Would she be alright?¡¯


    The change in season- active to dry and vice versa ¨C have an effect on Anikas, as well as the Kings. On the first night of the activity period, he remembered Eugene writhing in pain.


    He put down the papers he was reading and stood up.

 Chapter 192

    Kasser turned around the corner of the hall and stopped short. His lips curved gently into a smile, when he saw Eugene approaching from the other end of the corridor. He sauntered towards her.


    The two came closer until they stood directly facing each other with less than a foot between them.


    He scanned her countenance. To his relief, her expression was cheerful .


    ¡°Where are you headed, My Queen?¡±


    ¡°I was going to the bridge, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I gather you are trying to get some fresh air.¡±


    Above the bridge was Eugene¡¯s favorite place. It was high and often windy ,so she often went there at tea-time.


    She had to be careful with the table, on which her tea was laid out, for it was potentially dangerous during strong winds.


    ¡®Was he heading my way because he had business with me?¡¯


    Eugene swallowed the sentence and her curiosity.


    ¡°Would you like to come along?¡± She was conscious of the courtiers around her and chose her words carefully.


    In the past, she hadn¡¯t given much thought to propriety. She would deliberately keep her tone informal and modern because it made her feel like she was in a play when she used the old-fashioned tone and mannerisms.


    ¡®If even the king doesn¡¯t object to it, no one else should either,¡¯ she reasoned.


    She had therefore, decided to speak comfortably. However, observing the royal aides, she realized that the formal, seemingly antiquated form of speech was powerful in expressing authority and maintaining dignity.


    She decided that she would maintain a dignified formality around other people, but would drop all pretenses and speak comfortably when she was alone with Kasser.


    ¡°Your Majesty, You must be extremely busy looking over the state affairs I imagine. But, perhaps you could take a break and get some fresh air for a while ? ¡±


    Kasser looked at Eugene for a moment and asked, ¡°Would you like me to join you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I assure you the tea is great.¡±


    Kasser laughed and moved to stand beside her, offering his arm.


    ¡°I have received an invitation from the lady, therefore I must escort her.¡±


    Eugene laughed and took the offered arm.


    A long line of court officials stretched behind the two. The courtiers following them, smiled in private, revelling in the bliss emanated by the conjugal harmony of the young couple.


    ***


    He sighed . He was anxious, frustrated and heavily confused.


    When she had announced that she would accompany him, he had been ecstatic, but as time passed, he was beginning to worry.


    ¡°It will be a difficult journey.¡±


    ¡°I was told Your Majesty travels there in just two days. This time though, it has increased to five days.¡±


    Kasser laughed. ¡°You can¡¯t compare it to that.¡±


    As the queen¡¯s presence at the ritual was suddenly declared, chaos occurred. The preparation required for the accompanying queen was completely different from when the king was traveling alone.


    Earlier, it had been utilitarian and devoid of any unnecessary flourish, but now, it had to be both practical and frivolous.


    A large-scale procession of close to 100 people was formed, including the royal couple, their attendants and porters. The amount of luggage they carried increased threefold, with additional tents for sleeping and resting, food, and daily necessities for five scores of people.


    When Eugene asked Marianne if her decision to go along had caused any trouble, Marianne replied confidently,¡± Not at all, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°It is a sacred ritual that raises rites in the Holy City. I am delighted that it has finally proceeding on the scale that it should, Your Majesty¡¯


    ***


    ¡°I heard you sleep in a tent at night?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Kasser answered her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t rest even when the sun is hottest, at the middle of the day.¡±


    Kasser nodded.


    ¡°I see. When the time comes, we will have people bring food, and water to cool our bodies. There is nothing so difficult about it.¡± She muttered loud enough for the king to hear.


    Kasser gazed at her, trying to read her mind. She seemed so confident.


    He remembered what the queen had been like at the ritual, where she accompanied him only once, in their first year of marriage.


    At that time, the scale of the march had been quite similar to this one.


    However, a marked difference lay in the fact that the previous time, he had detachedly left all preparations to the staff. This time, he was more involved and concerned about making the journey as smooth as he possibly could, for Eugene.


    The queen at that time, never left the tent. During the journey, she did not descend from her special palanquin on the camel¡¯s back, and when she was forced to step on the sand, she demanded that a rug be spread first.


    When he saw her after her memory loss, he felt strange, as if she were the person he had known, but at the same time, she wasn¡¯t.


    Kasser turned to the approaching chief of staff. The attendant bowed his head.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The letter of His Holiness has arrived. The knight requests an audience with you.¡±


    Kasser frowned.


    Normally, he received a letter from Sang-je when the dry season began, a day or two after returning from the ritual, but this time it was far earlier than usual.


    He turned to Eugene and said.


    ¡°I have to go. You get some rest and then come down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Eugene stood to see the king off, and sat down when he had departed.


    ¡®A knight¡­.¡¯


    She wondered if it was a knight whom Jin knew.


    ***


    The man, wearing the colorful armor, bowed his head.


    ¡°Knight Pides. Greetings to Your Majesty .¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir Pides.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. It has been a long time.¡±


    ¡°What business do you have with me?¡±


    The ninety-nine knights protecting Sang-je,outwardly, had no rank, but internally, a hierarchy existed. It followed seniority in the order they were knighted. The ninety-nine knights always kept that number. When the oldest knight superannuated, a new vacancy was created in his place.


    By the side of Sang-je, who preserved youth for many years, the knights were slowly replaced with age. But even for a knight who came in relatively later, if his credibility with Sang-je was strong, his rank went up.


    Knight Pides was a young knight who was closely trusted by Sang-je. Therefore, Pides was not the person Sang-je would send, to deliver a mere letter.


    ¡°I brought the letter of His Holiness Shang-Je to His Majesty.¡±


    The attendant received a letter from Pides in a golden envelope and handed it to Kasser.


    Kasser glanced at Pides suspiciously, and opened the seal of the envelope to draw out a letter. He quickly ran through the contents. It was a ceremonial letter he received regularly.


    ¡®The denomination will not turn you away in your times of distress. Our doors are always open for you. Best regards to Anika Jin as well.¡±


    Kasser looked at the somewhat annoying concluding sentence and raised his head to look at Pides.


    ¡°Is this the only letter from His Holiness to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Did he have another message?¡±


    ¡°There weren¡¯t any other messages for you,Your Majesty. He did, however, give me an order to fulfil. ¡±


    Kasser¡¯s eyebrows raised. He thought he knew what Pides would say.


    ¡°I have a message from His Holiness Sang-je to deliver to Anika Jin. Please grant me an audience with our Anika alone.¡±


    ¡®Of course.¡¯


    Unpleasant emotions raged deep in his heart and gut. Pides¡¯ presumptuous demand to be alone with Eugene, and his calling her Anika, and not the queen, infuriated him.


    He almost expressed his disapproval, but Kasser controlled himself and calmly replied, putting the crumpled letter in the envelope, ¡°It¡¯s not something I have to give permission to, to meet the queen when you are delivering the words of His Holiness. Chief of staff.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± The staff responded immediately.


    ¡°Guide Lord Pides to the chamber. Inform the Queen that knight Pides requests an audience.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Pides raised one hand to his chest and lowered his head in salutation.


    ¡°May the glory of Mahar be with you, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 193

    When Eugene came down from the bridge, she ran into the chief of staff in the hallway leading to the office. He repeated the king¡¯s words verbatim to her.


    Knight Pides. It was her visitor¡¯s name.


    Knowing her memory loss, Kasser smartly bought her time by sending the knight to wait in the audience chamber instead of directing him to her study right away.


    ¡°Has a knight ever asked to meet me before?¡± she asked the chief.


    ¡°In the year of your marriage, a knight brought a letter of regards addressed to the queen, but the letter was delivered to you via a maid instead. This is the first time anyone, a knight at that, has requested an audience with you alone.¡±


    ¡°What do you think could have prompted the change?¡± Eugene inquired.


    The chief of staff¡¯s face grew serious. He chose his next words carefully, recalling the previous situation. ¡°It is not the same knight that has been coming for years.¡±


    ¡°Then this is the first time you¡¯ve met Knight Pides?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    At that moment, a voice from Jin¡¯s memories sounded in Eugene¡¯s head, triggered by the knight¡¯s name:


    ¡°Anika, Knight Pides requests an audience with you.¡±


    ¡°Anika, Knight Pides has left you a gift from the Sang-je.¡±


    ¡°Anika, Knight Pides is waiting for you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know who the voice belonged to, probably a servant, but it seemed that Knight Pides had visited often when she was in the Holy City quite frequently!


    ¡°Go to Knight Pides and tell him that I am otherwise engaged. He will have to wait.¡±


    The chief of staff bowed his head. ¡°I will do as you command.¡±


    Eugene went to the office. She paced back and forth as she tried to organise her thoughts. Why did Sang-je send a different knight than usual? Has he noticed that Jin¡¯s soul has changed? If the Sang-je in this world had the same transcendental abilities as the Sang-je in Eugene¡¯s novel, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if he was able to sense such things from afar.


    Although his arrival was unexpected, the knight had come to deliver Sang-je¡¯s message. She had no reason to refuse to see him.


    This is the first meeting with someone who knows Jin. Few people in this kingdom knew who Jin really was. That was why, despite Jin having lived in this country for three years, Eugene was able to slip inside her body and assume her identity without anyone suspecting.


    ¡®I can¡¯t always avoid it.¡¯


    Her decision was made. She left the office. If the knight noticed something strange, she could claim memory loss or illness. It¡¯s better to conceal the fact that I¡¯m not Jin for the time being. I don¡¯t plan to meet Sang-je just yet.


    ***


    The audience chamber held two desks that faced each other. The king and queen sat behind one of the desks to face the person who had requested the audience. The desk held necessary documents, but also served as a tangible barrier of the impenetrable gap in status between the monarchs and the visitor.


    Knight Pides stood waiting in the centre of the room. He turned when the queen entered, met her gaze, then lowered his head in a bow. Jin¡¯s memories began to overlap with Eugene¡¯s at the sight of him.


    ¡°Sir Pides. What happened? Somehow I don¡¯t think you came to see me on an errand for His Holiness.¡±


    Inside her mind, Eugene muttered an interested ¡®Oh?¡¯ The sound of Jin¡¯s voice in the memory wasn¡¯t the neutral tone when she spoke to the king, or the intense one she used to address court officials. It was pleased, excited. Something Eugene hadn¡¯t encountered before in the other woman¡¯s memories.


    The Pides of the past didn¡¯t wear the armor of today, but a shirt and pants, a casual comfortable outfit. Perhaps this was from long ago; Pides looked younger than he did now.


    He addressed Jin with a serious expression. ¡°His Holiness does not know that I am here, Anika. You went out late yesterday evening.¡±


    ¡°And what if I did?¡± Jin shot back, looking pleased.


    ¡°I was passing by yesterday and witnessed it by accident. Doing such a cruel thing will not benefit you either.¡±


    ¡°Cruelty? Did you call me cruel? Do you know what that crazy old man did to me? He cursed me! I am an Anika! Nobody has the right to do that to me!¡± Jin screamed. Even taking into account Jin¡¯s youth, her reaction was bordering on hysterical.


    ¡°Anika,¡± said Pides. ¡°Shamans only tell fortunes. They don¡¯t always tell you what you want to hear. If you only listen for fun and don¡¯t put stock in it, that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to lecture me! You have no right to speak to me like this. I am an Anika!¡±


    Pides sighed. ¡°There is no one alive who does not know you are an Anika.¡±


    Jin snorted. ¡°That crazy old man didn¡¯t know. If you commit a sin, you must pay the price,¡± she said poisonously.


    The scene changed to a banquet hall where people in colorful costumes flitted about, elbowing each other to get to the front. Everything was bright, dazzling. Jin followed the people through the crowd. Knights in gleaming silver armor entered the hall, raising shouts from the gathered assembly, but Jin¡¯s gaze was locked on one of them in particular. It was Knight Pides that held her attention.


    ¡®Uh, what?¡¯ Eugene felt a surge of embarrassment at the sudden romance of the scene. ¡®Did Jin have unrequited love for this man or something?¡¯ She felt strange, as if she was leafing through someone¡¯s private diary. Who knew Jin could have such pure feelings?


    Back in the present, Pides stood waiting, unaware of the journey Eugene had just taken through Jin¡¯s memories. It had lasted less than a second in the real world. He gave off an sincere, humble aura, perhaps because of his lowered eyes. He was indeed handsome, but was not to Eugene¡¯s taste.


    She walked past him, sitting down at her desk. ¡°You may sit, Sir Pides.¡±


    Pides inclined his head in gratitude, taking a seat across from her on the other side of the desk.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time,¡± he said. ¡°Have you been at peace, Anika?¡±


    ¡°It has been a long time. It¡¯s nice to see an old acquaintance after a few years. However, Sir Pides¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Anika?¡±


    ¡°I am the queen of this country? When you address me here, you must call me by my title.¡±


    Pides gave a long pause, then acquiesced. ¡°Yes, My Queen.¡±


    ¡°Why did you ask to speak to me in private?¡± she asked.


    Pides gave Eugene a strange look, then pulled an envelope from a padded pocket inside his cloak. He stood, leaning over to place the envelope down within her reach.


    ¡°His Holiness told me to give his best regards. And after the queen has read the letter, to bring back her answer.¡±


    Eugene swept the envelope off the desk and opened it, her eyes scanning the letter.


    ¨DAnika Jin.


    I hope you have been well. Though you are far away, I always pray for your peace¡­


    It was merely a letter of greeting. A pretty formality with nothing of substance to it. However, once the well-wishing was out of the way, His Holiness had left a short postscript. Eugene¡¯s heart rattled in her chest.


    ¨DP.S. Did you find what you want?


    ¡®What?¡¯ Her thoughts tumbled over each other like rocks. ¡®What does Sang-je know? What was Jin looking for? Perhaps¡­ Is he referring to the seed that disappeared from the treasury? Was it Sang-je who gave her the information about the seed? Why?¡¯


    Goosebumps sprung up along her back. Eugene schooled her face to a calm expression, pressing her lips together and clenching her teeth. She couldn¡¯t afford to show to let her agitation show outwardly.


    ¡°Please tell His Holiness that I could not find it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Queen,¡± said Pides.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious of Sang-je¡¯s decision to send Sir Pides. If Sang-je knew that Jin had had unrequited love for Pides, it stood to reason that he thought the man might have some influence on her. Perhaps he thought that, after three years of marriage in a strange place, far from the Holy City, her heart would be shaken by the sight of Pides.


    ¡°Did His Holiness mention anything else?¡±


    ¡°I was instructed to answer any queries you may have on your family in the Holy City.¡±


    ¡®How subtle.¡¯ Sang-je was indirect about it, but it was like he was asking ¡°Don¡¯t you miss your home after seeing your first love for the first time in so long? Aren¡¯t you wondering about your family? Don¡¯t you want to come back to the holy city?¡± Eugene frowned. ¡®Am I overthinking this?¡¯


    ¡°I am grateful for His Holiness¡¯ consideration. Please, tell me how my family is doing.¡±


    ***


    Pides left the royal city immediately after concluding his private audience with Eugene. The knights who visited upon the orders of Sang-je never spent the night in the kingdom. It was as if they couldn¡¯t bear to be away from the Holy City for a moment longer than necessary.


    However, Pides took a different route, not the road that would take him back to the holy city. His mission wasn¡¯t finished yet.


    In addition to meeting Anika Jin and delivering the letter, he had been given two other, quieter instructions. The first, if Jin agreed to return to the holy city, he was to escort her there no matter the cost or the circumstances. The second, he was to dig up any strange rumors about the queen in the Hashi Kingdom, no matter how small.


    Sang-je gave these instructions without explanation, but Pides didn¡¯t mind. To him, Sang-je¡¯s words were God¡¯s words. He was only too happy to obey.


    Pides entered the shabby, run-down house he had prepared before entering the royal city. He emerged a short time later, disguised as a common wandering merchant.


    As clever as his disguise was, it was discovered before he was even aware of it. Rodrigo, a man with Mara¡¯s ability to sense the knight¡¯s energy, had noticed the knight¡¯s surreptitious return.


    For the priests of the Church of Mara, Sang-je¡¯s knights were a grievous object. They could detect a priest as easily as a priest could detect a knight. An ability that kings and warriors lacked. However, the strengths of these abilities differed. A knight had to be in close range to detect a priest, whereas a priest could sniff out a knight from a much greater distance. He was able to slip away quickly.


    ¡®I must avoid him for the time being.¡¯ Rodrigo left the capital, not before warning his members to be careful, since Mahar¡¯s dog was sniffing around.


    ¡°The target is moving.¡±Those who were secretly watching Rodrigo on the chancellor¡¯s orders were busy, too. Some of them pursued Rodrigo, while some remained to see what had spooked him from the capital. The informant sent his findings from the denomination in a report back to the chancellor.


    ¨DThey were told to be careful, since Mahar¡¯s dog is wandering about in the capital.


    Chancellor Verus frowned down at the report, puzzled. ¡°Mahar¡¯s dog?¡±


    He knew it was a derogatory term used for knights in the Order of Mahar. ¡®I heard that a knight had visited and left, but what is he doing searching through the capital? Perhaps there is a reason, but it would be better to report to the king.¡¯ Chancellor Verus had decided so.


    The knights were beings that followed only the will of Sang-je. And here was no way Sang-je would do anything to bring harm to the kingdom. However, this was only a universally held belief. Verus was not naive or particularly trusting. It was the same as believing that the sun would rise in the morning or set in the evening. A fundamental truth.


    He decided that the king must have given his permission to the knight. But he couldn¡¯t think of the purpose¡­ Hence, Verus wrote a report and sent it to the castle.


    ***


    Just after dawn, the soldiers took control of the roads. The dry season had just begun, and those who had been at work since the early hours stopped the soldiers to ask what was happening.


    ¡°His Majesty is heading to the holy lands to attend the ritual.¡±


    After that, rumors spread like wildfire. Some speculated the queen would also come out to attend the ritual. The people flocked to the streets, eager to see even from a distance this queen who had caused the miracle of the Lark tree.

 Chapter 194

    A straight pathway was laid out extensively outside the Royal Palace, stretching all the way to the stone gates of the outer castle. Any sort of transportation was strictly prohibited, the clearance exclusively provided for the royal carriages¡¯ use alone.


    Dozens of wagons streamed out of the palace, settling on their respective places as they formed a neat line along the road. The king himself preceded the procession, along with his warriors on horsebacks situated to both his sides. A chariot carrying the Queen followed close by, with her own set of warriors escorting the chariot she was riding on.


    Officials and attendants are also present in this ritual, also riding on their personal wagons, with the caravan carrying various items and necessities for the five-day event trailing right behind them.


    Seated inside her carriage, Eugene heard a shout coming from the outside. She shifted close to the window beside her, lifting the curtain just slightly as she took a peek outside. She saw the crowd gathering up in huge numbers, filling the road steadily as they scrambled to their places, all of them eager to see the parade before them. The king¡¯s march was indeed a spectacle worth seeing.


    However, the sight of the king mounted on the back of his Hwansu was something that the people have already seen numerous times, so it was not the reason why people flocked the space so vigorously. What the crowd wanted to see now was Eugene, not letting the chance go to waste as they craned their necks to catch a glimpse of their queen.


    Eugene didn¡¯t expect that people would come because of her. She thought that the tale of the Lark Tree had dissipated, and she assumed that the area near the stone gate would come up empty.


    The trip didn¡¯t take too long. The carriage came to a full stop as they reached their destination. The warrior escorting the queen knocked on the metal door. ¡°My Queen, we have arrived at the stone gate.¡±


    Eugene was informed in advance about the procedure when going out to the desert. After leaving the palace seated inside the carriage, Eugene has to transfer to the palanquin prepared for her when they reach the outer wall of the stone gate¡ªwhich led straight to the desert.


    The carriage door swung open. Eugene smiled upon making eye contact with Kasser. She grabbed the hand reaching for her, grasping his hand tightly with hers as she scooted forward. As soon as Eugene had her body out of the carriage, a shout was instantly heard outside, the crowd squirming in anticipation.


    The sea of people behind the barricade the soldiers formed seemed endless, the horde stretching in all directions, crammed like sardines as they shout incoherent noises of praise towards the King and Queen.


    Before the door was opened, Eugene only heard minimal sounds from where she sat, so she was astounded to see the large number of people before her. The clamor startled her, making her miss a step going down as her body fell straight into Kasser¡¯s arms, her face flushed against his chest.


    The unexpected display of closeness caused a wild uproar among the crowd, their screams going up two octaves higher as they cheered relentlessly for the royals. Eugene¡¯s cheeks heated up instantly, feeling embarrassed of being seen in such a predicament. Kasser snickered down at her, laughing softly at Eugene¡¯s abashed appearance.


    With Eugene still tucked into his chest, Kasser leaned his mouth closer to ear, and whispered teasingly, ¡°Do you want me to pick you up bridal style, and carry you there?¡±


    Eugene lifted her head to look at him. He looked serious, as if he was really going to do it if she agreed. Eugene scrunched up her nose towards him, smiling sarcastically as she pushed at his chest lightly, pulling herself up to her feet as she stood with her back straight.


    The short, playful exchange between the royal couple was not left unnoticed by the public surrounding them, making the people gush at the sight. The comfortable atmosphere between them was clear as day, drawing up nods of approval from the people who witnessed such soft intimacy.


    Some even wondered where the rumors of the queen keeping to herself came from, deeming it untrue, having seen the queen in an amicable state today.


    There were a lot of rumors going about the queen, since she didn¡¯t used to engage much with activities like this one. And with that also came with the news that said she and the king didn¡¯t have a pleasant relationship.


    The masses have their own ideas of what they wanted their rulers to look like. They pictured them to be perfect and superior, void of any flaws that may tarnish their image. And looking at the royal couple now seemed to have fit their narrative completely.


    Eugene held his hand and climbed up the camel¡¯s back where the palanquin was placed. Going inside the palanquin, the ruckus from the outside slowly diminished. The structure was assembled in a way that it is comfortable to sit on with legs stretched out.


    The flooring had several large cushions strewn out for Eugene to lean on, and pillars were placed in all sides instead of walls, making the air pass through freely. Sturdy handrails and screens were also positioned around the perimeter, sheltering the interior entirely from the outside. A roof was also set up, covering the palanquin perfectly as it prevented the sunlight from streaming in.


    People began to move diligently, going down their wagons to mount on their horses and camels. The workers started to move around, and assembled the custom-made wagons into sleds, transforming the wagons altogether.


    Kasser climbed on top of Abu gracefully, and raised his right hand. The noise began to simmer down gradually until no sound could be heard anymore. The silence that enveloped the space was deafening¡ª a small whisper would resonate loudly across the wide expanse of land.


    ¡°Open the door.¡± Kasser ordered.


    The commander wasted no time as he abided to the king¡¯s order, grabbing the rope in front of him. ¡°Open the door!¡± He shouted at his soldiers in waiting.


    ¡°One! Two! Pull!¡±


    The soldiers screamed in unison, tugging the pulleys along with the connecting rope. The soldiers hunched forward, their heels marking the ground beneath them as they pulled forward, shouting in cadence upon raising the stone gate. The people watching cheered in excitement, anticipating the start of the dry season.


    The king had already announced the start of the dry season yesterday afternoon, but it was only today the stone gate was being opened. Generally, the gate was opened after the sun rises in the morning, and closed when the sun goes down.


    Eugene stared at the huge stone gate propelling upward. She had already seen how it was opened two months ago, but the purpose of it was entirely different. Before, the gate was opened in order to get inside.


    Eugene remembered that day as if it was only yesterday, thinking how confused she was before, not having any idea what would happen if she went inside the gate. So much had changed for the past couple of months, making Eugene feel nostalgic.


    The stone gate screeched to a halt. The gate had risen completely.


    People¡¯s screams boomed even more loudly at the sight. There are always a lot of people watching every time the stone gate opens, since it signaled the start of the dry season. Everyone began to laugh and talk joyously with each other, their exhilaration increased even more upon seeing the unexpected march of the royal couple.


    The king¡¯s hwansu, now in his usual form of a beastly black horse, moved in front of him and marched. The camels sitting down slowly raised themselves up from the ground as they began to move forward.


    The camel carrying Eugene¡¯s palanquin slowly rose up, shaking her slightly as it reached its full height. Eugene looked around outside, slightly shocked at the height she was in. She knew that the camel carrying her is a special breed, knowing full well that it is large and tall, but she still felt queasy of how high she was from the ground. She was so high up that she could see the top of a person¡¯s head even when horseback.


    The signal blared incessantly around them. The procession started to go forward to the desert, the scorching sunlight making itself felt as it engulfed the caravan beneath it completely. The fleet progressed steadily as the blaring sound grew smaller and weaker, until it could no longer be heard anymore.


    ***


    In the vast desert where the sand dunes seemed infinite, the caravan continued to march on, never stopping as they strode continuously for hours to no end.


    Eugene knew that camels moved slow, however even in its unhurried pace, the camel was able to trudge greatly due to its large strides. A person walking in haste won¡¯t be able to compare.


    The camel stopped abruptly. Eugene looked outside and saw the other camels and horses stopping as well. After a short while, warriors on horseback suddenly went to Eugene¡¯s direction, and encircled the palanquin she was riding on.


    Eugene was puzzled, having no idea what the reason was for the sudden halt. A person on horseback galloped towards Eugene. It was Sven. ¡°My Queen, His Majesty went to scout the road for a while. He will be back soon.¡± Sven said.


    After a short moment, the pack started moving again. It was almost noon when they stopped for a break and settled down for a meal. The camel carrying Eugene sat down with his knees bent. The sudden shift made Eugene jostle in her seat as the scene dropped down drastically.


    ¡°My Queen, we are setting up the tent. I will let you know once it is ready.¡± Zanne said.


    After having spent hours just sitting down, Eugene opted to go out for a walk as to stretch out her numb limbs. She crawled towards the pillars, lifted the screen and looked down. She noticed the gap between her palanquin and the ground below, internally measuring the short drop between the two planes. ¡°I want to get off now.¡± Eugene exclaimed.


    ¡°Yes, My Queen.¡± Zanne said.


    Eugene laughed at herself, knowing that a small jump would have been enough for her to go down. However, she grew accustomed to the royal treatment already.


    Zanne came back with a stool on hand, placing it in front of Eugene¡¯s camel. Eugene went down, stretching her arms above her head as she twirled her body left and right. They were in the middle of the desert, where sand is the only thing they could see over the horizon. She placed her hands over her head, shielding herself from the blazing sun.


    Eugene decided to walk to a nearby hill. The slope wasn¡¯t too elevated, nor the hill wasn¡¯t too high up. Eugene thought that she could reach the peak with just a short climb, with Zanne and Sven following close behind her.


    As Eugene ascended the hill, Jin¡¯s memories slowly appeared in front of her¡­


    Jin was looking down at her feet, her legs slipping every time she walked uphill.


    Jin screamed in frustration and closed her eyes tightly, gently placing her hands over her eyes. It seemed like sand got inside her eyes when the wind blew harshly.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± A woman asked, looking anxiously at Jin.


    Opening her eyes slowly, Jin straightened her back and went on. There were other five women with her, all of them Eugene never saw before. After a brief moment, Eugene realized that those were the missing maids.


    Eugene¡¯s heart pounded at her ribcage. This must be the memory of the day when Jin went out to the desert.


    ¡°We just need to go on a little bit more. His Majesty is waiting, and he would greatly thank you for your hard work.¡± Jin assured them.


    The memory disappeared as soon as Eugene reached the peak. It only took Eugene a dozen of steps to reach the summit, the camping place where the procession stopped just a few meters away. She gazed at the vast landscape before her.


    However, her mind seemed to be elsewhere other than the picturesque scene that lay in front of her. ¡®Who was waiting for them?¡¯ Eugene thought, Jin¡¯s voice echoing in her ears.


    Jin didn¡¯t refer to His Majesty as the king, so there was no way that a king of some other kingdom left his own realm in the midst of the active season. ¡®She lied. She fed her maids with lies and took them out to the desert.¡¯


    Eugene thought it was strange for maids, besides Tanyas, to blindly follow Jin¡¯s orders. It seemed like none of the maids knew exactly why Jin came to the desert, and why she brought them with her.


    Rodrigo was clueless about it too, so Eugene guessed that it has nothing to do with Mara¡¯s Church.


    Eugene promptly recalled her conversation with Marianne.


    ¡°If you want to know someone¡¯s secret, you need to find the person they¡¯re close with, particularly the person who serves them all day, and get them on your side. Not only they know of their owner¡¯s lifestyle, but their deepest, darkest secret as well.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I should pay more attention to the servant, rather than their own family?¡±


    Marianne smiled, shaking her head lightly at Eugene¡¯s question.


    ¡°Servants are the master¡¯s limbs; they can¡¯t function well without them. The masters are usually unguarded when it comes to their servants. The servants are well exposed to their masters¡¯ vulnerability, unknowingly hearing a lot of things otherwise confidential, and seeing things that are supposed to be unseen.¡± Marianne said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a weakness then. There¡¯s no way that the enemy won¡¯t take advantage of that leverage. What if the aide suddenly betrays you? What then?¡±


    ¡°Betraying one¡¯s master could only mean one thing: death. Revealing the master¡¯s secrets to their enemies would only bring the traitor to his own demise. The limb that betrayed his head is rotten to the core. By disposing the traitors, it would serve as an example to the other servants as well, reminding them to never cross your master in any way or form. Treachery is something that is unforgivable, especially to the masters.¡±


    As Marianne¡¯s explanation resonated within her, Eugene realized that the way Jin acted was despicable. Jin was the exact opposite of what a noble should be like. She made sure no one knows of her plans, even the servants working under her never knew about it. All Jin trusted then was herself.


    ¡®Secrets. Incantations. Medium. Vessel. National treasure seed. Five maids. What do I make of these?¡¯


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    She heard someone call out her name. Turning her head, she saw that it was Kasser standing close next to her, with Zanne and Sven several meters away from them.

 Chapter 195

    ¡°What were you looking at so intently that you didn¡¯t notice me approaching you?¡± Kasser asked, looking around the vast landscape where Eugene was looking at earlier.


    Eugene unknowingly stared at a far-off distance while her mind drifted elsewhere. She completely zoned out, only coming back to her senses when Kasser called her. Eugene glanced at Kasser¡¯s profile, studying the contours of his face while he¡¯s still looking at the sands. She realized that it¡¯s almost twenty-four hours since the brief date they had on the bridge.


    She wasn¡¯t able to take a good look at him when they parted earlier, too focused on moving to the palanquin as she settled comfortably inside. Although they had a small exchange before she went in, it was only a fleeting moment, barely lasting a full minute to be considered as an actual time spent together.


    Moreover, last night, she slept alone in her cold bed. Kasser had sent a servant to her room, and told her to go sleep without him.


    It seemed like he was pretty occupied last night, since there¡¯s a lot of work that needs to be done for the five days they all would be gone. He finished his work in a hurry, even staying up all night cooped up inside his office as he fixed all the paperwork and tasks required of him.


    It was only one night, and yet Eugene felt like she was seeing him for the first time after a long time apart. Last night was exceptionally lonely for her, the bed way too spacious and vacant for her liking, her hands skimmed the spot where Kasser used to lay on. She tossed and turned around the bed, only managing to sleep after finding a comfortable position to sleep in.


    Still gazing at him, Kasser turned his head as they locked eyes with each other. Kasser was wondering why Eugene was looking at him so fondly, and Eugene then inched closer to him as she wrapped her arms around him, latching onto him tightly. She buried her face into his chest, breathing him in while securing him into her embrace.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kasser asked, his fingers drawing random patterns behind her back.


    Eugene shook her head slightly, finding comfort in his soft caress. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    After meeting with Pides yesterday, Eugene¡¯s anxiety grew even more intense, like a dam that overflowed greatly without cease.


    He knows that Jin purposely married the King for a reason, and with the marriage came with the condition that Jin must produce an heir.


    However, if Jin really had no intention to give birth to a successor, and were only after the national treasure, and if she was actually working with Sang-je, it would be a completely different situation. The marriage between Jin and the king would just be a fraudulent play that thoroughly fooled Kasser.


    If it¡¯s just giving birth to a successor, and in exchange her taking the national treasure, the king would understand. But if he learned that he was cheated right from the beginning, he would feel betrayed.


    If that were the case, Kasser would surely hold a grudge, not forgiving the person who caused him treachery.


    Eugene initially thought that Kasser was someone who had a cold demeanor inside out. But that impression seemed to have vanished, with Kasser looking at her so softly and delicately that Eugene could actually feel the tenderness behind those gazes. He also acted like he would do absolutely anything for her, making sure that she¡¯s always well taken care of.


    Even with that said, she never thought Kasser as someone who took things lightly. When he said that they would start all over, Eugene saw a glimpse of his character. He wasn¡¯t one to avoid the situation when things get rough; always facing the situation head on with his chin held high. He was always moving forward, not bothering to look backwards as he trudged on.


    ¡®I can¡¯t tell him.¡¯ Eugene thought she couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell Kasser about the Sang-je¡¯s letter, and she even burned the letter into ashes last night. She realized then how deep her feelings are for Kasser.


    Eugene tends to distance herself from forming deep and profound relationships with people, thinking that people would only show their inferiority once they get close. She always lived mundanely, making sure to keep people at arm¡¯s length. Living like that prevented her from getting allies¡ª and enemies as well. Only read at keopitranslations, the original site of this translation. If you are reading this elsewhere, it was copied ruthlessly, uncaring of the time and effort the team put in these chapters.


    Even when she arrived here and got morphed into Jin¡¯s body, she still had the same disposition as before. She decided to avoid misunderstandings with the king as much as possible, taking in careful steps as to keep a pleasant relationship with her royal husband. Getting along with him was something she¡¯d like to maintain.


    But as if her heart was shifted into a complete one eighty, she was suddenly afraid of losing this man in front of her. She became a coward, developing feelings for him was not part of the plan.


    Kasser gently rubbed her back up and down, pressing her further into his arms. ¡°Eugene, did something happen?¡± She has yet to say a word to him, her silence worried him tremendously.


    ¡°No.¡± Eugene shook her head. ¡°I just feel strange since I¡¯m far from the castle.¡±


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Kasser asked, looking over Eugene for any sign of distress.


    ¡°It was better than I thought it would be. It wasn¡¯t hard at all, but it is quite boring to be honest.¡± Eugene said truthfully.


    ¡°I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?¡±


    Eugene raised her head from Kasser¡¯s chest. ¡°Just the good news. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll figure something out about the latter. There¡¯s no need for me to know.¡± Eugene shrugged.


    Kasser laughed at Eugene¡¯s answer. ¡°The sand storm blew so much that the road disappeared underneath the sand. But fortunately for us, we have spotted a new path. The slope of the hill is much flatter too, so there won¡¯t be any wobbling while you¡¯re inside the palanquin.¡±


    ¡®So that¡¯s why he went to see the road earlier.¡¯ Eugene thought.


    ¡°So¡­ What about the bad news?¡± Eugene prodded.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to hear it?¡± Kasser asked teasingly.


    ¡°I changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re this fickle.¡± Kasser grinned.


    Eugene blinked several times as she pouted flirtingly. ¡°So.. do you hate it?¡±


    Kasser resisted the urge to wipe her pouting mouth with his lips. He knew that once he kissed her, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop.


    Kasser smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t mind one bit.¡± He couldn¡¯t be bothered right now. Seeing her climb up the dunes so determinedly made him feel ecstatic. Words aren¡¯t enough to explain how happy he was. It was a wish came true¡ªto be able to walk through the desert by her side.


    ¡°The bad news is that the new pathway is a road that circles around, so it would take much longer than expected.¡±


    ¡°How long would it take?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°About a day longer.¡±


    Eugene nodded. Additional one day for the five-day schedule. It wasn¡¯t too bad.


    They were still wrapped up in their intimate embrace, and Kasser wanted to stay like this, in her warmth, forever. But unfortunately, they have a schedule set ahead of them, and they needed to go on. ¡°Eugene.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Eugene hummed.


    Only read at keopitranslations, the original site of this translation. If you are reading this elsewhere, it was copied ruthlessly, uncaring of the time and effort the team had put in these chapters.


    ¡°If we want to leave at the scheduled time, we need to go eat and rest.¡± Kasser said softly.


    As if waking up from a dream, the bubble they were in the past few minutes suddenly burst. Eugene looked up, her whole body stiff as she was snapped to her senses. She turned her head sideways, seeing that Sven and Zanne were still standing a few meters away from them, having witnessed the whole scenario all this time. With her head turned, Eugene made eye contact with them as they looked away hastily, making Eugene¡¯s expression drop upon realization.


    Unlike the courtiers who are used to the royal couple¡¯s lovey-dovey stance, the officials present around them were not. The officials stared at them with their mouths agape, ogling at the king and queen¡¯s sweet embrace.


    Eugene screamed internally. She released her grip on Kasser and stepped back. ¡®Why am I always caught in this type of situation?¡¯


    She had forgotten where she was and how many eyes were set upon them. She was flustered once again, feeling her face hot all over as she cupped her cheeks with her hands. Kasser laughed at her flustered face. She looked like she wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole.


    ***


    After getting a much-needed break, the procession took off once again, plodding through the huge stretch of sand for hours until the sun went down. The moon lurked over the horizon, replacing the blazing sun with its own warmth. The group settled in for the night, the workers started to pull the tents from its compartments as they positioned the canvas upright.


    Eugene went inside her tent. She was able to rest well during the daytime too, the tent set up for her was much more comfortable than she thought.


    The tent was similar to the photo Eugene saw quite long ago; the photo showed a tribe¡¯s tent, which is called Ger. The interior is circular and it has a dome-shaped roof, but it is not that spacious since the bed occupied half of the space and the other half was occupied by a table set for two. No room to walk around on.


    Kasser went inside Eugene¡¯s tent to have supper together. Sitting face to face, they enjoyed the little time they had together, eating in silence with only the minute sounds of their chewing to accompany them. Kasser left immediately after their meal, going inside his tent to resume work. Since the route had already changed, Kasser needs to make sure that the updated direction was written in the records.


    Zanne went inside Eugene¡¯s tent. ¡°My Queen. Shall I prepare a bath for you?¡±


    Eugene¡¯s face gleamed at the question. ¡°Yes. My whole body feels itchy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Queen. I will prepare it immediately.¡±


    The maids pulled out a portable bathtub from the caravan and filled the tub with hot water. It was small, enough for one person¡¯s use only, but it was a luxury since they are right in the middle of the desert.


    After washing her face with hot water, Eugene dipped her toe inside the tub, checking its temperature as she slowly went down. She let out a deep sigh, feeling pleased with the water¡¯s warmth after having spent countless hours in the desert. She washed the remnants of sand from her body, scrubbing at her skin lightly until she deemed herself clean. She changed into comfortable clothes right after, her spirits much lighter than before.


    The maids took out the tub and replaced a furnace in its place. Eugene felt cold, and the heat emitting from the furnace immediately warmed up the tent. ¡°Good job. You must be tired as well. You should go and rest.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°Yes, My Queen.¡± Zanne said, bowing low before leaving Eugene¡¯s tent.


    ***


    Eugene took a chair and sat close to the surface. She stared at the blazing furnace absentmindedly, looking at the pebbles inside that crackled as it gave off heat. ¡®These wouldn¡¯t last long if they only heated the stone.¡¯


    After spending quite a while in front of the furnace, Eugene¡¯s body temperature rose up, and she decided to go out for a bit. The air outside felt cool against her skin, the scorching heat from the sun earlier could no longer be felt.


    ¡°Do you need something, My Queen?¡± Sven asked, guarding Eugene¡¯s tent.


    ¡°Can I walk around for a while?¡±


    Sven didn¡¯t answer. Seeing Sven¡¯s hesitation, Eugene said. ¡°It¡¯s okay if I¡¯m not allowed.¡±


    ¡°Nights in the desert are dangerous, My Queen. It¡¯s dark out there, so you might fall into cracks, and you might encounter wild animals along the way.¡± Sven said.


    Eugene nodded in understanding. She went back inside her tent, not wanting to cause any trouble. She sat on the bed, pondering on what she could do since she couldn¡¯t sleep even if she was tired.


    ¡®Should I play with the little kid?¡¯


    The cage would most likely be in the King¡¯s tent. Earlier that day, the aide asked Eugene cautiously. ¡°My Queen. The squirrel in the cage that you placed in the office. Is it the King¡¯s Hwansu?¡±


    Sandy said that the cage should be in the Queen¡¯s tent, but once she found out what the squirrel really was, she went to ask Eugene about its identity. Eugene smiled as she recalled Sandy¡¯s bewildered expression.


    As she was thinking deeply, a small purr made Eugene look sideways. What welcomed her was not the squirrel hwansu but Abu sitting in the corner of her tent.


    ¡°Meow.¡±


    ¡°Abu!¡± Eugene smiled, extending her hand as Abu came running towards her. He lay upside down at her feet as Eugene crouched down, stroking Abu¡¯s fur fondly. ¡°How did you get in, Abu? There are warriors outside.¡±


    She held Abu¡¯s face with her hands, making eye contact with the beast. ¡°Did you intentionally become smaller in order to get in? So you won¡¯t get caught?¡± The beast turned his head, as if trying to avoid her questions. Eugene burst into laughter, rubbing her nose against Abu¡¯s fur. She remembered the time when Abu had to be small like a kitten in order to fit inside the basket. He was very upset then, but now here he is making himself small once again just to sneak inside her tent.


    ***


    The attendant hastily went inside the King¡¯s tent, panic lacing his voice. ¡°Your Majesty. The Hwansu has disappeared.¡±


    Kasser lifted his head from the papers and stared at the servant.


    The servant went on, ¡°The ones who were standing nearby said that they didn¡¯t hear anything, nor did they see the Hwansu going outside. It disappeared into thin air, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 196

    Kasser glanced through the cage briefly. The little one was rotating the wheel playfully.


    So, Abu is the Hwansu that the servant was talking about, thought Kasser.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He will be back before sunrise¡±.


    Being in the desert, Abu often disappeared at night.


    Whenever Kasser came to the desert for a ritual or for inspection, it was only the warriors who accompanied him. Other than those companions of the King, nobody would know of the situation.


    The attendant bowed his head in apology and the King looked displeased.


    ¡°I apologize for making a fuss over nothing, Your Majesty¡±.


    The servant was in charge of managing the vehicles. He realized his frivolous mistake in hurrying away without paying attention to his surroundings.


    The King spoke, ¡°I could not tell you in advance. You do not have to worry about the Hwansu¡¯s whereabouts¡±.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty¡±.


    The attendant excused himself. He again thought of Abu, who was probably exploring the landscape in excitement. It had been a long time since Abu had the luxury of a wide open landscape, so his enthusiasm was understandable. This ritual would take a long time to complete, so he had brought his work along. He dealt with them whenever the schedule allowed him, and yet the work never seemed to end. He knew he had been dedicating less time to work than usual, but this was to be expected during the active period when his attention was occupied day in and out. The King reassured himself that he had not spent any time in vain during the last active season.


    Any time spent with her was never a waste.


    Kasser forced himself to pay attention to the documents he had abandoned earlier. He put down all the ones he had already read, and picked up a new one to peruse. He was yet again distracted by someone at the door.


    ¡°Hm, what is it?¡±. Kasser frowned.


    It was a report from Verus. The report had arrived breathtakingly early, right before the ritual procession left the city. Although the matter was not urgent, it had been included in the documents carried by the attendants because the report had been specifically sent by the chancellor.


    ¡°Is Pides back?¡± The King asked. Verus had believed that the King was aware of the matter, but Kasser had not heard back from Pides.


    Knights never acted alone of their own will. Every word and action of theirs symbolized the will of Sang-je. On another occasion, he would have thought that Sang-je had eyes on his kingdom and intended to interfere. However, it was something else this time.


    ¡°Did he hear about the Lark tree?¡±


    If Pides heard a rumor on his way to the kingdom and had gone out of his way to confirm it, it could not be considered a problem. It was indeed a miracle of the gods that this one Anika was caused under the jurisdiction of Sang-je.


    ¡°It is a good thing I mentioned it in the response¡±.


    Kasser worried greatly about what to say in his reply to Sang-je. If he mentioned the lark tree, Sang-je would surely call upon Eugene. He wanted to pretend that he did not know, but it was only a matter of time before the rumor spread to the Holy City. Kasser considered it imprudent to cause a problem only to get caught in the middle of it.


    He decided to write about the lark tree in the most restrained of words. It will be ten to fifteen days before Pides arrives in the Holy city.


    ¡°By then Sang-je will have both my response and the report from Pides¡±, he explained himself.


    For the next month or so, the knights sent by Sang-je will continue arriving. Kasser felt the weight of his burden. He continued to look down at the table, lost in thought. His arms remained crossed as if he was protecting himself from unseen forces. He relaxed after a while.


    ¡°I have to go along¡±.


    When he had emptied his castle to go to the Holy city, he stopped to think of the many reasons that may present an issue. He shook his head, as if dismissing those thoughts. He just could not let her go along.


    It was suspected that if she went to the Holy City, she would be gone completely and would not return for a while. He would not be able to see her for at least a month. He was not confident he could survive that long, let alone a day or two.


    He made his decision and picked up his documents again. He had to take care of all this accumulated work tonight itself. As soon as he had done that, he heard a little noise from the cage, presenting Kasser with yet another distraction.


    He peeked into the cage and laughed. The little one was now spinning the wheel again, but it would not spin. Instead, it fell to the ground due to the pin that held the wheel in place. The wheel had been put in by Eugene.


    Kasser pitied the little one. The little boy is not a hamster after all. Seeing it trying so hard to spin the wheel left Kasser speechless. He stood up to help. He approached the cage, an arm extended towards the cage¡¯s door but stopped midway. He felt his Hwansu.


    ¡°Abu? Perhaps it is him¡±.


    Kasser went straight toward Eugene¡¯s tent. As soon as he had lifted the draped curtain that guarded the entrance, he noticed the black beast on the bed. Abu looked up toward Kasser while being held by an asleep Eugene.


    ¡°Abu¡­¡±


    Kasser clenched his fists and grinded his teeth. He struggled to hold back his frustration. He could see that Abu adored Eugene and followed her around adoringly. He could also see how wee she treated Abu. Yet, Kasser disliked the idea of Abu sharing Eugene¡¯s bed. Even beasts should have areas they cannot access.


    Abu left Eugene¡¯s arms and leaped to the floor, pacing around Kasser. The King glared at Abu with his steady and unrelenting cool gaze. Feeling the brunt of Kasser¡¯s glare, Abu whined and stopped pacing. He sat down like an obedient and submissive pet. Without another word, Kasser pointed to the doorway. Abu obeyed and scurried out.


    The king took a moment to calm down, and then approached the bed quietly. His eyes softened as he watched her sleep. He covered her with a blanket, struggling against his desire to touch her. He gave in, caressing her hair.


    Eugene moaned in her sleep, and slowly opened her eyes. Kasser scolded himself in his head. Despite his best efforts, he had woken her up.


    ¡°Where is Abu?¡±, she asked immediately.


    ¡°I sent him out¡±.


    ¡°I fell asleep holding him. He was so warm¡±.


    ¡°Are you cold? I will have them put more wood in the fire¡±.


    ¡°No, it is okay. You are here¡±. Eugene patted the empty space next to her. She smiled sheepishly, peeking up at Kasser through her long eyelashes. She heard him take a deep breath. Immediately after, he swooshed down for a kiss. His lips touched hers and his mouth seemed ready to swallow her whole. She felt his tongue inside probing around, exploring every inch. It was a moment before he lifted his lips away from her, and yet it felt short compared to his usual kisses that were so persistent and greedy.


    Kasser spoke, out of breath. ¡°I am guilty of waking you from your peaceful slumber. I¡¯ll stay by your side until you fall asleep again¡±. He tucked himself under her blanket and lay beside her. Eugene rested her head on his shoulder and her arms held him close. She snuggled up to Kasser, basking in his warmth. Even though this bed was smaller than her bed at the castle, she thought it was spacious enough for a single person.


    However, with a large man like Kasser, it seemed small now.


    Eugene closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Kasser was warmer than the little beast and the fire that burned in the furnace.


    Kasser snuck in under the blanket and laid next to her. Eugene laid on his shoulders and dug deeply in his arms and pressed against him. Even if it was smaller than the bed of the royal castle, she thought it was spacious enough for one person, but it was full when she laid down with a large man. Minutes later, she was more awake than drowsy but she kept her eyes closed. She could not shake aside her confusion at being cuddled with. Why would a man who only cared for pleasure act so soft all of a sudden? Why had he chosen to shorten his kiss and hug her like this?


    Eugene opened her eyes. Kasser, noticing immediately made eye contact with her. As she studied him, he kissed her eyelid gently.


    ¡°Everything is okay, sleep¡±, he murmured.


    ¡°Are you not going to sleep yourself?¡±, she asked.


    ¡°There is some work pending. I have to go finish it¡±.


    ¡°Is it related to recording the path?¡±


    ¡°No, not that. I finished that earlier today. It is something else¡±.


    It was not a lie, but it was not the truth either. There was nothing urgent or important enough that required his immediate attention. It was just an excuse to leave her tent. Had he not been suspicious of Abu being here with her, he would not have come in the first place. He could not control himself around her, and he did not like that. He wanted to touch her whenever he saw her, and he wanted to hug her whenever he touched her. Besides, he had to be considerate of Eugene too. She had been tired from moving around all day. She had longer to travel tomorrow than she had done today. He wanted to ensure she was well rested.


    Eugene did not know his thoughts. She just felt sorry for him. She knew his work never left him even after leaving the castle. Only read at keopitranslations, the original site of this translation. Please, if you are reading this elsewhere, it was copied ruthlessly, uncaring of the time and effort the team had put in these chapters. She whispered, touching his cheek with her fingers,


    ¡°You barely slept last night. If you do not sleep well tonight either, your health will suffer¡±.


    ¡°I can handle not sleeping for a few nights.¡±


    ¡°I know you have the stamina, but you are human too. If you continue ignoring your health, you are going to fall sick¡±.


    ¡°¡­I am human too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are human. Are you not a human?¡± Eugene teased.


    Kasser grinned at her and strengthened his hold around her. He hugged her and whispered, ¡°You are right¡±.


    He was born a crown prince and grew up to become king. That was his only identity. Kings and princes with superpowers were bound to be special, and it was lonely being special and different. From an early age, Kasser had noticed the disguised fear in the gaze of who those who interacted with him. It was there even in the eyes of his mother who had given birth to him. Kasser had come to accept that he was different. He could not imagine another destiny except that of being a king.


    It was only Eugene who brought a different kind of ambition in him. With her, Kasser wanted to be a man. He forgot all about his status as a king in front of her. He knew he too provoked a deep desire in her to become a complete woman for him.


    Her breaths became consistent, and he realized she had fallen asleep. He closed his eyes as well. All his plans of getting back to work were forgotten. He fell in a deep sleep without ever intending it. The morning came, and a maid came in to wake them up. It was then that Kasser realized how well he had slept next to Eugene.


    ***


    Rodrigo left the capital for a while to avoid the surveying knights. He did not go far though. He had a lot of work to catch up on and he cursed ¡°Mahar¡¯s dogs¡± who were proving to be an obstacle.


    ¡°I have to cash this out soon and put off the fire that is burning at my feet¡±, he muttered to himself impatient. He touched the jewels in his pocket, ensuring they remained there.


    ¡°Elder¡±. Rodrigo heard a voice call outside, making his hands go back into his pockets.


    ¡°Come in¡±, he responded.


    A young man with a frail physique came in and bowed his head.


    ¡°Did you manage to acquire any information?¡±, Rodrigo asked impatiently.


    Shortly after meeting the queen, Rodrigo ordered an investigation into what Tanya Eli had done to the queen and what had caused her death. When he had heard of Eli¡¯s death through the brother, he was annoyed at the thought of having to bring in a new Tanya. He had not thought about finding out why she died.


    ¡°The family knew nothing.¡±


    Rodrigo clicked his tongue in disapproval. He took out a small jewel from his pocket and tossed it on the table.


    ¡°Look further. Do not spare any cost.¡±


    ¡°Yes, elder.¡± The young man lowered his head in a bow so much that his body was folded in half and went out with the jewelry thus.


    ¡°Rodrigo¡±, another voice called out momentarily.


    Rodrigo, who was struggling to dispose of the jewels without getting in trouble, raised his head with rapt attention when he heard this pure voice ringing in his head. He looked around, clasping his hands in relief and joy.


    ¡°High Priest. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°If you lower your gaze, you will be able to see the messenger I sent you¡±.


    Rodrigo immediately crouched on the floor and searched every corner. He found a little red-eyed rat coming out of a tiny hole in the wall. The rat did not try to escape at the sight of Rodrigo. Instead, it crawled to him and climbed his knees. Rodrigo gently picked up the messenger and placed him in front of himself. Without hesitation, he bowed down flat on the floor in respect.


    Like every single time, the high priest rarely ever revealed himself. Most of the time, he sent messengers in the form of various animals such as rats and lizards. Unremarkable animals, animals that would go unnoticed.

 Chapter 197

    Rodrigo, my faithful servant, said the voice.


    ¡°High Priest. Mara¡¯s servant Rodrigo is ready to listen to the great one¡±. Rodrigo replied with a desperate voice, bowing with his head on the floor. It was the great God¡¯s miracle to convey His will by using an object. Faith for Mara overflowed from his heart. If it was now, he would not hesitate should the high priest ask to plunge himself into a blazing fire.


    Rodrigo, who became an orphan as a little child, grew up to be a skeptic who did not believe things easily unless he had seen or heard it himself. This young merchant possessing such a strong character had now turned to fanaticism after seeing the miracle of God unfolding before his eyes. His suspicious and greedy nature did not change, but every time he witnessed the power of the great God, Rodrigo¡¯s faith became stronger.


    ¨C Rodrigo, he has called me. He has made me deaf and blind so that His great words cannot be influenced or changed. He makes sure there is no intervention when He expresses His will.


    What Rodrigo heard was not the harsh scratchy voice he had heard from the high priest a while ago. This voice was pure and clear, almost melodious.


    ¡°Ah, high priest, I did not know. I anxiously looked for you everywhere. My frivolity must have provoked His anger¡±.


    ¨C Mara is merciful.


    ¡°This child prostrates before God to express his gratitude¡±, Rodrigo supplicated.


    ¨C He told me something auspicious had happened. What has come to pass, my loyal servant? Tell me.


    Rodrigo was confused and looked up. ¡°Auspicious? I don¡¯t know what you mean, High Priest¡±.


    Far from being auspicious, the things that had come to pass were worrisome. Rodrigo was ready to air out all his worries and concerns in front of the High Priest.


    ¨C Are you saying Mara lies? I entrusted you with an important task, but it seems you do not even know what happens around you!


    Rodrigo trembled as an angry voice filled his head. He shook his head, hoping to provoke his memory. He remembered an incident that had occurred in recent years, though it was far from auspicious.


    ¡°I do not dare question the Great One. There indeed has been a mishap involving the Saint¡±.


    ¨C A mishap? Go ahead, speak!


    ¡°On the day you had visited, a lark appeared in the middle of the capital and started a riot. It is said that the saint made that lark into a tree¡±.


    The bright red eyes of the mouse facing Rodrigo brightened and seemed to peer into Rodrigo¡¯s soul.


    ¨C Alas, of course. That must have been the brilliant energy that woke me up.


    Rodrigo did not understand what the High Priest meant. He thought it to be just a metaphor. He did not grasp the importance of what he had just heard.


    ¨C Rodrigo, I had asked you to arrange a place to meet the Saint. What has happened with that?


    ¡°I have already met with the Saint, lord. I could not convey the message as my voice could not reach the high priest¡±.


    ¨C That is unfortunate.


    Rodrigo felt a knot twist in his stomach when the high priest talked about the saint, Queen Jin. Whenever the whereabouts of the high priest were not clear, Rodrigo slept uneasy. The queen never had an interest in the church at all.


    ¡°High Priest, this servant dares to ask. Why is it auspicious for the Saint to express her Ramita? That is something for the evil God¡±.


    The rat¡¯s eyes glowed and seemed to carry an energy of their own. Rodrigo could feel the rat¡¯s stare even though his face was down on the floor, bowing. He heard the High Priest click his tongue in disapproval.


    A typical human, thought the High Priest. Humans were very difficult to deal with. It becomes problematic when they begin to have doubts. If you turn a blind eye toward them, they become stupid and cannot think for themselves. The High Priest had learned this about humans through countless encounters with them over the centuries. Humans were different from the Lark. Humans did not blindly obey or trust. The most effective way to gain their awe and respect was not to show supernatural strength, but to persuade them with lies about what they already believed in.


    ¨C Rodrigo, my faithful servant. Since you are the most devoted of all, I will tell you a secret of the hidden world.


    ¡°It will be an honor. I will open my heart and listen carefully.¡±


    ¨C Ramita is not the power of the evil God.


    ¡°I beg your forgiveness, High Priest. What?¡± Rodrigo could not hold back his surprise.


    ¨C Anika is a fundamentally different being from Mahar¡¯s dog. Mahar¡¯s dog is a cursed tool that has been domesticated by Mahar to the core. Whereas Anika is a holy vessel that holds God¡¯s power.


    ¡°A vessel?¡±


    ¨C A vessel that can hold anything. Thus, He has instructed Queen Anika to serve as a saint.


    Rodrigo stared in awe. He felt amazed at what he had just heard. It countered everything he knew to be true.


    ¡°Does that mean it is possible for Mara to walk on Earth by borrowing the queen¡¯s body?¡±


    ¨C Yes.


    Again the high priest thought, typical human. Why did humans feel the need to ignore reality and instead follow unseen, mysterious sources of power? Why was such a foolish creature made to roam the world and made so crucial to the survival of everything else? The High Priest did not know.


    ¡®God himself?¡¯ The high priest mocked Rodrigo silently. If such a thing even exists. ¡°Visitors¡± like Mara will not be able to play God¡¯s role in this land.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Rodrigo sighed, unable to verbalize his thoughts. Is it possible to see God in person? With just a little grace of God, Rodrigo could become the most powerful human being in the world. Just imagining that outcome sent pleasurable chills through Rodrigo¡¯s body.


    Rodrigo found his words. ¡°High Priest, the foolish child does not understand. This should be known. Should we not spread it to the religious people and use it as a way to get closer to the altar of God?¡±


    ¨C There is a reason to keep it secret. Some impatient servants have a history of doing foolish things with such information. Keep my words in mind, Rodrigo. Do not divulge this secret. Be sure to ask me for opinions and follow my instructions on matters regarding the Saint. You are the only one I trust with secrets and important tasks alike.


    ¡°I will never disappoint you. High Priest¡±.


    Rodrigo bowed his head with an emotional heart. He knew he looked like a crazy fellow, prostrating to a little vermin. He was a fanatic after all, a madman.


    ¨C The Saint must choose to be a vessel herself. That¡¯s why I instructed you not to go against the will of the Saint. Serve her with all your heart, until she has been fully embraced by the arms of the Great one.


    ¡°The High Priest¡¯s instructions have a deep intention, so I always keep it in mind. Your will is important to me¡±


    Going by what the high priest had said, active work was needed to make the queen feel favored toward Mara¡¯s denomination. Rodrigo had never made such an effort. In front of the queen, he lost all his strength. He felt crippled, pretending to be supportive. Rodrigo simply regarded her as a customer with large pockets. He thought that the scope of the high priest¡¯s instruction to receive the queen as a saint was limited to concealing the ability as Cage. He sold his information and footwork to the queen at a high price. The queen had never been stingy while paying the price, but the queen will not know that she has incurred high costs.


    I wish he had spoken about this earlier, thought Rodrigo. Didn¡¯t he meet the queen just a while ago and openly ask for money? Rodrigo had read contempt in the eyes of the queen who threw her jewelry bag toward him that day. He had pretended to laugh at himself and said, ¡°I am just a merchant who only knows money.¡± It was never likable.


    Moreover, the queen refused to say that there was a problem with Tanya, whom he had sent in. He had not known how much he had fallen in favor with the queen.


    A cold sweat ran down Rodrigo¡¯s back.


    ¡°High Priest. When I met the Saint not long ago, I talked about the ceremony and told her that the High Priest wanted to see her.¡±


    Rodrigo wanted to emphasize his achievements to cover up his mistakes. He was unaware that Molly was currently being confined in a dungeon and under strict surveillance. He believed in the information that was leaked that she had left for the holy city after losing herself within the ritual procession.


    ¡°If the High Priest decides to see her, Taniya will deliver the information to her¡­ Oh, the Taniya is out in the desert with the Saint. As soon as Taniya returns..¡±


    Rodrigo stopped speaking as the voice interrupted.


    Desert? The Saint went out to the desert?


    ¡°Yes. She went to attend a dry season ritual¡±.


    Rodrigo. For the time being, I cannot move. As you have done so far, prepare the rituals thoroughly, and respect the Saint with all your heart.


    ¡°I will certainly do what you asked me for.¡±


    With that, the red energy disappeared from rat¡¯s eyes that had stood upright on its hind legs. An ordinary black-eyed rat flinched and convulsed, then returned to the crack in the wall.


    Rodrigo, who had been bowing with his face on the floor, waited for a while until he could no longer hear the high priest¡¯s voice. The High Priest¡¯s messenger had disappeared.


    *


    Two days passed, and in the afternoon of the third day, the procession arrived at the holy land.


    Eugene got off the camel and looked down at her feet. There was grass all around her.


    ¡°To think it is a desert¡­¡±


    The holy land looked different from what Eugene had imagined. It was not an old castle¡¯s ruins half-buried in the sand, but a green island in the desert beautified with vivid colors.


    She trained her eyes on the horizon to her right, searching for the sand dunes that were certain to be seen on the outskirts. Surely enough, hills of yellow sand stood tall, glistening in the sun. She looked on the landscape on her left and it stood in contrast to the sand dunes that lay beyond. She saw a lake and a lush green forest on its shore. She felt like she stood in the middle of two very different worlds.


    Eugene shook her head, and her eyes were now focused on the ground where she stood. Workers moved diligently to pitch tents. The air felt peaceful, but Eugene could also taste a great sense of optimism around her. People smiled easily, and kind words were offered to each other as they all seemed dedicated to their tasks. The greenery seemed to invigorate all who stepped within. She felt a surge of energy despite the long and rough journey she had just made.


    She was told to begin the ritual with the first ray of dawn. It was too late today, so she decided to make her way to her temporary home after making her offering at the temple.


    ¡°Sir Sven, you said you had been here before, is that correct?¡±


    Sven, who was waiting nearby, was quick to reply. ¡°Yes, My Queen.¡±


    ¡°Does this entire place come within the boundaries of the holy land?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. This holy land is the origin of the kingdom. You can see the exact origin at a point along the lake shore.¡±


    ¡°Is it far from here?¡±


    ¡°You will have to walk a little.¡±


    ¡°Will I be back before the sunset?¡±


    ¡°Oh, certainly. It is not that far.¡±


    ¡°Will you guide me, Sven?¡±


    ¡°Of course, My Queen.¡±


    Sven knew it was not the first time the queen had visited this place but thought she had perhaps forgotten her way around since she had come back after so many years.


    They began to make their way to lake, and Sven noticed a flutter of movement. He looked behind to see four more warriors in step with them, following behind but maintaining their distance.

 Chapter 198 (Mature)

    Eugene followed Sven quietly, and they ended up walking quite a distance.


    Maybe because it was the first time she had been in that place, or maybe it was because they had to stop and wait for the warriors to finish clearing the path that was thick with bushes, that she felt like she had walked a long time.


    When she was beginning to feel antsy that was when she finally saw the old dignified holy land.


    ¡®Wow¡­¡¯Eugene let out a sigh.


    Eugene looked up at the towering spire of the castle. It was a castle of considerable size, it was almost as big as the current royal castle.


    ¡®It must have been built very strong.¡¯ Eugene commented. Even from where she stood it was apparent that its stone walls were in good condition, especially for an old building. There did not seem much erosion even with the passage of time.


    Before leaving, she was given brief information about the holy land. Although it was a capital city hundreds of years ago, some of the stone walls had fallen apart, but the old royal castle was almost intact. If it was refurbished, it seemed that there would be no problem even if they decided to live in it right away.


    However, the thick vines that climbed up the walls almost covered the windows, giving the impression that no one lived there for a long time. The jumbled grass that grew around it added more to the feeling of a ruin, proof that it had not been graced with a human touch for quite some time. The castle itself was in good condition but it was clear there was a lot to do if they were to turn it into a liveable place.


    Eugene walked around the castle in a garden that barely remained in structural form. It was a sacred place, so she was very careful. She only looked at it from a distance where she couldn¡¯t reach, thinking not to touch anything.


    She had been walking aimlessly for about twenty minutes, when she decided there was nothing else for her to see.


    If she had been to a place like this while she was on Earth, she would have looked in every cranny and tried to remember it. But now she lived in a castle that was more magnificent and beautiful than this. She wasn¡¯t very impressed with the look of the old castle if she were being honest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back now.¡± Eugen announced.


    ¡°Yes, my queen.¡±


    ¡°Is there a way back to the lake other than the path we used to come here?¡± She asked.


    ¡°There is no road around the lake. To access the shore, you must go to the tented area. The procession always draws water from the lake through that path.¡±


    Eugene looked at the direction of the lake with a gaze full of regret. On the banks of the lake there will be much thicker vegetation than here, those would be hard to hurdle over.


    Without a road for them to take, walking around the lake was close to impossible.


    When Eugene returned to the starting point with the warriors, the large and small tents that had been installed neatly in rows. She made a strange look when she saw two of the largest and most sturdy tents side by side.


    She knew what those were for.


    One for her, one for the king.


    Apparently, on the first day they travelled into the desert, those two tents were positioned at quite a distance, apart from each other. However, each time they would set up camp the soldiers positioned their tent closer to each other. Seeing the sight before her, she felt that the two tents were getting closer due to the journey they shared.


    Eugene tilted her head to the side, she felt strange and she did not know why that is but she guessed it wasn¡¯t because of her mood.


    The darkness quickly came and slowly erased the traces of day with its touch.


    They were currently having dinner in the tent and so they ate in silence. Finally, when they were done eating, Eugene cleared her throat to speak.


    ¡°Do you have a lot of work today too?¡±


    ¡°I still have pending  work that I need to deal with.¡± Kasser replied as he drank from his goblet.


    ¡°Is it something urgent?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not. Why? Is something wrong?¡±


    Eugene looked at Kasser for a moment before deciding to send out the maids in the tent. Eugene glanced at Kasser¡¯s face in an attempt to read the expression on his face and wondered what would be the most pressing story to tell him.


    Eugene let out a deep sigh before speaking.


    ¡°The night in the desert was cold. It was a little cold last night.¡± Eugene started.


    Kasser gave her a nod.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to pay more attention to the heating so that you won¡¯t feel the cold.¡± He replied.


    ¡°The night before yesterday was okay. It was very warm.¡± Eugene told him meekly while looking down.


    She then slowly raised her head and looked at Kasser, as their eyes mer she found herself quickly averting his gaze and looking back down again.


    ¡°Even tonight¡­ Do you have a lot of work?¡± Eugene suddenly asked her.


    Last night the king did not enter her tent. Two days ago, Eugene understood that, He was preoccupied by his work at night and the other day, he was only forced to fall asleep in her tent.


    But last night, when she was sleeping in her tent alone, she felt restless. It bothered her because she felt different from when she would fall asleep alone in the royal bedroom.


    She was in the middle of an unfamiliar desert, but even so she should not be scared for there were a lot of warriors guarding the tent. However, she wondered why she felt so uneasy and her heart was troubled.


    She was embarrassed to talk about sleeping together today. But she could also not deny the fact that she didn¡¯t like sleeping alone. Without using any words Eugene implied it as much as she can and expressed it in ways that Kasser may understand her longing for him to accompany her to bed.


    If Marianne had heard her now, she would have felt rewarded for having taught her speech.


    Kasser¡¯s eyes blinked slowly at her.


    His irises stared at her, and he squinted. Her shy invitation exudes a feeling of innocence, that he felt the urge to swallow the lump that was stuck on his throat.


    ¡°There is nothing urgent.¡± Kasser replied after a brief moment.


    Just like the night before, wherein Kasser struggled to fall asleep while working in his tent, tonight he also felt like he was going to have a hard time getting some sleep, albeit perhaps he would even suffer more than last night.


    After the king left to finish up his remaining work, the maids entered and cleaned up the tent. They gathered the plates and cutlery the royal couple used for eating.


    Eugene then took a bath prepared for her by the maids and after she was done cleaning herself and changing into her bed clothes she sat down on the bed feeling quite giddy in anticipation that she was almost bouncing in excitement.


    Not long after she was settled, Kasser entered the tent, he too looked like he was ready to sleep. He then settled beside her and laid down.


    Eugene rolled over to his side and dug herself deep into his arms with an excited expression. She thought that the reason he refrained from physical contact with her was due to reasons such as having to clean up his body because of the ritual.


    While hugging a warm and comfortable pillow next to Kasser, Eugene soon fell asleep with a satisfied smile on her face. Finally, she felt at ease.


    On the other hand, it was Kasser who felt restless, and he opened his closed eyes to stare at the ceiling.


    Eugene¡¯s soft body and sweet scent filled his arms and was testing his resolve and slowly tearing at its walls. Even the sound of her even breathing in his ears was crazily seductive.


    He tried to think of other things in an attempt to distract himself and calm his body that started to respond by itself, it was going against his will. Contrary to Eugene¡¯s guess, there was no taboo before the ritual. He just didn¡¯t want to start at all because he wasn¡¯t confident in doing it.


    Looking around the dark room, he sighed and closed his eyes again. He didn¡¯t think he would fall asleep after closing his eyes, but sleep, he did. It wasn¡¯t such a bad thing either, for sleeping was the best way to get over this crisis.


    Kasser woke up at dawn, before the sun had risen up. It would have been nice if he slept a little more, and so he lamented that he opened his eyes at such an ambiguous time.


    When he opened his eyes, Kasser found himself hugging Eugene, who had shifted her position in her sleep. Eugene laid down with her arms outstretched to the side and exposing the area leading to her shoulders. Her back was pressed against his chest.


    As soon as Kasser realized where his other hand was, the remaining sleepiness in his eyes flew away. His hand rested on her waist and pressed lightly on the upper abdomen under her chest. Even a little movement seemed to make it able to touch her chest.


    His fingers tingled at the contact. He wanted to touch her, he wanted to touch it really badly. It was so close for him to hold.


    Dawn was a terrible time.


    The desire that was barely suppressed last night exploded like a barrel fermented in midsummer. His bloody member rose firmly, increasing in volume as seconds ticked by. The sensation of his belly tightening to the point of numbness was both pleasurable and painful.


    The moment he looked at the nape of her neck exposed through her hair, he couldn¡¯t overcome the impulse anymore and kissed her.


    He put his lips on her delicate neck over and over again. He just kissed her a little, then pressed his lips a little deeper to suck in.


    The hand on her waist went down and gently groped her thigh. Caressing them slowly.


    Eugene¡¯s closed eyelashes trembled. When he kissed the nape of her neck, she woke up. His careful yet greedy touch felt as stimulating as blatant caresses.

 Chapter 199 (Mature)

    Though his touch was slow and gentle as of the moment, it still felt as powerful as hard and deliberate touches. Eugene bit on her lower lip to suppress herself from moaning.


    Eugene enjoyed the feeling of him touching her by pretending to be asleep. She felt good and wanted him to touch her more explicitly, and was desperate to feel more.


    Then she heard Kasser sighing.


    Eugene¡¯s belly twitched at the sound of his sigh, his breathing seemed to be laboured. In an instant, she felt the sensation of the area between her legs getting wet. She realized her frank desire that she had been feeling frustrated with days of abstinence.


    ¡®I want to do it.¡¯ Eugen thought to herself.


    Eugene heard Kasser exhale again as he lifted his lips from kissing the nape of her neck. His hand, his palms were on her thighs, moving in circles and  stopping at just that special point. Eugene thought that it was unlikely for him to go any further.


    The more he hesitated, the more anxious Eugene got.


    Unusually, Eugene had a wicked urge to touch a man.


    When the sun rises, they must attend the ritual with a clear and clean mind. Though she knew that fact in her head, she wanted to shake him. The feeling of becoming a villain leading the man to corruption was subtly thrilling to her. She felt excited by the thought of seducing him beyond reason.


    She grabbed the back of his hand on her thigh. His tense hand flinched momentarily. She turned her head back and made eye contact with him. When she saw his eyes shaking finely, a smile broke out from her lips.


    ¡°More.¡±


    Eugene whispered in a low voice at a distance that was close to each other¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop, continue, Mmmm.¡± Eugene said as a moan escaped her lips.


    She couldn¡¯t finish her words. His lips approached straight away and devoured her lips. The kiss became a fuse, drawing out the desires of men and women for each other. Their t0ngues were entangled and saliva mixed with intense kisses, and they fell into a trance, possessed by c@rnal des!res.


    Eugene opened her lips and actively received his kisses.


    When his t0ngue, piercing her mouth, swept through the inside of her cavity, she too captured his and played with it. They exchanged harsh breathing, and warm air travelled between their lips, while their t0ngues constantly engaged and rubbed against each other.


    He climbed over her body, and hovered above her. He pulled his lips from her and licked her lips while pressing his whole body against hers, burying Eugene¡¯s body deeper into the mattresses.


    Eugene¡¯s bedclothes, which had been draped under her thighs, suddenly hiked up exposing her lower body against the cold morning air, but the chill she got from her exposed skin was brief.


    The warm sensation coming from her center intoxicated her.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­.¡± Eugene moaned again.


    Eugene covered her mouth with the back of her hand to stop more moans from escaping her lips. At this quiet dawn time, the walls of the tent couldn¡¯t be properly soundproofed.


    She was worried about what to do if someone heard from outside, but had no intention of pushing him away especially now with his head between her legs. The tip of his tongue, digging into her inner walls. It was as stimulating as if awakening all her being. A sense of immoral!ty, like doing something that shouldn¡¯t be done, made her even more excited.


    His nose rubbed against her sensitive nub, this sent a tingling pleasure throughout her body. The moment he put his lips on a small bump and inhaled strongly, a pure white light spread in front of her eyes.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    The wailing sound came out from her mouth without permission. She tried to suppress the sound that leaked out with the back of her hands and covered her lips. The short pleasure was so sweet that she felt like a thirsty man who drank just a sip of water.


    She felt the power that grasped the inside of her thigh, and her waist trembled with anticipation. His hardened manhood touched her wet opening. The thick shaft squeezed through the small entrance and slowly entered.


    ¡®Ah¡­.¡¯


    She took a breath and blinked her eyes. It felt like there was a nerve at the tip of her hairs that was stimulated, causing goosebumps to appear all over her body. She was satisfied with the sensation of him filling up her insides so much that it was overwhelming. Even the feeling of his stiffness inside her gave her so much pleasure.


    His member slowly slipped out and re-entered, pushing against her narrow inner wall. Keeping a slow pace, he got on the rhythm little by little. Her two legs, which rested on his waist, loosened when pushed deeply, and wrapped tightly when stepping back.


    Kasser was thrilled by her active reaction, of her responding quite enthusiastically to his touches, and the movement of her inner walls that matched his pacing and seemed to clung to his member with each thrust. Soon the day will be bright. There was not much time left for them.


    The heavy shoveling of the thrust quickly led her to the peak of excitement.


    ¡°Mmm ahhh¡­¡±


    Eugene was still covering her mouth with the back of her hand. The pleasure that was pouring in quickly spread all over the body. The convulsive moist wall narrowed and tightened while Kasser¡¯s member was still buried inside her.


    A low groan flowed from his throat, and he shivered with its release. Kasser¡¯s seeds spilled inside her and Eugene¡¯s body trembled as she received them. Their heavy breathings filled the quiet tent.


    As their rapidly beating hearts calmed down little by little, Eugene¡¯s body slowly relaxed and stretched. She reached out and touched his cheek. He covered the back of Eugene¡¯s hand with his own, turning his head and kissing her palm.


    Eugene blinked as her eyes were getting hot. It was strange that a short, intense love affair, devoted to their instincts, felt more lyrical than a fresh kiss.


    She didn¡¯t know when she had fallen for this guy this much. Her heart hurt a little as she carried the weight of this knowledge.


    ***


    The ritual, which began early in the morning when the sun had just risen, was finally about to end. They had just to perform the final acts.


    After burning dry blades of grass in a huge brass censer that was taller than an average man¡¯s height, the ashes that were produced were then gathered and sprinkled on a pot full of fresh water from the lake. The ritual was going to end with the act of scooping and drinking the water, by those who attended the ritual.


    Eugene was told that she didn¡¯t need to drink all the water in the bowl, so after taking a sip from it, she handed it over to the maid.


    ¡®It¡¯s finally over.¡¯ Eugen said to herself as she let out a deep sigh.


    She lightly touched her face and massaged it.


    She wondered if she managed her facial expressions well today. She was embarrassed to remember what had happened at dawn. She didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. Where she had the audacity of doing the ritual with that kind of mentality. She was fortunate that the procedures of the ritual were relatively simple for her to follow.


    She hurried to get dressed in the morning before the maid came in, and later asked Kasser in an anxious voice.


    ¡°What if your ancestors are angry because we disrespected them?¡±


    He laughed like someone who had just heard an interesting story.


    ¡°They will be proud of their descendants who were striving for the prosperity of their family.¡± Kasser replied in a teasing tone and Eugene blushed by what he had implied.


    Eugene glanced at Kasser, he was currently giving orders to his aide. She let out a sigh, thinking that it was difficult getting to know one person. The more she found out about Kasser, the more confusing he seemed to her.


    A king who treats his ancestors as props to his jokes, only he would dare. She thought he would be very conservative when it comes to the royal family because he did not hesitate to enter into a contract marriage to obtain successors, but apparently he wasn¡¯t as self righteous as she thought.


    After the aide bowed his head and turned around to leave and do his bidding, the eyes of Kasser and Eugene met.


    He then walked towards Eugene.


    ¡°It¡¯s all over, let¡¯s go now, my queen.¡± Kasser told her with a slight smile on his lips.


    ¡°Are we leaving right away?¡± Eugen asked.


    ¡°The sooner we leave, the better. There is no time to eat, so eat quickly if you feel hungry.¡± Kasser told her.


    The two went to the tent area to see the progress of their company. It was agreed that they wouldn¡¯t be taking everything back with them, they were going to leave behind those that they would no longer need to make their travel light. The site where the tent was put up was also almost fixed. All tents were dismantled, leaving only a few simple tents behind. It was almost sad.


    The warrior approached and bowed his head.


    ¡°Your Majesty. I found someone who was spying on the surroundings, and captured him. He¡¯s a wanderer.¡± The warrior reported.

 Chapter 200

    ¡°For what purpose was he spying on us?¡± Kasser asked.


    ¡°I questioned him, but he did not give an answer.¡± The warrior replied.


    Kasser had a disturbed expression on his face.


    ¡°How dare a wanderer invade the Holy Land. Dispose of him in principle.¡± Kasser commanded.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Then the warrior bowed and left to do his bidding.


    While listening to the conversation silently, Eugene felt troubled. The fact that there was a suspicious person in the middle of this desert, frankly made her nervous.


    ¡®Wanderers? Were they not the people of the kingdom?¡¯ Eugene thought to herself.


    Eugene turned and looked at the warrior who had finished reporting. From a distance, she could see the warriors surrounding someone. The figure with hands tied behind and kneeling looked like a man. He was bowing his head as if he had been treated quite harshly.


    Eugene called Sven who was sitting in a simple tent and eating a snack prepared by the maid.


    ¡°Sir Sven. Do you know who the wanderers are?¡± Eugene asked him.


    ¡°Yes, my queen. They are those who wander outside the kingdom.¡± Sven replied.


    According to Sven¡¯s explanation, the wanderers were not citizens of any state. They did not settle and rather, they wandered the world constantly. They were seldom encountered as they traveled through dangerous areas beyond the real rulership of the kingdom. So there were many people who did not know the existence of the wandering tribe at all.


    Nothing is known about the origins of the wanderers.


    They were so isolated that they married themselves, gave birth to offspring, and did not interact with people who were not wanderers.


    ¡°Then you mean the wanderers live in the desert?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°I heard that they live not only in the desert, but also in rough mountains and forests.¡± Sven replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable during the dry season, but during the active season as well? Do they cross the borders and hide among people during the active season?¡±


    ¡°No. Even during the active season, they do not enter the boundaries of the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? Are you saying larks don¡¯t attack them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I apologize. My queen. I do not know.¡± Sven answered while lowering his head in embarrassment.


    ¡°Are you the one that doesn¡¯t know Sir Sven, or does everyone not know?¡± Eugene clarified.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if anyone knows the answer.¡± Sven said honestly.


    ¡°Have you ever tried to figure it out? Not for personal curiosity, but for national policy?¡± Eugene asked. The fact that they were able to survive on their own even with the threats of Lark was news to her.


    ¡°I think it would be difficult. Even where they live is unclear to us.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s weird.¡¯ Eugene commented.


    Eugene didn¡¯t understand. If the wanderers knew how to escape Lark, that was a huge trick. Isn¡¯t it something worth risking one¡¯s life for?


    It was a reality that all the wealthy nobles of the kingdom went to the Holy City during the active season to escape the monsters. But here was a community of people who had done so for years¡­why did no one ever try to find out their secret to surviving?


    The closed nature of the wandering tribe was no excuse for them to remain ignorant. If negotiations were not available, there is a means of blackmail, afterall their knowledge seems valuable.


    It was unthinkable to her that they did not try their best to find out their secret. The nobles will not hesitate to sacrifice the powerless people without nationality for the sake of their comfort after all, they could even resort to pawns.


    ¡°Dispose of him in principle.¡± Eugene recalled what Kasser had said to the warrior a while ago.


    ¡°What kind of punishment will he face?¡± Eugene asked Sven referring to the wanderer the warrior captured earlier.


    ¡°He will be executed.¡± Sven answered.


    Eugene¡¯s eyes opened in surprise and asked, ¡°Execution? What kind of execution? You mean to kill him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much punishment? He didn¡¯t really hurt anyone.¡± Eugene commented.


    ¡°As soon as they are discovered, the wanderers are captured and sent to the Holy City. However, if there are circumstances such as that the distance to the Holy City was too long, they are subjected to execution at once. It would be too burdensome for us to accommodate them on our journey.¡± Sven informed her.


    Eugene found herself speechless. She thought he was punishing him because he was a suspicious spy. But the fact that being a wanderer was a sin, it seemed unreasonable to her. They should instead befriend wanderers and ask their secrets to survival.


    ¡°To send to the Holy City¡­ Is it the Holiness Sang-je who decided what to do with the wandering tribes?¡± Eugen wondered.


    ¡°Yes. His Holiness said that the wandering people are the evil that disturbs the order of the world. He said that their existence will one day bring a gloomy future to this world, so edification was absolutely necessary.¡± Sven replied.


    ¡°Edification?¡±


    Eugene wondered if any of the wandering tribes sent to the Holy City survived. If they couldn¡¯t bring them, would Sang-je, who ordered them to kill, really saved them?


    This was reminiscent of the witch hunt that existed in the dark history of the world where Eugene lived.


    ¡°I do not get it.¡± Eugene could not help but voice out her thoughts.


    Mara¡¯s servants were simply expelled, so why was Sang-je, who showed generosity, so harsh to the wandering tribes? Compared to the followers of Mara, who deceives the people for the expansion of their church, the wandering tribes only quietly lived as fugitives. What caused this prejudice then?


    ¡°How can you tell who are the people part of the wandering tribe?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°They have peculiar physical characteristics. They tattoo their whole body with strange patterns and drawings.¡± Sven informed her.


    ¡°A pattern or drawing?¡±


    Suddenly, Eugene remembered the old book she had received after meeting Rodrigo just before she went out into the desert.


    While preparing for the ritual, there was not enough time to carefully read the old book that Rodrigo had promised contained a lot of incantations. When she came back, she just took a look at it with the intention of taking a closer look. Inside, a peculiar pattern of unknown meaning was drawn across several pages.


    ¡°Wanderers and incantations¡­ ¡­ are they related?¡±


    A thought suddenly entered her mind and Eugen jumped up from her seat. She had to meet him, she had to talk to the wanderer. To do that, she had to hurry before he was executed.


    * * *


    The warrior dragged the wanderer into the tent. The inherent disdain of the warriors towards the wanderers was revealed by the way they roughly handled him.


    The warrior approached the king and knelt down on the floor in greeting.


    ¡°Your Majesty. I brought it.¡± The warrior announced.


    Kasser looked at the wandering tribe with an unpleasant gaze, then turned to the queen who was sitting next to him. Eugene had requested to meet the wanderers and seeing her ask something so desperately broke his resolve and so he allowed the meeting, but he was still reluctant to have that sinister thing being near her.


    The one who was brought in had both hands tied behind his back, and his mouth was gagged. He crouched, terrified, and looked small before them.


    ¡°In that state, he can¡¯t answer the question.¡± Eugene commented, and Kasser understood the implication of her words.


    ¡°Release the gag.¡± the King commanded.


    The warrior hesitated. The king realized the warrior¡¯s reluctance to obey him and so he said again, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Release his gag.¡±


    The warrior grabbed the head of the wandering tribe and pulled it back roughly. Eugene¡¯s eyes shook when she saw the face of the wanderer who revealed to her for the first time.


    ¡®He¡¯s young.¡¯ Eugene thought.


    Although he was older to be just a boy, it seemed that he would have about four or five more years to reach adulthood. His face was swelling up as if he was beaten up pretty badly. His eyes were bulging, and his lips bruised, and red blood appeared on the corners of his lips.


    His expression was impressive though.


    His resigned eyes were dimmed without feelings of resentment or poison. She felt sorry for his appearance and seemed to have given up on life already.


    The warrior pulled out a dagger, bit it in the mouth of the wandering tribe, and cut off the string tied to the back of the head. As the gag was cut off, a red line was drawn on his cheek by the sharp blade.


    Eugene frowned and stared at the blood flowing from the wandering cheeks. She felt malice was in the way the warriors dealt with the wanderers.


    ¡®If it¡¯s not because of a personal grudge, it would be hate.¡¯ Eugene thought to herself as she observed their poor treatment.


    Sang-je declared that the wandering tribes could be caught and killed as soon as they were seen. It means that the Sang-je induces them to become objects of hatred.


    ¡®Sang-je¡­ Why does an entity, who represents a righteous god¡¯s will, do this?¡¯ Eugene asked herself.


    ¡°I heard they have a peculiar tattoo on their bodies. I was hoping to see it.¡± Eugene requested.


    After hearing this, Kasser instructed the warriors to take off the wanderer¡¯s top. When the warrior tried to take off his clothes, the wanderer, who moments ago was lying like a doll, suddenly twisted and avoided the warrior¡¯s hand.


    His once expressionless face turned into one which sported a defensive stance.


    The expression of the warrior became cold. Perhaps if it happened when he wasn¡¯t in front of the king and queen, he would have punched the wanderer.


    One of the warriors who was watching at the sidelines came to aid the former to stop the wanderer from moving and took off his clothes. If Eugene was honest, his clothes did not seem like proper clothing, rather it looked like a rag that barely had the form sufficient to cover the body.


    The skinny body of the wanderer was full of tattoos.


    ¡°Come a little closer.¡± Eugene said.


    Two warriors firmly held the wanderer from both sides and dragged him in front of the queen. The hand of one of the warriors firmly clasped the sword around his waist, in anticipation of any violent reaction from the wanderer that would harm the queen.


    As Eugene requested, the warriors turned the wanderer¡¯s body so that the front and back of the body could be seen clearly. His chest, back and forearms were full of tattoos. The unique geometric patterns were quite similar to those seen by Eugene in ancient books.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Eugene asked.


    The wanderer did not respond and kept his head down to the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± Kasser commented. ¡°They never open their mouths. Even before death.¡± He added.


    ¡°All wanderers?¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Kasser replied.


    If so, Eugene wondered why he was gagged. The reaction of the warrior who hesitated when he told him to remove the gag also came to mind.


    ¡°Do they not know how to speak?¡± Eugene wondered out loud.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably not the case. They do scream however.¡± Kasser told her.


    Eugene took a look at the tattoo drawn on the body of the wanderer. Why are the wandering tribes putting such peculiar tattoos on their bodies and putting themselves at risk?


    The man¡¯s appearance was no different from that of Mahar¡¯s followers. Without tattoos, no one would be able to distinguish them when they mingled together.


    Even at the risk of death, there may be an important reason why they chose to get tattoos.


    ¡®Was it tradition? However, no matter how important tradition is, is it more precious than life?¡¯ Eugene could not help but ask herself.


    At that moment, an idea came to her mind. What if a tattoo was carved so they could live?


    ¡°Is that tattoo a technique?¡± Eugene asked.


    The wanderer who still bowed their head did not respond.


    ¡°Is that your method, of how you could run away from a Lark?¡±


    It was small, but the wanderer¡¯s shoulders flinched. But even more surprising were the warriors who held the wanderer. With their wide-open eyes, they glanced up and down the wanderer.

 Chapter 201

    ¡°Sven.¡±


    The king¡¯s voice broke the silent atmosphere. Sven, who did not take his eyes off the wanderer, prepared for any situation that may arise, turned his gaze to the king and bowed, respectfully.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± he said.


    ¡°Take care of this before it reaches anyone¡¯s ears,¡± ordered the king. The king¡¯s order was also a warning to everyone present.


    ¡°I will do as you command,¡± said Sven.


    Everyone looked down, not willing to meet the king¡¯s gaze. The air was tense, and Eugene was confused. She turned to see a black horse¡¯s head peeping through the curtains.


    Kasser beckoned Abu without surprise at this peculiar event. The black horse shrank into a leopard and Abu sauntered in gracefully to sit down next to the king.


    Kasser looked at his people. ¡°Leave,¡± he said to everyone, ¡°Everyone leave except the man.¡±


    Warriors and courtiers obeyed and left the tent, leaving only the wanderer. Eugene was surprised. It was not common for the guards to leave the king unattended and alone, but Eugene soon realized the reason.


    It is because of theHwansu, she thought.


    Not all of the Hwansu were as strong, but Abu could take down several soldiers down in a fight without a doubt. The warriors knew that well so they could leave the king unguarded without worry.


    ¡°You called Abu so that they would leave?¡± asked Eugene.


    ¡°If I were to order them to leave, they wouldn¡¯t,¡± said Kasser, ¡°Especially the guards. This is much less of a hassle.¡±


    Kasser knew the warriors would have protested with ¡°It¡¯s our duty to die protecting Your Majesty!¡±. Kasser sometimes didn¡¯t know who was protecting whom, there were no warriors stronger than him anyway.


    ¡°Did I make a mistake? Is it a taboo to talk about the wanderer¡¯s tattoo?¡±


    Well¡­¡± said Kasser, contemplating. He turned to Abu. ¡°Abu,¡± he called. The leopard raised its head to heed its master¡¯s call. ¡°Besides me and Eugene, subdue any other human in this tent,¡± ordered the king.


    Abu flicked its long tail in answer. Then the enormous cat placed its face on its paws and sat there indifferently. Eugene looked at Abu, and the wanderer, in confusion.


    ¡°Abu is not attacking the wanderer,¡± said Eugene.


    She studied the young man who had not moved. Even though everyone else had left the tent, the young man kneeled with his head bowed. The tattoo on his upper bare body felt bizarre.


    ¡°Is Abu unable to see the wanderer?¡± asked Eugene.


    ¡°No,¡± said the king, ¡°However, it seems that Abu does not recognize the wanderer as a human.¡±


    Seeing Abu, Eugene guessed how the larks would have reacted seeing the wanderer, too. ¡°Your Majesty. Did you already know all about this?¡± Kasser nodded.


    ¡°How long have you known?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well¡­,¡± said Kasser, ¡°I had read about it in one of the scrolls in the secret library in the Palace of the Holy City. There is a great deal of knowledge there. And as royals, the knowledge is imparted down to the next generation of kings.¡±


    ¡°Who else knows about this?¡±


    ¡°The other kingdoms, probably. There might be several people who would know about this as well.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­¡±


    ¡°If you make it public, great confusion arises. Everyone gets curious and will figure out how to escape from the larks. It will be chaos. People would throw away their livelihoods for something like this.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s something that can save people¡¯s lives. Why aren¡¯t you trying?¡±


    ¡°When I first found out, I was of the same opinion,¡± said Kasser, staring at the wanderer. ¡°But when I first caught the wanderer, I knew why they never share that method.¡±


    Eugene followed his gaze and looked at the wanderer. The wanderer didn¡¯t protest or beg or make any sort of excuses. The wanderer almost seemed to be patiently waiting for the inevitable death.


    ¡°There must have been countless attempts in the past.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Kasser nodded. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to figure it out anyway, but if the people find out about the wanderers, it will only cause unnecessary confusion and panic,¡± he said coldly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how great a secret it is, but they are the ones who refused the choice to save many people,¡± said the king. He looked at Eugene. ¡°Collecting old books was a very useful hobby. It is commendable that you saw the tattoo and guessed right away.¡±


    Eugene laughed humbly. She had never told him why she paid so much attention to the technique. She was unsure of why she did it.


    ¡°Even if you failed in the past, do you have any plans to try this time? You never know if you might succeed,¡± she said.


    ¡°These are those whom the Sang-je has designated as sinners. I don¡¯t feel the need to do so, if it means going against the Sang-je,¡± said Kasser.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Eugene, ¡°Why does the Sang-je persecute them? They disturb the order of the world, with such abstract expressions, how could he treat human life in such a manner¡­ don¡¯t you think it¡¯s brutal?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± murmured Kasser. He did not really sympathize with the notion like Eugene. ¡°The words of His Holiness are always abstract. It¡¯s the will of god.¡±


    Eugene snorted and bit her lips to restrain herself. ¡°That is indeed why I don¡¯t like priests who think they know everything and make God an excuse for their foolish whiles.¡±


    Kasser laughed in amazement. ¡°That is surprisingly disrespectful for an Anika.¡±


    Eugene glanced at him and looked at the wandered again. He might have been listening to them all this while, but he hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. He knelt there with bowed head.


    ¡°You said he didn¡¯t even open his mouth, why is he gagged?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the wanderers¡¯ hands and mouths free. This was the message Sang-je sent to me as an official request.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It is said they cast a curse with their mouths and draw a strange pattern with their hands to suck in human energy. If you are cursed by the wanderer, your soul will float forever after you die,¡± said Kasser, ¡°Or, so they say.¡±


    Eugene interpreted his explanation in a different way. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she had come from a world which didn¡¯t believe in silly curses or the explanation just seemed a tad bit stretched. The Sang-je¡¯s request seemed outrageous, intended to humiliate or bind the wanderers unnecessarily.


    She muttered, looking at the young man, whose hand was tied behind his back so very tightly and his mouth gagged. ¡°Still, could we loosen the gag a bit?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It should be okay since you are here,¡± said Kasser, ¡°You are an Anika powerful enough to change a lark into a tree. You are the very will of God. What curse can touch the will of God, anyway?¡±


    As Eugene and Kasser looked at each other, they failed to notice the wanderer react. Eugene, then turned to the wanderer.


    ¡°I am curious about this tattoo inscribed on your body,¡± she said to the wanderer, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me how to avoid larks. Are there any techniques you know other than those drawn on your body? Anything is fine.¡±


    There was only silence as reply.


    ¡°I came across the information that people known as shamans know how to practice it,¡± she continued, ¡°And Mara¡¯s denomination also uses magic. What does your technique have to do with them? Is it a different sort, entirely?¡±


    There was no response, not even a twitch from the wanderer. Eugene sighed. It was useless. She felt like she was talking to herself or the air. The lack of response was so great that it was frustrating and disappointing. Why is it that the people who know the answers to important questions would rather die than answer them?


    But she felt sorry for the wanderer¡¯s predicament. He was young. It was likely that he was forced into the training and then brainwashed with secrets to keep. Even if protecting the said secrets meant death.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± said Eugene, ¡°I know it¡¯s a difficult request, but can¡¯t you release him?¡±


    Kasser said nothing for a moment. ¡°Eugene¡­,¡± he said, with a tone she knew meant rejection of the request. But she really wanted to convince him. then called her with an embarrassing face.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like he has done anything wrong,¡± she said hurriedly, ¡°He¡¯s not cursing anybody even when we loosened the gag. You said that the wanderers do not answer any questions. That means you tried to attempt to arrest the wandering tribe. Does Your Majesty really believe they curse people? Have you ever questioned His Holiness Sang-Je and his words? Maybe they aren¡¯t always right!¡±


    Eugene knew that her words were very dangerous. Not everyone was faithful to the church, but the Mahar was at the heart of the idea. And Sang-Je was pretty much considered a god. Eugene had blurted out these words and she waited for the king¡¯s wrath. But he just heaved a weary sigh.


    ¡°If only I could do something about it,¡± said Kasser, ¡°But too many people have already seen the wanderer.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t execute him here!¡± said Eugene, ¡°Take him to the capital.¡±


    ¡°And after that?¡± asked Kasser patiently, ¡°If I take him to the capital, I have to send him to the Holy City. It¡¯s better for him to be executed here. Only a few wandering tribes survive when they arrive in the Holy City. Most of them are abused on the way and they die, miserably.¡±


    Eugene felt helpless and frustrated. She also felt repulsed by the unfairness of it all. But she couldn¡¯t think of any way she could save this young wanderer.


    ¡°Why do you want to save him so badly?¡± asked Kasser.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t answer instantly. There was really no specific answer to a question like that. It was a matter of humanity and compassion. And nobody wanted to hear about empathy in this world.


    ¡°Because he is young,¡± she said after a while, choosing her words carefully. ¡°I feel that everyone should be given a second chance and some form of protection when they are young. It seems cruel to execute a child on mere prejudice.¡±


    Eugene was amazed at herself. She shut her mouth. There was a strange sound coming from the wanderer kneeling a few steps away from them.


    Kasser leaned forward and stood up from the chair. The wanderer who had been kneeling with his head bowed raised it slowly. His face was streaked with tears. He was crying. He grimaced and cried, tears flowing freely from his eyes.


    Both Kasser and Eugene were surprised and shocked. The wanderer opened his mouth.


    ¡°Adrit,¡± said the young wanderer.


    Kasser gasped. He was stunned, so was Eugene. They couldn¡¯t believe that he had spoken. His silence had been so loud and unyielding that the wanderer finally having spoken caught both Eugene and Kasser off guard.


    ¡°Adrit is my name,¡± said the young wanderer, in a clear voice.


    Eugene glanced at Kasser and then looked at the wanderer. ¡°Did you change your mind?¡± she asked, ¡°Are you willing to answer my questions now?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Adrit.


    ¡°Then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± said Kasser. ¡°The tent is not soundproof. People can hear this conversation.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡± asked Eugene.


    ¡°For now, we¡¯ll have to send for the warriors to watch him,¡± said Kasser, ¡°Until we figure out a way.¡±


    ¡°Before I call the warriors,¡± said Kasser, ¡°I will ask you one thing.¡±


    Adrit wasn¡¯t crying anymore. His gaze was clear. He raised his head boldly but did not meet the royal couple¡¯s gazes. Eugene was reminded of him crying a few minutes ago. A young boy, terrified of the situation he had landed himself in.


    ¡°Why did you approach us?¡± asked Kasser.


    ¡°I came to get water,¡± said Adrit, ¡°During the active season, I had stayed here before and took a short detour.¡±

 Chapter 202

    ¡°Are you saying that you stayed here during the entire active period?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Only for this period?¡±


    ¡°It has been a few years.¡±


    Even though Kasser remained silent, his glare towards Adrit grew heated. To him, it was infuriating that such an evil omen smeared the kingdom¡¯s sacred grounds with its presence. Meanwhile, Eugene continued to ask more questions.


    ¡°The Holy Land is vast ¡ª if you¡¯d only returned across the lake, you would have not been caught.¡±


    ¡°I did not think anyone would be there.¡±


    Eugene then understood the situation.


    ¡®He hid before even seeing the visitors.¡¯


    If Adrit had lived in the Holy Land for the last few years, he would have known that the King visits during the start of the dry season. At this time, the King would have already gone back after the ritual. However, they had arrived late due to increased group size and the sandstorm. Adrit would have then been caught by surprise, mistakingly catching a warrior¡¯s sharp eye.


    ¡°I heard that your people do not stay in one place.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, have you broken your people¡¯s rules?¡±


    ¡°No, as our people are allowed to stay in a shelter we discover during the active period.¡±


    ¡°A shelter?¡±


    ¡°A place where larks do not come to ¡ª we call them shelters.¡±


    ¡°They do not come, even in the active period?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Eugene glanced at Kasser, wondering if he knew this. His expression showed that it was the first time he had heard such a thing. Even if Adrit were telling the truth, there was no way to confirm this as the King visited the Holy Land right before the dry period started in the past. Kasser broke his silence, asking Adrit his first question.


    ¡°Why the name shelters?¡±


    ¡°A shelter is known as the domain of a strong lark. There are larks that only stay within their territory, and weaker ones do not come near the boundaries.¡±


    Kasser murmured in surprise, ¡°A hwansu¡­¡±


    A lark that did not come out of their territory was similar to a hwansu. As a rite of passage, the heir to the throne would hunt a hwansu for this very behavior. The kingdom created a search party for a hwansu right after the heir was born, selecting a few possible places where a hwansu might be after over a decade of research. Then, the hunt for a hwansu began once the prince turned thirteen.


    A prince couldn¡¯t return within a year, an unthinkable feat without prior investigation over a long period. Kasser, deeming this endless, ended the interrogation and called Sven.


    ¡°Take him away and observe him. Keep him secured unless I order otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    As Adrit was dragged out of the tent, a voice was heard from outside.


    ¡°Your Highness, we have finished preparations for your departure.¡±


    Before Adrit was brought in, Kasser had already given orders for departure after the interrogation. He thought the Queen would want to see a wanderer out of curiosity. He knew that must leave now to avoid delay. However, the current circumstances made him feel uneasy. While there had been no problems during the visits to the Holy Land, there would be great danger if the hwansu recognized humans as a threat.


    ¡°Stay on standby.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Kasser turned to Eugene with a mixed expression. She had been wondering over Adrit¡¯s words ¡ª ¡°He was not telling lies.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°Since when has the Holy Land been a hwansu¡¯s domain?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. Maybe we should come here during the active period¡­¡±


    The King and Anika¡¯s ability to sense larks did not work during the dry period. Hwansus hid their auras during the dry period, as the larks stayed dormant at this time. Eugene stared at Abu, its strange aura as a lark disappearing after the dry period started. It looked like an ordinary animal, except for the red horn and red eyes. It seemed to retain its past habits of instinctively controlling its aura to protect its domain, even after becoming the King¡¯s hwansu. After observing Abu, she realized something.


    ¡°Your Highness, larks show their superiority to one another through physical size.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°He spoke of a strong lark, which has to be of a large size. Is there a place where such a creature can hide in secret nearby?¡±


    After a brief silence, the pair looked at each other and spoke at the same time.


    ¡°The lake.¡±


    ***


    Walking around the capital of the Hashi Kingdom, Pides continued to gathered information for a few days ¨C listening in on the talks of pubs and rumors of storytellers he had bought with coin. There were two main topics the people of six kingdoms spoke of: the life and trends of those who lived in the Holy City, and the royal family. While it was difficult to distinguish unfounded rumors among the real ones, he found that the ones most often mentioned were valuable enough to be remembered, even if they were to be false.


    However, trivial matters tend to be ignored once the people focused on a single topic, and Pides saw and heard only the same story for the last few days. There was a large crowd gathered around the Lark Tree, and Pides observed it amongst the people. He had already gone here the first day he had of it. He came to see it once more before leaving.


    ¡®Is it true that a lark turned into a tree?¡¯


    Pides did not know how much of the rumors were true, since they were so exaggerated. He had snickered when he heard that the lark turned to a tree after Queen Anika shouted at it to turn into one. However, the absurdity was too much for it to be a publicity tool for the royal family, meaning the tree would have either been from a seed or a lark.


    ¡®Even if the tree was a seed, how can such a big tree grow overnight?¡¯


    He could not fathom the class of one¡¯s Ramita to make such a feat possible. The only Lark Tree Pides saw was the old tree in the plaza, and while he had no other examples to compare it with, the tree was out of the ordinary. However, he could not understand how it had been Jin Anika who had performed this miracle.


    ¡®Was Jin Anika¡¯s Ramita of this magnitude?¡¯


    While the Anikas¡¯ Ramita classes were kept secret, it was not a well-protected one. Information guessing one¡¯s classes spread through various routes. People who stumbled upon such information would know of others¡¯ Ramita levels. While the Anikas¡¯ awakening dreams were not known in specifics, it was possible to line up Anikas according to their Ramita classes.


    ¡®The rumors regarding Jin Anika¡¯s Ramita classes were divided into two.¡¯


    People thought differently about Jin Anika¡¯s Ramita, some thought of her as weak, while others deemed her as strong as Flora. The majority leaned on the former, as Jin Anika had not performed acts that would show her Ramita class. Since Jin liked to show off, people said she could not boast since she had nothing to begin with.


    ¡®If the Lark Tree is true¡­ the rumors of her being weak would be false.¡¯


    Pides had already started for the Holy City, his business already finished. However, he changed his mind after about half a day. It would take him more than ten days to arrive at his destination, even if he rode at full speed the entire time, and so Pides decided that information regarding the Lark Tree was important.


    He changed routes to visit the Homing Bird Management Center. He summarized the important information he gathered and send an urgent message to the Holy City using a bird, which Sang-je would receive in a few days.


    ***


    After the preparations for departure had been finished, the royal couple had gone into a path towards the lake with only a hwansu. While no one was able to oppose, Eugene thought that everyone was probably flabbergasted. There was only one path that made the lake easily accessible, made with flattened rock tiles. Still, even with no one to take care of the road, the thick rocks formed an adequate path amidst the wildly growing plants.


    They soon arrived at the lake. A floating wooden structure was noticeable, made like a dock to maintain a freshwater supply, with a pulley attached to scoop out water. They walked towards the edge of the structure, and Abu followed them while looking around.


    ¡°Even if there¡¯s a lake, it¡¯s in the middle of a desert. Why was the kingdom based here?¡±


    ¡°It is said that this lake was much larger in ancient times and that the desert had not been this barren.¡±


    ¡°Quite the barren land it is now.¡±


    Eugene looked down, and the bottom was deeper than she could see from the structure.


    ¡°Do you a hwansu would be here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Your highness,¡± Eugene put out her hand, looking at Kasser. ¡°Give them to me, and I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°I think that it¡¯s a better idea for me to come here again during the active period,¡± Kasser said.


    ¡°That would take months.¡±


    ¡°We can wait.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m too curious.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so reckless,¡± he grumbled, ¡°when we don¡¯t know what hwansu will come out?¡±


    ¡°If it were antagonistic to people, the visitors would have been attacked already,¡± she said, reaching out her hand once again, ¡°Hurry.¡±


    Eugene shook her hand out towards him. She had thought of making the hwansu come out using her Ramita, even before coming to the lake, and had immediately convinced Kasser. However, she did not know how to activate her Ramita without using a seed or a lark as a medium. Kasser had some seeds he had brought as feed for his hwansu, and she was now asking him to give them to her. Kasser took out a pouch with a scowl, as he had only agreed to Eugene¡¯s idea because a lark would not attack her as an Anika. He took out the seeds wrapped in a thin cloth and placed them on Eugene¡¯s palm.


    Eugene was about to uncover them, but just wrapped her hands around the seeds and closed her eyes. She concentrated, pooling her power into them, and then opened her hands in surprise when she felt a warm aura from her palms.


    Eugene closely observed the process as it was the first time that she had made seeds blossom. The small seeds on her palm wiggled and a long sprout shot up between the thin cloth. The sprout rose above her eye level, and her gaze went up as she followed the stem.


    ¡°Abu!¡±


    Eugene felt a strange sensation that gave her goosebumps all over her body. She looked at the lake as Kasser called to Abu while pulling her back in an embrace. Kasser stepped back with Eugene still in his arms and raised his Praz to the maximum level. His pupils grew narrow as it shined blue, and a blue snake appeared around him like a haze. Abu ran in front of them with his fur upright and snarled. The calm surface of the lake began to shake, and waves started to appear as the movement grew stronger.


    And then, with a whirlpool in its wake, a towering creature surged above the surface.

 Chapter 203

    They first noticed the red horns atop its slimy head and the blue moss over its carapace, with small trees adjourning its body like boulders. Its scarlet eyes stared down at them, and its formidable size made Eugene nervous. She had never thought of turtles as dangerous, but this creature made her flinch just by its sheer size. She gulped.


    While the turtle did not attack them, Kasser stayed on guard. He readied his stance, quick on his feet if the creature were to do anything dangerous.


    Silence engulfed the two parties, with only Abu¡¯s growl rising with the tension. Slowly, the turtle blinked and then started to sink into the water once again.


    Eugene cried out, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go!¡±


    The turtle paused, lifting its head, curious as to why the maiden asked for it to stay. Eugene, scrambling to say something, stuttered, ¡°Are you¡­ Is the Holy Land¡­ I mean ¡ª is the area nearby your territory?


    Eugene thought it would reply like Abu, through body language, but something unexpected happened.


    Out of the blue, a voice rang out.


    ¡®Are you here to kill me? I don¡¯t want to die yet.¡¯


    Eugene gasped, and Kasser¡¯s gaze wavered. Still, he remained alert and held her even tighter.


    ¡°Can you speak our language?¡±


    ¡®I am not speaking but conveying my will.¡¯


    Eugene stared at the creature, her mind racing and her eyes wide open. She called out, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    His warm voice rang out in her ears, addressing her confusion, ¡°It¡¯s the first time that I¡¯ve seen or heard anything like this.¡±


    Although she knew that the novel she wrote was not exactly like this world, Eugene thought that she still had enough knowledge of it, especially about hwansus. However, a speaking hwansu never appeared in her novel.


    As the turtle stared at her, she pushed back her questions for a later time.


    ¡°We¡¯re not here to hurt you. I apologize if we surprised you.¡±


    The turtle then conveyed, ¡®If you¡¯re not here to harm me, then can you get rid of the Praz?¡¯


    Surprised by the hwansu¡¯s easy disposition, she tapped Kasser¡¯s arm and looked up at him, asking him to follow the request.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Kasser frowned and glared at the large turtle hwansu, still suspicious of the monster. As if echoing his thoughts, the blue snake around him stretched and curled its body, growling at the creature in the water. The turtle, seeing this, slowly started to trail backward to create some distance. Eugene let out a chuckle, amused at seeing such timid behavior from an enormous beast.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s okay,¡± she said, trying to reassure Kasser.


    She lowered her gaze to the arm wrapped around her waist then looked at the blue snake around him, its scales catching her eyes.


    ¡®Was it like this before?¡¯


    While the snake symbolized the Desert King¡¯s Praz, the other kings¡¯ Praz never took such a clear form, especially one of a snake¡¯s. The manifestation of a King¡¯s Praz is translucent, the creature still distinguishable as an aura. However, the snake that covered Kasser¡¯s body right now looked too real, its scales shimmering from the light, fully formed.


    Subtlety, Eugene touched Kasser¡¯s arm, just below the snake¡¯s body, to check if she would be able to feel the snake¡¯s scales. However, her hand merely went through its body. Relieved, she smiled and tapped Kasser¡¯s arm once again.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Wavering, Kasser allowed the blue snake to fade, its shimmering scales disappearing into his arm. Eugene wondered, had she become a handler of a beast that even a great hwansu would fear? A part of her felt warm that Kasser continues to be by her side to protect her, even knowing that larks did not harm an Anika. For a moment, she thought of how she wanted him to be by her side forever.


    After a beat, she turned towards the turtle, asking, ¡°Are there any other hwansus that can communicate like you?¡±


    Its red eyes stared at her as it replied, ¡®I¡¯m not sure since I¡¯ve yet to encounter any hwansus bigger than me.¡¯


    She furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Then can all hwansus communicate with humans? But choose not to?¡±


    ¡®No. I didn¡¯t know how to express myself a long time ago.¡¯


    ¡°But you can do so now? What happened?¡±


    ¡®It just came naturally to me one day, after living for a very long time.¡¯


    Was it possible that the turtle learned it with age? Hwansus can learn and develop through studying, so it seemed probable that it would learn to communicate. Eugene thought of the fairy tales from her old world. In these stories, beasts learned how to act like humans after living for centuries.


    She looked at Abu. Although it had already calmed down, its teeth remained bare. She felt proud of Abu¡¯s bravery in front of a much larger hwansu. If what the creature said was true, it was possible that Abu could learn to speak after some time.


    Kasser then asked, ¡°How long have you been staying here?¡±


    The turtle blinked and answered, ¡®Ever since the people of this land left.¡¯


    Kasser stilled. Realizing that the sacred land of his kingdom had become a monster¡¯s nest, Kasser felt a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Although the kingdom moved its capital a long time ago, he did not think that larks would make a home of such divine lands. Eugene looked at him with worry, understanding his feelings.


    ¡®Hwansus do not leave a place once they establish it as theirs,¡¯¡¯ Kasser thought.


    The only way was to hunt it down, but the hunt would be arduous since the lake¡¯s depth gives the hwansu an advantage. The king also had more pressing matters to attend to, unable to bestow enough resources for such a long hunt.


    ¡®We can only acknowledge this to be the hwansu¡¯s domain for now and ask it to avoid causing any trouble¡­unless!¡¯


    Eugene suddenly grabbed onto Kasser¡¯s shoulder, addressing the turtle.


    ¡°Please, hear us out! This land is very special to our people. If you help up, we will leave you in peace.¡±


    Eugene turned towards Kasser as she spoke, giving him a look. Kasser, curious of the twinkle in her eyes, briefly nodded.


    ***


    The royal couple returned to the camp sometime past noon. Since it was too late to depart for the day, Kasser declared their departure to be the next day.


    As the sun began to sink across the horizon, he called for Adrit and spoke in front of everyone.


    ¡°It is not favorable to spill blood on sacred lands, especially when we are here to pray. However, after witnessing such malevolence, the Queen believes that the holy lake will wash away such corruption within its reach,¡± he then turned towards Sven, calling out to the warrior.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Kasser nodded towards him and said, ¡°I entrust this matter to you. Give him a watery grave, but ensure that his blood does not tarnish the lake¡¯s water.¡±


    ¡°Of course, your majesty.¡±


    He turned towards the rest of the party, ¡°If any of you wish to be a witness, you are free to be on your way.¡±


    The royal couple then went inside their tent. The warriors began to prepare for the execution, some of the court ladies and officials following them to the lake. As the clamor started to quiet down, Eugene let out a breath, a hand on her chest.


    ¡°I hope everything goes according to the plan.¡±


    Kasser turned to her, assuring the Queen, ¡°It will.¡±


    ¡°What if the wanderer doesn¡¯t follow my words? What if he actually lied to me?¡± she stared back at him, inching closer to Kasser. ¡°What if he runs away?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be your fault,¡± he answered. ¡°And letting go of a wanderer is not a big deal.¡±


    Eugene looked up at him, before wrapping her arms around him in a hug, her face lying on his chest.


    ¡°Thank you for granting my request.¡±


    Only read original translations at keopitranslations.com


    Kasser could only smile and wrapped his arms around her back.


    She muttered, ¡°I know that this might be a big risk since it goes against Sang-je¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The hostility Kasser felt for wanderers was unlike what others felt. He was disillusioned from them, keeping such a method that would save many lives a secret, rather than hating them for their malevolence. However, he did not feel anxious about going against Sang-je¡¯s orders.


    Kasser then thought of Eugene¡¯s question not too long ago.


    [¡°Have you ever questioned Sang-je¡¯s words?¡±]


    ¡®I always have,¡¯ he answered internally. But he could not be upfront with such sentiments, as Sang-je remained the divine entity of God, one whose absolute influence Kasser must heed to, especially as the ruler of a kingdom.


    He suddenly remembered the late king¡¯s final words.


    He had called Kasser, who was standing over his death, near his bed, and whispered words only he could hear.


    [¡°Son, do not trust Mahar.¡±]


    Those words became his testament, as Kasser¡¯s father passed away after a few days, never regaining consciousness after that. Kasser remained unsure if such parting words were meant as a piece of advice to not rely on God in pursuing his ambitions, or if they meant something else. Since the late king was known to be unpredictable, he did not place too much importance on them. However, he might have unknowingly been putting distance between himself and Sang-je because of those exact words.


    ¡®It might have been my emotions, not actual grandiose pretexts, that made me do so,¡¯ Kasser smiled bitterly. His father¡¯s words rang in his ears, despite him trying to take them lightly. If he were to be completely honest, only one word continued to repeat itself in his head.


    Only read original translations at keopitranslations.com


    [Son.]


    It was the first and last time he had been called by that word, the first time he had ever felt that he was someone¡¯s dearest child. How childish, he thought, to be obsessed with such a title. But maybe it was because they were traveling on the sacred land that symbolized the kingdom¡¯s long history ¡ª Kasser could not help but be sentimental.


    He held Eugene tighter, and a part of him wished that his father met the woman in his arms.


    ***


    A leather pouch covered Adrit¡¯s head, with his limbs restrained with tight knots. Tied around his bounded ankles was a bag filled with large rocks. No matter what tricks he had up his sleeve, Adrit had no chance of escaping. As he sinks to the bottom of the lake, it would not take him ten minutes to die.

 Chapter 204

    Adrit didn¡¯t bother resisting as they prepared for his execution. He knew that it was futile: he¡¯d rather die in peace than be beaten down. While some might say such pain was only secondary to survival, his family taught him how to face death the moment he turned of age.


    Rather than defeated by the Desert King¡¯s decision to execute him, Adrit wondered whether drowning was less painful than being beheaded. In truth, there was a part of Adrit that welcomed death.


    Life was merely a punishment for wanderers like him. However, suicide was not a way to repent, with his family forbidding such an act. Their duty was to drift about the world endlessly until their sins washed away. However, their crimes were like water spilled on a sandy beach. How can one pick up such spilled water? In reality, they were eternal prisoners trapped in this world.


    ¡°Begin the execution.¡±


    Hearing the command, Adrit closed his eyes as they lifted his body.


    Suddenly, he heard a whisper right by his ear.


    ¡®I¡¯ll take you to the opposite side of the lake.¡¯


    Adrit opened his eyes in surprise, with only darkness greeting him due to the pouch over his head. Then, he felt his thrown body mid-air. He took a deep breath.


    Splash! His body hit the water, and then he began to sink. He felt the weight of the stones dragging him to the bottom of the lake. The increasing pressure of the water added to the coldness that wrapped around him. Unable to breathe and the darkness surrounding him, Adrit was afraid.


    Although he thought he had already given up, his body then struggled against the constraints. He felt it deep within, his desire for life. In the face of such the inevitable, he wanted to fight back. He wanted to live.


    Then, he felt something shift around him. Rather than sinking to his death, he started to get dragged in a new direction. He continued to struggle, huffs of breath coming out in bubbles between his gagged mouth. Although Adrit tried to press on, he felt like his chest would burst any second now. Unable to hold on any longer, cold water flooded his nose and mouth. His consciousness began to fade, his body going slack, until¡­ thud!


    His body suddenly hit the ground, being thrown out of the water. Even with the searing pain, nothing compared to the realization that he was alive. He rolled on the ground, hurt from the crash, and turned to throw up water. Afterward, he went limp, gasping for air. Although still restrained, his eyes warmed at the thought of being alive.


    However, he had no time to be emotional. Still aware of his constraints, he shook his body as hard as he could against them. Still, the knots did not budge. Adrit realized that he couldn¡¯t do anything with his hands tied. Did he survive being thrown into a lake, only for him to die of starvation?


    ¡®Hm, they didn¡¯t say that I¡¯ll be doing this much.¡¯


    Adrit heard a grumbling voice, then flinched when he felt something cold and slippery atop his hands. He felt the ropes began to tighten as if something was pulling them.


    ¡®Are they trying to cut the ropes?¡¯ he thought. Then, his wrists were suddenly free. Snap!


    Hurriedly, Adrit untied the ropes on his upper body and removed the pouch and gag on his face. Taking a deep breath, he turned around to thank his savior. But then, his body became rigid as his eyes met a red-eyed turtle, partly submerged in water. Adrit¡¯s expression turned hopeless, as the sin that defined him and his family was right in front of him.


    ¡®To think that a Lark would save me.¡¯


    ¡®Go to the scavenger¡¯s first base. They¡¯ll wait for you at sunset until nighttime comes.¡¯


    He blinked at the creature.


    ¡®Human, did you understand me?¡¯


    The turtle spoke as it stared at Adrit¡¯s blank face.


    ¡®Anyway, since I already delivered the message¡­¡¯ the turtle muttered, slowly starting to turn. Finally, Adrit managed to gasp something out.


    ¡°W-Why?¡±


    The turtle stopped turning and looked at Adrit once again. The wanderer continued, asking, ¡°Why did you save me?¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t save you, but an Anika asked me to help. It wasn¡¯t a difficult thing to do.¡¯


    Adrit furrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought, ¡°What did this Anika say?¡±


    ¡®She said someone would fall into the water,¡¯ the turtle spoke, partly amused, ¡®That I should take him far away when no one would see.¡¯


    The turtle continued to stare at him, uttering, ¡®You¡¯re interesting. Are you not surprised that I can talk?¡¯


    ¡°I heard stories from the elders, about those like you. Still, it¡¯s my first time to meet such a creature. However, you¡­¡±


    It was strange. Adrit stared at the turtle with a puzzled expression. There were only limited ways for an intelligent lark to learn to express itself after living for a long time. They had to learn from a human, learning to speak so that they would be able to communicate freely. A hwansu that could learn from seeing and listening to a human while staying by their side meant one thing.


    ¡°You¡­ were a king¡¯s hwansu.¡±


    The turtle¡¯s eyes flickered.


    ¡®I cannot let you live for knowing that.¡¯


    The enormous turtle moved swiftly, despite its size, and came out of the water to reach Adrit. As the hwansu opened its mouth wide, Adrit could only shut his eyes, unable to run away. He remained still, waiting for his demise. But nothing happened.


    ¡®Hahaha!¡¯


    Adrit slowly opened his eyes after hearing the creature¡¯s boisterous laughter. It was an eerie yet astonishing sight, the turtle having its mouth open, imitating human laughter. Adrit stared at it, dumbfounded.


    ¡°What¡­ are you doing?¡±


    The turtle then shut its mouth, and with a bored voice said, ¡®You¡¯re no fun.¡¯


    ¡®Is this turtle playing with me?¡¯ Adrit frowned at the thought. Even if it had been a king¡¯s hwansu, it was still a monster. Indeed, Adrit learned that the King¡¯s hwansu was special and acted like a familiar, but only because it bowed under the King¡¯s Praz. And so, Adrit was bewildered at the lark¡¯s unexpected antics.


    ¡°What¡­ did you say again? What was Anika¡¯s message?¡±


    ¡®Idiot, I¡¯ll only repeat myself once,¡¯ the turtle grunted. ¡®Go to the scavenger¡¯s first base. They will be waiting there at sunset until nighttime comes.¡¯


    Adrit committed the words to his memory, repeating them over and over again in his head.


    Still confused, he asked once again, ¡°Why did you save me?¡±


    ¡®I told you, I did not.¡¯


    He shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re free. You don¡¯t need to follow orders anymore like you once had to as a king¡¯s hwansu.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re really an idiot, huh. Don¡¯t you know the difference between an order and a request?¡¯


    ¡°Then there must be a reason why you saved me because of a request,¡± he replied.


    After staring at Adrit for another moment, it turned to walk into the water. Adrit heard a clear voice ring in his head, just before the turtle disappeared below the surface.


    ¡®Its name was Abu, and I remembered the past because of such a nostalgic name,¡¯ it rang. ¡®Tell death and extinction I won¡¯t be here when they come back.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re going to leave your territory?¡±


    ¡®Humans die too fast, and I do not want to go through that again.¡¯


    The turtle¡¯s body then was completely submerged, and Adrit shouted his goodbye, feeling sorry to see it go.


    ¡°Thank you! I stayed well in your area.¡±


    ¡®You were the one trespassing.¡¯ it said, amused.


    Adrit waited for a little while, but it seemed that the turtle was gone. A part of him felt empty, feeling as if he just parted from a friend. It was the first time he talked to anyone outside his family for that long. He never imagined that he would find such a good companion in a monster his family considered as their nemesis.


    Adrit thought of what the turtle said, remembering that the Desert King called his black leopard hwansu as Abu. Was there a story behind that name?


    ¡°Humans die too fast¡­?¡±


    Although it was only for a moment, he felt as if the turtle was mourning, the scars of its loss still too much, keeping it away from forming new relationships.


    Only read original translations at keopitranslations.com


    ¡°Strange¡­¡±


    Were Larks truly monsters that ruined the order of this world? And was a monster that could only have destructive instincts, laughing like a human?


    Was it strange for Adrit to think that it was remembering the past and feeling nostalgic?


    For a while longer, Adrit stood at the edge of the lake, staring across the ripples on its surface.


    ***


    Adrit camped by the lake for one more day, waiting for the royal assembly to leave. He moved deliberately, knowing that he would meet his end for sure if he were to get caught once again. He had hoped to see the turtle hwansu once again, but it did not appear anymore.


    It took him a week of travel, but Adrit journeyed from the Holy Land to arrive at a place where it was possible to sight the castle¡¯s walls, signaling the kingdom¡¯s boundaries across the desert. In intervals, there were tents camped out in the desert from the castle fortress. They served as bases for scavengers who foraged seeds during the dry season.


    Numbered flags were on display to show the assignments of every base, hung from poles in front of each tent. Adrit laid low on a sandhill to estimate the location of the first base. Once the day grew dark and fewer scavengers were roaming around, Adrit came down from the sandhill and went to the first base. Under the pole was a man that Adrit recognized, staring at the direction the wanderer had been.


    It was a warrior, Adrit realized. He knew that their senses were incomparably developed compared to ordinary people, and Adrit¡¯s body grew tense, remembering his recent encounter with one of them.


    Sven had been waiting for someone under the King¡¯s orders ever since they returned from the Holy Land.


    ¡®He came,¡¯ he thought, staring at the small man that approached him. Sven knew he was the individual he was waiting for, based on the King¡¯s command. ¡®He¡¯s alive.¡¯


    Sven did not doubt Adrit¡¯s survival, thinking that the King or the Queen would save him with some special powers. It was more plausible than an ominous and trivial wanderer coming out of the lake alive by himself.


    The warrior threw out a robe, telling Adrit, ¡°Wear that and follow me.¡±


    Adrit followed his word, then hurriedly walked after the warrior who quickly started to walk away. The stone gates had already shut as it was nightfall. Sven sent a sign above in front of the castle walls. A long ladder came down from above, and the pair used it to go up the walls. No one dared to who Sven¡¯s companion was, and they entered the castle without much difficulty.

 Chapter 205

    A knock sounded on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The man entered and approached Rodrigo, who sat behind a desk completely shrouded with various documents and books. Barely tearing his eyes away from the three open pages in front of him, he looked at the man standing before the desk with his head lowered.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Rodrigo prompted the man to speak.


    ¡°I found that there are insufficient articles after reviewing those you asked for. While I can stock up on others within a few days, the Blue Flower Danggui is too rare an item.¡±


    ¡°Is there no one who will sell at a higher price?¡±


    ¡°Since it is very rarely sold or bought, no one handles the item because the earnings will not cover the expense.¡±


    Rodrigo let out an irritated sigh before replying. ¡°It cannot be helped. I need to send a person to bring one to me directly. Find a fast and useful messenger, someone experienced will be better since it could be a long-distance errand.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He nodded before leaving the study.


    Rodrigo looked down at the documents he had been reading after the man left but found himself annoyed. He threw a wooden pencil holder on the wall in front of him. The loud sound the object made as it hit the floor made his insides boil instead of relieving a bit of his stress. A courtier had visited Molly¡¯s residence with sad news a few days back, after the royal group had returned from the desert. They relayed Molly had died of an unfortunate accident during the journey and brought the objects Molly had been using and her clothes as her keepsakes for her family since the funeral had been held in the desert. Rodrigo had been thinking of tasks he would assign to Molly after she came back and now felt faint at this sudden news.


    ¡®She killed three Tanyas! How can she be a saint?! She¡¯s a horrible witch!¡¯


    Rodrigo¡¯s teeth clenched even more at the fact that he had to prepare the fourth Tanya, as things had not ended yet. Tanya was a title for specially trained warriors ready to die as martyrs for the cult. They were guided through rituals secretly handed down through generations. However, preparing Tanyas was complicated, as it was a demanding task to select devout believers and many of the items used for the ritual were rare.


    He needed a way to contact the queen since he had heard that the Anika was an important connection for the Mara to be summoned to these lands by the High Priest.


    The messenger would bring the Blue Flower Danggui from the Flake Kingdom around the end of the dry season. On top of that, there was no way to contact the queen and prepare for an important ritual. Rodrigo¡¯s head ached already thinking of excuses he would have to make to the High Priest. The Blue Flower Danggui was a poisonous plant that grows in a cold area, and the Flake Kingdom was known to be the home of this plant. Hashi, the nation located in the northernmost regions was based on the Holy City, and Flake was located in the southernmost regions. The distance between the two kingdoms was the farthest from Mahar.


    Rodrigo vented out his anger for a while before sighing and leaning back in his chair. Maybe it was his age but being angry exerted him. He could only spare himself a moment of relief and lowered his gaze to the desk, glancing over the spread documents before taking an old record out of them.


    ¡®It is because a few rushing servants had committed a foolish act.¡¯ The text said.


    The High Priest¡¯s message kept playing in the back of Rodrigo¡¯s mind. He was researching relevant data because he had a guess what the ¡®foolish act¡¯ had been for the High Priest. The Cult of Mara was divided into several branches, but it was not because the authority had been divided into numerous sections due to the cult¡¯s strength. Actually, each branch moved according to each branch¡¯s governing priests because a center did not exist.


    The method each branch was organized was without prior planning. As if anyone who revered Mara from somewhere would bring other believers together, and when they made a considerable number, they would be acknowledged as a branch. Then, the branch leader would become a priest after receiving holy powers from the High Priest. Rodrigo was dissatisfied with the cult¡¯s lack of structure, as the High Priest did not intervene in governing the cult except for giving orders, when necessary, by showing Mara¡¯s powers.


    Therefore, someone had to become the center, like the evil god Mahar¡¯s Sang-je, to gather the cult¡¯s force. Rodrigo believed he could fulfil that role, as most believers would acknowledge his influence. There had been an incident twenty years ago, when Rodrigo had merely been the underling of a leading priest in a small branch, while a central branch had been the biggest out of all branches. Rodrigo was not an underling anymore, and being the leader, he could have strongly voiced his opinions in other branches and received special attention from the High Priest. If the central branch remained in power today, Rodrigo would not have gained this chance, as the leader or his successor would have still seized the cult.


    However, that branch broke down instantly, as the High Priest showed wrath towards the faults committed by the leaders of the central branch. He had taken away the holy powers and excommunicated all of them. Some of the regular believers went into other branches, and others scattered. No one in the cult knew what the leaders had done, as the High Priest only communicated that ¡®he had punished the criminals who committed an unforgivable sin.¡¯ As Rodrigo could not, the other priests too could not lift their heads in front of the High Priest, let alone ask him what the matter had been.


    ¡®Had Anika been involved in that incident?¡¯


    What had that leading priest of that branch done then? Rodrigo felt he needed to learn what had happened not only because of individual curiosity but to not make the same mistake.


    ¡®If Anika had to do with it, the Holy City would have been in chaos. Someone would remember if there were an uproar.¡¯


    Rodrigo thought that he would need to investigate by sending someone to the Holy City soon enough.


    ***


    An aide put an organized list of names on the table.


    ¡°I have sent someone to confirm tomorrow¡¯s schedule as well.¡±


    Eugene held the list in her hand and confirmed the six names on it.


    ¡°You did good. Prepare for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The aide bowed and left the room.


    Eugene had prepared a light tea party and had invited noblewomen for the event. After coming back from the desert, her first official decision was hosting this party to assess the atmosphere before beginning socializing in earnest. While she had planned the party for yesterday, the trip had taken more time than planned, which led to a delay in the consequent schedule.


    The ladies she would meet tomorrow were not famous in social circles, as the notable ladies had not yet returned from the Holy City. About twenty to thirty days would pass after the dry season started before most aristocrats came back, and the socializing could begin in full swing. The women Eugene was going to meet tomorrow were the wives of high-ranking officials. Since their husbands worked in high places, they could not go to the Holy City during the active season. Since they naturally could not follow the Holy City¡¯s latest trends, they were pushed away from the centres of social circles. Therefore, Eugene had heard that many ladies did not like their husbands becoming officials in this kingdom. It was the queen¡¯s duty to console their dissatisfaction, and Eugene chose her primary schedule, something Jin had never done as Queen. Eugene thought of today¡¯s date and lamented after the aide left.


    ¡®Time flies so quickly¡­¡¯


    It had been ten days since the dry period started, and time had flown after her return from the ritual. They were late by two and a half days from their plan of returning after five days when the royal group reached the stone gates. They did not notice the alarming atmosphere in the capital until after they had arrived at the castle, receiving a feverous welcome from the people. Eugene heard that an emergency order was about to be given, and warriors would have greeted the group if their arrival had been a day later.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your safe return, Your Highness. While I had thought nothing serious would happen as His Majesty was with you, I was worried that you would be tired of the rough trip.¡± Marianne repeated, asking whether Eugene was all right, and Eugene could not hide a smile as she remembered how Marianne had looked. She now knew what it felt like to have someone wait in worry and have a home to return to. She enjoyed the warmth she felt for the first time but also felt a bit embarrassed by it.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Eugene heard a knock followed by a maid¡¯s voice outside the door, and quickly composed her expression before answering back.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°There is a servant who says His Majesty has asked for you to come see him.¡± The maid informed her.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t mention the reason?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Highness.¡±


    Eugene stood up instantly, worried that there might be some bad news and walked out to the servant who was waiting for her to escort her. He had not said anything much during dinner they had just had before, and since they would see each other in the bedroom in a few hours, he would not call her unless there had been an emergency.


    The servant led Eugene to the King¡¯s private parlor. As she went inside, Eugene glanced at the servant who kept the door open with his head bent low. Usually, the courtier who guided her went inside with her.


    ¡°Abu!¡± Eugene was surprised at the black leopard jumping towards her, almost smiling in welcome.


    Abu¡¯s head came up to Eugene¡¯s waist. She rubbed his furry head with both hands.


    ¡°Abu, pretty Abu. What are you doing here? Have you come because your master called?¡± She talked to him in her baby-voice.


    Eugene looked up after fussing over Abu, like they had been separated for a long time, and immediately cringed.


    ¡®He should have told me that someone else was here.¡¯


    There was someone sitting on the sofa across Kasser. He hurriedly lowered his head when Eugene stared at him. She had not thought that there would be a guest, and inwardly cursed Kasser as she withdrew from Abu and stood straight up. Her face flushed as she realized the man must have heard her baby-talk.


    The stranger went on his knees and stomach as she approached them.


    ¡°A lowly sinner greets you, Your Highness. I will never forget you saving my life.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eyes widened as she looked down at the man with a surprised expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­Adrit?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± He replied without rising from his position on the floor.


    Eugene had not recognized him because he was dressed up in neat clothing. Eugene smiled as she felt relief and gratefulness. If Adrit had not come here, it would have been difficult to show goodwill to other wanderers she may meet in the future. Eugene forced Adrit to rise and sit up, as he kept saying that he would answer all her questions while bowing in front of her as he owed his life to her.


    ¡°You said that you stayed in a hwansu¡¯s territory during the active period. However, can¡¯t you avoid larks? Why do you use a hwansu¡¯s territory as your shelter?¡± She asked her first question.


    ¡°The spell for avoiding larks is not infinite, Your Highness. The power erodes bit by bit whenever we encounter larks. But the spell lasts longer if one does not use it much.¡±


    The word Eugene had wanted to hear came out of Adrit¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Spell¡­that tattoo really had been a spell.¡± She realized.

 Chapter 206

    Taking a deep breath, Eugene tried to calm herself down. Although she spent the last few days organizing her questions for Adrit, she still felt that she¡¯d bombard him with her questions.


    With many of them unanswered, there were no words to describe her frustration. For a long time, she had thought no one could answer her questions. However, Adrit was here now, in front of her.


    ¡°I have a lot to ask you. Can you answer all my questions?¡±


    ¡°I will tell you everything I know.¡±


    Eugene asked, worriedly, ¡°Are you sure? I thought that your rules dictated that you are not allowed to speak of such things?¡±


    She was afraid that she¡¯d be forcing Adrit into a disadvantageous situation. Based on her understanding, closed groups often had stricter and crueler laws than the norm.


    ¡°If it¡¯s something that would cause you great trouble¡­¡± she hesitated, ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it.¡±


    Although it would be frustrating, there was no immediate danger coming her way. It would have been a different story if it was a matter of life and death. However, that wasn¡¯t the case. As much as possible, she did not want to put someone in danger for the sake of what she wanted.


    Adrit¡¯s eyes shook with his head down.¡®If it was this person, wouldn¡¯t it be alright?¡¯


    Adrit heard Eugene¡¯s words now, and he believed that whatever he said, the queen would accept the truth.


    Kasser looked at Eugene with a strange gaze, showing his discomfort. He knew how much she waited to see Adrit. During her journey to the Holy Land, she mentioned the wanderers several times.


    He had asked her, a bit stiff, ¡°Why are you so worried about him?¡°


    She had turned red, embarrassed, ¡°¡­To be honest, rather than worried, I¡¯m more hopeful that he would answer my questions.¡±


    She smiled sheepishly and continued, ¡°Since I helped him, won¡¯t he answer me truthfully?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but kiss her then, her smile making his heart skip. On the last night they spent in the desert, the bolts were completely released, and the next day, he struggled to soothe her after she wandered all day.


    The meeting she had hoped for had come true. Now, he found it curious that she cared for the wanderer more than her greed.


    Was this truly the woman who married him three years ago?


    When Kasser first met Anika Jin, he accidentally witnessed a scene just before entering the banquet. In an empty hallway, he witnessed Anika slap another woman on the cheek. It was a strong blow, with the woman¡¯s body shaking. In contrast to Anika¡¯s great beauty and gorgeous banquet dress, the woman wore a simple servant¡¯s outfit. He thought that the maid had done something wrong.


    If only he knew that that great beauty was Anika Jin and that she¡¯d become his wife.


    Later that day, he thought that the maid probably didn¡¯t do much wrong. Knowing Anika Jin, she lacked tolerance for the small mistakes of others. Does a person¡¯s fundamental character change just because they lost their memory?


    What surprised him is although she already recovered some of her memories, there was still no trace of her past self.


    Snapping Kasser out of his thought, the wandered replied to Eugene, ¡°There is no precept that we cannot speak of such things.¡±


    Kasser put his suspicions behind.


    Eugene asked, ¡°Even for the technique?¡±


    Adrit nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eye widened, surprised. She thought it was an important secret that they had to take to their graves.


    ¡°Then why not tell me? No one¡¯s yet to hear your voice.¡±


    ¡°Usually anyone who wishes to hear us wish to acquire the technique.¡±


    He paused for a moment, eyes looking at the ground. ¡°Even if we say that no one else can use this technique, they don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    He stared, eyes lost for a moment, ¡°As more of us were tortured to confess, our tribe agreed that it would be best if no one would speak of it. Anymore.¡±


    It was silent for a moment, and Euegene couldn¡¯t help but think of it as tragic. She was not surprised that human greed would push the wanderers of the cliff, but it still left a bitter taste in her mouth.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t anyone else use that technique?¡±


    Adrit explained the technique inscribed on his body.


    To be precise, the tattoo itself engraved on his body was not a technique, but a magic tattoo on his body made through a technique. And there was an important prerequisite for this magic to work: a certain bloodline.


    A long time ago, only the descendants of those who first put such magic on their bodies were able to take do so as well. Since the wandering tribes maintained their inner society, it was unlikely that an outsider would have had a wanderer¡¯s lineage.


    Even if it possible, the witchcraft left a horrid tattoo on one¡¯s body. And so, it was unlikely to be used by aristocrats who valued aesthetics. If it were so to happen, they would choose to evacuate to the Holy City.


    Adrit then finally addressed the fatal problem with this spell.


    ¡°To activate this magic technique, a person¡¯s life is required as a medium.¡±


    Eugene blinked at him, stunned for a moment. ¡°¡­Life? Does that mean that a person must die for the technique to be activated?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Kasser frowned while listening to the conversation between the two. Assuming that Adrit¡¯s words were true, they had to remain silent.


    There must have been a madman who tried to experiment with such witchcraft even after listening to the condition of ¡®acting on bloodline¡¯ and a ¡®human sacrifice¡¯.


    ¡°Then who¡­?¡±


    Eugene hesitated to finish her question.


    Adrit replied in a cool tone, ¡°Our elders in the tribe usually act as the mediators.¡±


    The elderly, who deemed their lives were soon to end anyway, were willing to sacrifice themselves for the future of their tribe. However, there have been cases where the wandering tribe could not help each other at the right time. Such was the case when one gave birth during the active season, unable to meet other tribes.


    ¡°I was born that way. My mother was premature and gave birth to twins. Since it was the active season, it was unclear when the larks would appear,¡± Adrit continued. ¡°My mother had to choose between her two children.¡±


    Eugene stared at Adrit with a heavy gaze, pressing a hand to her chest. Her heart ached, and she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. What drove them to desperate situations like this?


    ¡°Then the magic¡­ What does it exactly do?¡± She asked after a moment. ¡°His Highness said that Abu does not recognize you as a person.¡±


    Adrit nodded. ¡°Larks attack when it detects a human. One of the effects of this magic is that it does not stimulate a Lark¡¯s aggression.¡±


    ¡°Does it work for all Larks?¡±


    ¡°I think so, yes.¡±


    The Turtle Hwansu passed Adrit¡¯s mind.


    ¡®Were you the human that was sneaking around here?¡¯ The Hwansu clearly recognized Adrit, while he lived within his territory during the active season.


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem to work for very powerful Larks. The Hwansu of the Holy Land sensed me.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s expression brightened.


    ¡°It must have been a tremendously strong Hwansu. It was so clever that I felt like I was talking to a person. I don¡¯t think that turtle will cause any problems in the future, but His Majesty was concerned,¡± she glanced at Kasser. ¡°Are you still worried, Your Majesty?¡±


    After a moment, Kasser responded, ¡°A Hwansu is still a Lark. And how does one believe in a Lark?¡±


    ¡°You are being too much. Abu listens, so how could you say that?¡±


    ¡°Abu is my Hwansu, so he¡¯s an exception.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Don¡¯t forget your promise to go back to the Holy Land with a long schedule in the next dry season,¡± Eugene said.


    She wanted to take her time to get to know the turtle Hwansu, but the time was cut short the last time. She had to come back.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really worried, we¡¯ll discuss it. That turtle isn¡¯t a child who can¡¯t speak.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ my queen.¡± Adrit then stepped in, carefully, ¡°That Hwansu wished for me to pass a message to you two.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness. what message?¡±


    Adrit felt guilty at Eugene¡¯s upbeat voice and recited what he had heard. He also added his guesswork, that the turtle was most likely a king¡¯s Hwansu in the past.


    Eugene and Kasser faced each other at the same time and turned their gaze to Abu, who was lying on his stomach.


    Eugene swallowed a question she wanted to ask Kasser. She wanted to talk about it in a place where Abu wouldn¡¯t hear them.


    ¡°Is death and extinction an expression for me and His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who is death?¡±


    ¡°The queen is death, the king is extinction.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell are we painted in such a bad light?¡±


    ¡°The two of you¡­¡±


    Adrit snapped his mouth shut. He got up from his seat and got on his knees.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that what I¡¯m about to say will you two angry. It has to do with the reason why we became wanderers¡­ and it may confuse your values.¡±


    Kasser looked at Adrit, and spoke, ¡°Sometimes, there is knowledge that is better to remain hidden. Is this such knowledge?¡±


    Adrit hesitated for a moment, before saying, ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Kasser continued to look at Adrit silently. She held her breath and glanced at her husband. Not having been born and raised here, she was confident to face any shocking story. But Kasser was different. He sat at the top of this world, was built by this world.


    Kasser was conflicted. Somehow, he understood that there¡¯ll be no turning back once he listens to Adrit. Whatever Adrit had to say, Kasser felt that it would overturn the universal truth of this world. He couldn¡¯t conclude that everything Adrit would say would be true, but should he still listen?


    A part of him wanted to turn away, to be a coward instead.


    Feeling Eugene¡¯s stare, he turned to her, meeting her eyes. She gazed downwards. Seeing this, he felt that his pride as a man was above that of his cold-heartedness as a king. He didn¡¯t want to be cowardly in front of her.


    This was a big deal, he knew. In his heart, he knew that the most important thing to him was this kingdom and people. But if he had to choose between those two and the woman in front of him, he would not be able to answer.


    He replied, with a small sigh.


    ¡°¡­I will listen.¡±


    * * *


    Adrit began to explain the origin of the tribes.


    In the distant past, the current wanderers were called shamans. They used magic to create miracles or to read the future. Their bloodline had a special talent to amplify the effects of magic, with the use of different techniques.


    To preserve these talents and to strengthen their privileges at that time, they married within their bloodline.


    Adrit was most embarrassed to explain this. The fact that their tribe once ruled the world and was part of the privileged class, enough to rival the present royalty ¡ª it could be considered as abusive, beyond displeasure by the present monarchs.

 Chapter 207

    ¡°Wait, there is something I wish to know first,¡± Eugene said.


    Aldrit tensed up as she spoke, trying to figure out their reactions.


    ¡°Please, ask me anything.¡±


    ¡°Does every wanderer know about these things, or is it only for the few chosen, such as yourself?¡±


    ¡°Once a wanderer turns eighteen, this particular knowledge is passed onto them. While these stories and circumstances are shared freely among the people, they are divided into levels. When one reaches a certain age, they learn more about our history.¡±


    ¡°Then, may I ask how old you are?¡±


    ¡°I am nineteen.¡±


    Eugene blinked, taken aback. She had assumed that Aldrit would be about fourteen or fifteen years old based on his appearance. She initially thought it was cruel of his people to let a child wander all by himself, even if that was their custom.


    ¡®He must have relied on scraps of food to get by.¡¯


    Eugene felt a pang of pity, as his small figure made him look way too young. However, unbeknownst to Eugene, compared to the commoners in the slum, Adrit would not even be considered petite.


    After coming into the world, Eugene was only able to observe strong people, with big builds. The people in court only were small compared to the warriors. In Eugene¡¯s eyes, the people on court were the ones who were of average build. In reality, she was unaware of the absolute difference between the stature of the rich and the poor.


    So, when Eugene uttered that Aldrit ¡°needs protection as he is still young¡±, she accidentally created a misunderstanding, leading Kasser to ponder what Eugene deemed as young or old.


    ¡°Does this mean this information is not important to your people?


    Softly, Adrit answered. ¡°While it is the most common knowledge, it is the most important one ¡ª the reason for the fall of one of the most powerful tribes in the world.¡±


    ¡°If that is the case,¡± Kasser spoke, making Aldrit flinch as he did not expect the royal to speak. ¡°Why do your people choose death? Why remain silent over some common knowledge, something not even considered as a secret?¡±


    ¡°We pass this knowledge on to remember the sins of our ancestors, not to spread them. Those who have tried to make us speak only desired the spell that could avoid the lark,¡± Adrit looked on, solemn. ¡°If I were to die anyway, whether I speak or not, then I too will choose silence until death.¡±


    With his unwavering answer, Eugene wondered how closed off the wanderers must be from the world.


    ¡®But can we actually blame them for that?¡¯ She thought. They¡¯re treated with disdain, as outcasts. The only way to protect themselves must have been to build walls in their hearts against the world.


    ¡°If Aldrit were any older, he wouldn¡¯t have opened up at all.¡±


    Aldrit was able to have a change of heart as he was young.


    While Kasser did not sympathize with the wanderers as much as Eugene, his feelings of hostility slightly faded as he began to understand their behavior. As he looked at Aldrit, his gaze softened.


    ¡°Go on and finish what you were saying.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Aldrit internally let out a sigh of relief, thankful for their calm responses. However, a part of him was perplexed. He had been told by his elders that even if one were to share their secrets, they would only be labeled as mad.


    If only Aldrit knew how unique the two royals were: an Anika who did not believe in divinity and a king without faith. The two might¡¯ve been the only skeptics in Mahar.


    ¡°As time went by, their magic evolved ¡ª to the point where they could control the weather.¡±


    Adrit continued to share the story.


    Once the sorcerers succeeded in widening the scope of their magic, the sorcerers became intoxicated with power. As their powers got stronger, what was once an endeavor to improve people¡¯s lives became a selfish pursuit for absolute power. They wanted to go beyond the reach of man, to gain the powers of a god.


    The sorcerers were divided into three groups of like-minded individuals, each focused on different areas of study. Those three areas were: ways to revive the dead, ways to create new life, and lastly, ways to see into the future.


    All were very confident that they would get their hands on the absolute power of a god, but none made substantial progress in their studies. As time passed, the three groups became concerned about keeping one another in check, leaving behind their studies.


    Hostility grew to the point where marriage only happened within their own groups. Each group became more sinister, ready to tear the other groups apart. Eventually, the three groups completely divided ¡ª three independent groups, with three different ideas and three different bloodlines.


    To thrive over the other groups, each of them realized they had to go back to their original goal, of pursuing the magic the group was founded for. They started to devote themselves once again to the ideas of their ancestors.


    That was when those who focused on the creation of new life came up with a new approach in their studies.


    ¡°They stressed that making something out of nothing was an impossible task to begin with. And so, they thought that bringing in creatures from another world could be considered as the creation of new life. And so, they¡­¡±


    Aldrit took a deep breath, throat parching up as he spoke. Every time he recalled the wretchedness of his ancestors, a bottomless pit greeted him as if he were falling.


    ¡°The spell worked. A gate opened, connecting our world to different worlds beyond ¡ª and what came through were monsters that now plague the land.¡±


    Kasser and Eugene¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°These monsters were named as ¡°Larks¡± ¡ª meaning sin and vice in the ancient language.¡±


    ¡®The origin of larks.¡¯


    The royals remained still, shocked by what they just heard. Although it sounded absurd, it was too specific to be treated as Aldrit¡¯s nonsense. There was also no reason for him to make up such a story.


    ¡°I am¡­¡± Aldrit, paused, lowering his face in shame. ¡±I am a descendant of the sorcerers who brought larks into the world.¡±


    He sat still, remorseful for all the sins his ancestors committed.


    ¡®A gate connecting to other worlds¡­.?¡¯ Eugene felt her heart race at his words. In truth, she was more interested in the spell of Aldrit¡¯s ancestors, rather than the events after the gate opened.


    ¡®That¡­That black hole¡­¡¯


    Eugene recalled the hole she saw right before she fell into this world, the same hole that she jumped into. Could this be the gate Aldrit mentioned? If so, who opened it?


    ¡®Jin¡­ Was Jin trying to open the gate with that spell?¡¯


    But why would Jin open the gate? And was it just a coincidence that the gate opened right in front of her? If not, then was she the one that Jin was trying to call?


    Each question led to another ¡ª she felt stuck in an endless loop of riddles.


    Kasser¡¯s voice cut through the silence, making Eugene flinch away from drowning in her thoughts.


    ¡°Then, do you know what those larks really are?¡±


    She clenched her fist and stared at Aldrit, her heart filled with hope that Aldrit had all the answers to her questions.


    ¡°We know that they were originally not from this world. They did not have any particular form, and so they imitated the living things in our world. And now they¡¯ve become what we know of them.¡±


    Aldrit then continued about the dark period that reigned after the larks were brought into the world.


    Once the first lark realized that the world was ruled by humans, they decided to wipe out every human race to take control of the world. They started a massacre and the dead piled like a mountain.


    In the face of this crisis, the three divided groups finally came together to undo their mistakes. Together, the sorcerers fought with everything they had to save the people from the larks.


    Before then, the sorcerers were the ruling class, different from other people. The division only got worse when they selfishly kept their magic and focused on impossible studies for years and years. The others turned their back on them, just as the sorcerers turned their backs on the people.


    But seeing the sacrifices of the sorcerers, the people change their minds. To save the world, everyone then joined forces and started to fight against the larks.


    ¡°¡­But no matter how hard humans tried, the larks were just too powerful. Even now, an average person struggles to kill a lark just half the size of his own.¡±


    Kasser nodded his head, recognizing the truth in Aldrit¡¯s words. Human strength was nothing compared to those of animals, let alone to the strength of larks. And larks were much more of a threat as they attack humans indiscriminately, unlike animals that only do so when provoked.


    ¡°But then a miracle happened. Humans who possessed the power to defeat the larks were starting to be born into the world,¡± Aldrit said, turning to face the king. ¡°And among them, one man who possessed the greatest power of all, distinct from the others, was born.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s brows furrowed at Aldrit¡¯s words.


    Aldrit, reading the expression of the king, said, ¡°This human with the greatest power could control a creature with no exact shape, a creature similar to a lark.¡±


    He was referring to the king and his Praz.


    Kasser felt a strange feeling within him. He had never heard or read of such knowledge before. And never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would hear it from the mouth of a wanderer.


    Growing up, he had questions about his existence in the world. What is the role of a king who possessed such great power, with such distinct features? No one ever answered him. Even the late king, who most likely had the same question, could not tell him anything.


    But he appreciated what Aldrit just told him about his true identity. It meant that he was still rooted in humans.


    Meanwhile, hearing such a thing, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but compare it to something from the modern world, thinking of it as an antibody fighting off a virus.


    ¡®To stand up to the threat, it also evolves and takes the form of its enemy,¡¯ Eugene interpreted Praz¡¯s similarity to larks from an evolutionary point of view.


    Aldrit then continued, ¡°The king¡¯s appearance was a miracle to the people, but not very much to the sorcerers.¡±


    Eugene slowly nodded her head, understanding what must¡¯ve happened, and said, ¡°The king was way more powerful than the sorcerers when it came to defeating the larks¡±


    ¡°Yes, and everyone eventually found out the truth, that the sorcerers brought the larks in the first place.¡±


    Once this knowledge came to light, people were furious. They were divided. Some believed what the sorcerers had done was unforgivable, while others thought they should be given another chance to correct their mistakes, as the sorcerers stood up against the larks.


    However, no one was truly on the side of the sorcerers. For a long time, they had been a very closed society, and so, they were unable to blend in with the people outside. With the people having their king for protection, they were not desperate for the power of sorcerers anymore.


    ¡°But the god gave the sorcerers another chance to start a new life. Sorcerers¡¯ children, who possessed special powers, were born to the world. All born with their own distinct looks, different from the others, just like the king.¡±

 Chapter 208

    ¡°I bet they all had distinctive black hair and eyes. And they all were girls, am I right?¡± Eugene said, knowing that Aldrit was talking about their kind, the Anikas.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Eugene was now deep in thought. As she fell silent, Aldrit looked down, his shoulders tense. It was a bold statement ¡ª to say that the highest noble in this world was from the lowest of sinners.


    ¡°Then I guess that makes you a distant relation of mine, right?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    Aldrit quickly raised his head up and blankly stared at Eugene, shocked by her words. Kasser then filled the whole Great Hall with his laughter.


    With no sign of stopping, Eugene called him out with a hint of warning.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    To appease her, Kasser tried to hold in his laughter, clearing his throat unnecessarily. Still, his shoulders were heaving as he started to snicker instead. In contrast to his joyous laughter, he gazed at Eugene with great intensity.


    Eugene felt her cheeks warm, embarrassed under his gaze, as he watched her the same way he would in their bedroom. To tell him off, she pouted slightly.


    ¡°While it may have sounded absurd, you don¡¯t have to laugh in my face.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t laughing in your face,¡± Kasser took a moment before he spoke, still snickering. ¡°It was just very amusing.¡±


    Truly, Eugene¡¯s unbiased remark amazed him. Before she lost her memories, she was quite the prideful Anika. But now, she acted nothing like the Anikas who usually had their noses in the air.


    Aldrit had just offered an insult to her kind. Those with the noblest blood would have thrown a fit by now. At best, they would have already stormed out of the room.


    He grinned at Eugene. ¡°I¡¯d never laugh in your face. I love your absurdness.¡±


    Quickly, Eugene turned her eyes away as if she did not hear anything. She grumbled to herself about how silly Kasser was getting day by day. But then, a flash of the night they had on the last day of their return journey from the Holy City made her blush.


    ¡°Aldrit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Aldrit dropped his eyes back to the floor with a startle. While it already crossed his mind, the two of them really seemed close without reservation. He had thought that the nobles maintained formalities even when married. He was amazed that the king and queen were not any different from the lovers he had seen in his tribe.


    ¡°According to what you just said, Anikas are descendants of those ancient sorcerers. Then, why is it that you and your tribe, who come from the same root, are now in such a terrible position?¡±


    Never in his wildest dreams did Aldrit ever thought that he and his tribe would be acknowledged as people from the ¡®same root¡¯ by an Anika. Bewildered, he answered her.


    ¡°It may be a little excessive to say that we share a common root, as the sorcerers had already divided into their three respective groups by then.¡± Aldrit continued. ¡°Anikas were born from those who focused their studies on death and resurrection.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°With the birth of Anikas, the sorcerers were forgiven and accepted by the people. As only Anikas could¡­¡± He paused, unsure of what to utter next.


    ¡°Only Anikas could bear child of Kings.¡± Eugene finished his sentence for him.


    The king, with his supernatural powers, must have exerted his influence on the people. Eventually, they trusted him and his power to protect and reign over them.


    Still, reproduction was an instinct. Anikas, who could bore him a child, must have been the one thing he could not give up on, even if that meant turning his back on the people. But having an heir to the king was also equally crucial to the people, for the king¡¯s bloodline was necessary to fight off the larks.


    As both interests coincide, they must have realized that they had to forgive the sorcerers and accept them as one of their own.


    This meant that the Kings and the Anikas were the warriors this world created for itself.


    Eugene had never been religious, incredulous at the existence of a god. But now she felt like she could define that the world¡¯s will, which engages with each other like a giant cogwheel ¡ª the great order ¡ª as the power of god.


    ¡°Only the group in which Anikas were born from was fully forgiven by the people. They were the only sorcerers that became a part of the new kingdom when all the others collapsed due to the larks.¡±


    Although only one of the three groups was chosen by God, the others were also saved, in a way. While they remained unforgiven, the people did not hunt them down. The two groups were pushed out from the world and made choices of their own.


    Aldrit¡¯s ancestors, the greatest sinners of all, decided to receive their punishment by never taking root anywhere in the world ¡ª to live as wanderers.


    On the other hand, the group of sorcerers who focused on finding a way to see into the future decided to forever live in hiding. They sealed their magic from the world, to repent for their sins of aiding and abetting. But keep their identity as sorcerers, they preserved all their knowledge, passing them to their future generations.


    Meanwhile, the group of death and resurrection became assimilated with the people. As time passed, they forgot about their roots.


    As Adrit finished, the hall fell into utter silence. Pondering over the words of Aldrit, both Eugene and Kasser were unmoving. After a moment, Kasser voiced out a doubt he had been brooding over the whole time.


    ¡°There is something I find very strange.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°You never once mentioned Mahar as you spoke.¡±


    While Aldrit had mentioned ¡®god¡¯ a few times, it did not sound like he was referring to Mahar as the one and only god. He had termed it like a metaphor for ¡®the absolute¡¯.


    Eugene asked, ¡°Did people refer to god differently then, and not as Mahar?¡±


    ¡°In ancient times, Mahar was the word referring to our world.¡±


    ¡°Not god?¡±


    Aldrit, feeling as if he were walking on eggshells, answered with little conviction, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then when did Mahar start to symbolize God?¡±


    ¡°I have yet to learn that knowledge, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What about Mara?¡±


    ¡°I have not learned about that either.¡±


    ¡°Then what about death and destruction?¡± Eugene asked, motioning to herself and Kasser.


    ¡°We believe that the King has the power to put the larks out of existence, to lead them to their destruction. Meanwhile, Anika has the power to lead them to their deaths.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°I apologize,¡± Aldrit uttered, ashamed, ¡°I have yet to learn such knowledge.¡±


    Eugene felt her hopes fading away. What she sought was neither the origin of the wanderers nor the birth of the King and Anika.


    ¡°Those spell marks on your body¡­ To initiate them, you need the incantation, a medium, and a vessel, am I right?¡±


    Aldrit nodded, ¡°Yes, you are right.¡±


    ¡°Can you teach me some of the spells you know?¡± Eugene asked, a part of her hopeful. ¡°It does not need to be grand.¡±


    ¡°Um..¡± Aldrit¡¯s eyes began shaking, put on the spot. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry but I do not know anything about the spells, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Eugene¡¯s voice was sharp, raised with shock, as if she got stabbed in the back by someone she trusted. ¡°Why? How can you not know?¡± Her voice rose. ¡°You are a descendant of the sorcerers. What about those spell marks on your body?¡±


    Aldrit shook, afraid of incurring the queen¡¯s wrath. Still, he answered, ¡°The only spell we wanderers can learn, and practice is the spell to avoid the larks. The knowledge that our tribe passes down is only the history and sins of our ancestors. And I have yet to learn the spell to avoid larks.¡±


    She was stunned, feeling something crumbling away inside her.


    Kasser, glancing at Eugene¡¯s dejection, asked Aldrit, ¡°you said that it was the other group of sorcerers that took charge of preserving the knowledge of sorcery. Will they know about the spells then?¡±


    Eugene perked up once again, a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. However, this light quickly diminished with Aldrit¡¯s reply.


    Aldrit, still looking down, uttered, ¡°That is what I¡¯ve been told. But I¡¯m afraid I do not know how to reach them.¡±


    He felt the queen¡¯s despair, making him feel restless. ¡°Please forgive me for my ignorance, Your Majesty. I would have told you everything if I only knew.¡±


    Eugene looked at Aldrit, her gaze softening as she recognized his sincerity.


    ¡°¡­Right. I don¡¯t think you are lying.¡± She sighed, ¡°But is there any chance you will think of something if you see an incantation?¡±


    ¡°I will only know if I see one, Your Majesty.¡±


    Eugene then shot up from her seat, ¡°I can show you one in the library. Let¡¯s go right now¨C¡±


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    She turned her head towards Kasser, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already late. You can show him tomorrow.¡±


    Surprised, Eugene turned to the balcony window. Without realizing it, night had already fallen, and she saw nothing but the pitch-black sky. She was deeply immersed in Adrit¡¯s story that she became unaware of the time passing.


    She took a breath and turned to Aldrit, ¡°You must be very tired by now. I apologize that I bothered you for so long.¡±


    ¡°I am fine, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not alright. You should get some rest.¡±


    After a moment, a servant came into the hall. Eugene ordered the servant to attend to Adrit¡¯s every need as a private guest. Before leaving the hall, the wanderer deeply bowed before Kasser and Eugene.


    ¡°Abu,¡±


    Abu, who was lying on the floor quietly the whole time, crept close to Eugene as she called. ¡°You did a great job too.¡±


    She let out a small laugh when Abu rubbed his head on her hand as she stroked him.


    Kasser then called out to Abu as he opened the balcony window. It was time for him to leave. The lark licked Eugene¡¯s hand for the last time before leaving, with Eugene watching Abu¡¯s back as he left.


    After closing the window, Kasser walked towards her. She couldn¡¯t help but smile, holding out an arm to reach for him.


    As he reached her, Eugene held him, and whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    It must have been a difficult decision for him to let a wanderer into the palace, especially when Sang-je made it clear that wanderers were birds of ill omen.


    She was thankful. Thankful that she was able to talk with Aldrit, leading her to a vital clue, all due to Kasser. She was a step closer to finding out why Jin had stolen the national treasure and why she deceived her servants to the desert.


    ¡°Jin initiated the spell ¨C why I got into this world.¡±


    When she first arrived in this world, all she ever wished for was to live Jin¡¯s life. But she bitterly realized that there is no limit to one¡¯s desire, as Eugene was no longer content with living just as Jin¡¯s shell. She made a new resolution, needing to know what that spell could do.


    She wanted to stand in front of Kasser, not as Jin, but as Eugene. She wanted to look into his eyes without the slightest bit of guilt, and for him to truly see her.


    ***


    As Eugene slowly descended into sleep, a crucial question suddenly crossed her mind. She quickly opened her eyes, pondering the important question she should have thought of earlier. What Aldrit told her today did not seem to match with their tribe¡¯s current circumstances.


    ¡°Why is their tribe being hunted now?¡±


    ¡°I should make a note of this¡­¡± Eugene muttered to herself, unaware that she had let out her thoughts.


    Suddenly, she let out a shriek as she felt her ankle bitten. At the same time, a rumbling grunt reached her ears.


    ¡°Are you going to keep doing that?¡± Eugene shivered as a low and husky voice breathed in her ears. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to focus?¡±

 Chapter 209

    It was like the heat slowly cooled off, after a wave of an affair. Eugene sprawled across the bed as she received Kasser¡¯s kisses, marking his way from her instep to her calves.


    Eugene then thought that maybe she¡¯d gotten used to such sensual touch. Otherwise, it was hard to believe that her mind actually wandered off in the middle of his caresses, however gentle they may be. Eugene did a double take as she realized this wasn¡¯t her first time being warned for her mutterings.


    Her eyes wavered as Kasser quickly crawled up her body, pressing his weight against hers and looking down right on top of her. He didn¡¯t seem like his usual self. And his vexed eyes seemed to signal danger.


    Eugene gave him an awkward laugh, but it was not enough to unfurrow his brow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to do it? Am I making you do it against your will?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± Eugene flustered at the sight of him who seemed quite cross with her. As Kasser did not show it, Eugene never realized how his frustrations had been building up inside him for a while.


    Throughout the whole return journey from the Holy City, and even after they came back, all Eugene had in her mind were about the wanderers and of the hwansu that took the form of a turtle. Knowing of her obsession with her old book collections before she lost her memory, Kasser tried to understand that her interest in the incantations was likely related to her old hobby.


    He tried his best to listen to Eugene¡¯s every word. But to tell the truth, he wanted to have a different conversation with her ¨C something sorely about just the two of them. He longed to have the most private and trivial conversations with her.


    He was peeved at her interests in wanderers and some unknown Hwansu, as such interests kept interrupting his time with her.


    And at last, at this moment, he felt the sudden outburst of the emotions he had been bottling up inside him this whole time. Although he knew well that it was childish of him to get emotional over such things, he was unable to calm down anymore.


    Eugene called out to him, gently, ¡°Don¡¯t get angry, please?¡±


    ¡°I am not angry with you. I just¡­¡±


    Kasser couldn¡¯t think of the rest of the sentence, the feelings he had buried deep inside coming up to the surface. But he couldn¡¯t think of a word that could clearly define what he felt. Was it resentment? No, it¡¯s something different from that. Loneliness¡­ yes, it was loneliness after all.


    He felt like he was the only one who was getting restless. His mind was filled with confusion as he couldn¡¯t find a way to define his feelings for her. Such feelings urged him to see her, to touch her, even if she was already in his arms, right before his eyes. He was confused, as he didn¡¯t understand.


    Eugene was already his wife, his woman, that everyone acknowledges. Why was he still discontent with that? Was it because their relationship had been untrue in the beginning? But he had already told her that he wanted to start over with their relationship. He couldn¡¯t figure out what more he had to do to straighten out his feelings.


    ¡°When are you going to tell me?¡±


    Eugene, who was caught off guard by his words, failed to keep her face straight.


    And when Kasser saw her pupils dilate at his words, he felt like he finally got a clue to his ambiguous feelings. Although he didn¡¯t know what it was yet, he sensed that Eugene was hiding something important from him.


    Kasser was afraid that her secrets would later become a wall that would come in between them. It made him realize that what he felt wasn¡¯t loneliness, but fear.


    ¡°Tell you¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is.¡±


    Eugene was the one who first turned her eyes away from him. Kasser, looking into her shivering eyelashes as she closed her eyes, felt his lower stomach pulling and twinging inside him.


    He felt like he was losing his mind, as he suddenly felt an irresistible impulse to shove his upset other self into her flesh, enough to bring tears to those eyelashes of hers. He felt like he had become a lunatic, left only with his instincts.


    There was no way to make someone talk when they did not want to. And pressuring them to speak would only make them lie. And the same goes for people¡¯s feelings. But if it was only her body, he felt like he could have her wholly to himself. Her eyes opened up right before Kasser became ferocious with his surging emotions inside him.


    Eugene then drew in a deep breath as she felt the lump in her throat. From Sang-je¡¯s letter which she had burned up, the purpose of this marriage, of her true identity, there were just so many things which she had kept from him.


    Eugene shuddered as she realized that Kasser was only feigning ignorance about her secrets. It made her feel like she was being thrown out to the square with only bare flesh.


    ¡°Just¡­ give me some time.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s nerves had calmed down at her words as she did not give him the worst answer he had expected by playing innocent.


    These rapid changes in emotions had made him realize again that it was already too late for him to change the way he feels for her now.


    Eugene held out her arms at him and wrapped them around his neck as he leaned his upper body to hers. And as Kasser lifted his body, so did hers.


    She was now sitting on Kasser¡¯s lap, as he sat upon the bed. They both then clasped each other to their chests.


    ¡°I promise¡­ I will tell you everything once I am ready to.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    Eugene then relaxed her arms around his neck and leaned back from him. She felt sorry but was also thankful to the man who had just nodded ingeniously at her when she asked him to wait for her indefinitely. She felt like she had become a bad woman, taking advantage of his innocence.


    She pecked him on his lips as he answered. And as she knew that he had a soft spot for her when she smiles while looking into his eyes, Eugene then gave Kasser a sweet and genuine smile from the bottom of her heart as she stared into his eyes. Her beauty had never been more so at this moment, but a part of her felt like she was being somewhat crafty.


    ¡°I will really concentrate this time.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to push yourself if you don¡¯t feel like it.¡± Although his way of speaking was still stiff, she could see that his eyes and face had already softened. It was not very hard for her to read his feelings from his face now and that got her a little worried, as he was a king, but on the other hand, she had this overwhelming urge to kiss him.


    ¡°I am not pushing myself. Besides, I am not a person who would be forced to do it. Instead, I would have kicked you long ago.¡±


    Kasser chuckled at her words, now with a mischievous glint in his eyes.


    ¡°If we start over now, you might have to give up sleeping tonight. Are you sure you still want to do it?¡±


    Eugene gave a small nod, but as soon as she realized that she had made a mistake, she quickly shook her head at him as she knew from experience that he was not bluffing.


    ¡°You can¡¯t take your words back now.¡±


    Kasser whispered in a low voice, quickly overlapping his lips on hers in a flash. Eugene had a bad feeling that this would be a long night for her as she closed her eyes, feeling her breath taken away.


    ***


    In the early afternoon, the coaches of the ladies who had received their invitations from the queen arrived at the palace. The six ladies who were invited were the respective spouses of Chancellor Verus, General Lester, and the Heads of each Ministry.


    As the ladies seemed to have hastened their departures for early arrival, they all arrived at the palace almost at the same time. They exchanged warm greetings with each other as they got off from their carriages.


    Although the ladies were from respective noble families, and their husbands as high-ranking officials of the kingdom, they did not have a choice but to stay in the capital instead of the Holy City during the active period. And as they were all in similar positions, they often held gatherings together, becoming acquainted with one another.


    Lady Darlin, General Lester¡¯s wife, went up to the lady who was just getting off her carriage as the last to arrive. Lady Darlin greeted her with a friendly smile.


    ¡°Count Oscar. Or perhaps Lady Ricksen? How should I call you today?¡±


    Charlotte, who was Chancellor Verus¡¯s wife, had a Count title she inherited from her father.


    ¡°Lady Ricksen, I guess. As I believe everyone came here today because of their husbands.¡±


    Charlotte answered with a smile.


    The ladies then nodded along with their significant smiles. When they first received their invitations from the queen, they couldn¡¯t figure out what the gathering could be about, as today was their first gathering in the palace with just the six of them.


    This was not the first time that the queen had hosted a gathering. She usually held them once or twice during almost every dry season to keep up to date with people. But everyone invited today was the ladies of social prominence who come and go to the Holy City occasionally, and the queen had never gathered the officials¡¯ wives in private before.


    ¡°Has the Chancellor mentioned anything about our gathering today?¡±


    Charlotte shook her head.


    ¡°Nothing in particular. So, I¡¯m sure this is just one of the usual gatherings.¡±


    Charlotte then recalled the conversation she had with her husband in the morning.


    ¡°I will be going to the palace this afternoon. Do you still remember what I told you about the queen¡¯s invitation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember. Have a safe trip to the palace.¡±


    ¡°Is that all? Don¡¯t you have any advice for me?¡±


    ¡°I am just curious to know what kind of conversations you will have with the queen today. So please tell me about everything once you come back.¡±


    Charlotte then thought to herself that her meticulous husband would have warned her if there was anything she needed to be aware of beforehand.


    Due to her prominence in high society, Charlotte had attended a few of the parties hosted by the queen, unlike the other five ladies.


    She only went as she was invited by the queen, but they were often dull. Whenever she would attend, she would just remain in her seat and hold her breath throughout the party without socializing. Because of this, she no longer received the invitation since last year.


    Charlotte was from one of the wealthiest noble families in the kingdom. As she was the only child in her family, she was expected to inherit everything which belonged to her family in the future. Her mother was also from a noble family in the Holy City. So, although she had never paid a visit to the Holy City since she got married, she still had her influence in high society.


    As her mother lives in the Holy City, she had heard about what kind of person Jin Anika was. That, along with a few rumors, Charlotte had regarded Jin as someone she did not want to associate with.


    So, she never actually had any private interests in the queen. But recently, the queen has started to show her presence to the public. Not to mention the Lark tree incident, with the queen, who never really carried out external activities before, even visiting the Holy City.


    Charlotte, who was now curious about the queen, had replied to the queen¡¯s invitation letter to confirm her attendance as soon as she received it.


    The ladies fell quiet as they saw someone coming towards them. Marianne lowered her head at the ladies, and so did they.


    ¡°I have never expected to see Your Ladyship again in the palace.¡±


    The ladies felt the awkwardness in the air as soon as Charlotte greeted Marianne in her somewhat cynical tone.


    It was widely known how the queen had regarded Marianne, who had led a secluded life for the last three years since her voluntary resignation, as an eyesore.


    But as Marianne was now back in the palace, all sorts of wild speculations had spread once again. It was expected to be one of the hottest topics during this dry season the moment the nobles came back from the Holy City. But this title was given to the Lark tree incident.


    Marianne replied with a warm smile on her face.


    ¡°I am much obliged to Her Majesty for having someone like me back in the palace. Please, come in. Her Majesty is waiting for you all.¡±


    A faint smile crossed Charlotte¡¯s face as she made her way to the palace. Marianne was not a person one could read just by a couple of conversations. The rest of the ladies then followed Charlotte, who was in the lead. As Charlotte stepped into the palace, the arrangement of furniture, the color of the curtains, and how they were tied, caught her eyes right away.


    ¡®Is it because I haven¡¯t visited for a while?¡­ It looks very different from before. Could it be because of Marianne?¡¯


    Since Marianne was in charge of everything that went around in the palace for a very long period, almost every royal banquet held in the palace reflected her tastes in numerous ways. Charlotte sensed the difference right away as she had attended a few of the palace banquets from before.


    Marianne eventually stopped at the Great Hall entrance and knocked on the door. After a moment, a servant came out to open the door for them.


    ¡°Her Majesty wishes for her guests to come in.¡±


    Marianne spoke as she turned to face the ladies standing behind her.


    ¡°Please come inside.¡±


    The ladies exchanged glances, as it was common for guests to wait for their host if the host held a higher status than them. They awkwardly stepped into the hall, as none of them had imagined that the queen would be waiting for them to come in. Eugene was sitting at the round table, big enough for seven people, and watched her guests as they came into the hall.


    Eugene quickly glanced at their faces, while the ladies turned their eyes away in a hurry whenever they would meer Eugene¡¯s. As she had already seen their portraits before, she was able to tell their faces right away.


    While she did not have any memories of them, she felt a vague recollection of Jin¡¯s memory when she saw one of their faces:


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You must be Chancellor Verus¡¯s wife. A Count as well, as I heard. You look a lot like your mother.¡±


    ¡°I have heard about Her Majesty from my mother.¡±


    ¡°Your mother once told me how she missed her daughter who never came to visit her in the Holy City since her marriage. It would have been great if we had the chance to meet with each other the time you visited the Holy City.¡±

 Chapter 211

    ¡°Last journey? Does it mean you will later be settled in some kind of paradise which is solely allowed for your tribe?¡±


    ¡°Paradise¡­¡± The corners of Aldrit¡¯s mouth turned up slightly into a smile as he repeated the word Eugene had just said. Although it was just a faint smile, it was the first expression she had seen on Aldrit¡¯s dollish face.


    He looked lifeless as he remained still and expressionless throughout the whole conversation with her. But the faint smile that flashed across on his face for a fleeting moment had proved that he wasn¡¯t emotionless after all. He just didn¡¯t show it much outwardly.


    ¡°Now that you mentioned it, the final stop to our painful life would be a paradise indeed.¡±


    Eugene frowned after she gave a thought to Aldrit¡¯s words. ¡°You don¡¯t mean death¡­do you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another way to describe it¡±


    Eugene was speechless. To hear a young man who¡¯s not even turned twenty saying death is a way to his paradise in such an indifferent tone, had made her feel terribly sorry for them. She never knew they were suffering to this extent.


    ¡°Can you explain what you mean by it? I think there¡¯s a deeper meaning to it.¡±


    ¡°Our tribe thinks we have received a divine punishment from God. And as a result, we are leading a seemingly endless life of repentance which may not end with just one lifetime. If we ever violate our precepts while we are living, we will again be born as the tribe¡¯s descendant in our next life. That¡¯s the reason we describe our life as an endless journey. And our only wish is for the journey to end. We all hope this will be our last journey. So, when a funeral service is held in our tribe, we offer our condolences by hoping this was the dead¡¯s last journey. We can only rest in peace when our journey ends.¡±


    What Aldrit just said was not a foreign concept to Eugene, as they sounded similar to the concept of the ¡®eternal cycle of birth¡¯ and ¡®reincarnation¡¯ that she had once heard of.


    ¡°The last journey¡­¡±


    It would have been easier if it was just someone from the tribe coming to have him punished in consequence of violation. Because if that was the case, she would have offered him protection, so that no one could take him away.


    But the penalty of violation of their precept was heavier than any punishment in existence.


    ¡®How can I ask him to give up his way to¡­ his paradise.¡¯


    Eugene sighed as she knew she couldn¡¯t hold him up any longer. She reluctantly rose from her seat to head to the audience room. She couldn¡¯t afford to keep people waiting for any longer.


    ¡°I know you said you can¡¯t stay for more than two nights at one place. But tonight is just your second night here. You will stay for another night before you leave, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will. But I will leave early in the morning tomorrow. Please allow me to do that, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You are going leave at dawn?¡±


    Eugene was disappointed to hear he was leaving so soon but eventually nodded her head as she lowly muttered.


    ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s true that you must get moving early if you are going back to the desert. You don¡¯t need my permission to leave as you are here as my guest. And a guest can decide to come and go anytime they want. But I will save my goodbyes for later.¡±


    Aldrit lowered his head to Eugene with a wavering look in his eyes. She then walked past Aldrit for a few steps before she turned back to him again.


    ¡°About Hwansu, they can take the form of animals and even speak to humans as they get older. Then, do you think they can eventually evolve into something more? For example¡­like taking the form of a human.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that is possible.¡± Aldrit answered in a firm voice. It took Eugene by surprise as she didn¡¯t really expect an answer when she asked. So, she asked him again with a surprised look on her face.


    ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s impossible?¡±


    ¡°I once had asked the exact same question to a wise elder in the tribe before and was told that it was impossible.¡±


    Aldrit retraced his memory and told Eugene in the same words the elder had once said to him.


    [Larks had entered the world through the gate that we opened. It means they will be subjected to the spells. When our ancestors used the incantations to conjure up the creatures, the spell strictly restricted them to ¡®non-human¡¯ creatures. And a spell works just like a law of nature, the way the sun rises every morning and sets every night. No matter how scary the creatures may be, they are just one of the many creations of God. It¡¯s impossible for them to go against nature.]


    Eugene nodded her head as she was relieved to know that her sudden doubt was just an unnecessary worry after all. It was devastating just to imagine what the world would become if the larks, which were already too powerful, had the intelligence and the sly ability to imitate human beings.


    ***


    Although it was even before the sunrise, there were quite a lot of people who were already waiting for the stone gate to be opened. The soldiers then opened it at the exact time with a grand announcement.


    Aldrit gazed with amazement at the way the huge stone gate was being moved, among the crowds. He had never seen such a magnificent view up close before.


    As the gate opened, he walked past the ramparts while keeping in step with the crowds that were pouring out through the gates. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to keep walking forward in such a big crowd without looking around. He felt like he would be seized by the back of his neck at any minute with someone shouting, ¡®He¡¯s a wanderer!¡¯ out loud.


    Aldrit fixed his stares somewhere at the endless desert as he kept on walking without slowing down. And the dark atmosphere of the early morning which had surrounded him before, was now replaced by the intense heat of the sun, emitting right above his head.


    He finally stopped walking when people no longer came into his sight. He turned a spin from where he was standing and literally saw no one around him. It was just him alone, standing in the middle of the endless desert.


    He rubbed his chest with his hand as he had felt a strangely void feeling inside. Even though this wasn¡¯t his first time walking through the sands by himself, he somehow felt like he got left alone all of sudden. Again.


    He then turned his head to his left and right like a child who was lost. And when his eyes were fixed at a steep sand hill near him, he carefully went up to the hill and saw the soaring spire of the castle which appeared far in the distance.


    After staring blankly at the sight for a while, he took his heavy backpack off from his shoulders. The backpack was a gift from the queen, which he received by a servant before he left the castle.


    He unfastened the bag strap and carefully took the contents out from the bag, one at a time. The bag was filled mostly with food, like dried fruits, dried meats, roasted grains and such. There was also a thin blanket with some first-aid medicines. Aldrit quickly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before they got teary.


    He then made a deep bow on his knees at the castle in the distance after he had put all the stuff back into the backpack. He felt so overwhelmed as this was his first time being treated with generosity and kindness by someone who wasn¡¯t from his tribe.


    He had started his life as a wanderer at the age of fifteen followed by the rule of the tribe. Hence, except for a period of the year where he had to go to a designated place to learn a new knowledge from one of the tribe¡¯s elders, he was mostly alone.


    He had tried to be positive and thought it was lucky of him to have found shelter to stay during the active period in his first year of life as a wanderer. But to be honest, he was scared and lonely. He thought he was ready to face his death when he was caught by the warrior. But when he heard someone say, ¡®Can you release him?¡¯ right before he was about to die, his determination shattered with relief.


    [Aldrit.]


    Aldrit, who was still on his knees on the ground, stared into the distant kingdom while he listened to the voice which was still ringing in his ears.


    [I hope you don¡¯t misunderstand what I am about to say as I don¡¯t mean to diminish the sincere efforts that your tribe has put into repentance all these years. I rather think it¡¯s very noble. But, whatever your ancestors did, all happened in the remote past. And I think your tribe had suffered more than enough to receive an absolution. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time for you all to get free from the sense of guilt?]


    As he was going to head out before the sunrise tomorrow, he had paid his last visit to the queen to express his gratitude once again. But what he heard from her after she gave her words of blessing for his journey ahead, came as a great shock to him.


    [Getting on your knees is just one of many ways to beg for forgiveness. There must be other ways to repent while seeking for a future for your tribe at the same time. And I think that¡¯s a job for a young man like you. To create a new future for your tribe. Don¡¯t you think your children, your descendants deserve a better future?]


    Aldrit, who¡¯s eyes were closed, felt a shudder running down his spine. No one has ever told him something like that before.


    All he knew until now was the knowledge he had learned in the tribe from the elders, and he had heard more than enough of all kinds of terrible sins his ancestors had committed in the past. But he had never doubted the teachings of the elders as he always thought it was his bounden duty as a descendant to beg for forgiveness on behalf of his ancestors.


    Aldrit slowly opened his eyes. And his eyes were now twinkling with his new resolutions.


    ¡®This is my duty as a descendent. But it shouldn¡¯t be my children¡¯s nor my descendants.¡¯


    Aldrit grabbed his backpack and sled it over his shoulders again as he stood up. He tried to think of the things he could do right now to change his tribe¡¯s future.


    And through the conversation with the queen, he realized how little he knew about his own tribe. He had never raised questions about why his tribe was labelled as the birds of ill omen or why they must live under constant threats of death.


    But to get the answers to all these questions, he had to wait. As according to the rules, he must reach a certain age to be given further teachings. But then, it would take him a great deal of time before he can make a difference to the future.


    Although they were called as wanderers, they still had a settlement, a refugee, where the people in his tribe could bring up their children until they were ready to start their own life as an individual wanderer.


    Everyone in the tribe knew where it was but the exact location of their refugee was the superlative secret, which they had to keep with their lives.


    Aldrit decided to change course, to go back to the place he had left since his fifteenth birthday. He was no longer the same young man whose only goal in life was to faithfully follow the rules of his tribe until the moment of his last breath. He was now a man with a clear goal in his life.


    ***


    Chancellor Verus reported his further findings to the Mara order after his reports on the other important issues. He had faithfully carried out the confidential operation, while keeping the order under constant surveillance in obedience to the King¡¯s commands.


    The rumor about the order receiving its official acknowledgement from the kingdom seemed effective as it has helped to lower their guards, and thanks to that, his operation on securing the list of names of people related to the order was on a roll.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have reaffirmed the fact that it¡¯s the high priest who¡¯s on top of the Mara order¡¯s hierarchy system and we have found no traces of the existence of a higher rank beyond the priest.¡±


    ¡°¡­is that so.¡±


    The king¡¯s lukewarm responses have bothered him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a further look into the matter once again.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    It was only the high priest who had the full authority to the most confidential information within the order. This was something they have found out after years of dedicated investigation. So, the information that they could acquire was limited to the ones from the general followers.


    But the investigation was still a success as they found out that the word ¡®saintess¡¯ had never been mentioned between the general followers.


    ¡°Are you keeping watch on the informer¡¯smovement as well?¡±


    ¡°We have found no particular movements so far since his return to the capital and after the knight had left the capital.¡±


    Kasser had originally planned to arrest Rodrigo. But he felt like he needed to find out about the ¡®ritual¡¯ which Rodrigo had mentioned to Eugene. For that reason, he decided to keep his eyes on him throughout the dry season.

 Chapter 212

    ¡°I bet you have an inkling of who the informer really is by now.¡±


    When Kasser commended Verus to keep a close watch on Cage (Rodrigo is his real name), the informer, he did not tell Verus that Cage was indeed the high priest of the Mara order.


    The pretext for the surveillance was ostensibly because he deceived the queen, not because he was a heretic. Kasser had kept Verus in the dark as he did not want his exhaustive watch to evoke Cage¡¯s vigilance unnecessarily.


    But Kasser knew it was merely a question of time before Verus found out about Cage¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°When I caught the movement of influential followers within the order making contact with him surreptitiously. But my conjecture hardened into certainty when he left the capital.¡±


    Kasser nodded his head. He already expected it after he read about Verus¡¯s report on his way to the Holy City for the ritual ceremony, as Verus acquired Mara order¡¯s inside information right after Cage left the capital and found out about Knight Pides¡¯s return to the capital.


    ¡°According to the intelligence, he is suspected of his involvement in a shady conspiracy and there¡¯s also a speculation that there is someone else behind him who¡¯s giving out instructions.¡±


    ¡°By someone else, do you mean the Great priest or the Saintess that you have commended for investigation, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Although you said you have found no traces of their existence, it¡¯s still hard to ignore since there have been speculations. And even if we arrest the fanatics, I don¡¯t think we can force them into a proper confession. So instead, I am going to catch them in the act to find out what they are really up to. Their next movement is predicted to be around the period of transition from the dry season to the active period. Until then, don¡¯t take your eyes off them and beware not to arouse their suspicion. Don¡¯t leave them any room for doubt.¡±


    ¡°I will keep your words in mind, Your Majesty.¡± Verus said.


    ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    Kasser lowered his gaze to one of the reports that Verus had brought and started reading. But somehow, Verus hesitated before he gave his reply.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else to report?¡±


    ¡°The queen had given me her order to carry out an investigation on Cage before. I would like to ask if there is any information I should keep confidential before I give Her Majesty my reports on the findings.¡±


    ¡°After what he had done to the queen, every information about him is fully shared between me and the queen. There is no need for you to give your reports to her again.¡±


    Normally, Verus would have appreciated king¡¯s consideration for lessening his work. But not this time, as he had received a special command before he came to the palace today.


    His wife, who was invited to the place by the queen a couple of days ago, had dropped by his office on her way back home, looking heavily flustered.


    [What on earth has happened? What is going on around? Did something happen in the palace?]


    He asked her with concern if something unpleasant happened during the gathering with the queen. But Charlotte was looking rather flushed with excitement as she spoke up.


    [That¡¯s what I want to ask you. When was the last time you met with the queen?]


    [¡­About a month ago I believe.]


    [Tell me exactly. Did you actually speak to the queen or did you just give your greetings?]


    [I had paid my visit to the queen as she asked to see me.]


    [Yet it didn¡¯t come to your notice? That there¡¯s something different about Her Majesty?]


    [What do you mean?]


    [The queen seemed like a totally different person!]


    Although he sensed a strange unfamiliarity when he met with the queen about a month ago, he didn¡¯t actually give much thought to it. As in his opinion, it wasn¡¯t such a significant change for his wife to show such a dramatic response to it.


    He had never had a long conversation with the queen in the first place, so he presumed the same for his wife. But Charlotte gave him a pathetic look as he seemed speechless.


    [And you call yourself a Chancellor when you are this tactless?]


    [I never knew you were on visiting terms with the queen.]


    [I am not. It has nearly been a year since I last met with the queen. But couldn¡¯t you tell right away? From her expression to her way of speaking. Even her gaze looked different.]


    Verus got another scolding from Charlotte for his insensitivity when he gave her his honest opinion.


    [I was well aware that she was now being addressed as the queen, but it just felt so strange to actually address her differently. As you know, she always insisted on being addressed as Anika before. And I bet you remember the incidents occurred due to her insistence.]


    [Yes, I do remember.]


    [She was unusually genial towards Lady Waze as well. Although it was a long time ago, I had seen her treating Lady Waze in a very different manner¡­anyhow, there must be an explanation for the sudden changes in her behavior. But what could it be? There¡¯s no distinct reason for Her Majesty to afresh her relations with Lady Waze who has no significant influence in high society anymore.]


    Verus had a bad feeling as he watched his wife who had started to mutter to herself. His wife, the Count Charlotte Oscar was widely known as a woman of composed disposition in a somewhat aloof manner as she hardly shows her feelings outwardly.


    However, there was a hidden side of her which only her family knows about. Charlotte hardly takes interest in things going on around her, but she could be persistent once she gets intrigued by something.


    Verus knew very well about her persistent nature more than anyone else from his experience. In the year he came of age, he got entangled with Charlotte who was five years older than him and before he knew it, he found himself walking down the aisle with her.


    [What plausible excuse do you think I can give to meet with the queen again? In a more natural manner rather than an audience¡­. Why don¡¯t you try to arrange a meeting?]


    [How?]


    [Just come up with some good excuses. A dinner for example, that sounds like a good occasion.] His wife looked adamant in meeting with the queen again, that Verus found himself deliberating.


    [¡­A dinner?] He had suggested.


    Apart from his sense of loyalty, the king¡¯s presence has always intimidated him somehow. Therefore, he was content with his current relationship with the king where he just has to faithfully follow the command and give his reports whenever necessary.


    What in the world was he supposed to do sitting across from the king during the whole dinner when he couldn¡¯t even think of things to say during the dinner with his own father?


    But even Verus Ricksen, who was known as the Iron Chancellor, had an unexpected side as he was indeed a henpecked husband who never dared to contradict his wife, Charlotte. The initiative was taken by Charlotte before marriage and things didn¡¯t turn around differently even after they were married.


    Verus was very much committed to Charlotte like he was to the king but just in a different way and he needed to report his progress to her tonight.


    He had beat his brains out and decided to find a chance to propose the dinner during his audience with the queen, as asking the king himself was out of his question. But his so-called plan had come to naught even before he could try.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have said anything in the first place.¡¯


    It was now impossible for him to pay a visit to the queen when the king himself had told him there was no need to.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have an urgent report to make.¡±


    Chamberlain¡¯s voice was heard from outside. And when he was allowed to enter, he got himself right to the king and placed a round container on the table.


    ¡°It is an urgent telegram from the Holy City delivered by the homing pigeon. It seems to contain top secret information.¡±


    Chamberlain¡¯s face had stiffened with tension as this was the first time they received a top secret telegram from the Holy City.


    Kasser opened the container and unrolled the telegram on the spot. His brow furrowed as he skimmed through the short message. When Kasser looked up from the telegram to give his orders to his chamberlain, he spotted Verus who was still standing nearby.


    ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Although Verus was curious, he left the room right away as he knew he would eventually be told if it was something he needed to know. And whatever related to the Holy City was not under his jurisdiction anyway. He walked down the corridor rather light-heartedly as he now had a reasonable excuse to tell Charlotte.


    The chamberlain came out running to inform the queen in obedience to the king¡¯s order. And when Eugene arrived at the king¡¯s office with the chamberlain, everyone left immediately as she entered.


    In the office where they were now alone, Kasser showed Sang-Je¡¯s telegram to Eugene.


    ¡°So¡­ he¡¯s asking me to come to the Holy City. You expected more than a month.¡±


    ¡°I did. As it will take at least a month for the knight to travel back to the Holy City and then come back again to the capital with Sang-Je¡¯s orders. But looks like Knight Pides had sent a letter to Holy City beforehand.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sang-Je then sent this telegram as soon as he received that letter.¡±


    ¨C In the name of Mahar,


    This was the first line written on the telegram. It was to suppose Sang-Je as the sole emperor of the world as ¡®Mahar¡¯s will¡¯ is considered as an imperial order. It wouldn¡¯t be a wise idea to go against him unless one intends to sever relations with him.


    Sang-Je requested the queen¡¯s prompt departure upon the knights¡¯ arrival as he had sent a number of his knights to escort Jin Anika to the Holy City. Maybe it¡¯s just a feature of a telegram but Sang-Je¡¯s message felt like a command rather than a request as it was brief and stern.


    ¡°Does Sang-Je often summon people through telegrams?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Sometimes, only on rare occasions. But it¡¯s quite exceptional of him to summon an Anika in this manner because normally, at least more than ten knights would be dispatched to escort an Anika throughout the whole journey.¡±


    ¡°Was the Lark tree really a big enough incident for Sang-Je to make such an exceptional move? I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s making such a fuss about it¡­.¡±


    Kasser broke into a smile at the sight of Eugene grumbling to herself. ¡°Of course it was a big incident. You are the only one who begs to differ.¡±


    He smirked as he remembered the time in the Holy City where Eugene sprouted the seed to summon a Hwansu from the lake. No Anika in the world would use their Ramita like the way Eugene did.


    When a small tree sprouted from the seed, she looked around her surroundings and crouched down to start digging up a small hole on the ground to plant the tree. And after that, she just casually dusted her hands as she walked away from it without any hesitation. It was rather him who had his eyes lingered on the tree as he looked back several times while he walked away with her.


    The tree sprouted by Anika is considered a sacred hallow which holds God¡¯s power. There would be thousands of people from all around the world who would be obliged to exchange all their fortunes with a sacred hallow, scrambling to get hold of the holiness.


    Eugene surely was an Anika who possessed a powerful Ramita beyond imagination. However, everything still felt surreal to him and Eugene herself was not fully conscious of her own power as well.


    As if one¡¯s appreciation for gold gradually decreases once surrounded by it, her indifference to her own ability had affected him eventually.


    Just a few days ago, he saw a vision of water filling the whole bedroom, but he was more surprised by himself for feeling relatively calm at the astonishing phenomena which had unfolded right before his eyes.


    ¡°Just because I received this urgent telegram, it doesn¡¯t mean I can depart right away. I have my own circumstances too.¡±


    ¡°There is no use complaining, as Sang-Je¡¯s knights are likely to arrive in two days at the very least.¡±


    ¡°Two days?¡±


    Eugene pouted her lip as she was displeased.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s just because everything I had planned for this dry season in the last active period has come to naught as he took the liberty of scheduling my trip to the Holy City. It¡¯s very annoying actually as I would have gone by myself when the time was right.¡±


    Kasser fixed his stares as if he was bewitched at Eugene¡¯s drawn looking face while she muttered her discontents to herself. And from the way she fell quiet, contemplating on whatever thought that flashed across her mind, to her face breaking into a smile when her eyes met with his¡­ Kasser just couldn¡¯t keep his stares away from her even for a moment.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Kasser looked down on her face as she fell into his arms. He found himself blindly nodding his head at her.


    ¡°What do you say to invite a few more people to the Holy City?¡±


    ¡°Who do you want to invite?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of inviting the officials¡¯ wives who had not visited the Holy City for a while because of their husbands. I have recently met with six ladies, and I think they will like my idea as well, as a way to reward them for restraining themselves even though there¡¯s no such rule forbidding their visits to the Holy City.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a great idea. Do as you like.¡±

 Chapter 213 (2)

    Pides had finally made it back to the Holy City. And upon his arrival, he went straight to Sang-je¡¯s prayer room to give his report on the progress. He went up to Sang-je, who was standing on the other side of the room as he opened the door and got down to his one knee.


    ¡°I, Knight Pides, have just returned from the Hashi Kingdom upon completion of the task, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C I highly appreciate all your efforts. You really have exceeded my expectations. It was an excellent judgement of yours to promptly deliver the news through a correspondence.


    ¡°Thank you for your generous compliment, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C But I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t reward your hard work with rest, just yet. As I will have to assign you to a new task this instant.


    ¡°I am always at your service, Your Holiness. It is my great honor to serve Mahar¡¯s will.


    ¨C I have sent an urgent telegram to send for Anika Jin to the Holy City upon the arrival of your letter and the knights have already been set out to escort her. I want you to ride down and join the knights as an escort to Anika Jin. I am sure she will be delighted to have you as her escort on her way back to the Holy City for the first time in many years.


    Pides was well aware of Anika Jin¡¯s feelings towards him for it was harder for someone not to take a hint when such a beautiful and noble young anika gives you a stare, always with a great affection in her eyes.


    Whether it was a good thing or not, they somehow ended up going their separate ways from each other. When Pides was of an age where he could easily fall for the temptations, he restrained himself with such an effort of will as Anika Jin was still a young girl. But by the time she grew up to be a fine young lady, Pides had sworn an oath to serve God with all his body and soul for a lifetime by taking the vow of celibacy after he went through a great misfortune in his life.


    On the very next day of his declaration, Anika Jin came to see him. But all she did was to give him a long stare in silence, with her sorrowful eyes which later turned to resentment before she left. Pides still can¡¯t get over the look she had given him that day.


    So, when he recently encountered her at Hashi kingdom, he sensed a significant air of unfamiliarity around her. Maybe it was because she was now married, or maybe the interval of three years between them was long enough to change how they once had felt for each other. He now spotted nothing more than a token of courtesy in her eyes when she looked at him.


    Although he had realized that he no longer meant anything to her anymore, he obediently responded to Sang-je¡¯s order without complaint.


    ¡°I will set off right away, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C And about the letter you sent, it contained no other news apart from the incident regarding the Lark tree. Are you certain that you have delivered my letter to Anika Jin?


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. And when she finished reading it, she had asked me to inform you that she was still in search, as her reply to your letter.


    Sang-Je¡¯s brow had slightly furrowed with his eyes still closed.


    ¨C That was all?


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C ¡­Very well.


    Pides, who had vowed his head before he turned around to leave, came to a halt and hesitated before he spoke.


    ¡°Your Holiness. If only I may, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share your wisdom to a doubt of mine. ¡°


    ¨C It would be my pleasure.


    ¡°Will it be possible for something other than a seed¡­ a lark to actually transform into a tree?¡±


    ¨C It certainly is possible. In fact, the very tree in the main square which is widely known to the people was actually a lark instead of a seed.


    ¡°I beg your pardon? If so, how can it¡­¡±


    ¨C If the fact ever goes out to the world, the kingdoms then would scramble for Anikas during the active periods, to have them as a spearhead during their war against the larks. But Anika is not born to the world to be sacrificed for such a trivial purpose. Moreover, not all Anika have such power. The miracle was first realized by Anika Roxy, who was known to possess the strongest Ramita, and among all the Anika in existence at the moment, it was only Anika Flora who had the same ability as her. But now I believe, Anika Jin has got herself the same ability as well.


    Pides was astonished by what he just heard as he revolved them in his mind. According to Sang-je, Anika Flora had a powerful Ramita, enough to be comparable to Anika Roxy¡¯s, who is considered as a legend. And that now Anika Jin¡¯s Ramita was no less than theirs as well.


    ¨C That is the reason why I have urgently sent for Anika Jin. As you must¡¯ve noticed, Anika Jin¡¯s Ramita is tenuous, but if her Ramita has somehow evolved, it surely is an unprecedented situation for us all. Therefore, Pides, I need you to bring Anika Jin back to the Holy City at all costs.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. I will get right on it with all my might.¡±

 Chapter 214

    When Pides left the room, Sang-je called for the knight who was guarding the entrance to the stairs which connects to his prayer room. Although there was a distance-wise limit in his ability to send out his voice, there was no corner in this very palace that his voice couldn¡¯t reach.


    The knight entered the room in an instant.


    ¡°I am at your command, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C I forbid everyone from entering the prayer room from now on until my further order. I will not meet anyone, and my prayer shall not be disturbed until I open the door.


    Every once in a while, Sang-je would shut himself in the prayer room for a day or two cutting himself off from all outside contact. The knight replied to Sang-je¡¯s usual command and left the room. The only entrance to the prayer room will now be placed under strict surveillance by the knights.


    Sang-je opened his eyes when he was finally left alone in his prayer room. His vivid red pupils were glinting viciously as they were giving off a ferocious air instead of a sacred aura.


    ¡®Still in search?¡¯


    Sang-je muttered Anika Jin¡¯s reply to his letter, as Pides delivered.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be true.¡¯


    [Your Holiness, I will retrieve my Ramita back no matter what. So please help me in acquiring something I need to do so.]


    Anika Jin had asked for his permission for her to marry a king, as a treasure of a kingdom was needed to retrieve her lostRamita. As both Jin¡¯s and his wish coincided, he gave his permission for Jin, who was one of the noble Anikas born for the first time in ten years, to leave for a faraway kingdom that stood in the middle of a desert.


    He¡¯d taken his chance when he allowed her to do whatever she wished. He knew how much Jin had suffered, as she regarded herself as an Anika in name only when her Ramita was lost. There was no way Jin could have transformed the lark into a tree if she still had not found what she needed.


    ¡®There were some doubtful aspects in the king¡¯s correspondence as well.¡¯


    Both Pides¡¯s and King¡¯s correspondence had arrived almost around the same time. In principle, the King was supposed to take an immediate action and inform the Holy City about the Lark tree incident using the fastest method.


    Although he did not find faults with the King as his responsibility was now fulfilled, but to think that the other kings of different kingdoms would have taken rather active steps under the same circumstances, he was not fully satisfied.


    ¡®Although he never falls into my clutches easily, he is still a perfect watchdog to keep watch on the desert.¡¯


    He was just the man Sang-je needed to stand guard for Mara, lurking somewhere in the far desert.


    ¡®Mara.¡¯


    Sang-je¡¯s face contorted like a growling animal. It was clearly his fault, his own miscalculation as he did not see it coming at all.


    ¡®It had never crossed my mind that he would ever become such a big threat, broadening his influence sneakily behind my back all these years.¡¯


    It was Mara, who had caused Jin to lose her Ramita in the first place. Although it was the fault of the followers to be exact, but as everything happened due to Mara¡¯s existence, it seemed only right to put the blame on Mara.


    ¡®Anika Jin. Why did you lie to me? Living as a queen seemed like your cup of tea? So, you wanted to stick around in that kingdom forever?¡¯


    That simply won¡¯t do. Sang-je perversely grumbled to himself.


    ¡®I¡¯ll need to go see him for verification before I meet with Anika Jin.¡¯


    Sang-je¡¯s face slowly turned pale and almost translucent after a while, enough to see the surroundings of the room through his skin. He tutted as he looked down to his almost transparent hands.


    ¡®What a waste of my strength just to maintain this helpless body which I can¡¯t even feel anything from.¡¯


    Later, he vanished into thin air as his body turned completely transparent. All there was left in the prayer room was his classical cassock, flopped down onto the floor.


    ***


    Somewhere at the farthest point on the outskirts of the Holy City, there stood an outer wall which was built so high that the surroundings were kept hidden completely from men¡¯s sight.


    And with all the cracks and damages visible in places, the high wall of stone seemed of considerable antiquity while the closely spaced rusty bars on top of the wall were looking terrifying enough to give someone an eerie sensation on sight. The full extent of the estate approximated along its walls was almost as large as a district in the street of Holy City.


    Once a public land but after being turned over to a private ownership, there were abundant speculations flying about concerning its new owner. Soon, the word spread from mouth to mouth about the owner¡¯s distress in finding a new use for the land due to its poor accessibility has become an established fact.


    The land went bleak and desolate without anyone hardly ever setting foot onto it ever since the place was ominously stigmatized, as the rumor about the place being haunted has been bruited about for years.


    The petition for demolition was often drawn up by the local residents but somehow the plan always fizzled out in the end since it was a private property placed somewhere off the beaten track where its existence would never come to known unless someone took the trouble to find the way to it.


    Although the place was mostly unknown to the people of Holy City, it was a well-known fact to the residents nearby that the estate surrounded by its high walls had once served as a prison although it has been long since it was last used for its purpose.


    The exact structure of the prison remains a mystery to this day, but the general speculation was that the place would now consist of a dilapidated prison building which were about to topple, surrounded thick with overgrown weeds taller than a grown man¡¯s height. But in contrast to all conjectures, nothing behind the walls looked even remotely close to any of the wild expectations.


    The very first thing that came into sight from the front gate was the building standing in the centre of the open field which was fully paved with cobblestones. The sparsely visible weeds which had grown through the little cracks between the pavings were the only greens noticeable throughout.


    Furthermore, the grovels underfoot all across the stone paving made a loud creaking noise every time one crunched across. The measure seemed to be one of the prison¡¯s preventive efforts to refrain the prisoners from escaping.


    The whole place was in a remarkably fine state of preservation and even the grovels looked their freshest, evenly scattered to every corner of the field as if it was recently tended by human hand. No sign of long periodic neglect was found despite the rumors that its use as a prison had already ceased a very long time ago.


    The old prison which was set in the middle of the open land was no more than a building of one story high. However, the building was much bigger than how it looked from the outside as it was an underground prison with hidden dungeons underneath the ground.


    Through the heavily steeled iron gate on the front, two men-at-arms were guarding by the one and only entrance that connects to the underground prison. One of the guardsmen who was standing straight as a ramrod jerked his head around as if he sensed a movement in the air whilst the other reflexively drew his crossbow.


    In a moment, a grotesque looking figure appeared in front of them out of nowhere. And despite being in the shape of a man, the figure hardly seemed like a real human due to its translucent body. Also, it almost seemed like it was floating in the midair as its lower body was nowhere to be found.


    But the guardsmen weren¡¯t frightened at the sight of the ghostlike figure in the least. Instead, they eased their vigilance and lowered their heads before the floating figure.


    A pair of vivid red pupils contemplated them in silence when its blonde hair shone dimly in exposure to the sunlight.


    ¡°Anything unusual?¡± The man made a grating sound as if he were straining his vocal cord to make a sound by force. But the blonde man¡¯s lips hardly parted as the sound was made.

 Chapter 216 (1)

    The day of departure for Holy City was decided to be on the following day after having three days to make all the arrangements, counting from the very day Sang-je¡¯s urgent message arrived at the castle. As the castle was to be left vacant in absence of both the king and the queen, the departure couldn¡¯t be forwarded any sooner than that.


    As time was tight with all the preparations to be made within, there was quite a commotion with people bustling in and out of the castle. Servants were hectic as they nimbly packed away for the long journey ahead while higher officials were too busy sorting out pressing state affairs which required urgent clearance from above. Both the king and the queen were very much occupied as well, as there were plenty of adjustments to be made to their official schedules as every state affairs would be suspended until their return to the castle.


    Eugene handed the document back to her aide after she was done with the review.


    ¡°Proceed as planned while I am away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Sandy replied to Eugene. One of her three aides was to stay in the castle while she traveled with the other two and it was Sandy who had accompanied her in the last journey to the Holy City that volunteered to remain as she hesitated to be away from home for personal reasons.


    ¡°The indefinite postponement of the scheduled audiences is what gives me trouble the most. See that you prioritize the ones on the top of the list when they are rescheduled upon my return.


    ¡°I will see to that, Your Majesty.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t so much in Eugene¡¯s hand that required her immediate attention as she was yet to officially administer the matters of state. So, she had managed to come to the end of her duties by noon, a day before their departure.


    But as for the king, things were quite different as he had been working day and night for the last two days hardly getting a rest. It¡¯s been days since Eugene had last seen his face as he had not been returning to their bedchamber even at nights. And to hear that he barely has the time for a proper meal, Eugene resented Sang-je for his abrupt summon as much as she felt sorry for Kasser.


    ¡®How outrageous of him to summon a king on such a short notice when even a humble traveler needs time for arrangements to be made before setting out on a journey.¡¯


    However, her thoughts, there was something she was clearly mistaken about. It was only her alone who Sang-je had actually summoned in the first place. Eugene had no idea that it was Kasser who was straining himself like a horse without reins.


    When Eugene was about to drop by her study as she still had plenty of time to spare before the departure, a servant came to her with a message.


    ¡°Your Majesty, a message from Count Oscar has just been brought by her servant.¡±


    Eugene unfolded Charlotte¡¯s message as she was handed over. It contained Charlotte¡¯s request for an audience with her concerning their journey to Holy City.


    Two days before today, Eugene had sent out six invitations and aside from one lady whose child was suffering from high fever, the other five had all agreed to leave with her for Holy City.


    As there were tedious procedures in arranging the audiences in the palace, they have been exchanging messages with each other through the servants of their own instead. So, Eugene has never met with any of the ladies ever since their last meeting.


    Although it was against common decency to request for a sudden meeting especially when the person holds higher status than the requestor, it seemed to be more than understandable in current circumstances.


    ¡°Send back my word by her bearer that her request is granted.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    After a while, Eugene called out to her servant to give her commands.


    ¡°Escort Count Oscar to the terrace upon her arrival.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Eugene swiftly rose to her feet and left her office as she was fancying a cup of tea. And the terrace seemed like a better place to have a conversation with Charlotte rather than her office, as it would be easier to grasp her character under a relaxed atmosphere.


    She never had the chance to find out about the count during her last meeting with the ladies. But when she had asked Kasser if he knew anything about the Chancellor¡¯s wife on an off chance, she was told something very interesting about Charlotte from Kasser.


    [I¡¯ve heard that their families were on visiting terms for a long time, so they had known each other since a young age.]


    [So, they had been engaged in their families since young?]


    [I don¡¯t think they were. As it seemed like their sudden marriage announcement had come as a surprise to both of their families.]


    A romantic cliche about the two people who were once as close as a sister and brother, to realizing their feelings for each other had come right up to Eugene¡¯s mind when she first heard their story from Kasser. She wondered if it was the younger one who took up the courage to confess or was it the elder who seized the opportunity. As the both of them seemed like the typical examples of highborn, it was unimaginable to think their marriage was actually for love and it made Eugene snicker, giving full play to her own imagination.


    The terrace which stretches out to the inner court of the castle was her next favorite place to the linking bridge. As the bridge was not covered, it was hard to pass along it during the dry season because of the sun¡¯s heat. Although it was not as comparable to the grand landscape on the bridge, the terrace was cool and much to its openness, she took a liking to the atmosphere the place gave off.


    She was waiting for Charlotte¡¯s arrival while sipping her tea which was brought to her by her servant when she turned around as a presence was felt around her. But to her surprise, it was Kasser who was coming to where she was seated instead of Charlotte. Kasser strode up close before her while she was still struck dumb by the king¡¯s sudden appearance.

 Chapter 216 (2)

    ¡°I¡¯ve found it.¡± Kasser placed the notes which he came in holding and unfolded them right on the table. And with the tip of his finger, he pointed to one of the pages which had already faded yellow with time. ¡°Here.¡±


    Eugene saw that it was a word that he was pointing at. But as the word was written in cursive and with its ink smudged all over the paper, it took Eugene some time before she could read out the word.


    ¡°Abu¡­?¡±


    ¡°I had ordered the librarians to run through the old parchments in the castle and this is what they have brought to me just now. These are the personal notes of the late king, the third king of the kingdom to be more exact.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a diary?¡±


    ¡°Close enough.¡±


    Eugene, who seemed puzzled for a while, came to realize what the word ¡®Abu¡¯ written on the late king¡¯s diary had implied. She looked up at him with her eyes wide in amazement.


    ¡°Which means that the owner of the Turtle Hwansu was¡­?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it. It was the late king who had first moved from the Holy City to the kingdom¡¯s present capital.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­.so there¡¯s no wonder as to why it took shelter in the Holy City. The place must mean so much to it.¡±


    When they were told by Aldrit about the things he had been told by Hwansu, had made them all wonder what would become of a king¡¯s Hwansu after the king passed. Kasser knew nothing of it as he had never raised those kinds of questions before. Moreover, he also had no idea as to what had happened to the late king¡¯s Hwansu before.


    [It was only after the king¡¯s funeral that I realized his Hwansu had already disappeared.]


    Kasser told Eugene as he traced back his dim memory of that day. But at the same time, a doubt had flashed across her mind which she could not quite comprehend.


    [I am not surprised as you must have been in a deep sorrow with no mind to care about Hwansu as it was your father who had passed. But is it possible that not a single person in the kingdom cared to look after it?]


    [There are controversial views about Hwansu in people¡¯s eyes. Although they serve their kings with their loyalty, they do not officially represent the kingdom nor the king because without the king¡¯s ability to take control of them, they are more or less as frightening as a lark.]


    [Which only gives another reason as to why we need to keep a close eye on them. Because without their king around, they could wildly ride on around our world like horses without rein.]


    [If only there were any precedents for it. But what every Hwansu did after their king¡¯s passing was only to go into hiding in silence. And most of all, it is only the king who can find his own Hwansu.]


    Kasser made an additional remark by telling her that he would conduct further investigations regarding the matter when Eugene told him that she wished to find out about who the Turtle Hwansoo had once belonged to.


    [But don¡¯t get your hope too high. Hwasu¡¯s names are scarce to be found on the official records.]


    Eugene was overwhelmed with all sadness when she imagined the whole journey of Hwansu who couldn¡¯t get over with the king¡¯s death, to travel back all the way to the Holy City where it has plenty of good memories with its master.


    However, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a small laughter when her eyes followed further along the arrow mark connected to the word ¡®Abu¡¯ and found there to be a word written as ¡®troublemaker¡¯.


    ¡°The late king¡¯s Hwansu must have given him quite a suffering as he had recorded so.¡± Eugene said.


    ¡°Like what Abu does to me now.¡±


    ¡°But Abu didn¡¯t do anything. And I bet that you wouldn¡¯t find another Hwansu who¡¯s as well-behaved as Abu is now.¡± She defended Abu.


    ¡°It puts on that innocent mask of his only in your presence.¡± Kasser¡¯s almost serious attempt to defame Abu had made her laugh yet again.


    She stared into Kasser as there was a hint of excitement showing on his face. But the new discovery about Hwansu¡¯s owner couldn¡¯t be the reason behind that look as he never had much interest in the late king¡¯s Hwansu in the first place.


    ¡®I think¡­he is expecting for something. Ah!¡¯


    Eugene then smiled sweetly as she told Kasser.


    ¡°Thank you so much for not forgetting about your promise on the investigation and for telling me right after you¡¯ve found out about it. I was really curious to be honest.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s face was now looking much more satisfied as she silently gazed at him. She almost had to bite into her lips to hold back her laughter.


    This man before her had thrown aside all the work he was busy from and came running at her as soon as he found out further about Hwansu, in the excitement to deliver the news to her in person. And he was now looking at her like a child who wanted to be showered with all the praises and compliments he could get.


    ¡®He has no idea how adorable he looks to me right now.¡¯


    She had to further remind herself that he was indeed a king of their kingdom, otherwise she almost voiced her improper remarks to him without her knowing.

 Chapter 219 (1)

    ¡®How long¡­ has it been like this?¡¯


    As Praz is an intangible presence, the form it took on was nothing more than a symbol which signifies the identity of the Praz that the king had in his natural possession. Just because the Serpent king¡¯s Praz materialised in the form of a snake, it didn¡¯t really mean it had anything to do with the actual snake.


    Although it was the Serpent king¡¯s Praz which was known to have the clearest form of all, it still looked far from real. The Praz was translucent enough to see through its body from up close and with its blurry outline blended into the air of its surroundings, it was no more than a mere image of a snake.


    However, what had appeared before his eyes right now was considerably different from the Praz he had always known. Except for not being able to feel its weight around his arm, the prominent scales on its skin almost had him convinced that it was a real snake that was coiling around his arm. The vibrant colors on its vivid skin had covered every skin of his arm with a shade casted by its coiled body.


    Kasser concentrated further on his mind in an effort to bring out more of its presence out of him. And to his surprise, the body of the Praz, which was only as thick as his arm before, had suddenly swelled up to almost twice its original size.


    ¡®A little more.¡¯


    The blue snake, which had now swelled up to almost the size of a human, was coiling around his whole body as if his arm alone was too cramped for its current size.


    ¡®Go back in.¡¯


    At his command, the image of the snake had vanished into his skin as if it was being sucked into his body. And that all literally happened over a split second, barely enough for one to let out an exhale. A hollow laughter was let out by Kasser as he stared at his empty arm, clean without a single trace of blue scale.


    Despite taking into account that it was the dry season, the handling of Praz came unexpectedly easy to him and he didn¡¯t even devote his full strength to do so. It had never been this easy for him to take control of his Praz before. And he bet he had struggled more during his prince years, although the Praz was too weak to even have a form, back in those days.


    ¡®The Praz has changed?¡¯


    It was hard for Kasser to put his finger on all that was happening to him of late. No one had ever informed him about the possibility of transformation in his inborn Praz before.


    But the changes were obvious and what struck him eventually was that the changes he felt in his Praz could be the explanation for his increased vitality.


    ¡®But how?¡¯


    There must be a reason behind all these changes. He took a moment to look back on what had changed in his life recently.


    ¡®There¡¯s nothing unusual about my recent trip to Holy City as I¡¯ve visited the place numerous times before. Could it be because of the stronger larks which have started to appear more frequently as compared to the last active period? But Praz is not an ability which gets stronger the more it is used.¡¯


    His train of thought had stopped when he was about to trace back to his old memories as far as to the last active period. The image of Praz wagging its tail as it swims across the pool of water, which was only an illusion conjured up by Eugene, had flashed across his mind all of sudden.


    ¡®¡­Eugene.¡±


    Now that he thinks of it, there were a few occasions when he had felt that Praz was surprisingly well-disposed towards Eugene. But as he never assumed it to be able to have feelings like a living creature, he had not given much thought to it before.


    ¡®Is it Anika¡¯s presence around me that influences Praz?¡¯


    If that was the case, he should have felt all these changes three years ago.


    After pondering for a while, a new hypothesis came to his mind. If Anika¡¯s presence alone was not the trigger, then maybe it was the direct intimacy between him and an Anika that did the work.


    Although it¡¯s been three years since they were married, it was only three months ago when they had spent their first night together in three years of marriage. Which happens to coincide with the period he started to sense the changes in his Praz.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯


    Kasser shook his head sideways as he was not logically convinced by his own surmise. As far as he knew, both Anika¡¯s Ramita and the king¡¯s Praz were known to be contradicting each other. Isn¡¯t that the reason as to why Anika, who married the king, eventually returned to the Holy City? Most of them struggled to acclimatize themselves to the kingdom.


    He leaped up from his seat with an urge to sift through old books in the castle for more leads to the matter. But he reluctantly plopped back to his chair as soon as he realized that he couldn¡¯t afford to stray from his current tasks at hand.


    ¡®I shall look into it after I come back.¡¯


    His eyes were then set on the documents once again. He buried himself back to his work as he needed neither a nap nor a rest at the moment.

 Chapter 219 (2)

    Although it had been long since her servant left her chamber, not a single sound had drifted in through her door from outside so far. Eugene, all alone in her chamber, felt like she was growing anxious in vain the more her wait for his return prolonged.


    [I¡¯ll come see you tonight.]


    The very recall of his low whisper had caused a flutter in her chest. Eugene had always been conscious of his steady gaze as she knew his eyes were always set on hers whenever they went. But despite all that, when something of importance comes up to him, he would never stray his eyes from what he was ought to do, not even for her.


    She did fancy the way he looked when he was engrossed in his work. But at the same time, she also had this twisted thought of hers where she wanted to stir up his unwavering concentration. At this rate, she felt like she might insist on her childish act to implore him not to leave her side whatever the occasion. Eugene had always loathed the kind of lot who tended to behave differently when they start on their relationship, but now she felt like she could finally relate to them.


    ¡®Can this be¡­love? This whole unstable feeling of mine?¡¯


    The word ¡®like¡¯ did not seem to fully depict her true feelings for him. Though she was overwhelmed with joy at the thought of him, that joy would sometimes be washed over by a wave of fear lurking inside her.


    ¡®I wonder how he feels about me?¡¯


    Eugene looked into her reflection in the mirror of her dressing table. Being attended by her servants day and night, she had given herself no more than a quick glance at the mirror only to make sure she was looking presentable before she went on with her day. For the first time in a while, she studied her reflection in the mirror with some level of intensity in her eyes.


    A line had creased her brow in a sudden bewilderment. It had only been three months since she had found herself thrown into a strange world inside someone else¡¯s body. Yet, she was struggling to remember how she looked in her real world.


    ¡®Eugene¡¯ was only an average woman in her late twenties who strived her everyday life to make a living in her real world. Or one might say she had an appearance that was beyond average standard. Although it might just have been a smooth talk, she also had received multiple remarks about her looks with some regarding her as a beauty even.


    Eugene had tried to recall her real face out of the reflection that was staring back at her. As the black hair and iris were both Jin and Eugene¡¯s distinctive characteristics in their appearances, she couldn¡¯t quite bring out the faint image of herself in her distant memory over the reflection in front of her.


    She eventually had given up trying after a few more attempts, thinking there was no point in remembering her past as from now on she would be living in this new world in the way she looked in the mirror now.


    ¡®Am I fast to adjust or am I just satisfied with how I look right now?¡¯


    The woman in the mirror was without doubt an indisputable beauty even from an objective point of view. Although her impassive face gave off cold impressions throughout, there was a coquettish charm from the way she smiled with her eyes.


    Her gaze then shifted from her reflection to her hand which she had rested upon the dressing table. She gathered her fine-looking long fingers altogether so as when she held up her hand, her neatly aligned fingertips arched to a beautiful shape. And just like the slim bones of her fingers, her fine-boned physique had made her appear to be of slimmer build than she actually was.


    Her glance had moved further from the tip of her fingers along her arm and eventually stopped around at her chest. Looking down into the thin fabric of her sleeping garment, the cleavage of her ample bosom had casted a dim silhouette down under her garment.


    She was absent-mindedly observing down herself until she spotted a darkish mark on where her two mounds touched each other.


    ¡®I never realized there was a mole down there.¡¯


    After unbuttoning the front of her sleeping garment which only revealed until her abdomen, she used her fingertip to lightly press on the skin of her bosom as if to pull it up to her so she can get a clearer look at the mark she found.


    Soon, she had to gasp at her own finding, as the mark didn¡¯t turn out to be a mole after all. It was in fact a mark which was left on by Kasser a few nights ago.


    The mark, which was supposedly reddish, seemed to have turned bluish just in a few days of time. The very sight of the mark recalled the sensations she had felt when his lips were pressed upon her bre@sts as he sucked on it. She felt flushed with a sudden embarrassment as she was ashamed of herself for having disgraceful thoughts in her mind while waiting for her husband to return.


    A restless sigh escaped her as she reached out to her garment to redo her buttons.


    Knock knock.


    Eugene jerked her head to the sound at the door, looking stunned, as if she had been caught right in the middle of a shameful act. She was dumbfounded as she heard no sound of her servant calling out to her nor was she aware of the door of her chamber being opened. But somehow, he was here without her knowing¡­


    Her eyes met with Kasser¡¯s, who was standing with his one fist propped on the door as if he was knocking on it. She felt her heart plunge at the sight of him while her face burned up as if her cheeks were caught on fire.


    She averted her eyes from his smoldering gaze while her trembling fingers grasped onto the fabric of her unbuttoned sleeping garment. She turned her back on him as her mind was now filled with nothing but a strong urge to escape from the embarrassing moment, despite all the time she had waited for his return today.


    But she was soon caught by his grasp as he rushed towards her. And with his sturdy arm wrapped around her waist, he drew her body closer to him. Eugene let out a startled gasp as her body was turned back forcefully by his firm grasp despite all her resistance. He then impatiently pressed down on her lips with his, pushing himself deep into her mouth while he moved intrusively inside her.


    She was soon engulfed by his warm flesh tangled with hers in her mouth as he sucked on hers. Eugene felt her head spinning as if her body was being swallowed whole by him. And every moan of hers that escaped her intermittently was muffled by him sooner or later.

 Chapter 220 (1)

    His strong suckling had left a pulling sensation behind the root of her tongue. He gave a loud smacking kiss onto Eugene¡¯s lips as he bit around her chin and her cheeks. His smoldering desire must¡¯ve influenced her as she was feeling heightened with excitement. The surging sensation aroused from his kiss was now tingling her entire body with intensity.


    ¡°What were you doing here alone?¡±


    His gruff whisper was ringing about her ears. He reached out onto her panting chest and strongly grasped onto her mound over her sleeping garment. And with pressure on his grip, the soft flesh of her bre@st had squeezed out in between his fingers. Somehow the outline of her body revealed beneath her thin garment had in fact came as a greater provocation to him visually.


    ¡°What were you thinking about in your head? Were you recalling the way I licked across your whole body while you caressed yourself?¡±


    ¡°Hmp¡­No, aah!¡±


    He took a mouthful of her ample bosom between his teeth and bit right into it. Eugene¡¯s body was reeling from shock as she was taken by surprise.


    He slipped his hand down to her buttocks and heaved her onto the dressing table with his one hand. He fastened her body onto a stable prop and embraced her torso with his hands placed around down by her waist. Her hardened tips were temptingly revealed against the thin fabric of her tightly pulled sleeping garment.


    After staring at them with an unquenchable desire, he helped himself to a generous bite of her well-rounded bre@st as if he was biting into a sweet juicy fruit and sucked on her mound. Although there was a thin layer of her garment which prevented him from tasting her bare flesh, he cared not a fig about it.


    He rather thought it was all for the better. He felt like he could use the touch of her rough fabric against his tongue to help him cool down and get his senses back in his head. Otherwise, he was afraid that he might succumb to his greatest desire and end up hurting her flesh with his constant biting and licking.


    ¡°Ah! Ump¡­.¡±


    Eugene was using one of her hands to give support to her arching back whilst she held onto his hair with her other hand. He must¡¯ve just taken a shower because she could feel the dampness as she ran her fingers through his hair.


    Now that her garment was soaked in his saliva, the wet fabric was sticking to the peaks of her mounds more than ever. She felt the shivers running up and down her spine every time her sensitive protrusion was sucked into his mouth. She jerked her chin up in the sudden sensation and the sound of her stuff falling onto the floor by the sweep of her hands was like a distant sound to her ears.


    ¡°Hmmp, Mhm¡­.¡±


    As he strongly yanked her unbuttoned front garment away, one side of her shoulders was completely revealed through the helplessly lopsided collar, where a mound of her bre@st escaped and dangled before him. The draft brushing across her defenseless flesh made her shiver with sudden coldness. But before long, a warm flesh was rolled around at her cold tip and violently sucked her flesh back into the warmth.


    ¡°Hmmp!¡±


    Strangely, a tingling sensation was felt around her private entrance in between her inner thighs when it was her bre@sts that were being engulfed. To the instinctively locked legs of hers, he had managed to slip his hand in between her crossed legs and before she knew it, her legs had helplessly spreaded apart by the strong grip of his hands.


    He revealed her inner thighs to himself as he lightly brushed his hand over her most sensitive part, hidden underneath her undergarment. His fingers penetrated her fabric easily from the sideways and he tantalizingly rubbed against her wet entrance. Through her entrance, slippery with trickling fluid, he pushed one of his long fingers all the way to her insides. And not long after he retracted his finger free from her, it was back on her entrance rubbing for another deep penetration.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Eugene flinched as she was bitten on her tit by the lips that were sucking on her bosom. Hastily, her undergarment was stripped halfway down, hanging loose around her thighs. And to her exposed skin, he placed down his hand and firmly grasped around her bare privates with his palm. With that, he shallowly slipped an inch of his finger into her opening and before long, his whole finger was deeply shoved all the way through and scratched her inner walls with his bent fingertip as he slipped out from her.


    She was wet through with the fluid seeping from her opening, which eventually trickled down along his hand to his arm as her part engulfed his finger. The sounds coming from the wet rubdowns were then mingled with indistinguishable heavy breathings in the room.


    As he continued to shove his finger in and out of her body, Eugene¡¯s most sensitive erogenous zone was starting to get stimulated by his repeated fingering.


    ¡°Ugh. Hmmp¡­¡±


    Eugene moaned as she gasped for breath. Kasser, whose tongue tip was rubbing eagerly against her peak, fiercely sucked on her well-rounded mound until it hollowed.


    Gradually, his fingering got roughened as he started to pick up his pace. Enthralled by the shower of his caresses, her body was tilted to the back while intermittent nasal sounds escaped her from time to time. Her arm was tottering behind her back as she struggled to give support to her arching back.


    In response to his conduct, she gently rocked her waist in the direction of his hand and felt the prickling sensations agglomerating down in her lower abdomen as if her sticky wet part was burning with heat.


    A few more rubs would have sufficed for her to reach her rousing peak. But to her regret, he sneakily tantalized around her verges before he abruptly pulled out his hand from her body completely.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    A wistful sigh was let out from Eugene¡¯s mouth in disappointment. With her cheeks desirably flushed like an appetizing fruit, she hazily gazed at him through her merely opened eyes.


    ¡°Ha..ah¡­..¡±


    Kasser, who seemed to have reached his breaking point, heaved a sigh as he jerked his head to swallow up her lips. With his mouth adhered onto hers, he promptly devoured the soft inner flesh of her opened mouth and soon, they were entwined around each other altogether.


    He then clasped her body to his chest by tightening his arm around her waist. Eugene, who was perching on her dressing table, reflectively held out her arms as if to embrace him when she realized that her body was lifted into the air. But it turns out that she had floundered her arms in vain as her lifted body was turned in an instant.


    Her chest, soaked in Kasser¡¯s saliva, was now pressed flat on the cold surface of her dressing table. It was only when her toe tips slightly touched the ground, she realized that she was barely standing with her upper body bent at the waist over the table. And before she knew it, the dress she was wearing was rolled up to her waist and her narrowly hanged underwear was stripped further down to her knees.


    She placed her forehead on the back of her hand while she panted for breath. Overpowered by the force of his grip pushing against her bent back, her body seemed to have stiffened even after his hand was lifted.


    Then, when he grasped on her butt0cks and revealed her cleft by spreading them apart, she couldn¡¯t help but to feel deeply disgraced by his abruptness. But her body, knowing what to expect from a man, highly anticipated the impact yet to come. Instinctively, she felt a flinch in her opening as her lower abdomen tightened with tingle.


    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±


    She faintly let out a moan at the touch of a hot sensation on her rear.

 Chapter 220 (2)

    Slowly, he invaded her by gently rubbing his bulk against her wet opening and stretched her inner walls to gain more access into her body.


    Normally, he would have taken more time and care in opening her body. But the warmth of her inner flesh and the tightness around his finger was graphically vivid in his mind. So, at the end of his tether, he jerked his waist and crushed himself into her body to the fullest. And with his thigh thrashed against her hip, he was now deeply embedded in her, to the root.


    ¡°Hm-mp!¡±


    Eugene¡¯s body had leapt up from the sudden thrust. The pressure that filled below her body had surged up right under her neck. But in the next instant when he seemed to have pulled away, she was filled with another ravenous rush, with sparks flashing across her eyes in a blink.


    ¡°Hm..mp!¡±


    Kasser shifted his gaze on his manh0od with a lust as he swiftly slipped in and out from her flushed inner flesh.


    If anything, it looked as if he was being sucked into her puckering entrance. And from there, he felt the vivid tension surrounding his stuff as her inner wall tightened around him. The feeling of her muscle movement on his skin was truly pleasurable. Before long, he found himself gasping for air as a tingling sensation ran along his spine.


    Moreover, the very sight of his manh0od slipping out between the cleft of her plump butt0cks was almost beyond description. Veins stood out on his blackish manh0od, which by now was all slippery and glossy from her liquids. From her captively rocking hips to her slender waist, her body was helplessly swayed by the force of his pounding movements. He was soon overwhelmed by his brutal urge to torment her delicate body to her limits.


    ¡°Hmm¡­.mp!!¡±


    Kasser continued to let out his urge until her sobbing moans turned to a coquettish shriek. He then pierced deeper to her end and stroked on her wall before he pulled out from her. The soft and fair flesh on her hips had rosed as if she was spanked.


    ¡°Ah! Ah-ah!!¡±


    His every thrust had made her body to lurch impotently as if she was falling to the bottom of the world. At the same time, she fumbled her hands and nails to get a hold on to her dressing table in order to brace herself against his fierce movements.


    But despite her efforts, her affabrous dressing table was needlessly well-finished that it had nowhere for her to grip on. With a brush of her hand, the items on the table fell and tumbled messily onto the ground with a loud clunk.


    Eugene¡¯s leg repeatedly jerked up in midair everytime he was crushed in and was back on the ground by her toes when she was left empty. Her staggering legs were firmly fixed into a position thanks to Kasser¡¯s tight grasps.


    ¡°Ah..ah¡­..¡±


    The utmost sensation surged through her body like a sudden ferocious tide. Involuntarily, she clenched her hands into tight fists while her head was thrown backwards from the tension. Her inside, filled with his manh0od, had tightly narrowed by the ensuing pleasure.


    Kasser winced as he gritted his teeth to bear with the constricting spasms from her walls, with all his strength. Gradually, as the squirming sensation from her inner movement subsided, he seized his moment and gently massaged against her loosen walls.


    ¡°Ah! Hmm..mp¡­¡­¡±


    With his one hand pressing down her trembling back, the movement of his waist was surprisingly delicate, in contrast to his glaring gazes.


    The shivering he felt around the nape of his neck was then altered to a hot rush of sensual pleasure all at once. With his patience exhausted, he erupted his urge and trembled as he filled her inside with his warm fluid.


    When he finally slipped out from her limp body with a gentle twist in his waist, her entrance was then left empty with a throb. From there, thick and murky body fluids came pouring out as if a stopper was removed from a hole and trickled down to her feeble thighs. Kasser¡¯s eyes were suffused with uncanny pleasures as he speechlessly stared into the sight before him, washed over by his visceral urge towards her.


    Eugene caught her breath with her body lolled on the dressing table. One of her mounds which was left exposed all along from her disheveled clothing was practically glued to the flat surface of her dressing table, drenched in her own sweat. On account of that, she didn¡¯t have to worry about her upper body slipping down from the table.


    But she was hardly given enough time to even get her breath back. Her undergarment, which was loosely hanging around her knees, was finally stripped from her once and for all. After that, she was dragged by his pull as he wrapped his arm around her lower waist. And as if he was toying with a doll, he nimbly undressed her from her sleeping garment and grabbed her face in his direction.


    She feebly blinked as he leaned forward to level gaze with hers. And before long, they were deeply engaged in kisses. He gently licked her soft lips and rubbed intently against her inner flesh.


    Kasser then seated himself onto a chair which had been pushed afar by their earlier conducts and pulled her staggering body close to him. Grabbing her waist by his hands, he seated her body right onto his lap.


    Eugene realised only belatedly of the strong presence of his manh0od. Thinking that she would never get used to that sight of his, she instinctively backed away from him in bewilderment.


    ¡°Ah, wait¡­.¡±


    But regardless of her fumbling resistance, he seized her pelvis with his hands to fit her entrance with his and yanked her body right onto him.


    ¡°Hmm-mp!¡±


    Her wet entrance had enveloped his bulk with comparative ease. Eugene uttered a piercing shriek as she clinged on to his arm. And as she was deeply inserted under the weight of herself, she nearly swooned from that impactive pain. He then pressed his lips onto her cleavage as if to lull her shivering body.


    A little later, he grabbed on her pelvis once again and lifted her body up from his lap. With that, she felt like he was slipping out from her like a loose nail. But she was soon heavily hammered again as her body flopped onto his lap by his pull.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    With her hips seized by his tight grip, her body began rocking back and forth by the force of his every shove. Sounding wet noises were then transpired by the intimate contact of their bare skin down below. Kasser, who was gazing at her bouncing bre@sts in awe, fully took her mound with his mouth in an instant and suckled on it wildly.


    ¡°Ah! Ugh! Please slow down¡­..Hmm-mp!¡±


    Eugene had to close her eyes as she was getting dizzy from her spinning visions. And whenever her inside was poked, she was washed over by painful, yet pleasurable sensations. Down to her chest, his persistent suckling was starting to cause prickling aches around her peaks. Eugene had no choice but to wrap her arms around the head of the man who was devouring her ravenously, as the man¡¯s body was the only thing she could possibly hold on to at that moment.

 Chapter 221 (1)

    If a circle were to be drawn around the Hashi kingdom¡¯s territory, the most north-westerly outline would be deemed as the kingdom¡¯s national boundary line with the deadly desert. The kingdom¡¯s capital was in fact located behind the monarch castle¡¯s outer wall, which marks as the boundary between the kingdom and the desert.


    Although it was more common for a kingdom¡¯s capital to be situated in the center for the sake of checks and balances, Hashi kingdom¡¯s capital was unusually placed at the northern tip of its land.


    The fact that the monarch¡¯s residence was indeed located in the most dangerous part of the country¡¯s land, highly reflected the reign¡¯s ideology on ruling as it signified the king¡¯s firm determination to protect his people from the harm, on the frontline. Therefore, the capital was indeed the safest, yet the most dangerous land in the kingdom.


    Normally, it would take a total of fifteen to twenty days of journey on the road to arrive at the Holy City from Hashi kingdom¡¯s capital. But as this particular procession was accompanied by the noble ladies travelling in their respective carriages, it was most likely that it would take them more than twenty days of marching to reach the Holy City


    The procession consisted of fifteen carriages, respectively carrying the queen and the other five noble ladies with their attendants, and there were another five carriages fully loaded with baggage and goods. The king was on the lead on his Hwansu, escorted by scores of warriors which constructed a defensive formation around the procession, creating a grandour scene as they continued to march on. People were then pouring out onto the streets as they hailed at the procession, sending off the Royal couple on their journey.


    Eugene was already feeling bored and tired although it was only the first day of the journey. All of the ladies were riding alone in their own carriages and so was Eugene.


    ¡®It¡¯s no fun without any company.¡¯


    The scenery unfolding on the outside of the carriage window was indeed a delight to her eyes. But the enjoyment did not last very long as the kingdom¡¯s landscape was pretty much the same throughout the ride. And besides, she was feeling out of sorts from tiredness as she didn¡¯t get much sleep the night before.


    Before long, she was overcome by drowsiness at noon and by the time when her carriage came to halt around twilight, she was sent into a deep slumber without even realizing the knock on her carriage.


    From the outside, her servant was nervously calling out to her once again,


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s time for you to come out from your carriage.¡±


    The poor servant waited for quite a while for Eugene to knock on her carriage wall as a sign of her permission to open the carriage door. But to her dismay, there was still no sign from the queen. Although she was thrown into confusion by the silence, it was still impossible for her to open up the queen¡¯s door at her will, without giving proper permission to do so.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    Kasser, who was watching from a distance, strode towards his wife¡¯s carriage. The servant then bowed her head and replied to her king.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Her Majesty is still in her carriage without any response, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kasser then opened her carriage door at once without any hesitation. His face hardened when he saw Eugene leaned on the carriage wall with her eyes closed. Much worried about Eugene, he hastily got on to her carriage to check on her state. But when he realized that she was only sleeping, his eyes eased at the sight of Eugene who was soundly asleep.


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    He called out her name in a soft whisper, but not in a way to wake her up. He seemed rather worried that he might disturb her sleep. As Eugene showed no response, he quietly watched her down with an endearing look in his eyes while she was busy sleeping off her fatigue.


    ¡®I wonder if it¡¯s only fatigue. I better have her checked if she is unwell or anything.¡¯


    Kasser then gingerly took her in his arms and carefully got down from her carriage.


    ***


    It has been quite a while since the ladies had been left standing rather awkwardly, after they all had gotten off from their carriages. As their queen was yet to make her appearance, they were put in quite an ambiguous position as it seemed equally inappropriate for them to be off to their accommodation before Her Majesty nor to get back on their carriage.


    With every passing second, their faces hardened the more their waiting prolonged. Most of the ladies were disinclined to leave for this trip in the first place. Furthermore, they felt like their heads were about to crack up on figuring out the queen¡¯s hidden intention behind her invitation, on the sidelines of their excitement to visit the Holy City for the first time in a long while.


    ¡°Would Lady Nelson be alright?¡±


    One of the ladies brought up Lady Nelson who had declined the queen¡¯s invitation on account of her son¡¯s sickness.


    ¡°Well, fever is a common ailment for a child in her son¡¯s age. It would have been better if she could have come though.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Although we all know how much she cares for her child, I couldn¡¯t help but to worry that she might fall into disfavor with the queen in future.¡±


    They feared that Lady Nelson¡¯s flat refusal might have offended the queen. But behind their worried look, they were alluding to the queen¡¯s deliberate intention to make them stand by on the road as to flaunt her dominant position over them.


    Talking in undertone, the three ladies glimpsed at Charlotte and Darlin. Though unofficial, the ladies were implicitly ranked according to their husbands¡¯ position in the kingdom. And needless to say, it was the Chancellor and the General¡¯s wife who had the greatest power of influence among the five of them.


    So, when the two of them did not show any sign to add in their views to their little discussion, the other three too buttoned their mouths in silence.


    After another while, they saw the king getting onto the queen¡¯s royal carriage himself. And momentarily, he reappeared from the carriage, carrying the queen in his arms. The ladies had widened their eyes in astonishment as the very sight of the royal couple had taken them by surprise. Moreover, after the king had given his command to the servant, they instantly caught the look of affection in his eyes when he looked down at his wife who seemed to be sounding asleep in his arms. They blankly watched as the king walked away into distance with the queen until a voice interrupted their silence.


    ¡°Oh my.¡±


    That one word represented what everyone was thinking in their heads, all at once.

 Chapter 221 (2)

    During breakfast the next morning, Eugene pondered on the ways she could possibly make this ¡®monotonous journey¡¯ more enjoyable. She shuddered at the thought that she had to coop up in her carriage for another half month at the least, with nothing to do but to stare into the same scenery unfolded through her carriage window.


    She glimpsed at Kasser, who was having his breakfast sitting across from her but soon dropped her eyes from him.


    ¡®I can¡¯t ask him to ride with me in my carriage just because I¡¯m bored¡­..¡±


    Apart from the eldery, the wounded or the labourers who rode on the luggage carriage, it was deemed against custom for a man to travel by carriage, especially among the nobles. Eugene didn¡¯t want him to be on everybody¡¯s lips just because of her.


    But her servant didn¡¯t seem fit as her companion as she longed for casual conversations with people.


    ¡®Maybe I could ask the officials¡¯ wives to ride with me.¡¯


    Eugene recalled the five ladies whom she had invited on this journey. They seemed perfect for her companion but she didn¡¯t know how she should ask them. As it will definitely sound like a command if she sends her servant to ask them over.


    She didn¡¯t want her words to come across as a pressure to them as it wasn¡¯t entertainment or flattery what she was looking for. She just wanted to get to know them better along their journey since this seemed like a good opportunity for her to be further acquainted with the ladies. After giving much thought about it by herself, she carefully asked Kasser for his advice.


    He paused for a moment before he gave her his advice.


    ¡°Send for Count Oscar and tell her what you think. She would then inform the other ladies accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Do you know well about Count Oscar?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. I¡¯ve just met her a few times during formal occasions, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Then is this some sort of custom that I don¡¯t know about?¡±


    ¡°Well, not that I know of.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you tell me to ask the Count about it?¡±


    ¡°The thing is, it¡¯s usually the Chancellor who takes care of the cumbersome matters in my stead.¡±


    Eugene was at first dumbfounded by his rather plain reason which seemed to have resulted from a simplistic thinking. However, as she had no other options, she had sent for the Count that morning as Kasser advised. And as a result, his advice turned out to be just right for her.


    When the procession came to a halt at noon for them to have lunch and rest, Charlotte had come in for a visit, to inform Eugene of the conclusion she and the ladies had reached from a discussion.


    Eugene was then handed over a document by Charlotte. After that, Charlotte had briefly given her explanation to Eugene, as she looked through the table which consisted of the time, date and names of the ladies.


    ¡°To our regret, our carriage does not have enough room for several people to ride in. However, Your Majesty¡¯s carriage seems spacious enough to easily fit at least three people. So, what we suggest is that we would take turns everyday in a team of two to ride with Your Majesty twice a day, one team at early noon and another at late noon.


    Without her knowing, Eugene gave an exclamation by making a ¡°Oh..!¡± sound and nodded her head in astonishment.


    ¡°Great. That¡¯s a very good suggestion indeed.¡±

 Chapter 223 (1)

    Ten days into the journey, the procession was now at the Anotty Mountains, which was in fact a physical boundary standing between the Hashi and the Slan kingdom. On the far side of the road, the mountain range had started to open up upon them as they rode on, revealing a vista of nature as they got closer.


    According to a rough outline of their remaining journey in his mind, Kasser expected another six days at least before they could finally reach the Holy City, as it occurred to him that it would take about three to four days just to ride past the mountains at their current pace.


    ¡®We¡¯ll probably arrive within 20 days¡­ It¡¯s just as I anticipated¡­¡¯


    Kasser, who was cantering on Abu, leading at the head of the procession, had caught sight of some human figures in the distance which he simply assumed as some other travelers on the road. Among all the different paths out there to cross the mountains, the road they had taken was relatively wider with gentle slopes, however a little detour was inevitable. But for the sake of the comforts of the ladies during the journey, they were left with no other options.


    Slowly, as he got closer to the standing figures, he narrowed his eyes to examine their identity as his inner intuition warned him that there was something unusual about the party ahead. And before long, he was able to make out who the figures actually were.


    He then promptly gave his signal to Sven who was riding right next to him. At his signal, Sven gave a quick nod as he pulled on the rein and soon faded from Kasser¡¯s sight as his horse slowed to a trot.


    Shortly, the formation of the warriors around the procession took a slight change with small forces of men dispersing further away to widely enclose around the lines of carriages, while some of them surrounded closely at the sides of the queen¡¯s carriage.


    However, Kasser continued to gallop ahead without slowing down. Although he found the encounter to be undesirable on their part, he knew the party held no threat to them as there were none other than Sang-je¡¯s knights who would fully clad themselves in silvery armors along with their significant red clocks, in all places and at all times.


    As the distance between the party and the marching procession began to close in, Kasser held up his hand and signaled the procession behind to slow down as he pulled on Abu¡¯s rein. After Abu came to a complete stop, every horse and carriage behind them soon followed suit.


    Sat on his saddle, Kasser watched Pides as he came up to him. When the distance between them was close enough to hold a conversation, the knight stopped and made his bow before Kasser.


    ¡°My greetings to the Desert King.¡±


    ¡°What an unexpected encounter, Sir Pides.¡±


    ¡°His Holiness had bid us to escort Anika Jin back to the Holy City in safety.¡±


    It then came to Kasser¡¯s attention that there were indeed more than ten of them in the party when he furtively casted his eyes towards the rest of the knights who were standing from a distance. He grumbled under his breath rather cynically, for it was a rare sight to witness this many knights moving as a group, as they usually carried out their duties in an independent manner.


    ¡°His Holiness may have worried unnecessarily. Or is it that His Holiness believes that I¡¯ve not taken enough measures to ensure the safety of my queen when I send her away on a journey?¡±


    ¡°I beg your forgiveness for any misunderstanding caused. But His Holiness is only worried as much as he holds dear for Anika. So henceforth, allow us to escort Anika Jin for the rest of her journey.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s brows had furrowed for a moment before they were eased again as he let out a chuckle.


    ¡°I suppose you are mistaken, Sir Pides. I have not ridden all the way here just to see her off. I¡¯m on my way to the Holy City as well.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    Instantly, Pides¡¯s head was raised out of surprise, but he was quick to lower his gaze.


    ¡°Let me make myself clear, Sir Pides. The queen will be escorted safely to the Holy City by me and my warriors and I don¡¯t intend to delegate that authority to no one else than myself. However, I wouldn¡¯t prohibit your party from joining the procession considering your service to meet us here all the way from the Holy City.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you command, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Do you speak for your party of the knights?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Your wish is our command.¡±


    ¡°Sven.¡±


    Swiftly swung off from his horse, Sven hurried himself to the king.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Show Sir Pides to the queen. He will greet her as a representative of his party.¡±


    As Sven led the way, Kasser fixed his eyes on Pides, who was going off with Sven. He even turned his upper body around to keep Pides within his sight with such a persistent gaze. If only sharp-sighted Verus were here to see his lord at the moment, he would definitely conduct a secret investigation into Pides right away. It was quite unusual for Kasser to be openly hostile toward someone as he rarely showed his feelings on his face. But as for now, he didn¡¯t even make an attempt to hide his distaste in his eyes.


    He was somehow bothered by Pides¡¯ presence without reason. Pides, who¡¯s known as one of Sang-je¡¯s most trusted knights, had strangely gotten on Kasser¡¯s nerves from the moment he brought in Sang-je¡¯s personal correspondence to Eugene.


    ¡®You were supposed to be in Holy City by now. Why even bother to come all the way again?¡¯

 Chapter 223 (2)

    Pides¡¯s reappearance implied that he was charged with yet another task by Sang-je as soon as he was done with his previous one, which made Kasser all doubtful about Sang-je¡¯s intention in insisting Pides as their escort, even before he could have the time to recharge himself. Despite feeling uneasy about turning a blind eye to his hunch as much as if there were coarse grain of sands in his mouth, still, none of the justifiable reasons had come to his mind.


    After having sensed a presence approaching him closely, he quickly snapped out of his musings and turned his head around. From there, he saw an unfamiliar looking warrior making a bow before him, who seemed to be one of the warriors who were standing in the vicinity of Sang-je¡¯s knights a moment ago. But as they were donned in an attire distinctly different from the warriors of Hashi Kingdom, Kasser knew right away that they were indeed the affiliated warriors from the Slan Kingdom.


    ¡°It is my great honour to give my greetings to the Desert King. I am Tyren, Slan¡¯s shadow.¡±


    ¡°Is it the king of the Slan who sent you here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. We have been charged by His majesty to give our best escort to the king and the queen of Hashi on their way to our kingdom.¡±


    A traverse across the Slan kingdom was necessary in order to get to the Holy City from the Hashi kingdom. In the case of a common traveller, one only needed to be issued with a travel pass in accordance with the terms of treaty between the two kingdoms. But as for a king, different levels of formalities applied. An exchange of diplomatic documents of request and approval was the customary procedure.


    However, as there wasn¡¯t enough time to have diplomatic envoys come and go between the kingdoms, the procession departed right after envoys were sent to the Slan Kingdom. Kasser knew this wouldn¡¯t cause them a problem as Sang-je¡¯s summon was a justifiable reason for an exemption.


    ¡°How come the warriors of the Slan were here along with the knights? Have you all just happened to meet on the road?¡±


    ¡°Not long after the envoys from Hashi Kingdom arrived at the castle, the knights from the Holy City had also come to request an audience with His Majesty. And when the knights stated that they were to cross Anotty Mountains to meet with the procession, His Majesty had bid us to accompany the knights to welcome his honorable guests. Therefore, we would like to ask Your Grace for your permission to let us be your escort to the castle from here.¡±


    If they were to make a stop at the castle, they would have to stay for at least one night to return the courtesy of the king, which meant their journey would be delayed as much as that. Suddenly, the image of Sang-je, who must be waiting impatiently for Eugene¡¯s arrival in Holy City, flashed across Kasser¡¯s mind. Carried away by his vexed feelings towards Sang-je, Kasser willingly accepted the invitation.


    ¡°My heartfelt thanks for the hospitality. I would gladly accept your offer.¡±


    ¡°As Your Majesty commands.¡±


    ***


    The journey to cross over the mountain was different from their past ridings where they only travelled on the flat grounds. The intervals of resting time were then reduced to minimum, in order to save time on the road. They proceeded as much as they could during the day before they came to halt at sunset to prepare for the night.


    There were levelled open areas laid out in every certain distance along the road, as the path was a well-trodden route for travelers. But as the procession had grown in number when they were joined by the knights and the warriors from Slan, there weren¡¯t enough spaces to make camp for everyone.


    The tents for the king and the queen, as well as for the ladies were prepared with the highest priority. Tents for their attendants were then made in the vacant spaces while the others slept in the carriages or even in the open.


    When the king¡¯s attendant was informed that the tent for his lord was made ready, he entered the prepared tent for an inspection. But when he saw nothing but a table in the interior, he faulted the servant for his poor work at once.


    ¡°You call this well prepared? Where is the bed for the king?¡±


    ¡°The bed is prepared in the next tent. This tent will serve as His Majesty¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°Office? A tent to serve as an office and another for the bedchamber? I don¡¯t remember asking you for a palace. All I asked of you was to prepare two tents for His and Her Majesty.¡±


    ¡°As per your command, only two tents are prepared.¡±


    ¡°Then what about the tent for Her Majesty?¡±


    ¡°The tent next to this one was prepared for Her Majesty and will serve as His and Her Majesty¡¯s bedchamber tonight.¡±


    He was about to make a face to the servant for his nonsense, but instead, he took a closer look into the servant¡¯s face.


    ¡°I believe you accompanied His Majesty during his last visit to Holy City as well, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    During their last journey, the tents for the king and the queen were prepared in the exact same way the servant had prepared for them tonight, with the king¡¯s tent used as an office while the queen¡¯s served as their bedchamber. The servant had only prepared the tents according to his experience from last time. Upon realization, the attendant could no longer find fault with the servant¡¯s doing as he also knew that his lord wouldn¡¯t be spending the night in his tent.


    After a moment of thought, he entered another tent that was prepared right next to the king¡¯s tent with the servant. After further inspecting the queen¡¯s tent with a bed prepared in the interior, he told the servant that he may leave, along with a gesture.

 Chapter 225 (1)

    As the underground lake was alight with the lights given off by the bioluminescent glow fishes that inhabit deep in the dark lake, it wasn¡¯t total darkness after all, with a jerky in his hand as a bait, Aldrit lured them to have them light his way as he swam further into the bottomless lake.


    After swimming for a while, he was sent shivers to his spine when he shifted his eyes to the bottom, with his eyes taking in nothing from the deep water, all black as pitch below him. Only God would know the depth of the lake as there was a limit to how deep one could dive, even with the object in one¡¯s mouth.


    But far into the deep waters, there was something at the bottom of the lake which seemed as still as a rock, before it slightly squirmed in response to Aldrit¡¯s movement as he swam past above it.


    A streak of a flaming light had then shone through a gap, which widened up slowly in the dark. And as if a lid was lifted, a red circle of light was fully revealed from within. From there, a burning aura was beamed from the center as it narrowed into a long vertical line. However, the flame had vanished through the closing gap as the lid closed in once again.


    ***


    The procession had grown in number throughout the journey with travelers who were crossing the mountains around the same time. In ones and twos, they blended into the procession which was being escorted by armed warriors and knights along the road.


    With so many variables to consider on a journey through the rough mountain pass, it was considerably safer to move along with the big crowd. It was common for merchants in small sizes or for individual travelers to have information in advance, about the travelling schedules of the large-scale merchant companies to move with them accordingly.


    But no matter how big a merchant company could be, it was nearly impossible for them to have warriors as their escort on the road. More so, having the king as a companion meant that their safety on the road was guaranteed, without having to worry about the attacks from wild animals or plunder from the brigands throughout the whole journey.


    Those who shoved in their heads under the edge of the wide and sturdy umbrella in an effort to take shelter from the rain were either the small-scale merchants or a party of travelers consisting of two or three individuals. However, the procession was also joined by some unexpected companies along the way. They were without doubt aristocrats, as they all rode in their respective carriages, being served by their own hired attendants.


    However, the aristocrats were indeed the nobles who were on their way back to the Hashi Kingdom after spending the whole active period in Holy City as now the dry season has started. But when they happened to stumble upon the Royal procession, they instantly changed their course despite having to go back to where they had come from.


    In no time, there were now five new additions of such carriages to the procession. And during almost every break in between, they all gathered around for gossip.


    ¡°Though I¡¯ve heard about the Lark incident in passing on the way, I¡¯ve only regarded it as a groundless rumor.¡±


    ¡°So do I. But seeing that Her Majesty is being taken to the Holy City under the knights¡¯ escort with such stringency, the rumor must have been true after all.¡±


    ¡°No doubt it will bring shock to the high society in the Holy City.¡±


    Looking forward to the interesting events that were about to happen in the Holy City, they chatted away with each other. As their queen was bound to become the talk of the society, the nobles from the Hashi Kingdom, who had been crowded out from attention in the Holy City society all along, were now all highly thrilled by the excitement.


    With rows of people and carriages tailing behind the procession, it took them four full days to finally cross over the Anotty mountains. And as soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, a small force of the warriors from Slan had made a breakaway to ride ahead to the castle to notify their king of the impending arrival of his guests.


    After travelling for another two days on the road, they were at last nearing the capital city of the Slan Kingdom and saw a big crowd of people who had come to meet the procession outside the castle wall. The crowd consisted of the diplomats and the guards of honor, who were clad in various uniforms for a grand ceremony to welcome their arrival.


    Stepping down from her own carriage, Eugene got onto another one with Kasser as it was a carriage specially prepared for them by the Slan Kingdom. The carriage that was to take them up to the castle as a part of the welcoming ceremony was beyond anything ordinary just from the look of it.


    It was a carriage with a white coachwork, drawn by eight white horses. And as for the interior, the wall and the floor alike were also white in color and smelled strongly of a fragrance as if it had been flooded with perfumes.


    ¡°This specific material is a specialty of the Slan Kingdom. The hollowed wood would turn white under the sun, and give off a unique fragrance.¡±, said Kasser as Eugene took a sniff around the interior.


    ¡°The scent is surprisingly pleasant although it¡¯s strong¡­ maybe that¡¯s because it¡¯s a natural fragrance.¡±


    As this was a carriage made for a lasting impression, if Jin had been on it before, she was bound to have a flashback of Jin¡¯s memory the moment she stepped on. But nothing had come to her mind so far.

 Chapter 225 (2)

    ¡°Have we ridden in this carriage before, when we left for our kingdom from Holy City?¡±


    ¡°The dry season was about to come to an end at that time. So, we had crossed past the Slan Kingdom by taking the fastest route as we were in a hurry. We never had the time to make a stop at the Slan Kingdom last time.¡±


    The memory of three years ago seemed almost like a distant memory to him. Yet, he still remembered vividly about how anxious he was throughout the whole journey of taking her back to his kingdom after holding a religious ceremony before Sang-je, as he had agreed on a contractual marriage which she had proposed to him.


    However, the whole marriage felt surreal to him for quite a long while, even after a grand royal marriage was held the moment they got back from the Holy City. But now, as he glanced over at the woman who was sitting right in front of him, he could feel a warmth spreading out from his heart, with his mind strongly acknowledging her as his wife. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he would be feeling such a way, back in three years ago.


    ¡°Then I suppose you hadn¡¯t got the chance to give your greetings to the Sword King as well. When was the last time you saw him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. But as the Sword King pays his frequent visits to the Holy City, I suppose you¡¯d met with him during one of your visits.¡±


    ¡°I was asking about Your Majesty, not myself.¡± Eugene clarified.


    ¡°Me? Umm¡­ I wonder when it was. Never since I ascended to the throne. But there was a time when I was sent to the Slan Kingdom as an envoy during my prince years. I bet it¡¯s already been eight years if I remember it correctly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a long time.¡±


    The conversation was interrupted when the carriage moved to set off in a procession. Soon, a loud cheer from the crowd was heard from the outside as the carriage entered the capital, after processing past the rampart. When Eugene took a glance out of the window through the slightly drawn curtains, she saw people thronging the streets as well as mailed warriors keeping a tight control over the crowd.


    ¡®King of the Slan¡­.¡¯


    Eugene soon felt her heart pounding with excitement as it had been quite a while since her last encounter with one of the characters in her novel. And just like the Desert King, the king of the Slan might also differ in disposition, as opposed to how he was portrayed in her novel. Like turning the page to the next chapter of an adventure novel, she was filled with joyous anticipation.


    The welcoming parade then swiftly processed into the castle through the widely opened castle gate. But it was only the carriage that was carrying the guests and the warriors who escorted around it were allowed to pass through another set of doors which led to the inner bailey. Soon, the carriage had eventually come to a stop and its door was opened from the outside. After getting off from the carriage, Kasser had held out his hand to help Eugene step down from the carriage.


    As she got off from the carriage, Eugene was taken aback by the number of people who came out just to meet them. She couldn¡¯t help but to feel nervous around them, as it suddenly occurred to her that she was here as a representative of her kingdom.


    ¡®That person¡­¡±


    A middle-aged man who was standing at the front row of the crowd would never feel the need to introduce himself as the distinct color of his hair and his eyes indicated his status in the kingdom. The man with light grayish hair, had come up to them with a warm smile on his face.


    ¡°What a pleasure to have you here, King of the Desert. And my greetings to Anika as well. Welcome to our Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°We truly appreciate your kind hospitality, King of the Sword.¡±


    While she had put on a courteous smile on her face, she was inwardly amazed by the presence of the Sword King as she casted a side glance at him.


    The Sword King, who appears to be in his mid or late forties, was indeed a handsome man who clearly stood out in the crowd. More so, the young man with the same grayish hair who was standing a step behind him was also a handsome stripling of a boy. The Prince of the Slan Kingdom was indeed the spitting image of his father. And as for the woman who was standing right next to him¡­.


    ¡®¡­Anika Gemma.¡¯


    She was the Princess of the Slan Kingdom and also the first Anika Eugene had ever encountered in this world. Eugene felt the tremble in her eyes, looking into Gemma¡¯s jet-black hair. But when their eyes were met for an instant, Gemma had naturally lowered her eyes away from her. One glimpse of her eyes was not enough for Eugene to find out if she was expressing a favor or regret through her gaze.


    So far, her encounter with the King, the Prince and the Princess of the Slan Kingdom had not triggered any of Jin¡¯s memories in her mind. Acquainted in the past or not, it seemed like their encounter with Jin couldn¡¯t have been important enough to be etched in Jin¡¯s mind.


    ¡°You must be bone-tired from the long journey. Take all the rest you need. The welcoming feast could wait until you recover your spirits.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very considerate and thoughtful of you.¡±


    Eugene and Kasser were then kindly ushered into the castle by a servant.

 Chapter 226 (2)

    Richard seemed baffled by the sudden request. Knowing that it was a tall order to ask, Kasser had contemplated it over and over, since the moment he first encountered the Sword King.


    However, the only people he could possibly ask for advice were ¡®the kings¡¯. And among all the five people in the world who could answer his question, the Sword King, who was sitting right across from him at the moment, was without doubt the most reliable person he could confide in.


    ¡°I am fully aware of my insolence for asking such a request all of sudden. However, I wish to seek advice with regards to a king¡¯s Praz.¡±


    Richard, who had been staring at Kasser without a word, gave a nod as he said, ¡°If that¡¯s what it¡¯s concerned, we surely can¡¯t have any ears around us.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s gesture, the servants hurriedly left the hall. Soon, only the two kings were left alone in the empty hall.


    ¡°As you are aware, we can¡¯t have a long talk, Desert King.¡±


    Private audiences between the kings could lead to sensitive diplomatic issues between the two kingdoms.


    ¡°Yes, it wouldn¡¯t take long.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me. What is it about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned that the king¡¯s Praz will soundly settle down upon rising to the throne. And it accorded with my experience as well. Please correct me if I¡¯m mistaken.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. You¡¯re more than right. That happened to me as well.¡±


    ¡°Then, have you ever experienced any sort of changes in the Praz after that?¡±


    ¡°Changes in the Praz¡­?¡± asked Richard as he stroked his chin following with a murmur of a ¡°umm¡­¡±.


    ¡°Can you be more specific about the changes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost as if it is invigorating my body even more than it had before.¡± Kasser had saved on the details as he was yet to gauge all the changes that were happening to him so far.


    ¡°Do you have an inkling of what might have caused the change?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± Kasser was left speechless as he hadn¡¯t thought of a way to explain it. He couldn¡¯t just bluntly say that it was after his intercourse with his wife.


    ¡°It happened¡­after my marriage.¡±


    ¡°Marriage?¡± repeated Richard with a puzzled look. But as soon as he¡¯d caught a glimpse of Kasser¡¯s troubling look, wrinkles creased around his eyes. Richard had then let out a guffaw and Kasser dropped his gaze to the ground as he was abashed.


    ¡°I can see that you¡¯re very much enjoying your marriage so far, Desert King. You just practically rubbed the salt in my old wound.¡±


    That reminded Kasser of the fact that the Sword King had lost his wife a very long time ago. As Kasser was still young back then, he had no notion of the particulars. But he had heard that the Sword King was in so much agony that the state funeral lasted for almost a month in the kingdom.


    In the past, he¡¯d only regarded it as no more than a gossip. But now he feels like he could finally empathize with how the Sword King must have felt back then. The bare thought of Eugene to be gone forever from his side was enough to make him despair. Kasser reproached himself for his imprudence as he seemed to have unnecessarily twisted the knife in the wound of the king.


    As Kasser looked very much perplexed, Richard quickly waved his hand as he said ¡°I was only jesting with you. It was such a long time ago. However, I can confidently say that it¡¯s only natural for you to be bursting with vitality during the early years of marriage. But I guess I can¡¯t quite regard you as newlyweds anymore as it¡¯s already been three years since you got married¡­. ¡°


    Although they have been married for three years, it¡¯s only been three months since their real marriage started. So, they were practically newlyweds. But Kasser held his tongue as he couldn¡¯t explain all the minutiae to Richard.


    ¡°Nevertheless, I believe the matter is not negligible seeing that you¡¯ve come to ask for my advice. You really must have experienced some significant changes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    After taking a moment to ponder, Richard said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll need some time to reflect on it as it¡¯s been such a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to give you any pressure. However, please let me know if anything comes to your mind.¡±


    ¡°I certainly will.¡±


    With that said, Kasser excused himself as there were quite a few people whom he had to meet before the evening banquet. A large number of people, including delegates and the merchants stopping by the Slan Kingdom, were waiting for a chance to have an audience with him.


    There was a quizzical look on Richard¡¯s face when he wheeled around after seeing Kasser out. Turning his head back to the door, he stared steadily into where Kasser had just disappeared to. Then with his eyes narrowed, he murmured ¡°Change¡­. So that wasn¡¯t just a coincidence which only happened to me?¡±

 Chapter 226 (1)

    There was no time to lose. Hence without delay, Kasser went to pay his respects to the Sword King as soon as he was settled in.


    Having two kings sitting across from each other in the Great Hall, created quite a rare sight to see as it was uncommon for a king to visit another kingdom.


    However, the kings from the five kingdoms would occasionally run into each other, as they all paid frequent visits to the Holy City, unlike the Desert King. So, whenever the occasion arises, they would meet up for a meal or drink as there was no reason for them to be hostile towards each other. In the Holy City, they were only guests as Sang-je was their host. The companionship they shared in the Holy City was more of a private matter, not as a king.


    ¡°It¡¯s been such a long time, Desert King.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it surely has been. As I was only a boy on my last visit. I truly appreciated the warm reception you¡¯d given me last time. Your kindness was more than I deserved.¡±


    The words were more than just a flattery out of courtesy as Kasser meant every word he just said. He¡¯d truly received the most welcoming reception when he had last visited the Slan Kingdom as a delegate. And just like today, the Sword King himself had come to greet him in person and a huge banquet was held to welcome his visit. The king had also treated the young prince, who was yet to come of age, as the head of the diplomatic mission with respect.


    After he had returned from his mission, Kasser had unwittingly shown his personal appreciation toward the Sword King before the late king, his father.


    [The Sword King was truly a man of virtue.]


    He immediately realised his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. It was an inappropriate remark when he was supposed to give reports based on objectivity. More so, it was imprudent for a prince to make comments on the kings from other kingdoms. But without telling him off, the late king intoned instead,


    [The Sword King is indeed a right-minded person.]


    Neither for good nor ill, the late king never tended to make comments on others. Therefore, that particular remark of his father had left a great impression on Kasser¡¯s mind ever since. Although a part of his reason for accepting the invitation was out of his defiance towards the Sang-je, it was all the more because of the pleasant impressions he got from the Sword King in the past.


    ¡°You speak with such modesty, but a mere boy wouldn¡¯t have been able to pull out the role of a delegate with such perfection. As a father, there¡¯s nothing else I would wish for if the prince could be just as half good as you.¡± said the Sword King with a hearty laughter.


    ¡°I am afraid I hardly deserve such high praise.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how much I was worried about getting another turn down from you. I even warned the warriors about the consequences they¡¯ll face if they ever fail to bring you back to the palace. However, this does not make us even for the last time.¡± said the Sword King as he reminded Kasser of the last time when his invitation was declined. Three years ago, when Kasser was returning to his kingdom with his newly wedded wife, he had kindly turned down the Sword King¡¯s invitation to make a stop at his castle on the way.


    Well knowing that the Sword King was only jesting with him, Kasser chuckled as he replied,¡± As far as I¡¯m concerned, I believe we¡¯re now even as you¡¯ve also turned down my invitation not long ago.¡±


    When the last active period was about to come to an end, Kasser had sent an envoy to officially invite the prince and princess of the Slan to his kingdom. However, his invitation was declined for some reasons on their part.


    ¡°Is that how it goes then?¡± said Richard the Sword King as he broke into laughter.


    ¡°But I hope you didn¡¯t find the refusal offensive. As there was an inevitable reason for turning down the invitation. It wasn¡¯t my arbitrary decision after all.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find it offensive in the slightest. As I know that you wouldn¡¯t manage the affairs of the state with your personal feelings.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes had slightly widened before he laughed approvingly at Kasser. At the same time, he was reminded afresh of how quick the years go by when the image of the young prince, who was all rigid with his reply either a yes or no, flashed across his mind.


    The conversation lasted for another while with topics like the damages inflicted in both kingdoms during the last active period. But with not so much importance. Then, when there was a momentary silence during the conversation, Kasser glanced at the servants who were standing at the corner of the room before he asked, ¡°May I have a moment to speak with you in private?¡±

 Chapter 227 (1)

    While Kasser was paying his respects to the Sword King, Eugene had also gone to pay her respects to the princess. Due to the queen¡¯s absence, the princess was the woman of highest position in the Slan Kingdom.


    But none of them started the conversation although they were sitting across from each other on the sofa. Then, after the tea was brought in by the servants, Eugene lifted the teacup in an effort to hide her restlessness.


    Eugene had once told Kasser before that she might have been harsh on the princess back in the past. But fortunately, seeing that nothing had crossed her mind so far, she must have assumed the worst for nothing.


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve come to the Slan Kingdom just last year.¡± said Eugene to break the silence.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. And I guess it¡¯s already been three years since you left the Holy City.¡±


    To Eugene¡¯s relief, there was no hint of hostility in Gemma¡¯s remarks.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s already been that long.¡±


    But then, a faint smirk flashed on Gemma¡¯s face. And Eugene sensed something bitter about that smile. When their eyes met, Gemma quickly stammered out an apology, ¡°Please don¡¯t take it the wrong way. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not offended at all. There¡¯s no reason for me to be upset.¡±


    Gemma lowered her eyes back to the floor after she stared at Eugene with an unknowing gaze. ¡°It just ¡­. feels so surreal to have a face-to-face conversation with Anika Jin.¡± said Gemma as she fumbled the teacup in her hands.


    ¡°Is that so? Because as far as I know, I believe this is not our first time meeting. Or am I mistaken?¡± Eugene asked in a rhetorical way in order to sound out Gemma¡¯s intentions. This couldn¡¯t be their first time meeting as there was a social gathering among Anikas.


    ¡°Not everyone has the privilege to sit with Anika Jin.¡±


    A slight crease was then formed between Eugene¡¯s brows as she spotted a hint of sarcasm in Gemma¡¯s words. Judging from Jin¡¯s disposition, who has a high sense of superiority originating from her noble birth, Gemma must have a humble origin on the contrary.


    ¡®Jin had no reason to be harsh on her after all. In fact, Jin must have just ignored her altogether.¡¯


    In principle, every citizen of the Holy City was supposed to be equal besides Sang-je. However, the hierarchy system still prevailed in the society although there no longer was legal discriminations against those of humble birth. The so-called ¡®Blue bloods¡¯ existed in the Holy City. And just like the aristocracy in kingdoms, it was the blue bloods from prestigious families who had all the dominance in terms of power and wealth in the Holy City.


    And Jin¡¯s family was regarded almost like a royal family in the Holy City.


    ¡°Your presence in the Hashi Kingdom had given me quite a consolation when I left the Holy City to come here last year. I mean, no one had ever expected you to marry a king. So, I guess that makes me not so much different from you after all as we both are in the same position of having to bear a child of king¡¯s, are we not?¡±


    Eugene clearly sensed the cynicism in her remark. She wondered how Jin would respond if she were here right now. Jin clearly wouldn¡¯t have let it pass without making a fuss.


    As Eugene intended to take her time in removing Jin¡¯s mask before her old acquaintances, she decided to react in the way Jin would have normally done so in such a situation. So first of all, she put her teacup down on the table with a resounding clang. And when it had successfully made Gemma flinch with surprise, she retorted curtly as she rose to her feet, ¡°I believe I did my best to treat you with all my courtesy. But I cannot tolerate such insults any longer. Is this how you treat a guest in the Slan Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Anika Jin!¡±


    Eugene, who just had coldly wheeled around, turned to Gemma again upon hearing her desperate call out. Gemma was on the verge of crying, with her face turned deadly white with fright.


    Eugene clucked her tongue inwardly. It was clear that Gemma was no match for Jin as she seemed outright timid with a reserved disposition. If Jin was here for real, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for her to make further fuss like slapping Gemma right in her face. Jin was capable of doing something even more than that.


    ¡°Please, I beg your forgiveness. I have been experiencing drastic mood swings these days. I truly committed a discourtesy.¡±, said Gemma as she wrapped her lower belly with both her hands. Eugene, who was staring with no definite idea, had let out a groan when it finally dawned upon her. That clearly explained why the prince and the princess had turned down Kasser¡¯s invitation.


    ¡°¡­Are you pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Gemma¡¯s belly was yet to protrude to a noticeable degree. However, it felt strange to think that a prince of the Slan Kingdom, who¡¯s destined to be a king in the future was growing inside that belly of hers.


    Eugene took her seat again. Although she was a little vexed by Gemma¡¯s impertinent provocation, she wasn¡¯t actually mad.


    Gemma¡¯s first impression was gloomy on the whole. Eugene had thought to herself that it was either because she was not welcomed here or that it was just Gemma¡¯s usual expression. But now, she realized that Gemma must¡¯ve been suffering from a mild depression due to her pregnancy. Eugene felt like she could somehow understand the unstable mind of an expectant mother to some degree.


    ¡®I can¡¯t blame her for that. She¡¯s only twenty-one, yet she¡¯s pregnant in a foreign land away from her family. She must have a lot on her mind.¡¯


    Unwittingly, she stared into Gemma¡¯s belly for a while before she promptly averted her eyes upon realization of her mistake.


    ¡°Congratulations.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Thank you.¡± answered Gemma with a baffled look as she was dubious of Eugene¡¯s sudden change in attitude at the news of her pregnancy. Gemma carefully studied the look on Eugene¡¯s face while Eugene lifted the teacup from the table.


    ¡°You must have turned down the invitation because you¡¯re in your early stage of pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°I should¡¯ve known better. I thought you turned it down because you found me uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°What? No, not at all.¡±


    ¡°Please come visit next time. You are always welcome.¡± said Eugene with a smile.

 Chapter 227 (2)

    Gemma, who was terribly quailed before, seemed to have brightened up a little by that. She was relieved as Eugene didn¡¯t seem to be holding grudges against her. The reason she lost her temper earlier was because Eugene was looking very much at ease compared to herself. She got more upset when it seemed like she was the only one who¡¯s having a hard time adjusting a life in foreign kingdom when she¡¯d expected Eugene to feel the same.


    Although she¡¯d used her pregnancy as an excuse, it wasn¡¯t entirely a lie after all. She clearly was experiencing dramatic mood swings after she got pregnant. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t have made such a mistake of revealing her true feelings to others.


    ¡°I actually really wanted to go. However, His majesty did not give his consent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he was concerned about his daughter-in-law¡¯s health.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I guess.¡± answered Gemma rather flatly. Gemma¡¯s somewhat cynical response had left Eugene to wonder if Gemma was on bad terms with her father-in-law.


    However, if there really was a problem between them, it didn¡¯t seem like the Sword King was entirely to the blame. Even if his gentle outer appearance belies him, he wouldn¡¯t have revealed such a side of him to noble Anika, who¡¯d married his son. Especially when Gemma was now carrying a royal bloodline.


    While it really wasn¡¯t her place to put her nose into other family¡¯s affairs, Eugene wanted to probe more into Gemma to find out what was on Anika¡¯s mind as well as her life in the foreign kingdom. It would help her greatly in collecting information about Anikas.


    ¡®But first, I need to set up a favorable atmosphere so she would open up to me.¡¯


    After glancing over at the servants who were standing close by, Eugene said ¡°Anika Gemma, I¡¯m sure you are well-informed of news from the Holy City as you¡¯d left the city much later than I did, are you not?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I do but nothing special happened after you left the city. And I haven¡¯t heard anything back since I came here as well.¡±


    ¡°But still, you were there just until last year. I¡¯m not asking for big news. I just want to hear about the little things like what Anikas talked about in the gathering. I have no one else to ask but you as those are the things that can only be shared between Anikas.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s attempt to create a bond seemed to have worked as Gemma responded much more eagerly than she expected. At once, Gemma asked the servants to leave them so they could talk privately.


    At first, Gemma was careful in choosing her words to say. But before long, she chattered away almost ceaselessly as Eugene showed interest by giving appropriate reactions every now and then.


    Eugene had no means to interfere as it was her deliberate intention to take a step back from the conversation and be more of a listener. She was pretty content with how their conversation had turned out as Gemma did all the talking mostly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d mention me as well. Anika Cassy always has different things to say behind people¡¯s backs. So¡­¡±


    After a while, Gemma¡¯s chatter turned to gossip instead. It took her a while before she did a double take as she was so absorbed in venting out her built-up resentments. Sheepishly, she trailed off to a whisper and said, ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve got too carried away as it¡¯s been so long since I had someone to talk about Holy City. My apologies if I have spoken out of turn.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m glad to have found someone to talk to in a long while as well.¡± said Eugene with a smile.


    Eugene was indeed speaking from the heart. Although she doesn¡¯t specifically enjoy long chats, Gemma¡¯s gossip was just like a repository of information to her. The names and personalities of several Anikas from her stories had greatly impressed on Eugene¡¯s memory. More so, the biggest takeaway was that she¡¯d managed to gain some insights into the social gatherings of Anikas.


    ¡®She¡¯s so adorable and naive. I guess it¡¯s because she¡¯s still young.¡¯


    Gemma never bothered to be calculative in a cunning way. If Eugene were to speak with one of those sly elderly ladies, the conversation will be nothing more than superficial.


    But Eugene didn¡¯t have the slightest idea about how much effort Gemma had made throughout the whole conversation. Gemma was desperate to make the best of her opportunity to cultivate a friendship with Anika Jin.


    Gemma had a great admiration for Anika Jin. She was envious of Jin¡¯s looks, her position in the society, as well as her dignified nature. However, Gemma knew that it was impossible for someone from a humble and poor background like her, to ever become someone like Anika Jin.


    But there still was a good chance for her to become someone like Anika Flora, who gets to socialize with all sorts of elites in the society, just for being Anika Jin¡¯s friend. She was more envious of all the privileges Flora gets to enjoy in the society, instead of her strong Ramita.


    ¡°So, what did people say about me after I left the Holy City?¡±


    Watching Gemma¡¯s mouth being clamped shut in a flurry, Eugene said in a friendly tone, ¡°There are bound to be people like Anika Cassy, who likes to say different things from behind. I bet those who were being cautious around me didn¡¯t bother anymore when I was gone, am I right?¡±


    Gemma gave Eugene a nod for an answer. She had no reason to avoid the topic as she never dared to speak ill of those high-ups, who seemed to live in a totally different world from her. Gemma had only listened to people gossiping when Anika Jin left the Holy City after she married the Desert King. Gemma could literally swear that she didn¡¯t contribute to any of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for the names. I just want to know what they¡¯ve been talking about me. It¡¯ll be helpful to know how people think about me as I¡¯m paying a visit to the Holy City for the first time in a while. I won¡¯t forget your help.¡±


    ¡®I won¡¯t forget your help.¡¯ That last sentence had instantly caused a great flutter in Gemma¡¯s heart. She felt her heart racing with excitement as she imagined the life of luxury she would be leading in the Holy City at some point in her future. With that in mind, she hesitatingly opened her mouth.


    ¡°The most prevalent opinions were that they couldn¡¯t quite understand your decision. They said there was no reason for Anika Jin to marry a king¡­umm¡­unless¡­¡±


    Gemma quickly looked over to Eugene before she continued. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°Unless the rumor was true indeed¡­ that you hardly have any Ramita with you.¡±

 Chapter 229 (1)

    Eugene tried to recall everything she had heard from Gemma yesterday as she hadn¡¯t had the alone time to think them through before. But as there still were a few days of marching left before they could finally reach the Holy City, there should be plenty of time for her to sort out her thoughts.


    Eugene was glad that they had made a stop at the Slan Kingdom as she had unexpectedly gained insights on exclusive information from her encounter with Anika Gemma.


    ¡®So, it¡¯s common for the queens to spend more than half of a year in the Holy City?¡¯


    Gemma had told her as if it was only natural for her to leave for Holy City after she gave birth to the child.


    [At first, I would most likely come and go between the city and the kingdom. But someday, by the time the child is ready to ascend the throne, I¡¯ll settle down in the Holy City for good.]


    Surely there was nothing unusual about the royals to pay their regular visits to the Holy City. Some of the kings even spent the whole dry season in the Holy City. The Desert King was the rare exception as he never seemed to leave his kingdom if there wasn¡¯t any particular reason.


    Every king still would return to their kingdom before the active period would start. But unlike the kings, queens practically stayed away from the kingdom regardless of the seasons, according to what Gemma had said.


    ¡®But Marianne had never mentioned that to me before.¡¯


    Marianne must have not felt inclined to tell her about such conventions of the queens. Somehow, she felt like she could understand Marianne, who would have wanted to keep the matter in the dark as long as it wasn¡¯t asked.


    Then, Eugene recalled Kasser¡¯s mother, who was known to stay in the Holy City.


    ¡®As I was told that it¡¯s been long since the former queen¡¯s presence was absent in the Hashi Kingdom, she must¡¯ve left the kingdom even before her son rose to the throne. She must have her reasons for leaving. Nevertheless, it seems like every queen will eventually return to the Holy City someday in the future.¡¯


    It was quite a shame that she couldn¡¯t have pried more into Gemma as to get more answers to her questions. Eugene had taken a caution as to not arouse any suspicion from Gemma, in a worry that she might start a rumor that would eventually reach Sang-je¡¯s ears.


    There still were two things which Eugene couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on.


    Firstly, it was the conflict between the two energies.


    ¡®Discomfort?¡¯


    According to Gemma, every Anika was supposed to feel some kind of repulsion around their king husband¡¯s presence. And that was the reason why Jin Anika, who possessed a strong Ramita couldn¡¯t possibly marry a king. The stronger their Ramita, the more it will conflict with the king¡¯s energy.


    However, Eugene still couldn¡¯t understand what kind of repulsion Gemma was speaking of.


    ¡®The Praz he possesses is very strong indeed. And so is my Ramita. Then, how come our energies don¡¯t conflict with each other? Could it be because I¡¯m not the rightful owner of this body?¡¯


    Still, the conflict between a king¡¯s Praz and an Anika¡¯s Ramita, distinctively contradicted what Aldrit had told them about before.


    ¡®It is only Anikas who could bear a child of a king. If so, how come their energy conflicts with each other? They surely need to be intimate for Anika to get pregnant. It just doesn¡¯t add up.¡¯


    But what confused her the most was Gemma¡¯s statement as she had told Eugene that she had clearly felt the repulsion herself. She didn¡¯t seem like she was mistaken, as her description about how it makes her skin ¡®crawl¡¯, was fairly specific.


    Secondly, it was the way Gemma perceived the whole marriage with the king as some kind of sacrifice.


    Somehow, Gemma regarded her pregnancy like she was carrying an ¡®heir¡¯ of the kingdom instead of the thought of becoming a mother of her own ¡®child¡¯. She considered the pregnancy as a self-sacrifice instead of a blessing.


    [I¡¯ll most likely be ruined after giving birth to this baby.]


    Gemma said as she embraced her belly with her hands.


    [¡­.ruined? Well, delivering a baby wouldn¡¯t be easy for sure, but.]


    [I¡¯ll literally be ruined. Think about carrying a Praz which is likely to conflict with my Ramita for almost ten whole months. There¡¯s a slim chance my body won¡¯t be ruined. I¡¯ve heard that one will suffer from all sorts of aftereffects following the delivery.]


    Although Eugene had thought inwardly that the aftereffects were quite inevitable to every woman after delivering a baby, she¡¯d held her tongue as she was unsure of the intensity of the aftereffects that Anikas would suffer from giving birth.


    [His Holiness had told me that I could return to the Holy City once I have this baby. He¡¯d also promised that I¡¯ll be given sufficient reward to compensate for my sacred yet painful sacrifice.]


    There was something strange about Sang-je¡¯s ingenious remarks.


    ¡®Am I just being paranoid, or does it sound as if he actually wants her to be back in the Holy City?¡¯

 Chapter 229 (2)

    The way Gemma described her pregnancy as a sacred yet painful sacrifice was equally ambiguous as well. Although it wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, it somehow didn¡¯t sound quite right. They sounded as if the happiness of Anika in the course of marriage and pregnancy was entirely ignored, while they were described only as painful tasks which Anikas desperately wish to be liberated from.


    ¡®Come to think of it, there¡¯s no other way for Anika to leave the Holy City other than by marriage with the king.¡¯


    Sang-je seemed to be making sure that even the married Anika was returned to the city in the end. It was almost as if he was not allowing any Anika to leave beyond his control!


    ¡®Sang-je¡­ the more I learn of him, the more I find him cunning. It¡¯s actually not the Anikas who should be much obliged by him, as it rather seems like Sang-je is the one who¡¯s obsessed with them.¡¯


    Eugene steeled herself for her coming encounter with Sang-je as it strongly occurred to her that she mustn¡¯t let her guard down around him.


    ¡®I wonder if Gemma is feeling alright today. She must be exhausted as I dragged her along throughout the whole banquet yesterday. I¡¯ve heard that one must be extra careful during the early stages of pregnancy.¡¯


    As yesterday¡¯s banquet was the first ever social gathering she ever attended, Eugene had practically used Gemma as her shield and never left her side throughout the night as she was feeling pretty nervous. Although Gemma didn¡¯t seem to have forced a smile on her face, yet, there was no way of knowing her true feelings.


    ¡®She didn¡¯t seem like a bad person on the whole, as she seemed good-natured.¡¯


    Eugene wondered if she should make another stop at the Slan Kingdom on her way back to the Hashi Kingdom, just to deliver some news from the Holy City to Gemma. By that time, she figured that she would be able to see Gemma¡¯s baby bump then.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    The monthly period had just ended for Eugene not long ago. However, she realized that she had felt something unusual about it when her menstruation started this month.


    Just until last month, she was rather relieved to find out she was menstruating. But this time, she dismayed about it.


    Eugene carefully stroked her stomach with her hand. The mere thought of having their baby growing inside her was enough to make her heart flutter.


    Although she couldn¡¯t quite say she was ready to become a mother of a child, she knew that she was more than ready to gladly welcome the baby if she ever gets pregnant. Eugen blissfully smiled as she imagined an image of a boy who would most likely have blue eyes and hair, in the spitting image of his father.


    With that, she was dumbfounded by her changed mindset. She no longer just plainly wished to survive in this world. Instead, she truly wanted to become a rightful member of the society and live raising a child in this very world.


    ***


    Somewhere remote, as one travels farther away from the center of the Holy City leads to the discovery of an old street which was built a fairly long time ago. In a good way, one would regard the street as full of its history and traditions. But truth to be told, it was nothing but a stagnant place which had been long since forgotten by most people.


    Most people who lived there were poor and not many of them seemed like they were educated. Those who were born and raised here, all lived and died without ever leaving the street.


    On such a street, a stranger appeared out of nowhere. And as he started to snoop around the place, the residents all had their eyes on his strange visitor.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to look for my aunt who used to live nearby. I would be most grateful if you could help me.¡±


    But as the man greeted amiably while passing along a few small gifts, the residents had soon lowered their guards down around him. All the more, the residents had later scramble to spill out whatever information they have as the man paid for all sorts of information he could gather.


    The man had fussily complimented an old man, who claimed that he¡¯d lived his whole life in the very street, after asking him some questions.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly amazed by your good memory.¡±


    ¡°People have regarded me as a prodigy when I was very young.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess you must remember even those events which happened a very long time ago?¡±


    ¡°Surely, I do. Ask me anything. There is nothing I don¡¯t know about.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you know anything about an incident concerning Anika, which had turned the whole Holy City upside down about twenty years ago?¡±

 CH 230.1

    The old man flinched at the word ¡®Anika¡¯ as he clamped his mouth into a tight shut. As a citizen of the Holy City, the subject regarding Sang-je was considered as a taboo. It was rigidly forbidden to criticize or condemn Sang-je, who served God¡¯s will, under any circumstances. The same went for Anika, as their presence was deemed to be linked to the god¡¯s will.


    ¡°Why do you ask such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I believe I¡¯ve told you that my aunt used to live somewhere nearby from here around that specific time of period. And I¡¯ve heard in passing that an incident concerning Anika, which had caused quite a commotion, had taken place around the same time. So, I wondered if maybe it could help me in finding my aunt.¡±


    The man had slyly convinced the old man with his skillful words and succeeded in easing the aroused vigilance altogether. Reluctantly, the old man opened his mouth again when the man further offered him a handsome amount of compensation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Twenty years back? Umm¡­then there should be nothing else but this one incident. The birth of two Anikas.¡±


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s something which happened a few years after the birth of two Anikas.¡±


    ¡°A few years after that¡­¡±


    After a moment of contemplation, the old man murmured to himself in a low tone, ¡®Could it be about that then?¡¯.


    ¡°Do you remember what happened? From what I¡¯ve heard, they said the incident had caused quite a stir in the city.¡±


    ¡°Umm, you¡¯re right indeed. The whole Holy City was practically turned upside down when someone or a bunch of lunatics had kidnapped two Anikas.¡±


    ¡°Truly? Both of them?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t quite remember if it was the both of them or it was only one of them. Nevertheless, it surely caused quite a commotion as the knights had begun to search through the whole city after the kidnappers. They¡¯d even made this far and searched every nook and cranny of the street.¡±


    ¡°Then, had the kidnapped Anikas safely returned to their homes?¡±


    ¡°I bet they did. If not, they wouldn¡¯t be alive by now. I¡¯ve never heard anything about one of them being dead after that.¡±


    The old man did not seem to know much of its details. However, with all of the leads he gathered so far, the man had now got a better picture on how he¡¯ll further investigate the very incident.


    The man was indeed Rodrigo¡¯s hired informant. He began to conduct a secret investigation as he traveled from place to place while being awfully cautious as to not arouse any suspicion.


    ***


    As every citizen of the Holy City was considered altogether equal under the law and Sang-je, there weren¡¯t specific titles which insinuated the hierarchy of the society such as a commoner and the nobles.


    However, the hierarchy system still prevailed in the Holy City. So those who were affluent, along with those who had a high influential power in the society, had created a social circle which was strictly limited to their own kinds. And among all the privileged members of the circle, only a handful of them came from the prestigious families of the Holy City.


    Such renowned families were known for their rich histories and the name itself implied their predominant position in the Holy City.


    For instance, of all the scholars who had made remarkable achievements throughout history, many of them do come from the Ditheo family. Their intellectual abilities must run in the family as many of their descendants had also come to prominence in academia. As a result, the name ¡®Ditheo¡¯ was now a common phrase used by the people in the Holy City to describe someone with a bright mind.


    Moreover, every renowned family shared a common feature, as Anika was likely to be born as a lineal descendant of such families with high chances.


    For such reasons, people of the Holy City only regarded those families as the true bluebloods of the society.


    There was no doubt in saying that the Arse family was the most sophisticated blue bloods in the Holy City. The Arses were known to have great artistic talents. Various artists and novelists who were known to have greatly influenced the generations of their age had mostly come from the Arse family.


    Such remarkable achievements made by the Arses were one of the greatest glories of the citizens of the Holy City. More so, the Arses was also known for their generosity as donating their amassed wealth back to the society was one of their noble family traditions, which naturally earned them all the admiration and respect from the people.


    Furthermore, this family had earned further reputation from the birth of Anika in their family about twenty-three years ago.


    It was when everyone was gravely concerned for not having a single birth of Anika for as long as ten years that an unprecedented birth of two Anikas happened in the same year, on the very same day.


    Such a coincidental blessing had soon become the talk of the whole city, all the more because of the dramatic contrast in their birth. While one of them was from a humble family, the other was indeed the daughter of the lord from the most prestigious families of the Holy City.


    Just until then, everyone sympathized deeply with Flora. If Flora had been the only Anika who was born on that day, she would¡¯ve been bound to receive all the attention and love from everyone just like any other Anikas. However, all because of Anika Jin, who¡¯d been born with a silver spoon in her mouth on the very same day as Flora, people pitied Flora for she was to be compared to Jin in every way as they grew up.


    Truly, Anika Flora seemed to have always paled in comparison to Anika Jin while they were growing up. However, what everyone was really interested about was their Ramita. And it was when both Flora and Jin had fully come of age that an unexpected result had changed everything henceforth.


    Anika Flora¡¯s Ramita was deemed to exceed those of Anika Roxy¡¯s, who was known to possess the strongest Ramita throughout history. Once that was known to the public, everyone began to cheer only for Anika Flora.

 CH 230.2

    No one in the city seemed to be curious about Jin, who¡¯d been long gone since she left the Holy City after she married a king. Everyone had reflected that Flora had firmly established total supremacy over Jin in terms of the level of their Ramita.


    But lately, a strange rumor concerning Anika Jin had started to spread throughout the Holy City.


    Enoch, who was the heir to the Arses family, had just returned, feeling down for some reason. He just heard of a strange rumor today which concerned his own little sister. He was pretty crossed by the fact that he¡¯d belatedly learned of the widespread rumor along with the fact that he¡¯d no clue of the authenticity of such rumor which concerned his one and only sister.


    ¡®Lark tree?¡¯


    He wondered if the rumor was indeed true. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if Jin possessed enough Ramita for the rumor to be true.


    He was well aware of the rumors about how Jin was not gifted with Ramita. But he never knew if the rumors were actually true as he never asked Jin about it before.


    However, he somehow had a hunch that something had gone amiss. While it was common for Anika to have a lucid dream around when they were ten, Jin only dreamt her first lucid dream and went to Sang-je when she was fourteen.


    Enoch, however, did not worry much about it as he knew that Jin would always be his sister regardless of the level of her Ramita. His real worry was about those who talked thoughtlessly from behind as he despised those who don¡¯t watch what they say just because it wasn¡¯t their business.


    There was once when Enoch had punched someone right in the face, for he¡¯d heard the man bluntly claiming that it was the god¡¯s mistake for having two Anikas born on the same day, and also that it¡¯s only Anika Flora who¡¯s the real Anika among the two.


    While he got changed, Enoch furrowed his brow when he heard the report from his servant who was attending to him by his side.


    ¡°A knight just came by?¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    The rumor he just heard today flashed across his mind as he suspected that the knight¡¯s sudden visit must have to do with the rumor surrounding his sister. Enoch got dubious of their purpose as the knights had seldom visited them after Jin¡¯d left the Holy City.


    Promptly, Enoch went straight to his father¡¯s office and knocked right on the door.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    ¡°Do come in.¡±


    Enoch spoke as soon as he saw his father, who was sitting at his desk in the room. ¡°Father, I¡¯ve just been informed that the knight has come by.¡±


    Patrick, lord of the Arses and a father to his three children, who also owned a peat company, answered as if he¡¯d well expected Enoch¡¯s question.


    ¡°Jin¡¯s coming.¡±


    ¡°¡­What could be the occasion?¡±


    ¡°It seems like she¡¯d been summoned by His Holiness.¡±


    ¡°When can we expect her?¡±


    ¡°In a couple of days perhaps.¡±


    Enoch had then sneered with a look of disdain. ¡°How quick of them to let us know.¡±


    But as his father¡¯s face betrayed his perplexed feelings, Enoch carefully asked as he studied his face. ¡°Per chance¡­ have Jin informed you about her coming?¡±


    Patrick shook his head for an answer. To hide his disappointment from his face, Enoch promptly changed the subject of their conversation


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about a strange rumor today. I suppose that¡¯s the reason why Jin got summoned by His Holiness.¡±


    To Enoch¡¯s surprise, his father didn¡¯t look perturbed at all and had only calmly replied, ¡°I think so too.¡±


    ¡°So, you knew about the rumor all along? When did you find out?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few days.¡±


    ¡°If you knew, why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just didn¡¯t see a need for it. Especially when we couldn¡¯t be sure if the rumor was actually right.¡±


    Both father and son had then remained silent with a rather heavy look.


    It¡¯s been three years since their heart was left broken by Jin¡¯s sudden marriage. Jin had only merely informed them about such an important decision after her discussion with Sang-je, without consulting with her family. And that was when Enoch had first seen his father, who always had a soft spot for his daughter, losing his temper.


    Enoch still couldn¡¯t quite understand why Jin had made such a decision in the past. Their parents were never a stern type to start with. And as far as he¡¯s concerned, they could always openly speak their mind to their parents as it was one of their family customs. And if Jin had only asked for their blessing for her to marry someone she loved, they would¡¯ve gladly given their consent.


    However, Jin had just left the Holy City as she obstinately insisted on marrying the Desert King, who she¡¯d just met for a few times, without giving them reasonable explanations nor making up with her family before she left. Everyone in the family was left dumbfounded after her sudden leave. Enoch had felt rather betrayed by Jin when his father¡¯s letter, which his father had written as an effort to make peace with her, was returned from the kingdom without any reply. Since then, they¡¯d only heard from her through Sang-je, occasionally.


    [I guess she¡¯s more of an Anika Jin now¡­ than she¡¯s my daughter.]


    Enoch felt bad whenever he recalled the sad look on his father¡¯s face as he said that.


    Bitterly, Patrick murmured, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I guess I was never a good father to her.¡±


    ¡°You did your very best. In fact, you may have indulged her too much.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that might¡¯ve been the problem then? I should¡¯ve realized sooner that punishment is as necessary as love, like the way I treated you and Matthew. I may have spoiled her too much as I¡¯d always thought that I needed to fill in for your mother.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± Enoch continued after he heaved a deep sigh, feeling a sudden surge of anger. ¡°What did Jin ever do to make mother hate h

 CH 231.1

    ¡°¡­Your mother had fallen ill ever since that incident. She¡¯s just deeply distressed.¡±


    ¡°Father, with all due respect, I¡¯ve never once regarded mother as the victim. The real victim of the incident is Jin, who got kidnapped. I pity Jin for having to go through all that at such a young age. What kind of mother would vent out her trauma on her child who she might have lost forever? I don¡¯t quite agree that mother is such a feeble-minded person. Even though she had not physically or verbally abused her, mother¡¯s disinterest in Jin is nothing more than just another form of abuse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± Patrick was quick to hold his tongue before he almost blurted out before his son. Enoch promptly continued as he carefully studied the look on his father¡¯s face.


    ¡°There¡¯s something which I don¡¯t know about, aren¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Father, please tell me what it is.¡±


    Patrick opened his mouth again with a distressed look. ¡°What I¡¯m about to tell you must not leave this room.¡±


    Enoch answered his father with his face stiff with tension.


    ¡°Yes, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Dana¡­ your mother, thinks that Jin is not our daughter. She thinks the child had been switched.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Enoch, who had braced himself for a big blow his father was about to reveal to him, asked back with bewilderment.


    ¡°I believe you remember the times when Jin had just been born and how much your mother had adored her before the incident happened.¡±


    Enoch nodded in agreement as he could faintly remember the times when Jin was born¡ªhe was seven years old back then. He could recall the moment when he had first met Jin as a baby. She was held in the arms of his mother¡¯s while his mother warmly smiled upon Jin despite looking tired.


    ¡°I too, couldn¡¯t quite understand at first as to why she refused Jin, when she was safely returned to us after she was kidnapped. So, one day, as I could no longer put up with her, I urged your mother to tell me what was going on. And that¡¯s what she¡¯d told me that day.¡±


    ¡°Father¡­ you can¡¯t seriously think mother¡¯s right, do you?¡± said Enoch with a disbelieving laugh. He found it all ridiculous.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say that there was a chance she could¡¯ve been switched from that incident. But Jin is an Anika. What are the odds for another Anika to be out there who looks just like her? I¡¯d say none. Or are you saying that she was switched with Anika Flora?¡±


    Patrick kept his silence, leaving Enoch with his unanswered questions. Sighing defeatedly, Enoch turned his heels around, heading towards the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go tell mother that Jin is coming to visit then.¡±


    ¡°Enoch.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. I¡¯ll just pretend as if I¡¯ve never heard about it in the first place.¡±


    After Enoch took his leave, Patrick heaved a deep sigh when he was alone in his office again. He wished he could just laugh it off just as if his son did just now, like he¡¯d just listened to the most ridiculous joke, as that would make him feel more at ease.


    He could still remember Dana divulging him for the first time of her affliction like it was only yesterday.


    [Patrick, that girl is not my daughter. Our child had been switched for sure!]


    [Dana, what are you talking about?]


    [She¡¯s not my daughter, I could clearly tell. Oh, my little Jin¡­ I wonder where our poor baby is right now.]


    Patrick couldn¡¯t quite disregard his wife no matter how much she sounded absurd to others.


    Dana¡¯s mother had come from the Muen family. And Muens were known for their somewhat inexplicable abilities such as their power to foresee the future, or for their insightfulness. However, through the years, the Muens have been discreet with this ability of theirs, and soon, people forgot about it.


    Before her passing, Patrick had been always astonished whenever his mother-in-law blurts out a remark every now and then. To his luck even, her remarks had greatly aided him on managing his business.


    Dana, who must¡¯ve inherited such abilities of Muen from her mother, was extraordinary when it comes to judgement of characters. Once, there was a time where he had almost been swindled if it weren¡¯t for Dana¡¯s shrewd warning. As otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have done a background check to find out the person was a swindler.


    Now, Patrick felt responsible about how his family had turned out as he neither could fully believe is wife, nor he could give unconditional love to Jin without a hint of doubt. And to make things worse, Jin was coming home. He still had not figured out how he should behave when this moment comes; how to behave between the two women whom he loves most.

 CH 231.2

    Flora stopped short at the sound of the quarrel as she was just about to enter the dining room.


    ¡°So, you basically want me to coop myself up in the room and stay out of Flora¡¯s sight.¡±


    Such a sarcastic grumble came from no one other than Flora¡¯s second brother.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I feel stifled by the smell of alcohol, which your body is reek all over with! All I asked you was to make yourself unseen before Flora comes down shortly, as you are unsightly right now.¡± retorted Flora¡¯s mother.


    ¡°That makes no difference at all. Is Flora your only child? Am I just a freeloader of this family?!¡±


    ¡°Quiet down this instant!¡±


    ¡°Let me ask you since the topic is out. What are we to you? Do you really think Flora will be grateful if you only favor her? Don¡¯t be mistaken into thinking that she will. Flora is an Anika. She¡¯s not yours but Sang-je¡¯s daughter who just happened to come into the world through your womb, and that¡¯s all. Do you really think she considers us as her family?¡±


    ¡°And what do you think you have the right to say all this? Especially when you should be more than just grateful for having an easy life while basking in your sister¡¯s reflected glory.¡± Flora¡¯s mother retorted, now seething in anger.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯ve been meaning to say all this time. That the black sheep of the family is not worth to you in the least.¡±


    ¡°Y-you ingrate! While we¡¯re on the subject, why didn¡¯t you open up the shop again yesterday? You spend most of your day hanging around doing nothing! How can I possibly think better of you when you always come home at the break of dawn, all tipsy and drunk?¡±


    Flora turned around while a sigh escaped underneath her breath. It seemed to her that the dispute would not likely end so easily. However, she was sure that they would clamp shut their mouth if she went in now. She was long before fed up with their responses were very much presumable.


    [Do you really think she considers us as her family?]


    Cynically, Flora murmured what his brother had just said as she recalled.


    ¡®So, he figured.¡¯


    Flora wasn¡¯t sure when it began, but she just knew that it¡¯s been long since she realized that there was a wall standing between her family and her. Her parents found her especially difficult. They acted all cautious around her, in a worry that they might get on her nerves, while her two brothers grumbled behind her back. The distance between them was so conspicuous to be closed, that it was hard to call themselves a family.


    As Flora came out through the door, the guard, who was taking up stations outside, bid his greetings to her.


    ¡°Anika Flora. Are you heading out today? Shall I call for a carriage?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°Please wait here for a moment.¡±


    To ensure the safety of a noble Anika, guards stationed all around the residence of an Anika and escorted her to wherever she went.


    According to a senior Anika, it wasn¡¯t always this strict about security in the past. It was all in the wake of the kidnapping incident which happened twenty years back that Sang-je gave out special commands to tighten the guard and secure all the Anika¡¯s safety.


    While waiting for her carriage, Flora turned around and looked upon the house she¡¯d just come out from, over her shoulders.


    It was a double story house which stood alone in the neighborhood. As far as Flora remembers, she lived in the very house ever since she was very young.


    However, the house Flora was born in was located somewhere in a remote suburb from the town.


    She had once traveled to have a look at it out of curiosity, and only returned shocked by its seemingly old and shabby exterior, which was beyond her expectation. If it wasn¡¯t for Flora¡¯s birth, her family wouldn¡¯t possibly be living in such a grand house right now.


    From the moment of birth, Anika was provided to live in plenty until the day she died. And of course, there was compensation for the family as well. Flora¡¯s parents were provided a lifelong pension where they needn¡¯t worry about earning their living, as well as a right to reside in the very same house. It surely was a prerogative that only Anika¡¯s parents could enjoy throughout their lives.


    Besides the second floor, which was entirely for Flora¡¯s use alone, the house was occupied respectively by her parents, her eldest brother, his wife, two of their children, her second brother and also two of the servants who resided with them.


    Although it wasn¡¯t particularly grand, it was just big enough to have more than ten people living together. The house came with a fine looking little garden as well. Such houses of their size, which were located in the center of the Holy City, were indeed very much highly valued.


    However, it was far from enough in the eyes of Flora. Every one of her acquaintances were wealthy and lived in their private grand mansions. For this, she desperately wanted to leave the house and even found the place too shabby to invite any of her acquaintances over. And most of all, she was fed up living in the same house with her graceless family.


    But despite all that, she was not capable of owning a house of her own. Not even the ones which were shabbier than her current house. The monthly grants which were provided for Anikas were just as good as an abundant allowance which would likely be gone after buying a few outfits from the boutique.


    Still, there was one way for her to get hold of a seemingly large sum of money. Flora heard that Sang-je would give out marriage payments to Anikas once they got married. However, she couldn¡¯t think of marrying any man just for the sake of money. Flora¡¯s standard for her future spouse was fairly high.


    So, that left her only with the second way.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure His Holiness will find me another house if I plead with him¡­¡¯

 CH 232.1

    Flora believed that Sang-je held her dearly enough to do her such a favor. But people were bound to talk behind regarding the reasons for her leaving the house with no visible cause. Suggestion of a discord among her and her family would surface without doubt. Flora never wanted her name to be on people¡¯s lips for such a petty matter.


    Flora prided her own Ramita, which is comparable to those of Anika Roxy¡¯s, and that she was going to win an eternal fame that will last throughout history. She was resolved not to throw herself at those who were biding their time for a chance to drag her down from her glory.


    ¡°Anika, where can I take you today?¡±


    As a carriage drew to a halt before Flora, a horseman promptly got off from front and asked her where she was desiring to go.


    But Flora had no specific place in mind as she had only left the house to avoid the quarrel. Then, when she saw a woman with a basket full of fresh flowers pass by across the street, she absently told the horseman, ¡°¡­. I was thinking of buying some flowers.¡±


    ¡°As your wish, Anika. I¡¯ll take you to Flower Street.¡±


    Flora looked out for the passing landscapes through a window in her carriage. And when the carriage passed by the tree in the center of the city square, she creased her brows¡ªreminded of a rumor that she heard not very long ago.


    ¡®Lark tree? It¡¯s impossible.¡¯


    Flora regarded it only as a groundless rumor. She wondered where such rumor could¡¯ve possibly rooted from. She felt heaviness around her chest all of sudden as Jin, who was completely out of everyone¡¯s mind for quite a long while, started to show her presence in the city once again.


    ¡®Jin turning a Lark into a tree? She couldn¡¯t possibly have. She doesn¡¯t even possess any Ramita.¡¯


    This was indeed an acknowledged truth which she had never told anyone before. When she had already had her first lucid dream and went to see Sang-je at the age of seven, Jin however, was yet to have her first lucid dream even by then.


    Anika, who hadn¡¯t had the lucid dream had no rights to attend the meeting which was exclusively for Anikas. With that, Flora felt a sort of pride at the sight of her friend¡¯s envious look when she was invited to the meeting, as she¡¯d paled in comparison to Jin in almost everything before this.


    One day, Jin asked her.


    [Flora. About the lucid dream. What is it like?]


    While Flora had tried to avoid her question on the pretext that it was forbidden to tell others about the lucid dream, Jin was however very persistent.


    In the end, Flora ended up giving in to Jin. She was afraid that someone who came from a wealthy family like Jin would unfriend her for not giving the answer she wanted. At that time, Flora was all tipsy on the glamorous life in high society, so the last thing she wanted was to lose the privilege she was getting as a friend of Jin. Incensed by her obsequious behavior, she ended up lying a little as she unwillingly explained about the lucid dream to Jin.


    [The water in the dream is icy cold when you dip your hands in it.]


    Flora regretted as soon as the words had left from her lips. Jin would probably fault her for lying when she has her own lucid dream. But by that time, it was too late for Flora to confess. The more time passed by, the more Flora got tongue-tied about the truth.


    Then, by the time she was fourteen, Jin told her with a flushed look on her face.


    [Flora. I¡¯ve finally had my first lucid dream. I am going to meet His Holiness later today. By the way, it was just as you said. The water truly was icy cold.]


    Flora had ruminated on Jin¡¯s words for a long while as there was no way Jin would have felt the coldness of the water. It was known that the water in the lucid dream was intangible although it very much seemed real. Flora wondered if Jin was only getting back at her upon realizing she¡¯d been fooled.


    However, something struck Flora when Jin refused to touch the transparent seed at the first Anika meeting she attended. Jin never had a lucid dream after all. She had daringly lied about having a lucid dream and even went to see His Holiness.


    An Anika without Ramita.


    Flora had almost laughed her heart out after she returned home from the meeting that day. It couldn¡¯t be funnier to her that her proud friend, who had always looked down upon her as if she was way more superior in every way, was lacking the most important thing as an Anika despite looking perfect on the outside.


    However, Flora had never told anyone about the secret of Jin¡¯s Ramita. She rather wanted to see Jin crumble as a consequence of her irretrievable lie. All the while she was being treated by Jin as if she was her good pet, Flora bade her time and sneered while waiting dearly for the judgement day.


    ¡®Such groundless rumor is bound to disappear.¡¯ Flora was certain that the rumor about the Lark tree was false.

 CH 232.2

    The carriage halted as they arrived at Flower Street with lines of flower shops in business next to one another. Then there came a knock from outside as the horseman said, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, Anika.¡±


    As soon as she got off from the carriage, she felt everyone¡¯s eyes were now on her. Looking dignified, Flora tried to not be conscious of her surroundings and went into a flower shop which firstly came into her sight. She was of course escorted by the guards along the way.


    ¡°A bunch of those and also that.¡±


    ¡°As your wish, Anika.¡±


    Now that she was in the shop, she ended up buying a lot more than she expected. As she came just in time after a fresh batch of flowers were in, she had her fun choosing among a wide variety of flowers. With flowers stocked full in the back of the carriage, she got on the carriage again.


    ¡°Anika, shall I take you back to the house?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Flora didn¡¯t feel like going back this soon. She also came to regret her impulsive purchase of the flowers. She felt disgusted at the thought of her mother playing the hypocrite and pretending to be effusively thankful for the flowers, although she¡¯d later grumble about her wasting all the money for nothing.


    Flora wondered who she could probably give those flowers to without any burdens.


    ¡°¡­Arse.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Shall I take you to the Arse mansion?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­yes. To the Arse mansion.¡±


    Before long, the carriage arrived at the destination. Flora stood and stared at its main gate, greatly overpowered by its magnificence. This was where she used to frequent herself as if it was her second home. Flora remembered just how much she had wished here was her real home.


    Truthfully speaking, Flora was envious of everything Jin had come to own from the moment she was born. Jin literally had everything she had ever wanted, including this grand mansion, a pair of loving parents and also her two handsome brothers. Jin¡¯s life couldn¡¯t be more perfect in Flora¡¯s eyes, to the extent that she would gladly exchange her Ramita for it.


    All those years Flora frequented herself to the house as Jin¡¯s friend, she behaved in her very best manner to get along with Jin¡¯s family. Flora firmly believed she was becoming a part of their family. She thought they would still keep in touch and invite her over sometimes even when Jin was gone. However, they must have thought of her as no more than a friend of Jin¡¯s despite all her efforts to blend in.


    Without Jin, she practically had no excuse to make a visits anymore. This was her first time visiting in a very long while.


    ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Flora?¡±


    Flora, who was absentmindedly staring at the gate, turned as she heard someone calling her name. When their eyes met, the butler of the Arse mansion recognized Flora and bid a pleasant greeting as he went up to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s been such a while, Miss Flora. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so nice to see you as well.¡±


    ¡°Please come inside. May I ask who you have come to see today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s actually not that. I just happened to buy too many flowers as they were so fresh. Hence, I just wanted to share some of them.¡±


    ¡°Ah, then you must have come to see Lady Arse. She¡¯s been working in the glasshouse since this morning.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I be a bother to the lady?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I am sure her lady would be glad to see you too in such a long while.¡±


    Flora declined the butler¡¯s offer a few times to make her appear polite and accepted his persistent invitation in the end as if she had no other choice. He then promptly ushered her to the glasshouse. After a moment of waiting outside, the butler, who had gone into the glasshouse to inform the lady of her visit, had come back out and said ¡°The lady says come in.¡±


    ¡°All right¡­ thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡±


    The butler smiled approvingly as he watched Flora entering the glasshouse. He thought to himself how Flora had turned out as a fine polite young lady compared to that someone¡­


    As he was reminded of the young lady of the family, he felt his lips stiffen into a hard line. He shook his head as he still finds it a mystery as to how the two Anikas became friends when they practically had nothing in common except for their significant black hair and eyes of an Anika.


    Flora slowed her pace when she spotted the figure of a middle-aged woman, who was gracefully engrossed in trimming one end of the long flower stalk. Though it was only a plain movement, Flora could see the lady¡¯s natural elegance was radiating from her.


    Lady Arse turned over to face Flora.


    ¡°Welcome, Anika Flora.¡±


    The lady, whom Jin would resemble after many years from now, was smiling back at Flora. If only she had a black hair, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to distinguish the mother from the daughter as they looked so much alike. Flora was quick to lower her gaze and bid her greetings to the lady.


    ¡°Thank you for approving my sudden visit. I hope you have been well.¡±

 CH 233.1

    ¡°I am doing fine as always. And as you can see, this is how I pass the time. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°I am doing great as well. Perhaps I wasn¡¯t considerate enough. I should¡¯ve come by to pay my respects more often.¡±


    ¡°Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Flora was left speechless by an unexpected response. Originally, she was intending to say that she¡¯d come by more often when the lady courteously says things like ¡®You really should have done so.¡¯ and use this as an excuse to make frequent visits again. However, as the lady had given a rather ambiguous answer, she couldn¡¯t take the lead of the conversation like she intended.


    She was confused if the lady was intending to imply that she understood the reason for her sparse visit or was she basically saying that there was no reason for her to come by with Jin away in the Hashi Kingdom since her marriage.


    ¡°I will receive your gifts with thanks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. But I hope you like them.¡±


    Flora felt her heart pounding in her chest when Dana smiled back at her. She literally hadn¡¯t seen any other noble ladies who were as elegant and beautiful as Lady Arse, in countless parties she had attended along with Jin. Lady Arse seemed like she was of royal blood although there was no royalty in the Holy City.


    On her first encounter with the lady, dumbfounded by her beauty, she gaped and told Jin,


    [You do look a lot like your mother.]


    [Truly?]


    Jin laughed delightedly after her remark. And since that day, Jin had occasionally taken Flora to see her lady mother. Despite knowing that it was Jin¡¯s intention to be boastful, Flora did not mind as she enjoyed paying her visits to the lady. But all the while, she muttered to herself how Jin did not resemble her lady mother, the more as she saw them together.


    However, Flora found Jin becoming exceptionally quiet whenever she was in her mother¡¯s presence and awkwardly lingered for no good reason before taking her leave. To Flora¡¯s eyes, Jin seemed like a child who was desperately in need of her mother¡¯s attention. But Flora did not ruminate further and concluded that Jin must find her lady mother rather difficult.


    Truthfully speaking, it wasn¡¯t only Jin who found her mother difficult as her two brothers also seemed like they were intimidated by their lady mother. Although Lady Arse had never raised her voice before, everyone tended to be cautious around her presence.


    From Dana¡¯s beauty to her overpowering grace, every aspect of Dana was in fact an admiration to Flora. Dana was also deemed as a mystical being as she seldom showed herself at the social parties. Flora had not once met anyone who hadn¡¯t admired Lady Arse.


    ¡°How are your parents? Is your family doing well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are all doing very fine. In fact, we had a new addition to the family, not very long ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such wonderful news. What is the gender of the baby?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a beautiful baby girl. However, my mother was a little disappointed when she learned my niece¡¯s gender.¡±


    ¡°Was she expecting a baby boy?¡±


    ¡°No. She had rather expected a¡­ special baby girl.¡±


    Flora couldn¡¯t help but to laugh at how her family¡¯s jolly expectation subsided right after her niece was born. She was embarrassed at how her parents had shamelessly expected another Anika to be born to the family.


    ¡°I¡­.¡± After a moment of silence, Dana spoke again, looking both joy and grief at the same time. ¡°I had rather prayed for her to be ordinary when I knew I was pregnant with her. It was my selfish thought for wanting her to live as my wholly daughter. So I was disappointed at first but those feelings didn¡¯t last long. She was the apple of my eye after all.¡±


    Flora was shocked to find out how different Lady Arse was from her own mother, who rather thinks of her Anika daughter as a proud trophy. It never occurred to her mind before that there would be a mother, who would be wistful to have Anika as a daughter, instead of regarding it as a family honour. Flora felt envious of Jin and perplexed at the same time.


    For all these years, Flora depicted Lady Arse as someone rather aloof and cold as she had never once seen Lady Arse giving warm words to Jin. Furthermore, she always called her own daughter, ¡®Anika Jin¡¯.


    ¡®Is she not used to express her love towards her daughter?¡¯


    ¡°You must feel lonely now that Jin has moved to such a faraway kingdom.¡±


    Dana only smiled without replying.


    Without realizing, the words which Flora was refraining herself from, easily escaped her mouth. ¡°Please think of me as one of your own.¡±


    ¡°I gladly accept your heart.¡± said Dana with a smile.


    Flora felt her face burning up with embarrassment, as if she just had been read like a book. While she struggled to keep on her straight face, Flora managed to let out a sigh of relief when the conversation was interrupted as a maid came in.


    The maid went up to the lady and bowed her head. ¡°My lady. The young master wishes to see you.¡±


    Flora¡¯s eyes flickered instantly at the maid¡¯s word.


    ¡°Tell him I have a guest with me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all, Lady Arse.¡±


    Flora promptly interfered as she wanted to take this chance to give her greetings to Enoch. As Enoch was too like his mother, never frequented himself to the social parties, Flora hardly had any chance to meet him since Jin left the Holy City.


    ¡°Send him in.¡±


    ¡°As you said, my lady.¡±


    In a moment, Enoch showed himself and crossed into the glasshouse in a wide stride. Enoch had the handsome look which resembled his mother¡¯s delicate beauty. But despite his pretty face, which might make him appear rather fragile, his sturdy build and tallness that he inherited from his father had made him appear more manly.


    Flora, who stared blindly as Enoch drew nearer, hastily dropped her gaze when she sensed his eyes on her. She feared that her feelings might be discovered by him when they met eyes.

 CH 233.2

    Both Flora and Jin, being the youngest and the only daughter of their houses, had two older brothers. The age difference between the brothers and them were similar as well. However, those were the only similarities she shared with Jin.


    Flora¡¯s oldest brother couldn¡¯t care less of her, while her second brother, who was jealous of all the attention she was getting, gave her quite a hard time growing up. On the contrary, Jin¡¯s two brothers were the complete opposite. And most of all, Enoch, who was seven years older, was a kind, reliable brother as he always dearly listened to every word of his little sister, Jin.


    While the boy was turning into a man, Flora too, had grown into a fine young lady as the years passed by. And it was almost obvious that Enoch had placed greatly in Flora¡¯s heart.


    Expectantly, it was Jin who was first to notice Flora¡¯s feelings as the both of them were almost always together.


    [You admire my brother Enoch, don¡¯t you? But do you really think you¡¯ll stand a chance? You better know your place.]


    Mercilessly, Jin trampled right on Flora¡¯s blind admiration for Enoch. Despite feeling dreadfully miserable, Flora couldn¡¯t quite refute Jin¡¯s blunt remark. Compared to Enoch, she truly had nothing to offer.


    If only she and Enoch shared a mutual love in which no hardship or misfortune could tear them apart, she would have willingly thrown herself into the burning flames, just for love. However, Enoch only thought of Flora as no more than a little sister.


    Despite knowing all that, Flora didn¡¯t give up. In fact, she planned to confess her feelings to him after her coming-of-age birthday. But unfortunately, her years of unrequited love had come to an abrupt end, as Enoch got married even before she could reach the proper age for marriage.


    Flora promptly bowed her head. ¡°It¡¯s been such a long while. I hope you are well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. Flora. I¡¯m pleased to see you too.¡±


    Enoch¡¯s eyes betrayed a small sense of guilt when he saw Flora. He remembered how he used to care for Flora as much as Jin¡ªhe considered Flora as his sister as well. The two girls were always together as if they were twins. However, he hadn¡¯t had the mind to look in on Flora after Jin had left the house. He figured that she too must have felt the absence of Jin, who was almost a sister to her.


    ¡°Enoch.¡±


    Instantly, Enoch turned his gaze back to his mother and replied, ¡°Yes, mother.¡±


    ¡°You should address her formally now. Anika Flora is no longer a child. It was rude of you to address her like the old days when it¡¯s been long since she¡¯d come of age.¡±


    Dana berated Enoch for his improper remark. Sheepishly, Enoch apologized to Flora for committing a discourtesy.


    ¡°Anika Flora. I apologize for my impertinence. I truly committed a discourtesy. I may have been lost in the old memories.¡±


    ¡°¡­No, not at all.¡±


    Although Flora wanted to say that she didn¡¯t mind him calling her by her name, she buttoned up her lips instead. Despite knowing that Lady Arse is a person who was strict with etiquettes, Flora was upset more than usual by the lady¡¯s aloof disposition.


    ¡°What is it that you wished to see me for, Enoch? As you can see, I¡¯m pretty much occupied at the moment.¡± said Dana, as she placed a trimmed flower into the vase which her maid had brought in.


    Enoch found himself at a loss for words. He remembered how his mother entitled every family business to him as soon as he came of age. So he was the one who had been bustling all around since then. And all his mother did since, was to indulge in her hobbies, drinking tea while reading leisurely.


    He restrained himself from asking just what in the world she was occupied with. ¡°A knight came by just now.¡± He blurted without hesitation. He didn¡¯t mind Flora hearing about it.


    ¡°Jin is coming to make a visit. She will supposedly arrive in three to four days.¡±


    Although there was a momentary flinch in Dana¡¯s movement while she arranged the flowers, there were no conspicuous changes in her expression.


    ¡°So she¡¯s coming.¡±


    As expected, his lady mother was still indifferent upon hearing the news. He was rather disappointed as he had somehow wished for his mother to be more excited about Jin¡¯s visit. While Jin was away for three whole years, he had hoped his lady mother would finally come around and realize her daughter¡¯s absence and miss her.


    ¡°Mother.¡± Upon addressing Dana, Enoch promptly held his tongue as what he was about to say hereafter was something he couldn¡¯t say with Flora¡¯s presence.


    Flora was then quick to notice the meaning of his brief glance at her.


    ¡°I should better get going. Thank you for your hospitality today, Lady Arse.¡±


    ¡°Flo¡­ Anika Flora. We will be pleased to have you again when Jin comes back. Please give her your warm welcome like the old days.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I can hardly wait to see her again.¡± Flora¡¯s face stiffened as soon as she turned around after bidding her thanks to Lady Arse.


    ¡®A knight just came by? And Jin¡¯s coming?¡¯


    This could only mean that Jin was summoned by His Holiness himself.


    ¡®Why would His Holiness summon her all of sudden?¡¯


    There was no way Sang-je had been swayed by some uncertain rumor going about the city. Which implied that the rumor about the Lark tree wasn¡¯t all groundless after all. However, Flora did not believe it to be true.


    ¡®It surely wouldn¡¯t be just about the rumor. There must be another reason for his summon.¡¯


    Ramita is an inborn ability that never changes. And Flora was certain that Jin was never gifted with any Ramita.


    What turned her doubt into a conviction even more was because Jin had never once mentioned about her Ramita before. As far as Flora knows, Jin would never miss her chance to show off her Ramita if she truly possessed it. Hence, Flora had been thinking that Jin had married the Desert King just so she could leave the Holy City before everyone finds out about her secret.

 CH 234.1

    After Flora took her leave, the maid, who was assisting Dana by her side, must have also felt the tension in the air for she too promptly left the room. Only the mother and the son were now left in the glasshouse.


    Dana started to trim the bunch of the flowers on the table with a scissor. As Enoch watched his lady mother continue on with her work without giving a look at him, a faint sigh escaped from his lips.


    Since young, he had always thought that his lady mother was the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world and such an opinion of his hadn¡¯t changed a bit, even after he had become a father of his child.


    ¡®Jin is without doubt the one and only daughter of my mother.¡¯


    Jin truly was the spitting image of his mother. No one would ever deny them being related as a mother and a daughter, when they saw them together.


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, my hearing hasn¡¯t worsened just yet.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that Jin was coming?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I thought you did and that¡¯s why you met with Flora today.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t refuse her when she had already come all the way.¡±


    ¡°Perchance¡­ Have you called in Flora like today every so often?


    ¡°Why is it that you think I did?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I thought you were quite fond of Flora.¡±


    Dana lightly chuckled at his assumption. ¡°And are you fond of her?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason not to be¡­ I only meant that I was grateful for her being Jin¡¯s friend.¡±


    Enoch had omitted that he was especially grateful for Flora being such good friends with his rather extraordinary sister. Even though she was his little sister, he couldn¡¯t deny that she had a spoiled disposition.


    ¡°Perhaps your definition of friend is quite different from mine.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°My dear son. I guess you still have a long way to go in honing your judgment of character.¡±


    ¡®What of Flora?¡¯


    No matter how hard he thought about it, Enoch couldn¡¯t quite figure out the hidden meaning behind his lady mother¡¯s remark.


    ¡®Could it be that mother¡­ detests all Anikas?¡¯


    Enoch did not bother to voice out his doubt as he knew his mother would never give him a clear answer anyway. She had always been that way. Even when he had sought her out for advice on a seemingly intricate task, she never tended to give him a clear-cut solution at once.


    It was only after he had beaten his brains out for his own solution, his mother would give him an even pragmatic solution and put him in despair. At times, he felt like he could never catch up to her no matter how hard he tried.


    But all those trivial complaints he had against her, were more of the fretful grumblings of a son to a mother. Enoch had a high regard for his mother more than he could ever love her, except just for one matter.


    ¡°Mother, I entreat you. Please give your warm welcome to Jin when she comes. She¡¯s finally coming back for the first time in a long while. There¡¯s no way to know how long she would stay nor when she¡¯ll ever make another visit after this.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°I just hope you won¡¯t do anything regretful later on.¡±


    ¡°Insolent child.¡±


    It was Enoch who had first lowered his gaze away from his mother when their eyes were met. After giving a long stare at her son, she obliged him by making concessions. ¡°¡­I get what you¡¯re trying to say.¡±


    Enoch gave a deep bow to his mother before he turned and took his leave. Enoch figured that he best not further question her as his efforts might backfire. If she could¡¯ve been persuaded, his father would have long done so.


    After Enoch took his leave, Dana had irritatingly deposited the scissor on the table as she let out a deep sigh. ¡®I guess my age is starting to catch up on me.¡¯


    Dana was getting worn out. This long years of tragedy of hers dated back to twenty years. The day when her Jin was abducted.


    After spending long agonizing sleepless nights, fretting all over the place, Dana had shed her tears of joy upon hearing the news that her daughter had safely returned without any harm.


    However, such relief and joy did not last long. Dana had immediately pushed herself away from her returned daughter out of fright, when her eyes were met with the child in her arms. Dana clearly felt that there was something different in kind with the child although she looked exactly like her daughter from the outside.


    [She is not my daughter. The child¡¯s been switched.]


    That was all Dana could say to her husband, who looked at her as if she¡¯d possibly gone mad. But there was no logical reasoning to explain her seemingly absurd assertion as it was a kind of sensation which only she could sense.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ mother. Why have you gifted me with such ability.¡±


    Dana¡¯s mother¡¯s side, the Muen Family, had a long history for their special abilities that¡¯s been running in the family for generations. Muens were gifted with their keen ability to sense around their surroundings, more sharply than most people could. With their ¡®sense¡¯, they could read the flow of the world or even see ahead to the future. However, it was forbidden, strictly as a family rule, for them to reveal such of their abilities to others.

 CH 234.2

    The Muen Family held many unrevealed secrets among them, which are known to be handed down only to the family¡¯s rightful successor. And those who were to leave the family upon their marriage, must sever their relations with the Muens forever.


    Dana¡¯s mother was close to becoming the successor. But despite being the strongest candidate, her mother had left the family upon her marriage. And when Dana learned of that fact, she had once asked her mother,


    [Mother. Why did you give up on becoming the successor?]


    [I did not wish to pass on a restricted future to my children. Though I don¡¯t regret my choice¡­ I do feel regretful for not being able to be there when my parents breathed their last breath.]


    Her mother had always been a mysterious figure in Dana¡¯s eyes. And from her mother, Dana inherited one of her mother¡¯s abilities.


    It was Dana¡¯s ability to be able to feel the special forces or the waves which radiated from the individuals. Every individual had their own unique forces which differed according to the deeds accumulated throughout their lives.


    However, such ability, which was supposed to be an invaluable inheritance from her mother, had turned to a painful curse ever since that incident. It broke her heart just to think of her daughter, without knowing if she was still alive or dead. Dana was miserably distressed to the point she wished she hadn¡¯t known anything in the first place.


    And as the years passed, she had only grown all the more confused. Dana wondered who her real daughter actually was now. She was torn between her daughter, who had only been with her for three years and ¡®that¡¯, who had lived inside her daughter¡¯s shell for as long as twenty years.


    Despite all that, she could still feel it lingering before her closed eyes. There was no way for her to ever forget about such glaring rays of force which radiated from her precious daughter. The tears Dana had shed soon wetted her eyelashes on her closed eyes.


    ***


    It was the night before their arrival at the Holy City.


    The carriages came to a stop as they had reached their accommodation for the night. The mansion which will serve as their accommodation was of a royal estate, owned by the Slan Kingdom, and it was where the king of the Slan Kingdom stops over whenever he pays his visit to the Holy City. And it was when the darkness had fallen that Pides came to see Kasser.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I will be leaving ahead to inform His Holiness of your arrival.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Kasser summoned the chamberlain.


    ¡°Lead Sir Pides to the Queen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Your Majesty, it won¡¯t be necessary,¡± said Pides as he interrupted. ¡°As I will see Her Majesty soon again in the Holy City, I¡¯ll much appreciate it if Your Majesty could bid my farewell to Her Majesty, in my stead. I will then be leaving now.¡±


    ¡°If you insist, I¡¯ll do as so,¡±


    After he took his leave, Pides informed his leaving to one of the other knights and headed to the stable. As he led his horse across the yard, he turned to take a look back.


    From there, he saw dim lights emerging from the windows of the mansion that was surrounded by the night¡¯s darkness. His mind grew perplexed as he thought of Anika Jin, who was to be somewhere behind one of those windows.


    He used to feel uncomfortable around her as he was too conscious of her eyes that were chasing after him whenever he went. However, the man whom her eyes sought after now, was no longer him. Throughout the journey, Pides had clearly realized that she no longer had any interest in him anymore. But instead of feeling lighthearted, he rather felt bittersweet after learning such a fact.


    Both her and the Desert King surely looked like they were very much devoted to each other. He could see that their eyes were filled with nothing but affection, every time they looked into each other.


    Pides smiled bitterly as he recalled the subtle joy on the king¡¯s features when he had bid his leave to him just now.


    ¡®I believe there were much more than just affections in those gazes of his.¡¯


    Pides had easily sensed the king¡¯s strong affection for her from the way he looked at her. But his eyes would promptly sharpen whenever he lays it on Pides.


    It seemed like he was now on the king¡¯s blacklist for sure. He wondered if it was because he had been caught staring at Anika Jin a few times by the king.


    But he could swear he didn¡¯t mean otherwise by staring. Anika Jin had just happened to catch his eyes as she looked more beautiful than ever, now that her expressions and eyes conspicuously softened, compared to the past.


    And as Pides had surmised, Kasser couldn¡¯t be gladder now that Pides was gone. Although he were to see him again once he reached the Holy City, Kasser had bid good riddance for not having to see him even for the short time being.


    ¡®What an insolent fellow.¡¯ Kasser grumbled inwardly to himself. He had in fact caught Pides staring at Eugene with a seemingly inappropriate gaze. He wondered why Pides would keep staring at his wife with such a dubious look. He had only let him off the hook as Eugene did not seem to be conscious of him in the least.

 CH 235.1

    ¡®We¡¯ll probably arrive by late afternoon tomorrow.¡¯


    Kasser felt heavy-hearted to think that he would be in Holy City by the next day. Moreover, the conversation he had with the Sword King, on the day he departed from the Slan Kingdom, lingered in his mind since then.


    As the time was short for a good long conversation, he mostly listened to what the Sword King had to say. Throughout the conversation though, the Sword King¡¯s words contained much food for thought for him to contemplate later on. In fact, some of the information had also come as a great shock to him.


    [The relationship between a king and an Anika is nothing more than just to produce an heir to the throne. Although they would be bonded as a husband and wife, such bond lacks sincerity.]


    Kasser had also once believed the same. In fact, when he was on his way to Holy City for the marriage, his purpose was to gain his heir more than to get himself a wife.


    [The relationship between my parents was no different. However, I rather wanted to build a special relationship with my wife, unlike my parents. Since we¡¯re pressing on time, I will leave out the details as to why I¡¯d made such a resolution. So ever since I got married, I truly did my very best to create a bond with my wife.]


    Upon hearing that, Kasser felt a prick in his heart as he was embarrassed with his old self, for not having once thought of making an effort in his marriage.


    Just until a few months ago, the relationship between him and Eugene was nothing more than as how Sword King described just now. More so, he had not been intimate with her as well. Although it was Eugene¡¯s amnesia which acted as a variable that triggered the change, it was all due to her change of attitude that caused a turn in their relationship.


    [I was not intimate with her until she had finally opened her heart to me. I did not hasten to get an heir to the throne. However, it wasn¡¯t easy to win her heart. The queen was an extremely sensitive Anika who was easily repulsed by my mere presence around her. It was never pleasant to see her in stark fear every time she looked at me.]


    Kasser was truly amazed to hear how the Sword King had made steady and persistent effort for three whole years without ever giving up.


    [Nonetheless, our relationship had started to change as she started to take notice of my earnest efforts. But all the more was because she had experienced a great deal of changes in herself. She had told me that the repulsion she felt around me was starting to fade away. Then after some time, she was no longer repulsed by me anymore. Isn¡¯t that astonishing? She used to feel nauseous whenever I was close by her side.]


    According to his experience, the Sword King had then formulated a hypothesis that Anika¡¯s repulsive response could be one form of their self-defense mechanism, to raise their guards against others. He wondered if their susceptive response was all because they possess special abilities. The conventional theory about Anika¡¯s Ramita contradicting the king¡¯s Praz, did not explain the changes that occurred to his wife.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, Kasser stopped to check the time when he saw nothing but the pitch-black sky from his window. He had then raised from his desk to call it a day. On the way to his bedchamber, he picked up where he left off just now and continued to ponder.


    [Then one day, I found something peculiar from the things I¡¯d been told by my wife. It seemed like His Holiness tended to come between the kings and Anikas with his elaborate comments.]


    Kasser was stunned to hear the king making such a bold statement against Sang-je. Despite him speaking with restraint, his words strongly implied his hostility against Sang-je.


    [My wife was told that a king¡¯s Praz could do harm to both Anika¡¯s Ramita and health, the more they spend their nights with the king. And that somehow corresponded to what I¡¯ve been told about the internal injuries that could be caused by the collision between the king¡¯s Praz and Anika¡¯s Ramita.]


    Kasser realized that he¡¯d also been informed of the same. As he listened to the Sword King, he was reminded of an incident from a few months ago.


    It was when the active period was just about to start, and Eugene was in distress by its effects. He had merged his Praz into Eugene¡¯s body while he braced himself for the expected internal injuries. However, contrary to his expectations, he was rather perplexed to find out that Praz was in fact responding to her and he did not receive any injury at all.


    [Desert King, I do understand what you meant by the changes of the Praz. I had indeed experienced the same in the past. It was in fact the exact opposite of getting internal injuries. It was when you sought me out for advice on that matter that I finally realized it wasn¡¯t a delusion of mine after all.]


    [¡­If so, why didn¡¯t the other kings take notice of such changes? I don¡¯t remember hearing anything about it from my father, the late king.]


    [In my opinion, I think that it all depends on Anika¡¯s power of influence. Only an Anika could bear the king¡¯s child. But the kings have the overpowering physical abilities over Anikas. I wondered if it is God¡¯s consideration to forbid the king from extorting Anika repressively.]


    While the Sword King laughed sheepishly at his own seemingly absurd conjecture, Kasser¡¯s face hardened instead as he was further reminded of the things he¡¯d been told by Aldrit before.


    [My wife committed suicided, Desert King.]

 CH 235.2

    The Sword King, who had been keeping his calm composure throughout the conversation, grimaced for the first time as if he was on the verge of crying.


    [She drowned herself in the tub, right after her visit to the Holy City to see His Holiness. There was something unusual about her after she returned from her journey. She seemed absentminded more than usual. You have no idea how much I repented myself after she was gone from me just like that. Moreover, she was pregnant by the time she died. Those who knew about her pregnancy believed that my wife had killed herself out of guilt. But I believe in my wife more than anyone else in the world. It was my child she was carrying. She couldn¡¯t possibly have betrayed me.]


    It was a commonly known knowledge that an Anika can only give birth to one heir to the throne. However, they still could get pregnant with a common man¡¯s child. Hence, there were some cases of Anikas getting pregnant again after they remarried to common men.


    If what the Sword King had just told him was true indeed, that could only mean that the common knowledge was in fact false. An investigation must be then conducted to find out why there weren¡¯t any records about an Anika giving birth to a second heir to the throne.


    [It pains me to recall such a memory which had been long since buried in my mind.]


    With a look that was part grief and part relief, the Sword king went on.


    [I had never once told anyone about it before. You are the first person I¡¯ve confided in.]


    [¡­Why have you told me?]


    Kasser was dubious of the king¡¯s intention although he had not doubted that he was lying. The information he sought out was simple¡ªall that he wanted from the Sword King was for him to share his experience if he ever did go through the same changes in his Praz. They were never deeply bonded for the king to give him such personal information.


    The Sword King had done little to hide his hostile attitude towards Sang-je as he spoke. Doubtless, he would be badly troubled should any of his words fall on Sang-je¡¯s ears. As long as Anika¡¯s birth cries could only be heard in the land of Holy City, the fate of the existence of a kingdom was laid in Sang-je¡¯s hand as his consent was essential for a king to marry Anika.


    [I was reminded of the fond memories of the past as you and your queen, Anika, seemed very much devoted to one another at yesterday¡¯s banquet.]


    With that said, Richard stared into the blank with a nostalgic gaze as if he was recalling back to the good old days he had spent with his wife. Kasser waited patiently without minding the long silence as he didn¡¯t want to interrupt while the Sword King indulged in reminiscent.


    In the past, Kasser would have definitely prioritized efficiency in order to gain as much information as possible in a short time. However, he had learned of the fact as to how inefficient and illogical a human¡¯s mind was, of late. Somehow, he felt like he could empathize with the Sword King¡¯s agony to some degree.


    [I¡¯ve heard about the rumor regarding the Lark tree. How truthful is the rumor?]


    [It is indeed true that the queen¡¯s Ramita had transformed a Lark into a tree.] Kasser had answered.


    [¡­Though I have no idea of what actually happened, this is indeed an unprecedented event. To His Holiness especially. As there has never been an Anika, who supposedly possessed such a level of Ramita, married to a king.]


    Suddenly, the Sword King fixed his glaring eyes on Kasser before he firmly spoke out.


    [Don¡¯t put too much trust in His Holiness.] Instantly, the last words of his father, the late King, overlapped over the remark. [Son. Do not trust in Mahar.]


    Kasser wondered if the late king had known of something before he passed. But if so, why didn¡¯t he leave him a will about it?


    [His Holiness may attempt to take your wife away from you.]


    [Our marriage has already been officially acknowledged.]


    [That wouldn¡¯t stop him from finding a way for it. In the worst case, he has the absolute cause to justify his every action. That he¡¯s been called to fulfill the divine will.]


    [¡­.]


    Kasser was finally hit by the realization that it was possible for every worst scenario to actually transpire. He would have seriously considered returning back if only he were yet to cross the Anotty Mountains. But as he had already journeyed to this far, there was no other choice but to walk right into the enemy field.


    Devastated by the situation he was in, Kasser turned to the Sword King to seek his advice. At that moment, Kasser seemed merely as a young fellow, who was seeking advice from a wise elder, and not as a king.


    [Do you have advice for me as to how I should respond if unforeseen situations arise?]


    The Sword King, looking quite surprised by the unexpected question, watched intently at Kasser before he opened his mouth again.


    [I only have one piece of advice for you.]

 CH 236.1

    Deeply absorbed in his thoughts, Kasser had reached the bedchamber before he knew. As he opened the door, Eugene, who was flipping over the pages of a book while lying flat on her stomach on the bed, came right into his sight. Eugene casted a brief side glance at Kasser, who entered through the opened door, before she promptly returned to the book she was reading.


    Eugene tended to do so of times when she was deeply absorbed in what she was doing. The way she behaved around the king was surprisingly unreserved.


    In fact, it had been quite some time since they had not been too particular about conforming to the courtesies when they were alone. For instance, without going through the formality of announcing his arrival through a servant, Kasser had just casually swung the door open and shoved himself into the chamber.


    He had received a strict upbringing to observe the customs and the rules of the decorum, ever since he was young. However, he was finding such a mere deviation from long standing customs to be very amusing of late. He felt rather thrilled to imagine the nonplussed look on Marianne¡¯s face if she ever finds out, as she was very strict when it comes to rules and customs. It was almost as if his hidden rebellion side was beginning to raise its head in his mind after all these years of suppression.


    As he climbed up to the bed and sat himself up right next to her, Eugene spoke to him with her eyes still fixed on the book.


    ¡°I found this on the table. I guess it¡¯s some kind of a fairy tale for the children. Nonetheless, I find it very amusing as I read on.¡±


    Kasser took a glimpse down at the book she was reading. As she said, it was indeed a story book for children as more than half of its page was filled with illustrations with only a few sentences filling the rest.


    However, he had soon lost his interest in the book. In fact, such a story book was never his concern in the first place. The only subject of interest to him was his wife, who was engrossed in reading, without giving a fig for her husband by her side.


    As he pondered for a way to distract her attention from the book, he gently wrapped around her ankle with one hand. With that, he slowly slipped his hand from her ankle to her calf, along the curve of her body.


    Eugene shifted her body a little, as if suggesting him not to disturb. But without giving a fig, he pressed his fingers onto the crook of her knee and rubbed gently against it with his fingertips. Next, he covered the flesh under her thigh with his palm and groped along until his hand settled on the division between her thigh and hip.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost finished. Give me a minute.¡±


    This time, Eugene tossed her body more strongly on the bed. However, his palm had only tenaciously teased her as if it was entirely clung onto her body. Insistently, he cupped her hip while he brushed away her long hair, streaming over her shoulders, and pressed his lips against the skin revealed at the back of her neck.


    As much as Eugene was determined to finish the last few pages of the book she was reading, she tried hard to ignore him altogether. However, the tickle she felt by the nape of her neck, every time his lips were pressed on, somehow aroused her with strange sensations. Her concentration shattered even further as his hand began to caress her hip. Even a simple short sentence had failed to be comprehended by her brain.


    Once she had reached the limit of her patience, Eugene tossed her head to the side as she muttered irritatingly under her breath. However, Eugene¡¯s annoyance disabled in a vain effort, when she saw him promptly backing away after stealing a kiss from her as soon as his eyes were met with hers.


    ¡°Ha-ah¡­¡±


    Perplexedly, she heaved a sigh thinking that this wasn¡¯t fair for her after all. The man before her was impeccably dashing. No one could possibly refuse him before his smoldering blue eyes, blazing with heat.


    Accepting her defeat, Eugene yielded by rolling herself onto the side, with her hands off from the book she was reading. And as soon as the back of her head touched the bed, he promptly climbed atop her and pressed himself against her body.


    Eugene breathed out languidly as she felt the pleasant weight of the man which she was very familiar with.


    At once, her lips were engulfed by the hot wet lips of his while his tongue moved intrusively around in her mouth. He rubbed against her tender flesh with the tip of his tongue as he swallowed the trickling fluid down her throat.


    Then, he further slipped his hand to draw up her sleeping garment, which was already rolled up revealing her thigh, all the way up to her waist. His erection, pressed tightly against her as he burrowed his way in between her legs, was as hard as a rock.


    Eugene¡¯s face was all flushed with heat, when she felt the plain pounding movement of his waist against her privates, while his tongue was tangled around with hers. Her annoyance for being interrupted in the middle of reading had been long since vanished.


    He was doubtless a fine gentleman with his composed manner as if he was a man of little or no sexual desires, but as opposed to his serene expression, his body however was more than true to his basic instincts.


    Oftentimes, they either embraced or shared a light kiss during lunch or when they were out for a walk. And it wasn¡¯t a time or two where Eugene had felt his hardness pressed against her lower abdomen or witnessed his bulging manhood with her own eyes. It had almost got her to wonder if he gets hard just by seeing her face.


    The fact that he restrains his desire depending on the time and place, despite being aroused every time in her presence, had given her quite an unusual feeling of satisfaction.


    But on one hand, she wondered if he would be able to keep or lose his patience, when she gave out her signal to him. She was resolved to put him to test one day. Eugene anticipated to see his dumbfounded expression after realizing it was only a joke.

 CH 236.2

    Her fingers flinched as her body responded to the tingling sensations. Whatever thoughts that occupied her mind had soon vanished into the air. And the way that their tongues sloppily intertwined, while he intrusively devoured every corner of her mouth, betrayed his outright lusts for her.


    After giving a suck on her tongue, he pulled his lips away as he belatedly let go of hers. Eugene had then hazily stared into his face through her feebly opened eyes.


    Kasser wrapped around her face with one hand and rubbed across her sodden lips with his thumb. Then, a sudden feeling of uneasiness choked his throat. Fear crept over him as he found the woman, who lay sprawled beneath him, dearly endearing.


    He reflected on his insolence for thinking he could ever feel the Sword King¡¯s pain. He dared not to imagine the Sword King¡¯s grief. He didn¡¯t think he could live through the years of sorrow like the Sword King did after his wife¡¯s death.


    Unwittingly, he muttered to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a mistake. That day was never too late to go back.¡±


    He felt suffocated just by the thought of arriving at the Holy City on the morrow. On the day they made a stop at the Slan Kingdom¡¯s castle, he reflected that perhaps it was too late for him to turn the procession around. But now that he thinks of it, it was never too late for him to return to his kingdom.


    ¡°Shall we leave this instant? No one could ever come after us if I ran away with you in my arms.¡±


    ¡°¡­Where to?


    ¡°To the castle. Our home.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eyes flickered in an effort to comprehend his words. Gradually, her eyes were brought to a focus as she belatedly realized that this was the extension of their conversation from yesterday.


    Yesterday, the two of them had a good long conversation late into the night. Eugene shared the things she heard from Gemma while Kasser told her about the things he learned from his conversation with the Sword King.


    It was rather casual than a serious conversation, almost as if they were talking about the things from their everyday lives. More so, as he didn¡¯t mention otherwise today, Eugene had thought that the conversation ended as of yesterday.


    Eugene fixed her gaze and stared into his eyes for quite a while. Soon, her eyes widened with surprise when she read his anxiousness somewhere deep within his eyes.


    She stretched out her hand and placed it across his cheek. ¡°If we leave now, what¡¯s to happen afterwards?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°You know more than well that running away wouldn¡¯t solve the problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. Forget what I¡¯d said just now.¡±


    Just as the Sword King mentioned before, Sang-je possessed an absolute power, the so-called ¡®God¡¯s divine will¡¯ as his weapon. It surely wouldn¡¯t be wise to turn their back against Sang-je without any justifiable reasons as that would likely make the whole world turn against them. He wouldn¡¯t have minded if it was only him alone, but he couldn¡¯t bear to drag her into such a devastating situation along with him.


    ¡°No need to worry, Your Majesty. I would never end up like the queen of the Slan Kingdom.¡±


    Kasser¡¯s eyes flickered as Richard¡¯s advice, which he didn¡¯t tell her yesterday, flashed across his mind.


    [In the end, I am the one who¡¯s really to blame for my wife¡¯s death. I cared only to create a different form of relationship in my marriage as opposed to my parents. So, I regret that I had failed to give her enough trust as a man, for she was only a woman, before she was an Anika. That¡¯s probably why she had hid her pregnancy from me and had rather gone to seek advice from His Holiness. I just hope that you won¡¯t make the same mistake as I did once.]


    As their conversation came to an end, the Sword King made his last comment.


    [Keep this in mind, Desert King. Sincerity is of utmost importance in a relationship. No vicious scheme could ever overpower one¡¯s sincerity. The same goes for loyalty, friendship, and love, as they all share the same root of trust.]


    To show one¡¯s sincerity was easier said than done. No one tells beforehand if they speak truly out of their heart or if their words were only full of lies. Somehow, everyone in this world pretends to hold sincerity in their word and behavior to some degree.


    Kasser went on in a hope that his words would convey his sincere feelings to her heart. ¡°Eugene.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I believe in you.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°No matter what happens, just remember this. I believe in you. It doesn¡¯t matter whatever kind of mistakes you made. So don¡¯t ever be distressed on your own. ¡°


    Eugene¡¯s eyes trembled greatly upon his remark. Feeling hot behind her eyes, she slowly blinked open her eyes.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Eugene broke off for a moment as she felt the lump in her throat. ¡°My memory might come back to me when I get to the Holy City. Perchance, I might have done awful things to you. I might even have deceived you badly¡­ around the time we got married.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t your doing. It¡¯s not of concern.¡±


    Eugene flinched momentarily. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take me wrong. I don¡¯t mean to deny your past self. I only intended to suggest that we should regard whoever you were before your memory was lost, a completely different person. So, whatever you did in the past doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±


    Kasser embraced her body tightly into his arms as she wrapped her arms around his neck. With that, he resolutely muttered that he would never let go of her no matter what happens.

 CH 237.1

    The conversation broke off in the middle as the moving carriage slowed down gradually to a stop. Momentarily, a knock was heard from the outside. Then, through the slightly ajar door, the servant explained.


    ¡°Your Majesty, due to the congestion of the road to the Holy City, the carriage had halted for a moment to wait for the road to open up. It shouldn¡¯t take very long.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Darlin went on when the door was closed again.


    ¡°There must be many comers and goers today. The last time I came, I never had to wait to pass by.¡±


    Charlotte¡¯s remark then followed. ¡°It¡¯s actually heavily congested most of the time. So the wait is quite unavoidable. Sometimes, it takes a long while before the crowd moves.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? It had been a long time since my last trip to the Holy City¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while for me as well. I believe my last visit was five years ago¡­.¡±


    Darlin was looking flushed with excitement, along with her voice heightened than usual. And as opposed to Darlin, whose excitement was written all over her face, Charlotte seemed serene from the outside but there clearly was more of a liveliness on Charlotte¡¯s face than usual. Both their faces glowed with a long-awaited anticipation alike.


    With a smile on her face, Eugene silently listened to their conversation. She seemed to have used up all her energy in worrying. In her head, she had countlessly pictured her encounter with Sang-je to still her uneasiness throughout the whole journey. But now that they finally arrived, she found herself as still as calm water. She realized she was retting over something which she had not considered before.


    ¡®I wonder what kind of people Jin¡¯s family are.¡¯


    Eugene tried to recall the original novel. Despite knowing that this world was quite different from the way it was described in the novel, still of times, she had been using it as some kind of reference. It wasn¡¯t entirely useless.


    In the novel, Jin¡¯s family only appeared to give more details about Jin¡¯s character. ¡®Jin was born into a renowned family, and she was loved by all for she was the youngest daughter.¡¯ It suggested that the Anika taking the evil route never had to do with her upbringing. It was entirely her own decision.


    Aside from that, Jin¡¯s family never made another appearance in the novel thereafter.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t make sense now that I think of it.¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t help but to wonder why Jin¡¯s family had never interfered once for the sake of their endearing daughter. They didn¡¯t even show up at the last moment where Jin met with a tragic end.


    ¡®I guess that means there were a lot of plot holes in the story I¡¯ve written.¡¯


    However, it didn¡¯t seem like Jin was on good terms with her family.


    For the last three years, there were no traces of her keeping in touch with her family in any sort of way. The very fact that Jin had been asking favor from Charlotte¡¯s maternal family instead of her powerful family was strange as it is.


    ¡®I guess Jin and I are alike in a way as we are both on bad terms with our family.¡¯


    Eugene felt identified with Jin for the first time. And they both had a family of five. According to the information she gained from Knight Pides, Jin seemed to have two older brothers.


    ¡®Family¡­¡¯


    For the first time in a while, Eugene recalled her family. The so-called love and hate relationship sounded too good to describe her feelings towards them. For some time, she started to associate her family with a deep viscous swamp which she couldn¡¯t possibly imagine herself getting through.


    Eugene¡¯s family consisted of people who were far from befitting the moral standards of the society. Both her parents had previous convictions for swindling and gambling while her two brothers frequented police stations for charges like assault, theft and fraud. Neither of them had a notion of earning money with a fair amount of labor. For the worse, they all spent the little money they extorted from others like water. Resultantly, they had always been poor.


    However, like most kids do when they are young, Eugene had also once believed that her parents and family were the best people in the whole world. But now that she thinks back, the love she had towards her family had always been unrequited.


    Her one-sided love towards her family was tenacious. Despite being disappointed countless times, Eugene couldn¡¯t quite give up hoping like a fool. She believed that her family could turn over a new leaf someday and she had this vain dream that she could actually change them.


    Eugene tried her very best. She tried hard to love her family and wanted to live a proper life. With them.


    Unlike her brothers, who uttered nothing but foul language, she always spoked and behaved pleasantly towards her parents. She never missed top places in her entire years at school and most of all, she tried her best to lead an exemplary lifestyle. And with the plain belief that her family would be able to have a breadth of mind once they were free from the worry of making ends meet, she sought out for employment as soon as she could.


    However, none of her efforts ever came to fruition. Eugene never even once been called by her name. ¡®Hey¡¯ was seemingly the most favorable way to be called by her family. All that they did was to curse, speak ill of someone else or to come up with a way to exploit others.


    Her family gradually ate into all the money she had earned for all kinds of reasons, as if money was just made of paper. Worst of all, they even let her take responsibility over all their debts from gambling.


    One day, reality finally dawned upon her¡ªshe finally learned to give up. Her family taught her that people hardly change at all, and some are just bad in nature. They are a lost cause.

 CH 237.2

    On that fateful day, Eugene was at the end of her tether when she jumped into the pitch-black hole which appeared before her very eyes, out of nowhere. Despite waking up to find herself in a strange place overnight, she absolutely had no regrets about being departed from the world in which she had lived for as long as twenty-nine years. As evidence, she could have sworn that she had not once missed or recalled her old life as she was busy adjusting herself in this new world.


    ¡®I rather hope¡­ they were not good people.¡¯


    She was very much in distress to the point she wished that Jin¡¯s family were not people with good hearts. That would make her less guilty about pretending to be their daughter.


    ¡®I need to learn more about Jin¡¯s family.¡¯


    In her distress, she even considered avoiding her encounter with Jin¡¯s family and to just head straight back to the Hashi Kingdom without meeting them at all. She was afraid that they might be able to see through her disguise as their daughter¡¯s imposter. Regardless of how bad their relationship was now, it was highly likely that they could point the difference. They were still Jin¡¯s family, after all and they lived with her for at least twenty years, underneath the same roof.


    As the carriage started to move again, Eugene drew open the curtain. As soon as she peeled of the piece of clothing, Darlin promptly exclaimed with awe upon seeing the timely sight of a landscape which passed them by. Her reaction mirrored that of the queen¡¯s.


    Eugene¡¯s eyes also widened with astonishment. She recognized right away the majestic sight of an old tree standing tall before their carriage. It was without doubt the very legendary tree which was a symbol of the square of the Holy City.


    Instantly, another memory of Jin¡¯s came to her mind when she saw the tree.


    [I am an Anika, and I am Anika Jin. Everything should belong to me.] The tearful voice she heard belonged to a little girl. Perhaps this was one of Jin¡¯s childhood memories.


    [Spirit of Holy Tree, I heard that you grant wishes to those who pray, don¡¯t you? I really need you to answer my prayer. Please make me into the real Anika Jin. Please share some of your powers with me. Just a little would do.]


    ¡®I guess there¡¯s a rumor about how the tree at the square would listen to one¡¯s prayer.¡¯


    It was understandable considering the tree¡¯s symbol in the city. However, Eugene couldn¡¯t quite understand what Jin was wishing for.


    ¡®The real Anika Jin? What could that mean?¡¯


    ***


    Becky was an Anika in her early forties. After fretting over the lucid dream she had last night, she promptly came running to the palace to ask for an audience with Sang-je in the first light of morning. Then, when she finally encountered Sang-je, she told him right away about how her lucid dream had changed with a seemingly apprehensive look.


    She saw a well in her first lucid dream at the age of ten. The level of her Ramita was only average, which was never so powerful nor weak.


    ¡°Your Holiness, what could the changes in my dreams imply?¡¯


    ¨C Anika Becky. Still your mind and describe to me about the changes you saw in your dream.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Last night, I saw the well in my dream as usual. However, it wasn¡¯t brimming with water, just as it usually had. When I looked down into it, I saw the water level had declined considerably to the bottom. It was almost as if the well had parched due to a terrible drought!¡±


    Her once composed explanation grew agitated as Becky started to ramble loud. Panicked and distraught.


    ¡°Your Holiness, I had learned that one¡¯s inborn Ramita would never change over time. But don¡¯t the changes in lucid dreams indicate the changes in one¡¯s Ramita? Has God forsaken me?¡±


    ¨C Anika Becky. This isn¡¯t the first time you saw changes in your lucid dream. Have you forgotten?


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¨C Try to recall the time you came to see me when you had your first lucid dream at the age of ten.


    There were gradual changes in Becky¡¯s expression as she traced back in her memories.


    ¨C Do you see the difference in the water levels of the well comparing the one you saw in your first lucid dream and the one you saw yesterday?


    ¡°Yes, there is¡­.no, is actually similar¡­ I¡¯m not sure, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C Then, let¡¯s talk about something which happened in a more recent time. About twenty years ago, well, it¡¯s hard to say it¡¯s the most recent event, but do you remember that you came to me like today and said that your dream had changed?


    ¡°¡­Yes, Your Holiness. I do remember.


    ¨C I clearly remember you telling me that the well in your dream was now brimming with water when in the past you had to look down into the well to see the water within. Do you remember that as well?


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. I remember that.¡±


    Becky seemed to have regained her composure in both her expressions and her voice.


    ¨C Anika Becky. The changes you saw in your lucid dream does not indicate the changes in your Ramita. I¡¯ve seen many other Anika who also experienced the same. Hence, you need not have to worry. Calm your heart. God would never forsake you under any circumstances.


    ¡°My apologies for creating unnecessary fuss over needless worries, Your Holiness.¡±


    As opposed to Becky, who left with a peace of mind, Sang-je became agitated as soon as he was alone.

 CH 238.1

    He just lied to Becky. After all these years he took care of the Anikas, there never was a time an Anika saw changes in her lucid dreams, save for once, twenty years back in the past.


    About twenty years ago, every single Anika experienced change in their lucid dreams. As each one of them has their own dreaming cycles, he couldn¡¯t specify the exact time or period such phenomena occurred. He could only assume that it all happened about twenty years ago.


    Oddly enough, every Anika saw the exact same changes. No matter if it was a well, a pond or a spring, the important thing was that the water level was always described to have increased compared to the usual level they saw in the past.


    Despite paying close attention to Anikas for a while, Sang-je failed to discover what those changes implied. He had their Ramita level measured through the transparent seed but there were no conspicuous changes in their level.


    But one day, when the then little Jin came to ask for his help in finding back her lost Ramita, it occurred to him that Jin having lost her Ramita must be related to the changes Anikas saw in their lucid dreams. He then realized that the abduction incident here Jin was one of the children that had gone missing, coincides with the period where Anikas were experiencing changes in their dreams.


    And for the past few months, he had been frequently visited by Anikas of late, and the reasons for their visit were all alike. For the first time in twenty years, it seemed like their lucid dreams had changed once more.


    Those who experienced an increase in their water level twenty years ago, had seen it reduced to its original level as it had once been. And for those who were born after the changes occurred twenty years ago, had seen the water levels in their dreams reduced even lesser than it had been in their first lucid dreams.


    ¡®Could it be because Jin had recovered her Ramita? Just how strong Jin¡¯s Ramita could be to even affect other Anikas in their lucid dreams?¡¯


    ¡®Then, could it be Jin instead of Flora?¡¯ All these years, Sang-je had waited for Anika who could finally put an end to his endless journey in this world. He was getting restless of late as if he had reached the limit of his patience.


    He recently summoned Flora and asked if she had gone through any changes. But Flora had only told him that she was the same as usual. It shall be all clear when he summons her again after her next lucid dream.


    Sang-je turned his head toward the firmly shut door. Before long, the door was opened and through it came a knight.


    ¡°Your Holiness.¡± said the knight as he bowed his head.


    ¡°Anika Jin is likely to arrive very soon.¡±


    A faint smile flashed across Sang-je¡¯s face at the news.


    ¨C I will see her as soon as she arrives. Kindly escort her to my prayer room.


    ¡°As you will, Your Holiness.¡±


    After a moment, a carriage entered the palace of the Holy City. And it was Eugene alone who was riding inside.


    ***


    Eugene remained in her seat for a moment, even after the carriage had come to a complete stop and the door was opened for her from the outside. Before she set off earlier, she dissuaded Kasser, who insisted on accompanying her to the palace.


    [I am the only one who¡¯s been summoned by His Holiness.]


    [But there wasn¡¯t a word of him forbidding me to visit as well. I can tell him I came along to request an audience with him for some other matter.] Kasser had insisted.


    [Your Majesty, I¡¯m really alright. I will go alone.]


    [But¡­]


    [I think it¡¯ll be wiser not to have him provoked unnecessarily. I will tell him that I¡¯ve just come to pay my respects today under the pretext of being weary from the long journey. I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t make any move right away.¡±


    [¡­I will be waiting outside the palace then.]


    [No, please don¡¯t. We¡¯ve agreed to affect a facade of indifference on the outside. I will meet you back at the mansion later, so please go ahead.]


    Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to titter when she recalled the restive look on his face, as if he was leaving a child alone by the shore. Thanks to that, she now felt much lighter at heart, feeling her tension seemingly dwindling.


    ¡®Right. There shouldn¡¯t be anything to worry about for the time being. Sang-je must be thinking that I¡¯ve come under his influence now that I¡¯m in the Holy City.¡¯


    As Eugene stepped down from the carriage, she was greeted by Pides, who was waiting for her from the outside. Ever since she learned of the truth behind the death of the queen of the Slan Kingdom, she wondered why Pides, who was supposedly Jin¡¯s first love, was sent to deliver Sang-je¡¯s letter, all the way to the Hashi Kingdom. Then, she concluded that such incidents were never a happenstance after all. Moreover, she found Sang-je¡¯s palpable intention to be rather ludicrous, especially at how he tenaciously kept Pides to linger around Jin¡¯s surroundings.


    A fresh memory then prodded at Eugene once she saw Pides standing along with the scenery of the palace. In the memory, Jin was speaking to a knight whom she was not familiar with.

 CH 238.2

    [Wait at the anteroom?] Jin had complained, clearly insulted.


    [You will need to wait as His Holiness is now in the middle of an audience.]


    [I¡¯m most willing to wait. But will do so in the prayer room.]


    [Anika Jin. The prayer room is a sacred place. No one should be allowed in without His Holiness¡¯s presence.]


    Pides, who had come out from nowhere, cut off the knight¡¯s words and turned to Jin. [Please allow me to show you inside. Anika Jin.]


    [I suppose not every knight apprehends the divine will of His Holiness.] Although Eugene couldn¡¯t have a further look on the knight as Jin promptly whirled after throwing such a cold remark, it was pretty evident what kind of face he might have put on.


    With that, Eugene got a clear inkling of Jin¡¯s demeanor in such a short memory. She supposed Jin did not shy away from making audacious remarks to people in public, oblivious of how her supercilious manner puts people to shame.


    ¡®Do I have to behave in such a manner as well?¡¯


    After all her efforts she put into practice with the help of Charlotte (Chapter 222), she gained a favorable comment from Charlotte for her impeccable impersonation of her past demeanor. However, she wasn¡¯t sure if she could successfully mimic Jin in the presence of Sang-je.


    ¡°I feel quite nostalgic to see you in the palace for the first time in a long while. Is His Holiness expecting me at the prayer room?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will be your escort to the prayer room, Anika Jin.¡±


    The two of them walked past the hallway in silence. Crossing the grand yet divine looking hallway, which was adorned in white marble floors, Eugene felt a faint sense of deja vu from time to time. She figured that Jin must have frequented herself along the very hallway.


    Stealthily, Eugene stole a side glance at Pides, who was walking abreast with her.


    ¡®I wonder how he described my relationship with the king to Sang-je.¡¯


    Kasser was highly displeased when she proposed that they should act indifferent during their stay in the Holy City. He refuted by referring to the other knights who had accompanied their journey along the march.


    [I think your proposal is rather ineffective. What about the knights who had seen and heard things about us during the journey?]


    [Better be safe than sorry. Henceforth, let¡¯s not even meet eyes with each other when others are around.]


    [I don¡¯t like that proposal at all.]


    However, when Eugene urged him further, Kasser reluctantly gave in with a murmur or two. Eugene had to keep the corner of her lips from lifting when his sullen look flashed across her mind. She couldn¡¯t believe she was already missing him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mention it to you before, but I was quite surprised to see you back at the kingdom. I never thought His Holiness would send you. I apologize if I have been inhospitable. There was a lot on my mind of late.¡± Eugene underhandedly asked him why he was sent to her.


    ¡°I¡¯d only done as I was bid so. If you are displeased with my service, I will ask His Holiness to send someone else to attend you next time.¡±


    Eugene answered in a composed manner to not seem hasty. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be necessary. As I don¡¯t suppose anyone would be willing to take up the job in your stead.¡±


    ¡°¡­Anika Jin. Has anyone offended you with discourtesy, perchance?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t suppose every knight apprehends the divine will of His Holiness, like you, Sir Pides.¡±


    Eugene responded in a conceited manner. And from Pides¡¯s silence, she figured that she¡¯d indeed said a remark which only ¡®Anika Jin¡¯ would likely make.


    After descending the staircases which appeared at the end of the hall that led them to yet another hallway, they repeated the same process several times before Pides finally stopped at the steps where some knights were on sentry.


    ¡®I guess the prayer room is down below.¡¯


    Pides made a bow to Eugene, suggesting that he wouldn¡¯t follow further on. Eugene bowed to return his courtesy and descended the steps by herself.


    The steps were so narrow that it was likely to fit only two people to come and go at the same time. It seemed like her hand could reach both walls on the side if she were to stretch her arms, standing in the middle of a step. Though the steps weren¡¯t steep, she felt like she was walking into a cave with all the bricks surrounding her.


    ¡®Why did he make a prayer room this deep in the underground? Isn¡¯t a prayer room supposed to be somewhere with lots of suns or somewhere high up so that it¡¯s closer to the sky?¡¯


    Now that she thought back, she realized that she had already descended quite a few flights of stairs on the way. The halls she passed were as bright as day with all the lamps suspended each perimeter, hence her not noticing her descent by four or five floors towards the underground.


    When she reached the last step, she stood and stared at the door firmly closed before her. She held her breath as soon as it slowly parted, revealing an elegant interior of the chamber. Promptly, she straightened her posture and reminded herself that she was here as ¡®Jin¡¯, with a determined look. She gathered herself and walked slowly into now widely opened door.

 CH 239.1

    As she stepped in, she saw Sang-je, clad in white garment with golden embroideries, standing on the podium in the middle of the room with his back to her. It was his long blonde hair, which was kissing the floor, that had immediately caught her attention.


    ¡®Blonde?¡¯


    At that moment, her mind was instantly filled with Jin¡¯s yet another memory. She saw a man standing before Jin, but his face was covered by the hood over his head. To her surprise, the man¡¯s hair was also strikingly blonde.


    [Are you the Great Priest of Mahar?]


    [That would be me, Anika.] The man spoke in such a gruff voice that it was almost painful to hear. [I am most pleased to meet you, Anika. And I believe our encounter today would most likely benefit the both of us.]


    [We¡¯ll find out about that later. I have no knowledge of the hierarchy system of the Mahar order. How much authority do you possess in the order?]


    [Absolute. For I am the one who makes the decisions within the order. Just like Mahar¡¯s Sang-je.]


    [What an imprudence! How dare you compare yourself to His Holiness.]


    The Great Priest tittered at her remark as he swiftly drew the hood back from his face with both hands. Eugene mentally gasped when the hearsay identity of the Great Priest, which she had only heard from the words of Rodrigo, was finally revealed before her eyes.


    ¡®He¡¯s rather young¡­¡¯


    The Great Priest was unexpectedly young and beautiful. But what took her by surprise more than his divine beauty was indeed the scarlet glow of his eyes.


    Just when the Great Priest was about to say a word, Eugene blinked her eyes forcefully to get herself out from the memory. It surely was a wistful memory she must ponder on, but it was untimely for her to be distracted now. Not at the presence of the being before her.


    She quickly lowered her gaze from Sang-je¡¯s back and onto the floor. ¡°May Mahar¡¯s blessing to be with you always. I¡¯ve come to pay my respects to you, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡ª It¡¯s been such a long time, Anika Jin. I am most pleased to see you again.


    Eugene¡¯s hands flinched as the voice rang in her mind. ¡°I am very much pleased to give my regards to you as well, Your Holiness.¡±


    With that, she mustered courage and slowly, trained her sight on Sang-je while plastering a small smile on her face. Sang-je¡¯s eyes remained closed, yet he could see her.


    Beneath her smile, she let out an inner shriek¡ªhe looked eerily the same as the Great Priest she just saw in a fraction of Jin¡¯s memory.


    ¡®How are they related? Could they actually be one and the same person? No, they can¡¯t be. Think how far the distance is between Hashi Kingdom and the Holy City.¡¯


    ¨CHave you found what you¡¯ve been seeking for?


    Eugene had been asked the same question through Pides. It was one of the questions she had expected to be asked during her encounter with Sang-je. She gave him her prepared answer, feeling as if she had anticipated the right question in a test.


    ¡°I have yet to find, Your Holiness. To be exact, I would say I have only found half of it. Hence, I gave the same answer to the question you asked me through Sir Pides.¡±


    ¡ª Only half of it? Could you be more specific?


    ¡°I¡¯d lost as much as I¡¯d gained.¡±


    ¡ª So, have you not regained your Ramita?


    Suddenly, Eugene heard Jin¡¯s voice in her ears.


    [Your Holiness. Please help me. You are the only one who could help me get back the Ramita I lost.]


    ¡®The Ramita she lost?¡¯


    Doubtless, it was a remark of decisive evidence. Although she was lucky enough to peep into Jin¡¯s memory just in time, she learned from her experience that a keyword is essential to trigger the buried memories. However, there clearly was a limit for her to induce such keywords during the whole conversation with Sang-je, with her thinking on her feet.


    All the way to the Holy City, Eugene had racked her brain to come up with a way to find out what Jin and Sang-je had been plotting about by recalling Jin¡¯s memories. And it was considerably easy when she was speaking to those who served her as they would likely to prattle on and on once they start.


    Obviously, she knew well that she couldn¡¯t expect the same from her conversation with Sang-je. Therefore, she decided to mix in everything she could, including the truth, false and also some lies.


    ¡°Your Holiness. In the last period, I had gone out to the desert with a few of my servant girls by the time the dry season was about to come to an end. And I had a specific purpose.¡±


    ¨CThere¡¯s a lot of ambiguity in your words Anika Jin.


    ¡°You¡¯re right indeed, Your Holiness. As that¡¯s what¡¯s been lost from me. I do not remember the reason as to why I had gone out to the desert, under what purpose. I think a fraction of my memory has been impaired.¡±

 CH 239.2

    Sang-je faintly creased his brows at her remark. As he remained silent, Eugene grew even more restless, while waiting for his response. If Sang-je had a special ability to divine one¡¯s true heart, he would be able to see right through her lies.


    ¨CI¡¯m sorry for all the pain you¡¯ve been through. Is the loss of your memory the only changes you experienced after your return from the desert?


    ¡°Your Holiness. This is quite a significant change to me. As I do not wish to lose anything of mine.¡±


    ¨CA human memory is inherently unstable by nature. You should concentrate on what you¡¯ve gained more than what you¡¯ve lost.


    ¡°With all due respect, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨CAnika Jin. I summoned you all the way to the Holy City for a verification. Have you got your Ramita back?


    Eugene inwardly concluded that Sang-je did not have the ability to read people¡¯s minds.


    ¡®However, Sang-je is not an ordinary human either. No human could convey words directly into people¡¯s heads. But he is not the same Sang-je I described in the novel as well. An angel should at least keep it¡¯s neutral stance, considering that we can¡¯t expect it to have the same standard of goodness from a human¡¯s perspective.¡¯


    But on the contrary, from what Eugene had seen and heard by far, she realized that there was something sly and shady about Sang-je, let alone his ambition to keep a tight rein over Anikas. He didn¡¯t seem qualified in the least to be an angel who¡¯s supposed to fulfill God¡¯s divine will.


    While the delay in her response prolonged as Eugene was looking for an appropriate answer, Sang-je had mistaken her silence for a different meaning. It irritated him¡ªJin¡¯s silence was her usual way of showing that she was irked. In his mind, Jin must have found his marks indifferent, and she expects more consolation from him.


    ¡®Her fastidious demeanor had gotten no better.¡¯


    Commonly, people masked their real characters behind an assumed manner in Sang-je¡¯s presence. So, for such Sang-je to regard someone as fastidious, implies that the person is quite notorious for such demeanor.


    He wondered if it was because he had overindulged her from a young age, for she was a noble Anika, born for the first time in ten years. But as Anika Flora, who he also pampered since her birth, was a far cry from Jin¡¯s rotten disposition, the problem must be with Jin¡¯s persona alone.


    ¨CAnika Jin. I ask you again. Have you got your Ramita back?


    Sang-je¡¯s voice was brisk, suggesting that this was his last warning to her.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    Eugene answered, knowing that she couldn¡¯t hide about the Lark tree in any case. Sang-je¡¯s facial muscles twitched almost instantly upon her answer.


    ¨CAnika Jin. Why haven¡¯t you informed me at once?


    ¡°As I¡­did not want to return to the Holy City, just yet.¡±


    ¨CSo what you are saying is that you didn¡¯t tell me as you feared that I might summon you?


    ¡°Forgive me, Your Holiness. I just wanted to put a clean end to everything before I return.¡±


    Eugene answered as ambiguous as she could sound. As the more she spoke, the more she would be at a disadvantage with the little knowledge she had.


    ¡°I was very much distressed when I left the Holy City three years ago. You probably have no notion of how much I had wanted to give up all these years. But such hardships had only made me resolute that I would never leave again once I make my way back to the Holy City.¡±


    ¨CIf you suffered as much, why didn¡¯t you inform me all the more? I would have most definitely helped you if only you had asked.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bring myself to after all the help and support you¡¯d given me so far. And I wanted to finish what I had started with my own hands.¡±


    Eugene grew anxious as Sang-je remained silent for a while.


    ¨CIt seems like the past three years must have really been long for you. You have become much more determined than you were before.


    Sang-je¡¯s feelings towards humans were rather complex. Sometimes he would get disillusioned like they were no more than lowly, dim-witted creatures, while sometimes he would simply be astonished by their marvellousness. What he was feeling now was however of great interest.


    Anika Jin was almost like a headstrong child with a nasty temper. She was keen at making every situation favorable to her, even if it involves her orchestrating sly and devious lies all with a straight face, even in Sang-je¡¯s presence. She had not changed a shade since her childhood, even after she came of age.


    However, there clearly was something different about her compared to the last time he had seen her in three years back. It was almost as if she had finally grown into a sensible adult.


    After watching humans close by for such a long period of time, he realized that there was a difference in inherent dispositions among humans.


    While some were born kind, others were just bad by nature. And while there were people who strive to surpass their limits, some would just resign and live within their limits.


    Sang-je had always known Anika Jin as a narrow-minded person, and he often found it quite odd considering that she was from such a refined family. Jin was a person who¡¯s likely driven by jealousy. She harbored a lot of self-pity while never bothering to hide her enmity towards others.


    And unlike most people, who mask themselves to appear good on the outside, she was a rather peculiar one as she didn¡¯t think twice about throwing a fit in front of others. Such behaviour resembled those on the lower rungs of society, and not at all noble-like.

 CH 240.1

    Sang-je¡¯s voice, which seemed to have softened towards her, had only made her more jittery.


    ¡®I failed.¡¯


    Her act was caught much sooner than she expected. In such a short conversation, Sang-je had easily discerned the difference between her and Jin. It must have been an impossible task in the first place to think that she could ever deceive someone who had known Jin since so young, no matter how much she practised to mimic Jin¡¯s way of speaking and her expression.


    But luckily, Sang-je was yet to have grown vigilant. However, she still feared for the worst case scenario that might occur where Sang-je eventually discovers the distinct difference between her and Jin, and his doubts turning into a firm suspicion.


    ¡®It¡¯s alright. No one in their right mind would ever imagine for one¡¯s soul to be switched. He would never find out unless he¡¯s told. And that¡¯s my weapon against him.¡¯


    Eugene went on in a composed manner.


    ¡°The life in the kingdom was very much different from how I imagined, Your Holiness.¡±


    Along with a sigh, she continued as if she had been through all sorts of difficulties in those past few years. However, she was careful not to overly justify herself as she figured that it would be beneficial for her to keep the words short.


    ¨CYou need not have to worry about anything any more. Now that you¡¯ve returned, no one could impose on you, here in the Holy City.


    Sang-je¡¯s remark sounded as if he was notifying that she could no longer take a step out of Holy City.


    ¡®No¡¯


    The king must return to his kingdom before the start of another active period. Considering the travel time, the longest Kasser could stay in the Holy City was two and half months at best.


    Eugene had no notion of being separated from him in any case. If she doesn¡¯t go with him, she would need to wait for at least more than two months, alone in the Holy City, until he comes back for her during the next dry season.


    The mere thought of it was enough to make her distressed. The Holy City, where Jin had supposedly lived for twenty years, was nothing more than a strange city to Eugene.


    Eugene had learned almost everything back in the Hashi Kingdom, ever since she had awoken to find herself in this different world. And the only man who said that he would believe her no matter what happens, was the King of the Hashi Kingdom. To Eugene, Hashi kingdom was now her home and Kasser, her family.


    ¡°I do not wish to leave the Holy City since now I have returned. However, I¡¯m afraid I still have some unfinished business to attend to, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨CDid you say you were suffering from impaired memory?


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨CBut you have regained your Ramita.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨CPerhaps it was a price to be paid for what you¡¯ve gained.


    Sang-je let out a sigh when Eugene remained silent at his remark.


    ¨CAnika Jin. I believe you have been told many times, but your desire to have full control over your surroundings is almost excessive.


    Instantly, Eugene heard an incisive voice that belonged to Jin¡¯s, as soon as Sang-je¡¯s resounding voice was heard in her head.


    [Your Holiness. I am Anika. And you have always said that Anika is of noble presence. Which by means that an insult on me should be considered as an insult on Your Holiness, am I wrong?]


    It was such an imperious speech. Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to be amazed by Jin¡¯s imprudence demeanor before Sang-je, who¡¯s regarded as the sole emperor of the whole world.


    According to the memories she had seen so far, Jin was almost like an animal where pecking order is of importance as she easily shifted her attitude depending on who she was dealing with. She dared to behave as such, only because she knew she had something to count on.


    On the contrary, Gemma, whom Eugene had met back in the Slan Kingdom, was excessively cautious even to mention Sang-je during the whole conversation, as if she found him to be rather difficult. As both Jin and Gemma¡¯s attitude towards Sang-je were almost poles apart, it would most likely be a lie that Sang-je does not discriminate against Anikas at all.


    Or perchance, Sang-je was all the more generous, only to Jin.


    ¡®I should try to be more outspoken as Jin would be.¡¯


    ¡°Your Holiness, I am Anika.¡±


    Eugene retorted in a grumble.


    ¨CIf that bothers you that much, why don¡¯t I just tell you what happened? As I know why you¡¯d gone out to the desert, under what purpose.


    Eugene broadly grinned with a look of great relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to know that I hadn¡¯t acted rashly on my own judgement.¡±


    ¨CA rash act? What made you think that way?


    ¡°Your Holiness. The truth is¡­¡­Desert King suspects that I had stolen the kingdom¡¯s treasure. But since I have no idea of what had really happened, I just made up an excuse and told him that I don¡¯t remember.


    ¨CSo you have even forgotten that? The impairment of your memory is more severe than I thought.


    Although Eugene feigned innocence on the outside, she was badly torn up inwardly. If Sang-je knew all along that Jin had married the Desert King in order to steal the national treasure, the whole marriage was in fact a joint conspiracy between Jin and Sang-je.


    ¡®How can this be?¡¯

 CH 240.2

    Despite having an inkling long before, she was still pretty dumbfounded now that her doubts were finally confirmed. The very fact that Sang-je was involved in the whole scheme came as a great shock to her.


    Indignant, yet she was also speechless at the same time. She had no idea on how she should tell Kasser about it after all. She wondered if he would still be understanding even after he finds out that he had been deceived all these years, as Jin was never intending to give him the heir from the start.


    ¨CLet¡¯s continue somewhere else. This would be a long story to have you listen while standing.


    Eugene gave a nod as an answer.


    ¡®He¡¯ll get worried if this takes too long.¡¯


    She felt hot behind her eyes just by thinking of Kasser, who must have grown restive by now. But despite her worries, she fluttered her eyes in order to cool down the heat around her eyes. However, it was hard not to choke up a little as she was so resentful of what Jin and Sang-je had done to Kasser, even though it wasn¡¯t her doing after all.


    ¡®Later. Let¡¯s think of it after this,¡¯


    Eugene tried to steady her heart from being agitated as it was a cool head that she needed right now.


    As she walked out of the prayer room after Sang-je, she determined to make the best use of time while she followed on. She took the time to organise her doubts, which she had put aside during her conversation with Sang-je just now.


    ¡®Things are quite different from what I expected.¡¯


    Eugene never realised that Sang-je¡¯s summon had to do with the incident where Jin had gone out to the desert with the stolen treasure. She had only thought that Sang-je had summoned her to confirm the truth of the Lark tree incident.


    So when she had received an urgent summon from Sang-je, she only found it bothersome as she would need to travel all the way to the Holy City. It never crossed her mind to doubt the intention of the summon itself.


    She had once truly believed that Sang-je actually did care for Anika. So whatever their joint conspiracy was about, she had blindly thought that he only did what he did because he was concerned for Anika, although he knew that it was an immoral thing to do.


    However, such beliefs had been shattered by the truths she had learned during her stay in the Slan Kingdom.


    She got the impression that Sang-je was in fact using Anikas to his own benefit and not because he actually cherished them. Once her belief that Sang-je cared for Anika as if they were his own children were shaken to its roots, nothing seemed certain to her anymore.


    Eugene wondered what his purpose was for using Anika.


    But no matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn¡¯t think of a probable reason. Just what could he be lacking as a Sang-je, who supposedly has immense power of influence more than anyone in this world?


    Besides, the Anikas that he is almost obsessed with, were already under his control. In fact, it was the Anikas¡¯ choice to live under his influence.


    However, Eugene had felt a sudden pang of shock the moment she was asked if she had regained her Ramita by Sang-je. She was thrilled as if the cogwheels were finally in gear.


    ¡®Ramita¡­.Is that what he really wants? So he was actually asking me about the Ramita and not about the seed, the national treasure, when he asked the question through Pides?¡¯


    Still, Eugene was perplexed as Sang-je did not show any hesitation in exposing his true intention before her. It was quite a mistake for someone who seemingly has profound knowledge and experience from his years.


    Such ambiguity confused her even further. She wondered if it was an intentional move of his to make her fall into a trap of misjudgment or if it really was his true intention, which had slipped out of him due to his growing impatience.


    The chances were even. However, Eugene never overestimated her ability as she had little confidence to lead the conversation on the fly without buying Sang-je¡¯s suspicions, while bearing every possibility in her mind at the same time.


    So she was left with no other choice but to boldly cast a dice on just one possibility. After concluding that it was Ramita what Sang-je was truly after, she decided to infer the reasons backwards from the conclusion.


    ¡®Let me get this straight. First, Jin had gone out to the desert in order to initiate the spell using the incantation. And the purpose of the spell was to retrieve her lost Ramita. To fulfil her purpose, Jin had married the Desert King and Sang-je was willing to help because he wanted Jin to regain her Ramita.¡¯


    When she felt like she was getting a step closer to the fact, she was confused yet again by something.


    ¡®What does it mean by losing her Ramita? How can one lose her inborn ability? If so, what¡¯s the explanation for my Ramita¡­¡­¡¯


    Eugene was sent a cold shiver down her spine as she was filled with a sudden foreboding.


    ¡®If Jin¡¯s purpose was to retrieve her Ramita¡­.she had actually gained what she wanted.¡¯


    However, Jin had lost her soul in place of her Ramita. Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to wonder what that actually implied.

 CH 241.1

    ¡°The victor is already decided. You might as well just accept the outcome, chief.¡±


    Mur, the chief of the wanderers, silently stared into the eyes of Aldrit, who was proclaiming that he was now to replace him as a new chief to the tribe. The tribe had always been united as one throughout the whole history to survive against all the threats of the world. And this was the first ever rebellion ever occurred in the tribe. Or perhaps it should now be called a revolution since it had succeeded?


    It had all started from the day of Aldrit¡¯s return.


    Aldrit¡¯s return was indeed out of the blue as those who¡¯d left the settlement after they reached a certain age could only return on exceptional circumstances according to regulation. However, he did not seem to fall under any of such circumstances.


    As soon as he saw the chief, Aldrit requested that he wanted to know about the hidden history of the tribe. But Mur, the chief, turned a deaf ear to Aldrit¡¯s demand and reprimanded instead.


    [What¡¯s the meaning of this imprudence? I¡¯ve had my expectations that you might one day become the pillar of the tribe and lead the people in future. I would not shut you out right away as you must have traveled long to make this far. But you must leave at first sight of light the next morning.]


    On the next day, Mur had obviously believed that Aldrit had set out on his journey once again. So, he didn¡¯t bother himself to confirm his leave. But something that would flabbergast his mind happened just after a few days when the boy stormed into the regular conference and said this before the gathered elder statesmen.


    [The future of the tribe might as well be dead at this rate. It is high time that we start discussing the future. Just how much longer do we have to keep living as sinners?]


    Aldrit demanded the abolishment of the regulation where one could only learn about the lores of the tribe in phases according to age. His further remark that the tribe would only remain at a standstill and would never make any progression if the confidentials were shared only among the fractions of the tribe has greatly aroused the indignation of the unyielding elder statesmen.


    At once, Mur ordered his men to remove Aldrit from the conference room and placated the elder statesmen who were greatly infuriated. He did not want things to get any worse¡ªhe always had his eyes on Aldrit as his successor at the back of his mind. He barely managed to appease the elders who insisted that the boy must be given grave punishment for his actions.


    Afterwards, he called Aldrit and coaxed him instead of browbeating.


    [Aldrit. There is an order to everything.]


    [Sir, our tribe has been treading water to this day. To take the first step, we need to start by knowing ourselves.]


    [I understand what you are trying to say. But it shouldn¡¯t be done like this. If you truly want to voice your opinion, you should follow the procedure.]


    The chief of the tribe was never the absolute decision maker. Most agenda were decided through a discussion with the elder statesmen along with various opinions actively taken into consideration. Consequently, everyone in the tribe was free to submit their opinions as an item on the agenda.


    [And just how long would it take? It would take years before it is finally placed on the agenda for discussion in the annual conference if I were to follow the whole procedure.]


    [You have no other choice but to follow as that¡¯s the regulation of the tribe.]


    [Sir. How can one have the leisure to walk when one¡¯s time is being pressed? We might as well demonstrate our flexibility and skip the steps if it is needed.] Aldrit pressed.


    [I wonder what has gotten into you. You are acting rather frivolously unlike how you were always prudent in your behavior in the past.]


    [You mustn¡¯t become complacent stuck in the rut if you truly care for the tribe.]


    [You impertinent rascal! Why don¡¯t you just take over my place instead! You better be gone tomorrow, no, just leave at once before you stir up any more troubles!]


    Until then, Mur had failed to foresee what was going to become when he clicked his tongue watching Aldrit leave with his head dropped at his scolding.


    While he was put out by Aldrit¡¯s offensive deed, but at the same time, he was also proud to see how he did not back away from his opinion. He nodded approvingly as Aldrit had proved himself as a man of perseverance, as befitted of his successor.


    With his judgment clouded, Mur repeated the same mistake he had made on the first day. He didn¡¯t check further and blindly believed that Aldrit must have really gone for good this time as he was nowhere to be seen.


    Then about ten days after that, a force composed of the promising youths of the tribe was already formed around Aldrit by the time Mur discerned the oddity.


    The age group of the people who remained in the settlement was poles apart in extreme ends, as it was either the aged or the young.


    The wanderers, who spend their whole lives wandering aimlessly as a means to make atonement for their sins, could only come back to the settlement to spend the rest of their lives after arriving at senescence. However, there were also the adolescent, who were yet of age to set out on a journey, as well as the parents who had children still in need of parental care while there were also those who were in a marriageable age who had come for a temporary stay in order to seek for their partners.


    The tribe of wanderers have a tradition of giving their full respects to those with years of experience even though every tribal member has the equal right within the tribe. So, the young have naturally obeyed the elders and never complained of the decisions made by elders and the chief.


    However, the elders wouldn¡¯t be able to confront the young if they should join forces together. As physically, they wouldn¡¯t be a match for them.


    ¡®I should have seen this coming.¡¯


    Mur, who¡¯ve been ruminating over the incidents that had led to the current situation with his eyes closed, opened his lids with a heavy heart only after a while. He sighed for grief when he saw the gaze in Aldrit eyes, staring right into his.


    ¡®I guess I¡¯m not solely at fault.¡¯


    The whole process or the period could have differed but there was no denying that this day would have come someday in the future.


    There was an unwavering conviction in Aldrit¡¯s eyes. And those gaze of his reflected his disposition where he would rather be broken than to bend his belief.

 CH 241.2

    Mur then shifted his eyes to the young people who surrounded him after staring intently at Aldrit for a while. Some did flinch after meeting eyes with him but none of them averted him. With that, Mur realized that these young people have not come here with just the spur of the moment resolution.


    ¡°Are you all of the mind with Aldrit?¡±


    One of them spoke up after exchanging looks with each other.


    ¡°Sir. With all due respect, just how long must we prolong with this kind of life? I can endure this if it¡¯s just me alone. But I couldn¡¯t help but to hope for a better future for my son who has just started to walk. And I believe Aldrit will lead us to that path.¡±


    Mur remained silent for a moment after he heaved a deep sigh. The people have waited patiently for Mur to mull things over as they all have read the repentance off his solemn face.


    Everyone wished for a peaceful transition of power. No one was feeling at ease to oppress the elders of the tribe as all they differed on was in their views of the future and not because they were rancorous of them.


    ¡°Where are the elder statesmen?¡±


    ¡°They are all gathered in the hall. We have just restricted their leaving for a moment.¡± Aldrit answered.


    ¡°They must be all furious by now.¡±


    Mur said as he rose from the chair.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Mur then turned to the crowd of the young fellows who followed and said, ¡°You all better wait here. Aldrit. Follow me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± someone retorted instantly.


    ¡°Do you think this is some kind of a turf war between some backstreet gangs!? How are you going to make a difference to the world if you were to ignore all the necessary procedures!¡± Mur rebuked.


    Intimidated by the bawl, the young fellows looked as if they were walking on the eggshells.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Believe me and wait for me here. Nothing could possibly get in our way


    as long as we are all united with one firm conviction.¡± said Aldrit to reassure the others.


    Aldrit then turned to Mur and said, ¡°After you, sir.¡±


    Mur saw that no one followed further when he glimpsed back as he took his steps. Their unwavering countenance displayed their ardent belief in Aldrit. ¡°Ahem,¡± Mur cleared his throat to hide his astonishment.


    ¡®I never knew he had such an accomplishment. What made him change so much? I wonder what happened to him in the past few years.¡¯


    One thing that concerned Mur as he nominated Aldrit as his successor was his passive attitude. Aldrit surely was a bright, prudent, and strong-willed young fellow, but he lacked the ardor of youth. His docile nature was both his strength and weakness.


    Which made Mur still incredulous of the fact that Aldrit had taken the lead and stirred up such a huge revolution.


    ¡°Aldrit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think you could handle all the truth?¡±


    Aldrit flinched as he realized the meaning and the bones in the words. However, it didn¡¯t take him long to break his silence.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have started in the first place if I wasn¡¯t fully resolved for it.¡±


    ¡°Are you really planning to disclose the lores of the tribe to everyone once you become the chief?¡±


    ¡°That was my promise to everyone.¡±


    Mur had wordlessly let out a sigh for he was worried about the consequences to come. There¡¯s a clear difference when it comes to one¡¯s capacity. Some might handle it better while some may not when they are faced with the same truth. Doubtlessly, a great confusion was going to arise within the tribe.


    ¡®You surely are young.¡¯


    Mur regarded that Aldrit was merely looking on the bright side of the things as he was yet to be stained from the world.


    A racket of commotion was then heard from within when they arrived at the hall.


    ¡°You punks! Get your hands off me this instant!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave yet.¡±


    ¡°You scoundrels! Let go, you rascal!¡±


    ¡°Sir, please take it easy and don¡¯t get so worked up.¡±


    Those who have been wrangling with each other paused for a moment when the door was opened. Most of the elder statesmen who have been whispering to each other turned their heads to the door. Only those elder statesmen, who were known for their foul temper, were standing in the middle of the hall while the young people kept their holds onto them with all their might.


    It clearly wouldn¡¯t be necessary for so many of the youngsters to cling onto one elderly person if they ever intended to overpower them. Besides, those of the elder statesmen who had flung about in anger were not in the least hurt other than that their clothes were in disarray while some of the youngsters got black and blue around their eyes as they blocked them.


    Mur smiled bitterly at the rather ridiculous scene before him, thinking that he might have been vainly worried that a violence situation might arise. Once he realized that their respect for the elders had not changed in the least, it seemed like the mixed feelings of his, which comprised both the anger and the regret, had all dissolved just like the salt in the water.


    ¡°Chief!¡±


    ¡°Chief. You¡¯re finally here. Just what in the world is happening outside?¡±


    ¡°You insolent rascals have no respect whatsoever towards the elders.¡±


    Mur waited for a moment for them to calm down a little before he spoke out.


    ¡°My dear honorable elder statesmen. Things are starting to get beyond my power. So, I am considering resigning my position to my successor.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Chief. What in the world are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in denying that our sun has set. It¡¯s reasonable to let the future generations take control of their future. Honorable sirs, the tide has changed. We as adults shouldn¡¯t be standing in their ways as our children wish to make a difference to the future of our tribe.¡± The chief said amongst his people.


    In ones and twos, the elders, who clamored out before, have fallen into silence. They stared at the chief with a clear look of confusion in their faces. Some have even let out a sigh with turbulence in their gaze.


    Mur gave a tap at Aldrit¡¯s shoulder, who were standing right next to him, as he said, ¡°Sir, I will take him to that place then.¡±


    ¡°Have it your way.¡±


    ¡°We have no choice but to obey the chief¡¯s decision.¡±


    While some of the elder statesmen were favorable to the decision, some remained silent and some unwillingly cleared their throats. Despite that, no one seemed to be in strong opposition.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Aldrit looked alternatively into the back of the Mur, who was striding ahead, and the elder statesmen. He then paced to catch up to Mur, who had already gone far ahead, with a puzzling look. He had braced himself for a long argument to come as he never expected for the elders to step away this easily.


    A new breeze of expectation, mingled with the worry and the wistfulness for it was his turn to step down from the changing times, swept across Mur¡¯s heart as he strides ahead.


    Perhaps this was the day which the ancestors have been longing for where their descendants finally get to take a brave step towards the new future. It was indeed a step which Mur himself had once dreamed of taking when he was much younger but never dared to do so.

 CH 242.1

    Sang-je and Eugene had left the prayer room and they adjourned to the audience room instead. Across the round marble table in the center, Sang-je had taken his seat on a golden chair which represented his authority while Eugene took her seat on a wooden chair on the opposite. A priest had taken his leave right after he left a tea for Eugene on the table.


    It seems like Sang-je didn¡¯t usually drink tea as the priest had only brought a cup of tea as if it was a matter of course.


    ¡®It surely is uncomfortable to drink all by myself.¡¯


    Awkwardly, Eugene reached out for the tea. She must have been very nervous as she felt a sudden thirst when she saw a cup full of tea as if her mouth was parched.


    As she lifted the teacup towards her, Eugene gasped when she absently shifted her eyes to her sleeve. A tiny squirrel of a size of merely two finger knuckles was twitching its nose when it met eyes with Eugene while clinging on her billowed sleeve.


    The adorable creature was no normal squirrel¡ªit had tiny horns and red eyes. From it, she knew right away who it was.


    ¡®Kid! What in the world are you doing here!¡¯


    T/L: Kid, a lark in the form of squirrel, is another hwansu of the Desert King. It can be read in Chapter 212, and bits from earlier chapters.


    -Is something wrong with your tea, Anika Jin?


    Eugene quickly grasped on Kid, who was clinging on her sleeve, with one hand.


    A shiver down her spine, Eugene broke out in cold sweat. It seemed like it was too late for her to pretend as if nothing happened¡ªshe had already made quite a fuss. And it would look more suspicious if she gets caught lying just to escape the moment.


    However, speaking of the truth would only intrigue Sang-je¡¯s interest. It is quite an exceptional phenomenon for a king¡¯s Hwan-su to be attached to someone else rather than its master. As a matter of fact, it seemed like Kid had favored Jin more than Kasser altogether, even treating the king invisible to him.


    The last thing Eugene wanted was to strike alive Sang-je¡¯s suspicions towards her any further. She was in enough of a crisis as it is and she couldn¡¯t risk another trouble. Besides, it would only slim her chances of going back to the kingdom with Kasser.


    Expected of an answer, Eugene had grown more anxious by the second. No probable explanation seemed to come across her mind. At her wit¡¯s end, she blindly blurted out.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, Your Holiness.¡± She masked a shamefaced look along with a laugh to save herself. ¡°I¡¯ve just realized that my pet squirrel had come along hidden under my sleeve.¡±


    -¡­A pet squirrel?


    Eugene placed both her hands onto the table and swiftly covered Kid¡¯s head with her left hand to hide the horn and stroked his body and tail with her right finger.


    ¡°It has given me quite a consolation while I was away from the Holy City. As I adored it so much, I¡¯ve always kept him close to myself. I guess it must have escaped and came along with me instead when I thought I¡¯d left it to the servant girl. You are such a little rascal.¡±


    She exaggeratedly feigned as if she was lost in the charm of this endearing pet of hers. But before long, she was truly enthralled by it from the bottom of her heart. A laugh escaped her at the adoring sight of Kid who now shrank to just the size of her palm. Kid, as naughty as it was, must have purposely shrunken itself to escape from the bars of the cage.


    She couldn¡¯t help but to imagine the way it must have hid while clinging under her sleeve all along. It was just too adorable.


    ¡°Your Holiness, I promise that I¡¯ll keep a good hold on him, so he won¡¯t cause any trouble. So please allow me to keep him with me here.¡±


    -I believe we were in the middle of a serious conversation, Anika Jin.


    ¡°I am aware of the solemnity of the conversation, but he is terrified of strangers. He¡¯s usually very calm and mild-mannered.¡±


    Eugene willfully insisted like a pestering child. She couldn¡¯t possibly let anyone get their hands on Kid if she were to hide the fact that it was a Hwan-su. At the same time, she was also curious as to what extent Sang-je would be lenient with Jin.


    Sang-je was simply dumbfounded. The palace was deemed as a holy place where it was held sacred by everyone. People would make sure they have clean bodies and minds ahead of their audience with Sang-je. But to bring a pet to the audience room was something even the Sang-je have yet to experience in his whole life.


    Though flabbergasted, he wasn¡¯t infuriated at all. As it was rather him who had practically encouraged Jin to have things her own way at her will. On the day when Jin had come to see him about her first lucid dream, he had come to realize that Jin was rather special unlike the others.


    [Your Holiness, I saw a pond with its water pure as a crystal. And when I dipped my hands into it, the water was icy cold against my hand.]


    A girl of mere fourteen, with an enraptured face as if she was recalling back her lucid dream, Jin had the audacity to tell a lie before someone who was deemed as God¡¯s vicegerent. Sang-je was very much intrigued by the slyness and the audacity of such a young Anika.


    Just until then, Sang-je had no notion of what Jin¡¯s lie actually indicated. As never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined that there would be an Anika without Ramita. Moreover, as Jin refused to touch the transparent seed, there was no way for him to measure her Ramita. So Sang-je had merely regarded the once then little girl as if she was only trying to conceal her Ramita.

 CH 242.2

    Sang-je wanted to win her trust. When there were eyes around them, he pretended to treat Jin and everyone else with equal fairness. But once he was alone with her, he overindulged all her demeanor with great tolerance.


    And before long, Jin had begun to cleverly overstep the line as soon as she became aware of his intention. Unlike their first encounter, where Jin was all tensed up in Sang-je¡¯s presence, she soon grew to talk and behave more comfortably around him to the point she made herself free before him without reserve. However, she instinctively knew that the bond between her and Sang-je should be kept as a secret.


    Jin must have regarded Sang-je as a reliable supporter. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to run wild around the Holy City without being daunted by the fact that she was an Anika without Ramita.


    It was only when Jin had come to ask for his help to retrieve her lost Ramita that an old mystery of his was finally solved. The very fact that she had fooled everyone with her lie was both absurd and interesting to him.


    If only one of the two Anikas possessed the most powerful Ramita, Sang-je preferred it to be Jin over Flora. Jin was fairly an easy type of person to beguile as she was very much devoted to her desires.


    Humans have a rather odd disposition where they would tend to resist the more you try to coerce them into submission. Hence, in order to leave no seed of trouble, it was best to induce them into believing that they were acting at their own will.


    Sang-je went on as he clicked his tongue.


    -I would have to ask the priest to see to it if there should be any disturbance.


    ¡°As you will, Your Holiness. Thank you!¡±


    Sang-je couldn¡¯t help but to let out a chuckle as Jin whispered, ¡®Now be a good boy and stay still.¡¯ to her roundly wrapped hands.


    ¡®I guess I was wrong to think that she had changed.¡¯


    On the contrary, her recklessness must have solidified more over the course of her stay in the kingdom. There must be a huge difference between the special treatment she receives as an Anika and the authority she gets to wield as the queen of the kingdom where the hierarchy system exists.


    -Let¡¯s continue where we left off then. What was that the Desert king had said to you?


    Eugene went on as she lowered her hands under the table while holding onto Kid.


    ¡°I will start over as I may have skipped some details before. When I opened my eyes, I found myself surrounded by the desert. But I was promptly taken back to the castle as I stumbled upon the warriors who had been searching out for me. However, I couldn¡¯t recall the reason I had gone into the desert in the first place. Then, the Desert king suspected that I was somehow responsible for the lost national treasure as he was suspicious of the fact that I was found in the desert.¡±


    Sang-je remained silent with a contemplative look on his face. Meanwhile, Eugene took a peep below as she was distracted by the Kid¡¯s tail against her palm.


    ¡®Why did Kid come along with me? Could this be his doing? No, he wouldn¡¯t do such a frivolous thing. I wonder if he knows that Kid is gone?¡¯


    -The reason you had gone out to the desert is presumably because you needed a venue.


    Eugene, whose mind had been distracted by Kid, promptly lifted up her head.


    ¡°A venue?¡±


    -A place where you wouldn¡¯t be disturbed by no one. The national treasure which the Desert king was speaking of must be the medium which you¡¯ve been searching for.


    Unwittingly, Eugene swallowed drily as she was given such an important clue all of sudden. Sang-je had practically admitted that he knew all along about the presence of the seed, let alone the fact that Jin was looking for it.


    ¡®But I don¡¯t think Sang-je knows the exact reason as to why Jin had gone out to the desert.¡¯


    Looks like Jin had dropped her correspondence with Holy City for the last three years of her stay in the kingdom as she didn¡¯t even stay in touch with her family.


    ¡®If she had been conspiring with Sang-je all along, why hadn¡¯t she informed him? Was she being cautious? Or was there any other reason which refrained her from telling him?¡¯


    Eugene then recalled the high priest whom she had seen in the memory from earlier.


    ¡®I wonder if there¡¯s anything to do with Jin having contact with him,¡¯


    The high priest was in fact the religious leader of the sect and her interaction with him was indeed an act against the will of Sang-je. Moreover, Jin was even granted the title of Saintes within the order which truly was an act of treachery against Sang-je.


    ¡®A medium. I never realized that I would be hearing that word out of Sang-je¡¯s mouth.¡¯


    There was a time when Eugene had asked about it to a renowned raconteur where he only tilted his head saying that he knew nothing about it. But on the contrary, Sang-je had just nonchalantly mentioned about the element which was essential to initiate the spell.


    Once, Marianne had referred to the sorcerers as ¡®Swindlers¡¯. And that indicated how sorcery was regarded as a mere trifle in the public eye. In other words, sorcery was never a universally known knowledge nor it was a knowledge worthy for someone as noble as God¡¯s vicegerent to know of.


    ¡®I wonder if Sang-je is related to the ancient tribe which Aldrit had mentioned, those who once knew how to practice sorcery.¡¯


    -Well be that as it may but do you really not remember anything, Anika Jin?

 CH 243.1

    Eugene¡¯s heart plummeted all of sudden. Despite all her effort in displaying a calm countenance, she couldn¡¯t help but to feel her corners having stiffened with tension.


    ¡°Are you accusing me as a liar, Your Holiness?¡±


    -I would have arranged the venue if only you had informed me after you found the medium. How come you didn¡¯t do as we promised?


    Instantly, Eugene heard the voice of Jin, coming one after another.


    [Your Holiness. I must go look for the medium.]


    [No. If you ask the Desert king to bring it over, it will leave a witness and record. I don¡¯t want everybody to know that I had once been an Anika without any Ramita. I want to proceed without anyone knowing. I will want to kill myself if anyone finds out about it.]


    [I beg for your permission, Your Holiness.]


    [Yes. I¡¯ll do as you bid. I just need to find the medium.]


    Eugene had just discovered a new fact. Turns out it was Jin who had pushed ahead with the marriage with the Desert king while Sang-je had looked for other ways to get the seed from the Desert king.


    ¡®Well, it surely is much easier that way.¡¯


    Kasser had told her on the day when Eugene had first entered the chamber of royal treasures with him.


    [I should be able to straighten things out as the value of the national treasure is no more than symbolic.]


    Kasser was not bothered much about the national treasure which had gone missing. Of course, he could only have been considerate of her, but he would be troubled much if it truly was an article of value. If Sang-je had ever proposed a deal in return for the seed, Kasser would have accepted to strengthen the relationship with Sang-je.


    However, Jin didn¡¯t just insist on marrying the Desert king, she also ended up breaking her promise with Sang-je by going out to the desert with the treasure she had stolen. But why? Eugene was again back to square one just when she thought that she had finally got the clue.


    But one thing was now clear for sure. Jin possessed no Ramita and the reason behind the whole scheme was to initiate the spell to retrieve her lost Ramita.


    ¡°Your Holiness. Now that I¡¯ve listened to your saying, I feel like I could remember something.¡±


    -That¡¯s a relief. What is it about?


    ¡°The medium was the national treasure of the kingdom. It was kept under tight security where it was highly inaccessible, and I¡¯d bide my time to steal the treasure. But I failed in every attempt.¡±


    Eugene blended lies with some truth as she went on. The seed was indeed stored under tight security, but it was fairly easy for Jin to get access. She would have easily stolen the seed since she had practically frequented herself as if it were the chamber of her own. However, she waited for three whole years to finally put it into action. Eugene revised the list of puzzles that needed solving.


    ¡°And I got anxious when I¡¯d finally got hold of the medium as I wanted to find my Ramita as soon as possible.¡±


    As she unwittingly fisted her hands to hide her nervousness as she spoke, she flinched when she felt the squirm within her palms. Kid, who had been staying low all the while, must have been startled when its surroundings got narrowed.


    Feeling apologetic, she promptly loosened the grip of her hands and lowered her gaze. As she brought her hands close to her stomach to have a better look at Kid, she saw its tiny little head popping right up in between her fingers.


    She smiled as she tried to hold back her laughter. But as soon as she realized her mistake, she lifted her head at once.


    -Anika Jin, you don¡¯t seem to be able to concentrate.


    ¡°My apologies, Your Holiness. I won¡¯t be distracted anymore.¡±


    Sang-je couldn¡¯t help but to let out a small laugh when she strained her eyes open to his direction to look like her attention was solely invested on him and the topic at hand.


    -I think it¡¯s better for us to continue another time as we have an intruder with us today.


    ¡°Ah¡­But Your Holiness, I still have much to tell you about¡­ I promise that I will pay my full attention from now on.¡±¡¯


    Despite being elated by a sudden chance of escape, she feigned reluctance as this could be his attempt to sound her out.


    -You¡¯ll need your rest as you must be all weary after traveling such a long way. And there¡¯s plenty of time ahead of us.


    He was saying the last words to himself to calm his anxious mind. It was better for him to show tolerance now than to press on her, just like he had done over the years.


    The door opened and Pides entered the audience room. He paid courtesy by bowing his head to Sang-je from where he stood and without coming in any further.


    -Pides will be your escort on your way back, Anika Jin.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    Eugene paid respects to Sang-je while thinking ¡®It¡¯s Pides again?¡¯ to herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll visit again soon in the near future to finish what I¡¯ve yet to tell you today. May the grace of Mahar be with you always.¡±


    ¡°May the grace of Mahar be with you always as well. And congratulations, Anika Jin.


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    -I will be looking forward to hearing more from you then. And I hope there won¡¯t be any intruder the next time we meet.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    Sang-je¡¯s voice was heard again when she turned around after rising from her seat.


    -Anika Jin.


    Prev

 CH 243.2

    ¡°Yes?¡±


    -Hope we could discuss our promise the next time we meet. Particularly about the things we both agreed on giving each other.


    Eugene had no choice but to answer yes although she had no idea of what he was talking about. When she saw Pides as she walked on, she heard Jin¡¯s voice.


    [Please give Sir Pides to me, Your Holiness.]


    [I want to have him.]


    [I¡¯ll swear to devote my whole life to God if you¡¯ll just allow me to have Sir Pides.]


    Eugene walked past Pides with odd feelings. Does Pides know about this deal between Sang-je and Jin? It was doubtless that Pides was just as clueless as the Desert king.


    ¡®She seriously has a twisted mind.¡¯


    Eugene clicked her tongue as Jin¡¯s selfish desire to own someone with the help of the third person in power, irrespective of the person in question¡¯s feelings, was just pathetic.


    ***


    Eugene couldn¡¯t seem to relax even after she got on the carriage. When it started to take off, she couldn¡¯t get rid of the uneasiness at the pit of her stomach. She became anxious that any second from now, the carriage would be stopped at Sang-je¡¯s call.


    ¡®Ah. I forgot to stop by the secret library.¡¯


    The thought had only belatedly crossed her mind. It was the very place where she¡¯d planned to visit just until she finally arrived at the palace. Since she came all the way from the desert, she intended to take some time looking around the place and see if she could recall some of Jin¡¯s memories. Visiting the renowned secret library might help too.


    However, she might have been overzealous after all. Her anticipated visit to the secret library has long been forgotten when the desire to leave the palace as soon as possible overwhelmed her. Her interaction with Sang-je had left her weak, as if though she just embarked on a rigorous activity.


    ¡®Are we still within the vicinity of the palace?¡¯


    She did not have an idea as to how long it had passed since the carriage departed, nor how far it is now from the palace. Her internal clock must have been broken as one part of her felt like it hadn¡¯t been long since they set out, but at the same time, it felt like she already gained ample distance from the palace.


    She carefully parted the curtain to browse what was on the outside. Just in time, the carriage passed the main gate of the palace. Eugene closed the curtains only after they were completely outside the walls of the palace. It was only then that she was able to finally relax her rigid posture and leaned back in her seat.


    She heaved a sigh with her eyes closed. Her mind was all jumbled with the things she saw and heard today, along with her own thoughts. Although she was desperately in need of a rest, she managed to bring herself back to focus on one of many doubts she had in her mind.


    ¡®The high priest¡­ How could he bear a striking resemblance to Sang-je?¡¯


    Sang-je was known as Mahar¡¯s vicegerent while the high priest was a vicegerent of Mara. They have a surprising amount in common as they both were regarded as a delegates of the Gods and both were not human indeed. This could suggest that how they appear on the outside is not of much importance. In fact, Eugene remembered that the angels who appeared in most religious paintings she had seen back on earth, all looked pretty much the same with each other.


    However, the absolute truth about Mahar being a God of goodness while Mara was a God of evil, was denied by Aldrit. According to Aldrit, neither Mahar nor Mara existed in times immemorial. Which suggested that it was either the name representing the ¡®God¡¯ has changed throughout the times or that both Mahar and Mara were never Gods in the first place.


    ¡®God¡­¡¯


    Could Sang-je truly be God¡¯s vicegerent?


    Before she finally encountered Sang-je, Eugene anticipated that there should be some kind of special air surrounding him. However, he gave her no sacred impression which differs him from the others, aside from the fact that she was practically sapped after having to constantly put her brain to work during the whole conversation, for he was such a hard nut to crack.


    His prepossessing beauty which transcends humanity must be awe-inspiring to the citizens of the Holy City. However, Eugene was not particularly impressed. She used to live in a world where such an unworldly beauty was commonly portrayed in images or videos with advanced graphic technology.


    ¡®By any measure, I rather think that it¡¯s Kasser who is profoundly impressive.¡¯


    Eugene then recalled the Desert King. The sight of his whole body surrounded by his Praz, that takes the form of a snake, along with how he manages to leap into the air and lands on a building a few stories height, was indeed a sight to behold.


    She opened her eyes and lifted her left hand. With that, a tiny squirrel which had glued itself under her sleeve, lifted its head with a pout. When she brought her right hand close to it, Kid swiftly jumped and landed on the back of her hand.


    ¡°You little troublemaker.¡±


    Eugene laughed as she lightly tapped onto Kid¡¯s tiny nose with her finger.


    ¡°But you really did save me today.¡±

 CH 244.1

    At first, she really was flustered when Kid appeared all of sudden. But due to Kid, she had found out that Sang-je was excessively forgiving towards Jin and she had also managed to slip out earlier than she expected.


    Elated by the praise, Kid did a twirl on the back of her hand. While she was laughing at the sight of Kid, something odd crossed her mind.


    ¡®How come Sang-je didn¡¯t notice that Kid was actually a Hwansu?¡¯


    Hwansu is in fact a special lark. If Sang-je truly was God¡¯s vicegerent, shouldn¡¯t he be more agile in identifying lark¡¯s presence, which practically were the intruder of this world? However, he failed to even take notice of a lark which was right under his nose.


    ¡®What if Sang-je was actually related to the tribe of the ancient times? It¡¯s said that it is the tribe who can foresee the future that hogged all the knowledge regarding the spells. Is it possible that they are using the spells to act as the leader of a cult? If so, the high priest wouldn¡¯t differ from much. Or maybe they are actually conspiring to fool everyone¡­ Have I gone too far?¡¯


    Momentarily, the carriage gradually slowed down to a halt. After a while, it started moving again, Eugene saw that they had just passed the magnificent iron gate which was widely opened, when she pulled the curtain.


    ¡®Ah¡­ I¡¯ve finally made it back.¡¯


    In the Holy City, there are mansions which are owned respectively by the royals from all the six kingdoms. But unlike how the mansions are usually built around a neighborhood, the exclusive residential areas of the royal kingdoms were located sparsely around the Holy Palace.


    ¡®I¡¯m home.¡¯


    Just by thinking that there¡¯s someone waiting for her return in there, has made all her worries disappear and put her mind at ease at once. Eugene realized yet again about how much she was relying on him.


    She had heard that Jin never stayed in this mansion before¡ªshe had left right after the wedding ceremony with Sang-je as officiant and spent a fake bridal night in an annex which Sang-je provided for them. Eugene was eagerly looking forward to it even before she arrived as it was a new place which Jin had no memory of.


    Soon, the carriage came to a stop. Eugene quickly hid Kid back under her sleeve before the door could open. She had expected Pides to be standing outside when her door opened in a moment.


    All of sudden, someone shoved his upper body through the opened door. Eugene was startled as she was just about to rise from the seat. But when she found a set of blue eyes staring right into hers, her set expression softened almost immediately.


    Suppressing a surge of emotions, Eugene gave her hand to Kasser when he offered. She was overwhelmed when she felt the strong squeeze of his hand as he took on hers.


    She stared into the massive mansion which came right into her sight as she stepped onto the ground. It was structured with a stair leading into its interior and there were servants lined up on each floor in their standardized uniforms.


    Although it was incomparable when it comes to size, it definitely was more practical than a castle. Somehow, it made her feel as if she really has become someone of high social standing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside, my queen.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Eugene turned her head after taking a few steps. When she spotted Pides, who was standing in the distance, she said, ¡°Sir Pides, thank your escort.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. I¡¯ve only done as I was bid so.¡±


    ¡°Come in with us. We must ask you to tea after having you come all the way. You shall be our first guest.¡±


    Eugene turned to look at Kasser when he cleared his throat in an undertone. Kasser then said as he tugged at her hand. ¡°My queen, I¡¯m afraid we are in no condition to invite guests over just yet since the place was left vacant for a long time.¡±


    Pides promptly intercepted.


    ¡°Anika¡ªYour Grace. I truly appreciate your offer, but to my regret, I must return as I have some matters to attend to. I would be greatly honored if I could join you next time.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, that¡¯s a shame.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving then, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for taking the trouble to escort her.¡±


    Pides turned around after he bowed his head. Eugene didn¡¯t get to see Pides getting on his horse to leave as she was hastily led inside by Kasser. She casted a side glance at Kasser as she passed the servants in line. Though she was not familiar with the courtesy of this world, she knew that Kasser¡¯s response was inappropriate.


    It clearly didn¡¯t require much trouble in serving tea to just one person. It was almost as if Kasser had just betrayed his displeasure in inviting Pides over, right in the face.


    ¡°Does he have a problem with Pides?¡±


    It was quite surprising to see Kasser expressing his dislike for someone like he did just now.


    ¡®Well, I guess it¡¯s better to be wary of him as Sang-je has his knights at his beck and call.¡¯ Eugene simply concluded.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have something important to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go where we won¡¯t be disturbed.¡± Then, they went into the parlor which was on the inner side of the house. Kasser sent away all the servants who followed along and bid them not to come in until they were summoned.


    ¡°Are you alright? Did something happen?


    ¡°Kid had come along with me.¡±


    They both spoke simultaneously once they got alone. Eugene caught Kid under her sleeve and showed it before Kasser¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Was this your doing by any chance?¡±


    Kasser shook his head,


    ¡°You really didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to do such a thing. Have you got into trouble because of it?¡±


    ¡°No, I was fine. Since when do you think he followed me?¡±


    Kasser took a moment to think before he answered. ¡°I think Kid¡¯s cage was nearby when we had our last conversation before you set out to the palace.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess he must have sneaked out at that time. You didn¡¯t know that he was gone?¡±


    ¡°I had no idea.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t seem to care about being their master.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s criticism seemed unjust to Kasser as he was in no state of mind to care about the whereabouts of a Hwansu. He felt restless the whole time after she had gone alone to the palace. He ran down the stairs right after hearing that her carriage was in sight.


    He turned a reproachful gaze on the insolent squirrel which had made him get told off. But when a thought crossed his mind, he let out an exclamation.


    ¡°Kid must have worried about you. Our conversation must have sounded pretty serious.¡±


    ¡°You mean Kid had come along to protect me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just like how I can summon it when in need.¡±


    Kasser nodded approvingly as if he had found a use for it.

 CH 244.2

    ¡°Right then Kid. I will be asking for you whenever the need arises.¡± Eugene then stared into the tiny squirrel. She was literally moved by the fact that she had been protected by this tiny little creature all along and also by the fact that she¡¯s got a husband who will come running to her in times of need. She loathed Jin who had deceived such a good man and was terribly sorry to Kasser. Such mixed feelings have brought tears to her eyes all of sudden. Soon, her vision got blurred and everything started to look hazy around her.


    ¡°Eugene.¡± then dropped from her eyes as she blinked. Watching his flustered face had only made her well up all the more. Soon, tears were running down her face without a letup no matter how much she tried to wipe them off with her hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Kasser pulled her hands away from her face and wrapped his arms around her back and waist to pull her close to him. He planted soft kisses on her forehead as he whispered, ¡°Everything is fine now.¡±


    Eugene sobbed and began to cry her eyes out in his arms. Before this, she never once had a good cry in her whole life, nor had she been dearly consoled in someone¡¯s arms. She bawled her eyes out for another while, pouring out all the sorrows buried deep down in her heart, while feeling the gentle tap and stroke on her back of her husband.


    It dawned on Aldrit that they were heading to a path leading down to the entrance of the underground lake. He was blindly following Mur for a while now, he surmised.


    However, Mur changed his course and got off from the familiar route just before they could reach the lake.


    ¡®Is something on this side?¡¯


    As it happens, this was the area where children often explored around for fun. It practically served as a playground for the little ones in the settlement and Aldrit had also spent most of his childhood playing here. Therefore, should there be other paths around this area, he would have discovered it long before.


    However, the path was blocked by the stone wall at its end. There was nothing else, but a few stone towers built for wish making. They weren¡¯t the sort of remains with profound meanings but only a plain stone tower of a man¡¯s height with stones piled up on top of another every time people came to make their wish.


    Just as Aldrit recalled, the path came to a dead end before long. And the stone towers were there just as Aldrit saw them last. Mur looked around the surroundings and started to move the stones that were lying around the floor here and there. He also did take some stones out from the towers while adding some new ones on the top.


    Aldrit couldn¡¯t help but stare blankly as Mur continued with his inexplicable behavior. Where was he taking him exactly? What he didn¡¯t know was that the next seconds would change his life forever. His eyes were soon enlarged with great surprise when the boulder which he believed to be a wall started to budge. After the boulder had completely moved away, a dark interior revealed from behind.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Come along.¡±


    Leaving Adrit confounded by the sight, Mur swiftly disappeared into the darkness. Aldrit followed in haste as he said, ¡°Sir. Is this a different entrance connected to the outside world?¡±


    ¡°No. The only way out from here is through the lake.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s this?¡± Aldrit, who was following closely at heel, came to an abrupt stop after bumping into Mur¡¯s back, when Mur halted before him.


    ¡°There are stairs down from here. Watch your steps as you follow.¡±


    They started down the stairs. Aldrit was too focused not to misstep that he couldn¡¯t speak a word despite all the doubts being raised in his mind. He only came to realize that something was odd after coming down the stairs for a while.


    Turns out it wasn¡¯t because his eyes had gotten used to the darkness. He was able to make out his surroundings as the place was lit up to the extent the steps were clearly visible. As it happens, there were lights beaming dimly in between the steps.


    ¡°Sir. What are these lights?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the power of the spell.¡±


    Mur answered without hesitation as if he had no intention to hide about it.


    ¡°S-spells?¡±


    Aldrit had been taught that the only spell that was left to the tribe was the one in the form of a rune, which had to be inscribed on the body, to help them to avoid the lark. So, what Mur had just said contradicted everything Aldrit had been taught over the years.


    Mur stopped short on the last step of the stairs. Then, he groped and picked a stone up off the ground.


    ¡°Take a good look.¡±


    Mur then tossed the stone into the darkness. Followed by the clang of stone hitting the ground, lights glowed from the floor. The lights were then formed into some sort of geometrical shape which was clearly visible in the dark.


    Doubtless, it was the same rune inscribed on the body of people in the tribe, but only in an enlarged form.


    ¡°Spell¡­¡± Adrit murmured with a blank look on his face.


    ¡°That spell is capable of transporting objects from one place to another. It¡¯ll be initiated once something touches the rune. However, there¡¯s no turning back once it¡¯s been transported. Aldrit. I advise you to give it another thought. Once you get in there, you¡¯ll be bound by the new spell, and you will be watched henceforth by it. More so, you will be marked as the central figure of the pagan religion.¡±


    A pagan religion. Aldrit recalled things he¡¯d heard from the queen not long ago.


    ¡°Is Mara¡­ the pagan religion of your saying?¡±


    ¡°I see that you¡¯ve learned quite a lot while you were away.¡±


    ¡°How will the mark be revealed?¡±


    ¡°The knights of Mahar will be able to detect your presence. However, you¡¯ll be able to detect them as well if they should be in the vicinity.¡±


    Mahar and Mara. Aldrit was rather excited than feared of the truths which he was about to learn.


    ¡®I can finally be of help.¡±


    He remembered just how much it pained him to face the disappointing look of the queen¡¯s face. But now, he¡¯ll soon gain all the knowledge where he would be able to answer the queen¡¯s every question.


    ¡°If I may ask, I¡¯ve learned that our tribe had discarded the ancient sorcery from very long ago. Then does it mean that all the history I¡¯ve learned about our tribe so far was false after all?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t false.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go. I have no reason to hesitate after coming this far.¡±


    A faint sigh escaped Mur. But at the same time, Mur was also proud of Aldrit for his firm determination.


    The spell was initiated with the lights radiating in the shape of the rune from the floor as soon as the two of them stepped into the rune. Soon, their figure had disappeared into thin air without even a trace.

 CH 245

    Enoch was originally planning on visiting Jin as soon as she arrived at the Holy City. He reflected that he couldn¡¯t let his sister be on distant terms with her family any longer. But sadly, it didn¡¯t seem like Jin would make the first move to come meet her family. They heard no words from her after they were informed of Jin coming through Sang-je¡¯s knight.


    Hence, Enoch had sent his people out to stand watch in every four entrances to the Holy City as well as the manor that belonged to the Hashi Kingdom.


    ¡°Any of you who first spot Jin¡¯s arrival should notify me at once. Make sure you all stay alert at all times as she could be arriving even in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    However, an unexpected commotion arised on the very morning of Jin¡¯s arrival.


    Like his usual mornings, Patrick carefully crawled out of the bed and left their bed chamber so he wouldn¡¯t wake his wife who was still asleep. But when she still hadn¡¯t gotten up even after he was done breaking his fast, Patrick found it unusual and went back to check on her.


    ¡°Dana, dear.¡±


    When he heard no reply for a while after calling out to her by the door, he went up to their bed. From there, he found his wife was moaning in pain with her body burning up.


    ¡°Darling!¡±


    One of the maids had come running into the chamber in surprise upon hearing the urgency in Patrick¡¯s voice. She rushed out back when Patrick instructed her to send for a doctor.


    The whole manor was then thrown into commotion after that. The atmosphere around the manor was astir as the lady of the house had always been in good health without any minor ailments so far.


    The family doctor, who had come in a heartbeat, told Patrick who impatiently shot questions at him, when he was finished with the examination.


    ¡°Lord Arse. I wish to have a word with you in private.¡±


    Enoch waited in great suspense while his father spoke to the family doctor. He couldn¡¯t help but to wonder about just how bad the doctor¡¯s opinion would be as the doctor had asked to have a private word with his father. Enoch hoped that it wouldn¡¯t be about anything bad.


    He dashed to his father¡¯s office as soon as he heard that the doctor had taken his leave. Just in time, he ran into Lord Noff, their family doctor, in the hallway.


    ¡°What is it about? Is my lady mother alright?


    The doctor chuckled at Enoch, who had turned deadly pale in worry. ¡°The lady is fine. You should not be so concerned.¡±


    Looking puzzled, Enoch watched as the doctor walked out of his sight. He thought about pressing the doctor for further explanation but on second thought, he thought it would be best to just hear it from his father so he went into the library. He let out a sigh of relief as his father didn¡¯t seem very upset.


    ¡°Father. Is mother all right?¡±


    ¡°Your mother seems to have stressed out her mind as she has been on edge of late. But he said it wasn¡¯t anything severe to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Stressed out? Isn¡¯t it something serious?¡±


    ¡°She should be fine. As it happens, she used to get feverish whenever she had a lot in her mind. I¡¯ve forgotten all about that as she hadn¡¯t fallen sick since you took over the business from her.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°She has always recovered after a good sleep. We had hardly sent for a doctor like we did today.¡±


    ¡°Then why has Lord Noff asked to speak to you in private?¡±


    ¡°He took great caution and asked me if there¡¯s any trouble at home. Well¡­¡± Patrick paused before he continued with an unpleasant look. ¡°He was asking me if I had done something wrong that perhaps distressed your mother, which is absolutely preposterous. What does he think I am?¡±


    Enoch took the hint that his family doctor had doubted that his father had been unfaithful to his mother. He could almost see how his father must have riled up at such an outrageous accusation. Enoch couldn¡¯t help but to laugh as it was absurd for the doctor to be doubtful of his father.


    ¡®After all these years he¡¯d been the doctor of our family, yet he still knows nothing of father.¡¯


    The very idea of his father having an affair was just unimaginable to Enoch. His lord father was someone who tends to make a big fuss should his mother cough occasionally. Moreover, should his father have really done such a thing, his lady mother was never the kind of person who would be deeply agonized by it. She would rather have him out of the house at once.


    ¡°What in the world have you said to your mother?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about a few days ago. There¡¯s nothing else than that which could have possibly made your mother overfly upset to the point she falls ill.¡±


    Enoch blinked in bewilderment when Patrick flared at him. Coming under the fire all of sudden, he gave his father a sullen answer. ¡°I said not much. All I did was to ask mother a favor so she would give Jin a warm welcome when Jin returns.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you just politely asked her instead of acting up? Your mother may have retired, but that doesn¡¯t make you the head of the house. Not just yet.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, father, I couldn¡¯t feel more wrongly accused. Would my mother have tolerated it if I had been rude to her?¡±


    After shooting an inquiring look at his son, Patrick motioned his son to leave him. After taking his leave from the office, Enoch couldn¡¯t help but to feel incredulous of her mother¡¯s condition.


    ¡®Is seeing Jin that much of a trouble to mother?¡¯


    All the while, Enoch had reflected that Jin had been unilaterally cold-shouldered by his lady mother. But today, he felt like he had peeked at how much his mother must have suffered alone without anyone knowing. He was then left puzzled even more of why his mother was tormenting herself by ignoring Jin, feeling that the complex mind of his lady mother was beyond his comprehension.


    [Your mother seems to be suspicious that Jin isn¡¯t her daughter. She claims that her child had been switched.]


    Enoch creased his brows as he recalled his father¡¯s words. He shook his head after pondering it over for a while as Jin was unmistakably the daughter of his mother. Doubtless he would be able to recognize Jin at a glance, who¡¯s the spitting image of his mother, should they come across in the street no matter how much time passes by.


    It was that afternoon when he was informed of Jin¡¯s arrival. After being notified by a servant who had come running the moment, he saw the carriage from Hashi Kingdom pass the gate, Enoch was soon informed again of Jin entering the palace by another servant.


    ¡®This is bad.¡­¡¯


    Unlike his father¡¯s assurance that she would soon recover, his lady mother has yet to show any sign of waking. He couldn¡¯t help but to get worried as she looked as white as a sheet when he saw her in bed.


    After much consideration, he had decided to hold off his plans to meet Jin.


    ¡®I best not try to trouble my mother¡¯s mind any further today.¡¯


    On the other hand, he somehow had hoped for Jin to get in touch with them, but it seems like he had expected in vain.


    The next morning, Enoch went up to the terrace upon hearing that his parents were having a conversation there, after breaking their fast. Enoch met eyes with Patrick the moment he stepped into the terrace. Ignoring his father¡¯s glare which implied him not to enter, he went up to where his parents were.


    ¡°Mother, how are you feeling today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling just fine. I must have made you worry for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Arthur is likely to be back by today.¡±


    Not long after the dry season had begun, Arthur, Enoch¡¯s younger brother, had traveled out of the Holy City on business purposes as he was the vice head of their company. But after being informed of Jin coming to the city, Enoch had immediately sent out an urgent message for his brother to return at once. Fortunately, Enoch had received from his brother that he would be able to make it back in a few days¡¯ time and that thankfully, he hadn¡¯t traveled far from the Holy City.

 CH 246.1

    ¡°How about us having dinner together as a family tonight? Jin¡­ seems to have arrived just yesterday.¡±


    Enoch felt responsible that he was the only one left to fix things up. His father had neglected Jin as he cared more for his wife than his daughter. No matter how much love he had given to his daughter, mother has always been his top priority over Jin.


    Enoch had never felt particularly left out or complained about their parents being so merry in their marriage. However, it dawned on him that his covetous sister could have felt otherwise as mother has always been indifferent to her and being second to mother in father¡¯s love must not have been enough to fill the void of her heart. That explained why she had cut ties with her family after getting married without even consulting them.


    It was bound to wound everyone in the end if they failed to mend fences with his little sister forever. He felt like he could no longer stand by and watch his family growing apart.


    Dana only replied after a long silence.


    ¡°¡­Alright. Let¡¯s do that.¡± It was a rather unenthusiastic remark.


    ¡°I¡¯ll then invite Jin over for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Do as you like.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±


    Enoch heard the two of them talk from his back as he walked away.


    ¡°Dana, try to put your mind at ease. You do have a strong side, but you really are delicate at heart, which makes me worry. Now, let me see if you still have a fever.¡±


    Enoch gave a snort in the heart without showing it on his face.


    ¡®Mother? Delicate at heart?¡¯ Seems like his father has his own way of seeing mother through rose-colored glasses, unlike everyone else.


    The House of Arse used to be renowned only by its name. But since the family history dates far back, the family never had to live in destitute but never had they lived in clover like they do today. It was barely enough for them to keep their dignity without having to ask for help from outside.


    Then it was the late head of the house who laid out the foundation as he had an aptitude for management skills. Resultantly, the Arses had started to accumulate great wealth.


    And as it happened, it was Enoch¡¯s mother Dana, who succeeded to be the head of the house, and this newly acquired leverage had increased the family business to a significant scale. As of today, the Arses were still known to have amassed a significant amount of wealth, enough to be considered as one of the wealthiest families of the Holy City.


    So ever since Enoch started to understand the mechanism of the business he had taken over, he has by now learned the law of survival of the fittest by heart. The cut-throat competition going on for the sake of business profits was no less fierce than a war. It was clear that this industry wasn¡¯t cut out for those who are weak at heart.


    ¡®Father, you really are clueless. Mother would easily prevail against you.¡¯


    In Enoch¡¯s opinion, it was Patrick who seemed to have a weaker heart than his lady mother. The reason the Arses¡¯s and Patrick¡¯s company was never in conflict with each other until now was because they differed in the products which they handle. But what if they do?


    ¡®¡­I bet father would step down even before the dispute could arise.¡¯


    Just when Enoch was about to get ready to go out, one of his aides brought him an urgent message. It seems like there was an accident at the field and they were in need of his instruction.


    ¡°Go ahead of me and take every necessary measure. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°As you will, my lord.¡±


    Enoch racked his brain after his aide took his leave¡ªhis original plan to make a visit to Jin¡¯s place and have a sincere conversation with her had now been thwarted. It would likely be sunset by the time he was done sorting out the accident. He wondered if he should put off his plans until tomorrow. However, there was a chance for the discord between Jin and family to deepen if Jin thinks that her family had ignored her for the whole two days after her arrival.


    Just in time, the butler came in to give him a report.


    ¡°Master, the young master has just returned.¡±


    Enoch rejoiced at the arrival of the right person who he can assign the task to. ¡°Tell Arthur that I asked to see him right after he paid his respect to mother and father.¡±


    ¡°As you say, master.¡±


    ***


    After waking up late in the morning, Eugene had a late breakfast and started to look around the manor. As she strolled about the place, a maid and Sven followed from behind. Eugene didn¡¯t quite see the need for her to be placed under guard within the house, but Kasser insisted in a decisive tone.


    [We¡¯re no longer in the castle of ours. There¡¯s a risk of invasion as there are blind spots around the house. Try not to wander around on your own.]


    Moreover, there was Kid on her shoulder. Though she had not heard what kind of instruction Kasser had given to Kid, she was surprised to see it, which likes to roam about the place, was adhered to her shoulder the whole time without moving an inch away from her. It was such an adoring yet powerful escort.


    As she strolled about the hall, she took a thorough look around the place, without missing the wall, pillar and even the ceilings. She had heard that the manor was at least a hundred years old since it¡¯s been built up. There was indeed a classical touch to it but it wasn¡¯t significantly worn-out.

 CH 246.2

    ¡®The place looks fine to me.¡¯


    But despite how it appears on the outside, it seems like the place needed some good repair. And to see to that matter, Kasser didn¡¯t get to join her on the tour around the house to his regret.


    The manor had indeed been left unattended for many years with no one residing in it. The late Desert King hardly made any visit to the Holy City, and it¡¯s been three years since Kasser¡¯s brief stay, when he had come for the marriage. The manor was practically neglected although it had been entrusted to the caretaker. Indeed, the manor lacked in people with a real sense of duty in managing the house. With all the repair works neglected over the years, the house was now in a serious condition.


    So Kasser had gone in person to see the condition of the manor and check on the places which needed fixing while personally assigning the repair task to someone reliable.


    ¡®It must be because no one lived in it for so many years no matter how greatly it was managed. As empty houses are more likely to go to ruin. But¡­ why was it left empty?¡¯


    What about the late queen? Didn¡¯t Kasser¡¯s mother live here?


    Eugene had heard that his mother lived in Holy City but knew nothing of the context. Was it alright for her to ask? Would he tell her if she asked? It will hurt if he doesn¡¯t. But more than that, she wondered if she had the right to ask such questions.


    Yesterday, after crying her eyes out in his arms, Kasser had not asked her a single question since then. She felt sorry yet thankful for him being so patient with her until she was ready to tell him.


    She had no idea as to how she should bring up to him that this whole marriage was actually a part of a scheme from the start. She couldn¡¯t get enough courage to tell him just yet. Inattentively, Eugene looked around her surroundings and before long, she was absorbed into her own thoughts.


    ¡®Retrieve her Ramita¡­ what was the meaning of that? How come Jin was without Ramita? Did she mean that she had lost her Ramita although she used to have it before? If so, there must have been some kind of incident before she lost it.¡¯


    She felt alone. There was no way for her to ask people around about it as it was such a sensitive subject. And it was also hard to ask Kasser for the investigation¡ªit was likely to arouse Sang-je¡¯s suspicion if he ever finds out.


    But there was someone who she could ask without having to come under suspicion. Moreover, they must know best about Jin more than anyone else.


    Jin¡¯s family.


    ¡®Should I meet them¡­.¡¯


    Ever since her encounter with Sang-je, new doubts have outnumbered the hints she had found out so far. She was feeling heavy at heart with all the burdens pressing down upon her.


    Eugene opened the door which had an unusual pattern that caught her eyes and went inside. She was greatly astonished by its interior for she entered the palace bearing no expectation at all beforehand. Despite its pitiful state, it still exudes a hint of its past grandeur.


    The room was wide with a high ceiling and looked almost like a small garden. On the podium which was separated from the floor by some steps, there were various kinds of flowers and plants placed all around the room in countless vases and pots. The way the ivies had grown high all over the wall was just stunning.


    ¡°Is this place embellished only recently?¡±


    Eugene asked the maid wondering if they had fixed up the place upon hearing that the owner of the manor was coming for a visit.


    ¡°No, my queen. This has always been a garden.¡±


    ¡°For whom?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°For whom was this place embellished for? It surely would cost a fortune just to buy enough flowers and plants for the whole place.¡±


    ¡°They all are indeed dry plants, and they don¡¯t have to be looked after and just need to replace them once in every month. Also, we¡¯ve been receiving all the flowers and plants from the Arse family.¡±


    ¡°Arse¡­¡±


    It struck her when she was just about to ask why they were sending out such things to the house. Arse. It was the family Jin was born to.


    Eugene went up to a nearest pot with a tall plant. Then, she carefully touched on its green glossy leaf. Compared to the dry flowers she had known from earth that rustled with touch, the leaf seemed more artificial than dried.


    ¡®The way they produce the dried plant is more sophisticated.¡¯


    This must be a costly product made with special techniques. Perhaps it was costlier than a real plant.


    ¡°So, they are all sent by the Arse family? Every once in a month?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen.¡±


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°It has been over two years since I¡¯ve been working here, and I¡¯ve seen them delivered every month since I first started working.¡±


    ¡®It seems like Jin and her family aren¡¯t on bad terms after all.¡¯


    It seems like they¡¯ve started to send the flowers around the time when Jin had left after her marriage three years ago. They must have been sent so that Jin could see them whenever she comes back to stay in the Holy City. She could feel the love of the person who sends out flowers enough to fill the whole room, every once in a month.


    ¡®You are so lucky Jin¡­¡¯


    She wondered what it would feel like to have a family who loves her. It must be a feeling where one would start feeling invincible. Just by having the belief that there¡¯s a man who¡¯ll always be on her side was enough to make her feel stronger than ever.


    But at the same time, she was assaulted with a sudden sense of guilt. She was standing here in place of a woman who was a precious daughter and sister to others. How could she ever face the Arse family?


    ¡°My queen.¡±


    Eugene, who had been staring at the plant in a daze, turned around at the call. Without her knowing, the chamberlain, whom she has gotten familiar with while traveling up to the Holy City, was standing nearby. He lowered his head while saying, ¡°My queen. His Majesty has sent for you. A guest has come for a visit.¡±


    ¡°Has the guest come to meet me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. He came from the Arse family.¡±


    A flicker of surprise showed in her eyes immediately.

 CH 247.1

    As the carriage came to a halt, Eugene was filled with the same regret she had right before they set out on the road. Rather restless, she considered going back. ¡®I should not have come in the first place.¡¯ It felt like it was too soon for her to meet Jin¡¯s family and wasn¡¯t prepared for it.


    Her such regret traces back to earlier when she had given her prompt consent to Jin¡¯s second brother, Arthur, who invited her for dinner tonight, adding that everyone was eager to see her again. It was such an impulsive decision that she herself had no idea what had made her do so. She wondered if it was due to a memory of Jin¡¯s which crossed her mind after seeing Arthur¡¯s face.


    [I know you hate me. You wish Flora was your sister instead, don¡¯t you?]


    Jin¡¯s voice was faltering, it reminded Eugene of Jin¡¯s sullen face. Arthur was looking no more than a boy in Jin¡¯s memory. With a composed look that makes him look mature than his actual age, he said,


    [Jin, you are my little sister. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always be on your side.]


    Eugene was simply astonished by the fact that a brother could say such a dialogue one might only hear in novels to his sister. He was nothing like her own brothers who had always hurled insults or curses every time they called her.


    After having met with Arthur, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to wonder about the other members of Jin¡¯s family. But now that she had arrived at the Arse manor, she got cold feet and was gravely regretting her recklessness.


    Eugene stopped Kasser as he tried to rise to his feet right across from her.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Kasser gazed into Eugene after seeing fear swept over her face. She just held onto him without saying a word. After a moment, he took her hand by one and patted on the back of her hand with the other.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. They are your family.¡±


    ¡®Actually, they aren¡¯t.¡¯


    Eugene said that only in her heart and tightened her grip on his hand.


    ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll help if I make any mistake.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I promise.¡±


    Kasser couldn¡¯t quite understand as to why she was trying to hide the fact that she had lost her memory to her family nor why she was so nervous to meet them. The Arses would never condemn her for anything no matter how big her mistake may be.


    He had once met her father three years ago, before their wedding ceremony. Though they didn¡¯t get the chance to have a long conversation, Kasser had felt the sincerity in her father¡¯s short remark when he had asked him to take good care of his daughter. He got the impression that Eugene must have been an endearing daughter to her father.


    ***


    Arthur was red in the cheeks; his palms had become sweaty as soon as he realized no one had come out to meet the royal couple after getting off from their carriage. He hastily asked the present butler who was coming up with him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°The master has gone out and is not back yet.¡±


    ¡°Did he mention when he would return?¡±


    ¡°He had said that he would be back before dark.¡±


    ¡°Ah! This is bad.¡± Arthur was put in an uncomfortable position. As it was Enoch who asked him to visit Jin in his stead, for he had an urgent business to attend to, his brother¡¯s absence was no news to Arthur. However, Arthur didn¡¯t expect for his father to be out as well.


    Arthur didn¡¯t foresee any of these before he brought Jin back home. All he was asked to do was to go and ask his sister if she would like to come over for dinner.


    Before meeting her, he had worried that it might be awkward to reunite as a family after so many years. Arthur could never quite bring himself to feign friendliness and say things like ¡®My dear lovely sister¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯ve really missed you.¡¯, just like the way Enoch would say from the bottom of his heart. Hence, he had worried that Jin might be disappointed to see him come instead of Enoch, whom she used to be fonder of.


    However, Jin¡¯s response was however somewhat different from his expectation. She didn¡¯t look particularly happy or disappointed to see him. It took him by surprise when she had given her prompt consent to the invitation.


    Doubtless, his family expected Jin to arrive by evening.


    ¡°Where¡¯s mother?¡±


    ¡°The lady is at the glasshouse.¡±


    Arthur forbore from asking if his lady mother was informed of their arrival. She must have been informed by someone in the house. Even so, there¡¯s only a slim chance that his mother would willingly come to meet Jin. He recalled how his mother didn¡¯t budge an inch even on the day when Jin left the house with all her stuff packed up after announcing her marriage.


    He also remembered hearing Enoch making feeble complaints about how he couldn¡¯t understand why their mother was being so cold to her sole daughter. Although Dana¡¯s intention was incomprehensible to Arthur likewise, he felt like he could quite understand why his lady mother kept her distance from Jin.


    Unlike Enoch, who¡¯s seven years apart from Jin, Arthur, who was older than Jin by only two years, had spent most of his childhood with her while growing up.


    Being reticent and reserved, Arthur was never the type who showed his feelings to others. So even when he was falsely accused of the mistakes which Jin had made, he received all the punishments without attempts to right himself.


    Knowing that Arthur would never tell on her, Jin had fairly confided to Arthur alone. Resultantly, Arthur had plenty of chances to observe her natural demeanor. Perchance, he might be the only person who had ever seen Jin without her facade of pretense.


    However, he was distraught with worry whenever he thought of Jin¡ªthere was a streak of cruelty in her ever since she was a little girl. Jin was only six when she hurled her pet bird down on the floor to death for pecking at the back of her hand and had an innocent maid kicked out from the house after blaming her for killing the bird in her stead.


    And as she grew older, she acquired another cunning side and started to put on a kind act when people were around. But after having her lucid dream, she stopped bothering to even do that and treated people with open contempt. It was such a mystery as to who she took after as he had never seen his parents treating anyone ill, not even those who worked for them.


    What would be one¡¯s best measure to take if one¡¯s closest flesh and blood seems to be evil by nature?


    Their mother couldn¡¯t seem less interested to oversee discipline of her daughter, and their father believed that pouring unconditional love to Jin would change her. Enoch, on the other hand, listened to her every favor and strived to please her every time.


    None of it worked.


    As for Arthur, he had no role to fill in such a family but had no intention to speak ill of his sister as well. He never hated her. However, he had this foreboding that Jin would end up passing the point of no return someday.


    As her brother, he felt deeply responsible in stopping her before she ended up making fatal mistakes that are beyond recall. So, without her knowing, he kept a close watch on his sister¡¯s every move since then.


    But as Jin left the house after she got married, he felt almost as if a great weight was taken off from his shoulders. Having to constantly observe someone in secret was never his cup of tea.


    Arthur turned his head around to the sound when he heard the carriage door being opened. From there, both the Desert King and Jin emerged within the carriage.


    He could hear the pure exclamations slipping out among the maids who had come to meet them. Doubtless they were a veritable match made in heaven. In addition to that, the distinctive black and blue in their hair gave an unearthly impression as if they belonged to a different world from everybody else.

 CH 247.2

    Arthur¡¯s eyes shifted from Jin taking the Desert King¡¯s hand while descending the steps, to their hands which remained joined even after she was alighted from the carriage. Then finally, he trained his gaze on the Desert King¡¯s tender glance towards Jin as he whispered something to her ears.


    ¡®Hmm.¡¯


    After growing up watching his parents who never fall out of love throughout their marriage, he had learned to discern the real couples from those who were only putting on a show, whenever he attended social gatherings. And just as he had felt in the manor earlier, the warm atmosphere which surrounded the two of them, appeared to be sincere.


    ¡®You¡¯ve been well all this time.¡¯ Despite his uneasiness about his sister, he never wished for her to be unhappy. ¡®She seems to have changed a bit as well.¡¯ Perhaps the three years of marriage has somehow caused some changes in her life.


    Arthur went up to both of them.


    ¡°Jin.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, Arthur.¡± Eugene couldn¡¯t feel more awkward to address Jin¡¯s brother by his first name.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid both father and Enoch happened to be out for some urgent matters. I¡¯m sure they would have waited for you if they knew you were coming.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can wait for them.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Very well then.¡±


    Arthur was caught off guard by Jin¡¯s nonchalant response for he expected to hear a sharp remark instead. In his memory, she hated being kept waiting and never tended to show tolerance in situations where she wasn¡¯t given the top priority. Something clearly was different about her now.


    ¡°But mother seems to be home. Would you like to go and pay your respects to her?¡±


    If only Arthur had the slightest idea of yesterday¡¯s racket, he most definitely wouldn¡¯t have made such a suggestion and would rather have waited for Enoch or his father to return instead. But there was no way for him to know of the incident as Enoch had asked him to go and meet Jin as soon as he returned.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    There weren¡¯t any probable excuses for Eugene to refuse meeting with Jin¡¯s mother. Hence, she looked up at Kasser as if signaling for his help instead. Then, in response to her silent plead, Kasser gripped her hands tighter and said,


    ¡°I would like to pay my respects to the Lady of the House with her as well. As it happens, I¡¯ve never gotten the chance to properly introduce myself to the lady.¡±


    Arthur felt that they had exchanged signals with each other. With an inquiring look on his face, he replied while eyeing them alternatively. ¡°As you will. I¡¯m sure mother has been wondering about you as well.¡±


    With that, Arthur showed them to the glasshouse. Stealthily, he casted a side glance at the two of them as he led the way. He was surprised to see Jin walking so closely by the side of the Desert King, like she was a child who was scared to be separated from her mother.


    On the other hand, he also felt sorry for his sister for being still intimidated by her own mother¡¯s presence. Despite finding it hard to get close to Dana, Jin had always wanted to attract her attention.


    A mother¡¯s love. It was most likely the only thing Jin ever lacked in her perfect life.


    It was the butler who first entered when they all gathered at the front of the glasshouse. After a moment, the butler reappeared from within and bowed his head to them.


    ¡°The lady says you may all come in.¡± A thought came to Arthur as he gave a nod.  ¡®I¡¯m actually glad to have the Desert King with us.¡¯


    He had hoped that his lady mother would at least try to be nice to her daughter in the presence of her son-in-law.


    Three of them stepped into the glasshouse where its entrance was full of tall plants in pots leaving just enough room for people to pass through. As the path was narrow for all three of them to walk side by side, Arthur led the way while the two of them followed along.


    When Arthur stepped aside after striding deep into the room, from there appeared a middle-aged woman of slim figure, standing before a table. Eugene then saw the woman¡¯s profile, who was arranging the flowers in a vase.


    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯


    The lady¡¯s profile was awfully familiar to Eugene. Before long, she was strongly struck by how the lady was the exact spit and image of Jin. The reality of having met with Jin¡¯s family dawned upon her, more than when she had first met with Arthur. More so, she had a strange feeling which she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on.


    Jin¡¯s memory had then overlapped upon the lady¡¯s face. It was a memory where Jin just stared at her mother¡¯s face without saying a word. The persistent gaze of hers somehow betrayed her desperation while the lady didn¡¯t return a glance at Jin even once.


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    Dana had only raised her head at Arthur¡¯s call. After looking up to her son¡¯s face, she languidly shifted her gaze around with great reluctance.


    ¡®Wow¡­¡¯


    Eugene was amazed by the elegant manner of the lady in the way she turned her head around to her. Such refined demeanor seems to have ingrained into the lady¡¯s character. She helplessly marveled at Dana when she met eyes with her. There clearly was no denying in her being Jin¡¯s mother. Although a child is known to resemble both parents, no mother and daughter looked more identical than Jin and her mother.


    Dana¡¯s eyes widened when she landed her eyes on Eugene. Her nonchalant gaze faltered aggressively as she shook her head in disbelief.


    ¡°You¡­¡±

 CH 248.1

    Eugene dropped her eyes onto the floor with a flinch. She reflected that it may have been rude of her to openly stare at the lady for too long. Moreover, she reminded herself to be extra careful as mothers are usually the first person to notice the changes in their daughter.


    ¡®But of course, there are some exceptions as well.¡¯


    Eugene bitterly muttered as she thought of her own mother. Color seemed to have drained from Dana¡¯s face while her lips quivered as she stared blankly into Eugene¡¯s face. Then she uttered desperately as if she had just found a beam of hope from despair.


    ¡°Jin¡­Come. Look at me.¡± Impatiently, Dana shouted when Eugene showed hesitation. ¡°Look at me, child!¡±


    Her shriek was sharp enough to startle everyone in the glasshouse. Arthur quickly went up to his mother as she seemed unusually distressed.


    As Dana floundered around, the vases of flowers got toppled over after being hit by her arm. The vase had then rolled over and hit other vases on the table while some fell onto the ground with a loud clang.


    Despite all the mess of her surroundings, Dana¡¯s eyes were fixed only to Eugene. Her body staggered as her leg got tripped on the table while she scrambled toward Eugene in great haste.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Arthur quickly helped his mother up. However, Dana struggled to break free from her son¡¯s grip as if he was a nuisance although he had only tried to help. Her body did not seem to be in sync with her impatient mind. The sudden weakness in her legs made her stumble and it was hard for her to keep standing. Arthur quickly supported Dana who looked like she was about to faint.


    ¡°Mother, are you alright? What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    Staring at Eugene, who returned her gaze with a startled look, Dana reached out her hand. ¡°Ah, Jin. It really is you. My daughter.¡±


    Dana had never forgotten the aura which was radiating all over from her daughter¡¯s body. Three years may seem short, but it was more than enough for Dana to remember everything about her precious daughter as she hardly ever let her daughter off from her arms in those three years.


    After raising two boys of strong build, Dana lost her heart to her daughter the moment she held the soft body which fitted right into her arms. Dana could almost feel her hunger being filled just by looking at her daughter and she took extra caution whenever she held her baby. She felt like her tender body would just melt away in her arms. Occasionally, she shed tears for her mother who had passed away without having to hold her lovely granddaughter in her arms. Dana knew that her mother would have sensed the blinding aura surrounding her granddaughter if only she were alive.


    But then everything changed on that day when Dana had entrusted her daughter to a nanny. It was the first for the baby to be away from her care as Dana had a cold. Little did she know that it would be the last day of her seeing her precious daughter¡ªthe baby who was returned to her arms after being missing for three days was not her real daughter.


    ¡°Jin. My baby. Come, come to mommy.¡± Tears began to flow from Dana¡¯s eyes. Everything seemed so surreal that she felt like she was only dreaming. Afraid that this all might be only her imagination, Dana reached out her hands to Eugene desperately, her weak body supported by her son or else she would crumble to her knees.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t help but feel dumbfounded by Dana¡¯s hysterical reaction. The lady was indeed dramatic even for a mother who¡¯s seen her daughter for the first time in three years. It was such a drastic change of attitude for someone who had been arranging flowers with such a dignified manner just until a moment ago.


    But she just couldn¡¯t ignore such a desperate set of eyes that were directed at her. She felt like she needed to help Jin¡¯s mother to pull herself together. Hesitantly, Eugene went up to her and held Dana¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Jin! My daughter.¡± Dana strongly pressed her hand against Eugene¡¯s as if she will never let go of her hand ever again. ¡°Come to me. Let me hold you in my arms. Call me mommy, will you?¡±


    It was so piteous to see such a beautiful lady sobbing as she said those words. At first, Eugene intended to do the lady a favor as she seemed so desperate. Besides, the favors weren¡¯t so difficult after all. However, she ended up buttoning her mouth close although the word ¡®mother¡¯ kept lingered at the tip of her tongue.


    The lady¡¯s daughter wasn¡¯t her, Eugene thought with remorse. Real Jin was gone, and she was only an imposter.


    A strong sense of guilt weighed heavily on her mind. Eugene felt like she would be committing an irreversible crime to call the lady ¡®mother¡¯.¡¯ She just couldn¡¯t bring herself to deceive Dana. Feeling hot behind her eyes, she quickly blinked away the tears as she averted her eyes.


    However, her hand was still strongly caught in Dana¡¯s shaky ones. As his sister seemed hesitant to shake off mother¡¯s hand, Arthur stepped in and shook his mother by the arm. Once the grip around her hand loosened, Eugene quickly pulled out her hand and took a step behind. She then buried her face as she leaned against Kasser who embraced her shoulders.


    ¡°Jin!¡± Dana shouted with a despairing look in her eyes as she reached out her hand. She could literally feel her heart being torn into pieces after being avoided by her own daughter whom she had finally reunited with.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Arthur shouted as he held his mother who was slipping away from his arms. Dana lost her consciousness after hearing her son¡¯s voice fading away in her mind.

 CH 248.2

    Dana opened her eyes with a start when she felt the warmth of a wet cloth brushing across her forehead. Startled by her sudden awakening, Patrick recoiled his hand.


    She fixed her gaze and stared blankly into Patrick¡¯s face. But she was soon overcome with emotions when she saw her husband¡¯s worried face as he checked on her.


    ¡°I had a dream, dear.¡±


    Dana teared up as she spoke. As she closed her eyes, hot tears streamed down along the tail of her closed eyes, wetting her temples.


    ¡°What dream?¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­ I saw our daughter.¡±


    Looking down at Dana¡¯s tearful face, Patrick asked her with an ambiguous expression.


    ¡°Dana, if you aren¡¯t confusing dreams with reality¡­ Are you saying that you dreamt of Jin after having met with her not long ago?¡±


    Dana stopped sobbing as she opened her eyes. She gazed back at Patrick with much clearer focus in her eyes than before. Patrick had to seize on Dana as she tried to sit up from bed all of sudden.


    ¡°Slow down. Take it easy.¡±


    Dana kept tugging on his shirt even as she sat up slowly with the help of her husband. ¡°Jin, I must see her right now. Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Calm down, my darling.¡±


    ¡°Where is she? Jin. My daughter. I must see my daughter. Call her at once, now!¡±


    ¡°Alright. But you will need to compose yourself first. Don¡¯t you think Jin will be startled to see you in such a state?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Her tight grip around her husband¡¯s arm dropped powerlessly when Jin¡¯s puzzled expression crossed her mind. Dana felt a deep ache in her heart when she recalled how Jin held her hand with reluctance and pulled away eventually, looking away from her.


    She tried to suppress the surge of emotions with great effort.


    ¡®He¡¯s right. I guess I was impetuous.¡¯ She realized that her earlier response may have struck as frantic in people¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°How long have I been like this?¡±


    ¡°For about two hours perhaps.¡±


    ¡°Has Jin¡­ left already?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. She¡¯s just waiting without. She wouldn¡¯t leave you after seeing you passing out right before her eyes. If she were that heartless, she wouldn¡¯t be our daughter in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such things!¡± Dana retorted sharply. ¡°Jin is undoubtedly our daughter.¡±


    Patrick wore a sheepish look after being snapped at by Dana. He only meant to pull her leg. Bewildered, he was curious as to what probably had gotten into his wife who had treated her own daughter as if she were invisible until today.


    Patrick found himself sighing whenever he thought of his daughter who was rather perverse in disposition. But on the other hand, he did feel sorry for her as well. He reflected that parents should be of more support the bigger the child¡¯s problem is. Thus, he used to feel frustrated at how his wife treated Jin with excessive indifference.


    But then one night, he saw his wife standing alone in the empty hall with her gaze fixed at the door of Jin¡¯s chamber, which was closed shut in the dark. He forbore from calling out to her as he had never seen her look so forlorn before.


    Besides that, he also had spotted Dana gazing after her daughter from behind. She looked so sad and agonized as if she were on the verge of tears.


    Despite the reason for her pain remaining incomprehensive to him, he somehow knew that she didn¡¯t have much choice over her emotions as well. As he didn¡¯t want to torment her further by adding to her existing agony, he decided that he would not fault her in the ways she treats her daughter. Instead, he tried to give his daughter both his and his wife¡¯s share of love.


    There were indeed a lot of questions which he wanted to ask his wife regarding her sudden change of attitude. It clearly wouldn¡¯t be because she had grown a sudden attachment to Jin after reuniting with her for the first time in three years.


    However, he knew that she wouldn¡¯t spare him her time for such questions now. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that there would come a day where his wife asks for her daughter the first thing after coming back to her senses.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get Jin.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Dana halted Patrick from rising to his feet and beckoned the maid instead. ¡°Bring me a mirror.¡±


    Dana straightened her dress and fixed her hair while looking at her reflection in the hand mirror that was brought by the maid. Patrick couldn¡¯t help breaking into a laughter at the sight of his wife busying herself to look more presentable before meeting her own daughter. While he was excited to see the thick wall which was standing tall between his wife and daughter to finally crumble away, it somehow elicited jealousy in him as well.


    ¡°Darling. Just when was the last time you busied yourself before a mirror for me?¡± Patrick asked her with a hint of mischievousness in his voice. Dana rounded her eyes while the maid dropped her head as if to stifle her laugh.


    She quickly shot an accusing look at her husband¡¯s sneaky countenance. ¡°Stop being ridiculous and go get Jin.¡±


    ¡°As you command, my lady.¡± Patrick turned around, still with a smile on his face. Dana couldn¡¯t help but smile towards the retreating back of her husband. Feeling the lump in her throat, she knew that she would have lost her wits if she didn¡¯t have her husband¡¯s shoulders to lean on.


    After Patrick took his leave, Dana took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She was never this nervous even on the day she succeeded to claim position as the head of the Arse family.


    ¡®What could have happened to her?¡¯


    No one believed her when she accused the Jin that came back to her arms of being a fraud. And now¡­ her daughter was switched again during the three years she hadn¡¯t seen her. Dana could not possibly be mistaken for she had inherited this ability from her bloodline.


    There must have been some sort of incident that triggered the change. However, Dana had never once heard of any peculiar incident involving her daughter in the last three years.


    The faint sound of the door being opened sounded almost as loud as a thunder to Dana¡¯s ears. With her breath held, Dana watched as her husband and daughter entered the chamber. Despite her efforts to keep her composure, a wave of emotions washed over her as soon as she saw her daughter coming in.

 CH 249.1

    ¡®I should pull myself together.¡¯ Dana quickly blinked away the tears before her eyes could get any teary. She kept telling herself that she shouldn¡¯t scare the child away by making another scene like she did earlier.


    But she couldn¡¯t help but to feel overwhelmed to see her daughter enveloped in such a resplendent aura. Although Anikas were known to possess a unique aura that distinguishes them from ordinary people, Dana knew that there was something special about her daughter in contrast to other Anikas.


    The same aura that runs in her mother¡¯s side of the family, which both her mother and she have possessed, was clearly running in the veins of her daughter as well. But despite all that, Dana was able to recognize her child just by her strong maternal instinct.


    Eugene let out a sigh of relief as she checked on Dana¡¯s complexion, who was sitting up on the bed with a seemingly calm face.


    ¡®I¡¯m glad she¡¯s alright.¡¯ Eugene had been worried sick since the lady fainted before her all of sudden. Her mind was in shambles while she waited for the lady to regain her consciousness. No one blamed her for anything, but Eugene couldn¡¯t help but feel remorseful about everything that had taken place during their meeting.


    ¡®I better leave after giving my regards to her.¡¯ She felt like she couldn¡¯t stand any bit longer in the house anymore. It pained her all the more as Dana was looking at her with great longing affection in her gaze. Eugene told herself that she should avoid running into Jin¡¯s family until the day she returns to the kingdom. She admitted that it was a foolish mistake of hers to regard Jin¡¯s family and Sang-je in the same light.


    She clearly wasn¡¯t shameless enough to pretend to be someone¡¯s daughter.


    ¡®Nevertheless¡­. She really is a beautiful lady indeed.¡¯


    Her once blooming youth may have now gone from her face but there was something unique about the lady that gave her a significant air. People¡¯s attention will most likely be concentrated more on the mother should both mother and daughter stand abreast.


    Like people say, the path one has taken so far in life is bound to show on one¡¯s appearance as one grows old. With that in mind, Eugene thought to herself that she would like to grow old just like the lady before her. There was an air of cool elegance radiating from the lady¡¯s outer appearance and she didn¡¯t appear to be small despite her slim frame.


    ¡°Jin.¡± Dana reached out her hand to Eugene with a tender smile on her face. ¡°Come sit closer.¡±


    [It¡¯s me Jin.]


    Instantly, one of Jin¡¯s memories came into Eugene¡¯s mind. Jin¡¯s mother looked much younger in the memory in which Jin was staring at her. And like the other memory she had seen earlier, the lady didn¡¯t spare a glance at Jin, not even once.


    [I am Jin. Why would you say that I¡¯m not!]


    [¡­.]


    [Mother¡­]


    [How dare you!] Jin¡¯s mother snapped as she turned to Jin. [How dare you call me mother.] The way the lady glowered at Jin was so cold that it was enough to make one shudder.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Eugene was left confused by the memory she just saw. ¡®Is there any secrets about Jin¡¯s birth?¡¯


    But both mother and daughter looked unmistakably alike.


    In the fleeting moment while Eugene¡¯s mind was occupied with the memory, Eugene¡¯s legs moved on their own accord as Dana beckoned her to come closer. When Dana told her to take a seat, Eugene, who was standing by the bed, obeyed her, and sat on a chair placed next to the bed.


    After taking in the full image of her daughter with her eyes, Dana asked Patrick a favor. ¡°My dear. Would you please give us a moment?¡±


    ¡°I promise to keep my silence while you two have a talk.¡±


    ¡°Please. There¡¯s something I need to say to Jin alone.¡±


    ¡°But what if something happens to you again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be just fine. You wouldn¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°Jin.¡±


    Eugene replied with a start at Patrick¡¯s call. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°If your mother happens to swoon again, don¡¯t fluster and just shout for help at once. I¡¯ll tell someone to stand watch by the door.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ father.¡±


    Eugene barely managed to address him accordingly after squeezing out the voice from her throat. Patrick didn¡¯t sense any oddity as he regarded that his daughter was only being nervous as she always had been in the presence of her mother.


    However, should the conversation have prolonged any longer, he most definitely would have sensed that there was something odd about his daughter. There simply weren¡¯t any chances for him to enjoy the joy of reuniting with his daughter as he was too preoccupied on looking after his wife¡¯s frailty after her collapse.


    ¡°Stop making a fuss and just leave us.¡± Dana made everyone leave the chamber including her husband and all the servants. In the end, it was only the mother and daughter who remained in the room.

 CH 249.2

    They both sat in an awkward silence for a moment. But of course, it was only Eugene who was feeling awkward after all. While Dana locked her eyes at her with such a joyful look, Eugene lowered her gaze to the ground feeling as if her whole body was being scorched by Dana¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Jin, my child. We have not seen each other in such a long while, have we?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Eugene felt a cold sweat racing down her back. She never expected for such a situation when she entered the chamber as Patrick had only asked her to come in to give a brief regard to Dana. She felt a sense of crisis as it was only a matter of time before her lies were revealed.


    All of her lessons with Charlotte throughout her journey to the Holy City had been erased clean from her mind. Her mind was in a total blank that she had literally forgotten how Jin would have spoken or what kind of expression she would have worn in this kind of situation.


    ¡°This reminds me of the past. What I¡¯m about to tell you might be a long story, but would you like to hear what I have to say?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After closing her eyes for a moment, Dana reopened them and stared into the empty space. Then her gaze eventually fell back on Jin. Dana was heartbroken to see her daughter feeling so uncomfortable in her presence.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been twenty years. And it all happened when you were only three years old.¡± Dana related that day¡¯s tragedy with equanimity in her voice, of how she had cried her eyes out for three days and nights after her baby daughter was abducted.


    Listening to Dana speaking of the events that occurred twenty years in the past, Eugene recalled on her life, back in twenty years ago.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know Jin had gone through such hard times. Just like I did.¡¯


    On the premise that the unit of time are the same in two universes, it seemed like both Jin and Eugene¡¯s life was in danger when they were three and nine years old respectively. However, the incidents which they had experienced were never the same as Eugene was involved in an accident rather than abduction.


    A single room in the poor hillside neighborhood, which Eugene had lived with her family when she was nine, was so old and shabby that cracks were visible all over the walls and the floor of the house as it had never once been properly repaired. Carbon monoxide poisoning was pretty common in such a neighborhood that it happened every once in every while.


    During that year¡¯s winter, Eugene¡¯s family fell victim to the accident as well. As the gas from burning the coal briquettes leaked through the crevice of the floor stone in the house, the whole family was taken to the hospital as they had all lost their consciousness while in sleep. Eugene had almost died from the accident and was in such a critical condition. She fell into coma for three days.


    ¡°My baby daughter was found only after three days. But I instantly knew that she wasn¡¯t my daughter when I hugged the girl in my arms.¡±


    Until then, Eugene was only listening as if she was being told some old tales from an adult. But she immediately looked up from the ground as she was so shocked by Dana¡¯s comment.


    [How dare you call me mother?]


    The lady before her seemed nothing like the lady with cold glaring eyes as she had seen in Jin¡¯s memory. Soon, Eugene had a sense of foreboding to see Dana looking at her with great affection in her eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s something special in the blood that runs in my mother¡¯s side of the family.¡± Dana explained that she was gifted with the powers to discern the unique auras that each person possessed.


    ¡°So, I clearly sensed that there was someone else inside my baby¡¯s body. But I never knew how to drive it away nor how to bring my daughter back. There was nothing I could do but to watch that thing pretending to be my daughter for as long as twenty years¡­¡±


    Dana ended up choking on her words as she was too agitated with her emotions. Eugene, however, was confused as she witnessed Dana catch her breaths. None of the lady¡¯s words made sense to her. Who was the lady¡¯s daughter and who was not?


    ¡°Jin, my sweet girl.¡±


    There were now tears in Dana¡¯s eyes and Eugene flinched when she took her by the hand. Strangely, Eugene felt a pang of pain in the heart as she looked into Dana¡¯s tear-stricken face.


    ¡°I recognized you the moment I saw you. I can¡¯t believe you are here. You¡¯ve finally come back to me.¡±

 CH 250.1

    Tears that were pooling in Dana¡¯s eyes ended up streaming down her face, leaving wet traces along her cheeks. Seeing the lady cry, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but be amazed as the lady¡¯s beauty seemed incapable of impairing. It was almost like she was watching an outstanding performance of a remarkable actress as the whole story seemed so far-fetched to her.


    But Dana¡¯s expression had every indication of being genuine as she truly seemed overflowing with joy. It was without doubt the rapturous face of a parent who came to realize that her child, who was long believed to be dead, was actually alive all along. Besides, the story made absolute sense although it was something beyond Eugene¡¯s imagination.


    Eugene was familiar with tales such as the ¡®Prince and the Pauper¡¯ where an imposter pretends to be and steals the rightful place of the main character. What makes such tales interesting was the part where the imposter strives to escape suspicion as well as the sense of guilt that follows in the end.


    All of such tales had similarities in how their story ended as the imposter never comes to replace the main character no matter how much they tried. Moreover, the story will come to a tragic end if the imposter ends up being overambitious, whereas the story will end with everyone finally returning to their rightful places if the imposter reflects on his behavior and learns his lesson.


    ¡®But what are the chances that the main character turns out to be an imposter instead?¡¯


    Eugene couldn¡¯t quite believe that such an unbelievable miracle could possibly happen to her. Her suspicions grew as Dana¡¯s story sounded too good to be true. It was almost as if it was a well-written script.


    Countless thoughts had crossed her mind in that fleeting moment. Has the lady found out that she wasn¡¯t Jin after all? Just when did she find out and who else knows? What if this all was a plot of Sang-je? Is it possible that he¡¯s only trying to see how she¡¯d react using Jin¡¯s mother as bait?


    Eugene gazed at Dana, with her face rigid with tension.


    ¡®Just act naturally and smile. Try not to arouse suspicion.¡¯


    But no matter how much she warned herself, the muscles of her face did not obey her. It was if they were hardened with plaster. While she thought to herself that she needed to keep her cool to carefully comprehend the situation, she couldn¡¯t help but to feel swayed by the mere possibility.


    It truly was unbelievable, but yet she wanted to believe it. How magnificent would it be if everything which she believed to belong to Jin was rightfully hers in the first place?


    Eugene pulled herself together from such thoughts and steeled herself once again. She knew well from numerous experiences that great expectations can lead to great disappointments. To Eugene, life was endurable if one¡¯s only wish is to get by every day without anticipating anything in the future.


    Her such belief had not changed even after she woke up finding herself in another world overnight. Eugene spent her everyday with sole resolve to live through another day. Not once in her day had she ever felt the heavy burden, which could be defined as a sense of guilt or uneasiness, disappeared from her heart.


    ¡®¡°Is there anything you can remember?¡±


    Eugene shook her head from side to side for a response without saying a word as she was afraid that her voice might come out sounding hoarse. Her shifted her gaze down to Dana¡¯s hand which was grasping tightly around hers. The lady¡¯s hand was so fair and delicate to the point where veins were visible while her palm was soft to the touch. The owner of such a fragile hand, which showed no sign of roughness from hard work, was claiming to be her mother.


    ¡°Well, you were only three¡­ So I guess it¡¯s only obvious that you hardly remember anything.¡±


    ¡®When I was three¡­¡¯


    Not many would possibly remember much of their early childhood unless they were gifted with photographic memory. But it was worse for Eugene as she had no single memory of her childhood.


    In her past life, she was nine when the accident happened to her. After having almost died from carbon monoxide poisoning, she surprisingly woke up not remembering anything of her past nine years of living. Even the memory of what happened in the six months right after the accident was vague to her as if looking into a turbid pool of water.


    Eugene¡¯s brothers made a great deal of fun of her regarding the accident.


    [That brat. Do you remember how we all thought she had become be a retard after she got poisoned by the gas?]


    [Of course, I do. She babbled like an idiot and even forgot how to read.]


    [She may now act like a conceited know-it-all, but there¡¯s no denying that she had only learned how to read at age nine.]


    Eugene¡¯s brothers giggled as they made jokes about her painful past. She used to cry a lot whenever they did that but after realizing that it would only encourage them to do so, she learned how not to respond to it at all.


    But according to what her brothers had said, it seemed like Eugene became a fool when she finally regained consciousness a few days after the accident. She didn¡¯t understand what people were saying to her as she babbled incomprehensive words in her mouth. She lost her ability to read as well. Worse of all, she didn¡¯t even recognize her own family.


    It sounded obvious that Eugene suffered a serious aftereffect following the accident. However, her parents had neither the money nor time to invest in curing their daughter. Eugene was saved not by her family, but rather by a teacher in her grade school.


    The teacher, whom Eugene owes her life to, was a freshly appointed teacher who was both young and enthusiastic. She had a great affection for her first class of students. So as Eugene¡¯s absence prolonged, she went for a teacher visit at Eugene¡¯s house and was shocked both by the environment she was living in and by the total indifference of her family.

 CH 250.2

    Since then, the teacher came every morning to pick up Eugene for school and walked her back when the school was over, until the child could do it by herself. Meanwhile, she also taught Eugene words from scratch.


    But to be honest, Eugene couldn¡¯t quite remember the day the teacher first came to visit her. Her earliest memory of her childhood was a day where she was taking her class.


    She remembered how proud she had felt as she slowly read the words on the whiteboard one by one while jotting them down in her notebook. She literally overflowed with joy as if she had just made a great discovery. Every time she recalled that day, she felt like she could understand the feelings of birds seeing the world for the first time after fighting its way out of the egg.


    Eugene was told numerous times by her teacher that she was not a fool and that she was just in the process of recovering. Soon, she started to make visible progress in her recovery day by day. Then by the end of the year, she fully recovered her standards of literacy to the point she no longer had any difficulty in reading and writing.


    It was only later, when Eugene had come of age, that she happened to overhear her parents¡¯ conversation and discovered that her parents had actually looked into all kinds of financial support that were given to the disabled from the government and was fairly disappointed when Eugene turned out to be just fine.


    That might have been the decisive moment when she started to distance herself from her family.


    As she traced back in the vague memory of her past for the first time in a long while, something that her brothers once had said to her came to her mind all sudden.


    She remembered her brothers saying how she had become a totally different person since after the accident.


    [But there¡¯s something different about her since she survived the accident.]


    [I think so too. She used to be so wicked and sly. Hey, you see this scar on my forehead? It¡¯s you who¡¯s done it.]


    ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ grown so beautifully.¡±


    Eugene, who had been so deeply lost in her own thoughts, looked up with a start when she heard the voice.


    Dana was heartbroken despite all her joy in finally having found her daughter, as the fact that she wasn¡¯t there to see while her daughter grew up into a beautiful woman upset her deeply in the heart. People might wonder what she meant by that after all those years of living under the same roof, but Dana had never quite properly seen her daughter in the house.


    She couldn¡¯t help but to feel her insides churning whenever she saw the dark vile aura surrounding her daughter¡¯s body so that she avoided looking at her in the end.


    But when she met eyes with Jin by accident, she would find Jin detestably wearing a pitiful look as if to arouse her compassion. But since she was unmistakably her daughter by the appearance, Dana couldn¡¯t help but to feel her heart weakened from time to time.


    Since Dana had nowhere to point her anguish and resentment to, she handed the business to her son earlier than she had to as she felt like she needed a break from everything.


    ¡°Is there anything you want to say to me?¡±


    Dana knew that she shouldn¡¯t rush her now as the confusion was clear on her daughter¡¯s face. She looked like she needed some time alone to think this through. However, Dana just couldn¡¯t seem to let go of the hand she was now holding onto. It took her so many years to finally hold this hand. She never knew she would be holding her daughter¡¯s hand once again.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m very sorry.¡± Eugene barely managed to sound out the words.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ remember. I have no memory at all as there has been an accident.¡±


    ¡°Accident?¡± Dana asked with a shock. ¡°Did you get hurt? Are you alright?¡±


    Dana checked on Eugene up and down, looking devastated and worried. Eugene found herself tongue-tied when Dana tenderly stroked down the back of her hand. Meanwhile in her mind, she tried to get her story straight so that it would sound consistent with what she had told Sang-je. Some of the short lines which she managed to come up with were lingering in her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± Eugene muttered as if she were a broken toy that kept repeating some of the few lines it could say.


    ¡°There¡¯s absolutely nothing for you to apologize about. We can always make new memories. And I couldn¡¯t be more grateful by the sole fact that you are sitting here, right where I can touch you.¡±


    Dana¡¯s voice couldn¡¯t sound more consoling as if she were comforting a frightened child. There was no pretense in the eyes of a loving mother who has unconditional love towards her child. Such a sight made a clear contrast with Sang-je, who couldn¡¯t care less about her accident nor her lost memories as all he did was to tenaciously ask if she was successful in recovering her Ramita.


    Eugene gave Dana a long searching look. Despite being watched inquiringly, Dana just smiled looking totally blissed out.


    At that moment, Eugene was convinced that this lady meant no harm to her. Resultantly, the tension in her body melted away with great relief. Her rigid mind started to function as well.


    Eugene closed her eyes to ease the dizziness as thoughts crowded in on her. From the hole which emerged in the wall of a dead end, the sight of the desert which she awoke to, the horizon in her lucid dream, her personal thoughts, as well as the fragments of Jin¡¯s memories, had flashed across her mind almost endlessly¡­

 CH 251

    [I think I may be too quick to adapt to my life in this world. Is this normal?]


    [Is Ramita a power of one¡¯s soul or the body?]


    [Of course, it¡¯s the power of one¡¯s soul.]


    [Make me into a real Jin Anika. Please.]


    [Your Holiness, I will recover my Ramita at all costs.]


    [How dare you call me mother.]


    [I clearly sensed that there was someone else inside my daughter¡¯s body.]


    Scattered pieces were put together, forming an image. Despite having pieces being missing here and there, it was enough for Eugene to have a rough idea of its final form.


    Eugene was dumbfounded with great shock when the realization finally hit home. She was not the imposter after all! Instead, this world was where she should have belonged in the first place.


    ¡°Jin, my baby.¡±


    Eugene felt her eyelashes quiver unwittingly. The voice sounded so warm that she felt like she was embraced. Despite not having even a single memory before she was nine, there was this one voice which was stuck forever in her head. It sounded so warm that it was enough to make her cry.


    [Jin, my baby.]


    Eugene had always thought that the voice belonged to her mother. She figured that it was her mother who whispered those words to her when she was very little, holding her closely into her chest while looking down with her eyes full of motherly love. It made her happy just by picturing it in her mind.


    The one belief that she had once been loved by her parents was the only power that kept her life going.


    She believed that her mother was only exhausted with the weight of life and that she would call out to her again saying, ¡®Jin, my baby.¡¯ if life gets better for them. And if that day ever comes, she just wanted to throw herself in her mother¡¯s arms like when she was child.


    That was the reason why Eugene was so reluctant to give up on her family. She just couldn¡¯t leave them despite being disappointed countless times.


    ¡®Ah. That explains it all.¡¯


    Eugene opened her eyes once again. Instantly, everything became clear to her when she saw Dana, who was looking at her with so much warmth in her eyes. Dana must have been the one behind the voice which Eugene remembers so vividly in her head to this day.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± She barely managed to utter the word as her voice was restricted by the lump in her throat while her nose and eyes pricked with tears.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Soon, the years of sorrow surged up within her. She found her heart overflowed with both joy and resentment at the same time. It suddenly seemed so unfair that she had spent all her childhood years alone when she was most in need of parental love.


    Eugene ended up bursting into tears, overwhelmed by her surge of emotions. As her vision was blurred by the tears, she quickly wiped them off with the back of her hand as she didn¡¯t want to miss even a single change in Dana¡¯s expression. She needed proof to clarify that she wasn¡¯t dreaming after all.


    ¡°Yes, sweetie.¡± With both her hands, Dana tightened her grip around Eugene¡¯s hand as tears flowed endlessly from her eyes.


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Mommy is here.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI was so lonely and scared. Why didn¡¯t you come find me?¡±


    Despite her words being muffled from her sobbing, Dana knew exactly what her daughter meant. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Mommy was wrong. My sweet daughter, you must have suffered a lot. Come. Let mommy give you a hug, will you?¡±


    Eugene got to her feet and threw herself into Dana¡¯s widely open arms. There was something nostalgic about the scent coming from that soft warm body. It was the scent of her mother.


    Dana lightly brushed her hand over Eugene¡¯s back, who was crying her eyes out like a baby, and gently stroked down her daughter¡¯s hair.


    ¡°My baby little girl¡­ Look how much you¡¯ve grown. Mommy¡¯s sorry. Mommy is so sorry.¡±


    Dana said with her voice punctured by tears. After she kissed Eugene¡¯s head and face, she hugged her tightly into her arms and checked to see her daughter¡¯s face once again. They both cried and laughed at the same time. The mother and daughter shared their warmth embracing each other.


    ***


    The whole manor was turned upside down when Dana fell into a swoon. Upon Arthur¡¯s command, a messenger was sent out immediately to inform Patrick and Enoch. The family doctor arrived soon after Arthur had laid his mother down in her bed.


    There was nothing Eugene and Kasser could do in such a confusion. As leaving without seeing Dana awake was out of the question, they both quietly waited on a sofa in the sitting room.


    Before long, both Patrick and Enoch returned home. Patrick half-heartedly received greetings from his daughter and son-in-law before he stormed into the chamber. Enoch, too, was fully occupied in questioning Arthur regarding the earlier circumstances that he didn¡¯t give much attention to his sister.


    Once the commotion had seemingly subsided over time, Enoch gave his sister a proper greeting. After his few attempts to strike up a conversation, he gave up eventually as Eugene replied with nothing but short answers as a mere formality. Enoch tried to be understanding of his sister as he regarded that she was still recovering from the shock of seeing mother collapse right before her eyes. An awkward silence fell over the sitting room where Eugene, Kasser, Enoch and Arthur were gathered round on the sofa.


    After two hours of waiting, Patrick emerged from the door and assured them that Dana had regained consciousness. He told Eugene that Dana was looking for her and disappeared behind the door with Eugene this time. But when he came back again, he was alone.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Kasser broke his silence for the first time after having sat without a word throughout the whole wait.


    ¡°Looks like they need some privacy. It must be some kind of a secret talk between mother and daughter as I was asked to leave as well.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­ She¡¯s alone with Lady Arse right now?¡±


    ¡°I have my guards standing watch by the door so I¡¯m sure they will be fine.¡±


    Enoch couldn¡¯t help but to feel strange as he listened to the conversation between his father and the Desert King. The way the king questioned his father did not sound like he was only asking for the whereabouts of his wife¡ªhe sounded anxious upon leaving Jin alone with Dana. Which was strange because it¡¯s quite unreasonable for him to have such a notion that this house, where Jin was born and raised in, was somehow unsafe for her.


    ¡®Am I just overinterpreting it?¡¯


    However, Enoch had witnessed some interesting sight throughout the two hours he was sitting across from his sister and her husband.


    Whenever the Desert King squeezed Jin¡¯s hand as if to check on her, Jin would turn to him and flash him a faint smile in return. It was such a fleeting moment that no one would possibly have noticed if one didn¡¯t pay close attention. But Enoch was certain that he had felt the special bond between just the two of them.


    It took Enoch by great surprise because he never thought their marriage was based on love. He somehow believed there were intricate reasons behind their marriage instead.


    Enon casted stealthy glances at the Desert King to observe him further. And he concluded that the Desert King was indeed a man akin to a stone. His face bore no expression at all, much like his brother, Arthur, but worse.


    Perhaps it was only due to his assumption, but it seemed to him that the Desert King, despite his calm exterior, was growing more restless as seconds ticked by.


    And Enoch was indeed right. Kasser was truly at the edge of his seat suppressing the urge to storm in and see if Eugene was doing alright. All he could think about was how she had implored him to help her if she made any mistake and wondered if she needed him now.


    His wife had been anxious on their way to the Arse manor despite it being the place where she grew. It wasn¡¯t hard to tell that this wasn¡¯t a comfortable place for her.


    Come to think of it, there was something unusual in the way her mother reacted when she saw Eugene, before she eventually swooned in front of them. It got him wondering if there is a family secret that he doesn¡¯t know about.


    ¡®I should¡¯ve brought Kid with us.¡¯


    After thirty minutes or so, Kasser broke the silence once again. ¡°Looks like the conversation is getting longer than I expected.¡±


    ¡°They must have a lot of catching up to do after having met for the first time in a while.¡± Patrick airily replied. Conversation dried up again with continuing silence. It was only after some time when Patrick finally realized his mistake.


    ¡®I committed a great discourtesy after having invited such an important guest.¡¯

 CH 252.1

    Although the Holy City is not subjected to the hierarchy system of the kingdoms, the kings were regarded just as special as Anikas who possessed distinct abilities as well as their appearances.


    To merchants, who wish to expand their business further to foreign kingdoms, the royals were without doubt their most honored guests. Seats for the royal guests were always reserved even in those social gatherings that are strictly limited to the elites of the Holy City as the very attendance of a king could make a huge difference.


    Patrick cleared his throat, breaking the silence. Then he began with an ordinary conversation opener. ¡°Pardon me for the poor reception. And I hope you¡¯ll understand that things aren¡¯t usually disordered like they are today.¡±


    ¡°Nothing matters more than the well-being of the lady. Please treat me as your son-in-law as I¡¯ve come today to pay my respects to my wife¡¯s parents.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been three years since my daughter left the nest. Time does seem to fly at my age. I may have overindulged Jin as she¡¯s my youngest daughter. Please be understanding even though she wouldn¡¯t be all satisfactory to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very modest of you. But I must say she really is the most ideal queen I could ask for as she¡¯s most certainly irreplaceable.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Is that so? That¡¯s a¡­ a relief.¡± Patrick said so in his bewilderment. But his face lightened up gradually as no parent would get enough of hearing words of praise for their children. It made him feel good even if they were only words of courtesy. Whatever grudge that was left in the bottom of his heart seemed to have faded by that.


    ¡°To my regret, we haven¡¯t been in touch since there¡¯s a great distance between us. How¡¯s Jin doing in the kingdom?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the reason for my well-being in the kingdom, as a matter of fact. I couldn¡¯t be thankful enough for allowing me to take the hand of your precious daughter in marriage.¡±


    ¡°You are most welcome.¡± Patrick looked very perplexed at Kasser¡¯s words. The Desert King spoke in such an earnest way that didn¡¯t sound like he was just giving out words of courtesy. Besides, from the impression Patrick got in their brief encounter before the marriage, the king didn¡¯t come across as a man who would say empty words just out of politeness.


    ¡®His demeanor is much gentler today than last time.¡¯


    The Desert King most certainly wasn¡¯t rude, but his manners showed no more than mere formality in their first encounter. Kasser was indeed a man of impeccable manner. But since he seemed like someone who would impose strict standards on others as he is with himself, Patrick had been worried if his self-centered daughter, who grew up pampered by everyone, could get along with her husband. But it seems like it all had been his needless worry after all.


    ¡°The conversation is getting very long. I hope the lady is not overdoing herself, especially since she has just regained consciousness.¡± Kasser expressed his concern once again. This time, Patrick finally got an inkling of what Kasser was trying to convey. It wouldn¡¯t be Dana whom the Desert King was truly concerned about.


    Seeing the Desert King striving to hide his growing restlessness, Patrick was convinced for the first time that the king was indeed his son-in-law.


    As it also concerned Patrick that his wife might get worked up again as she spoke to her daughter, he gave a nod to Kasser as he rose to his feet.


    ¡°I better go check on them.¡±


    Just then, Eugene came into the sitting room. Her sudden reappearance took everyone by surprise. She opened her mouth as she looked at Patrick.


    ¡°Mother says she has some important things to say to you¡­ father.¡±


    Eugene added the last word, which she wasn¡¯t very accustomed to, as she trails off to a whisper. She felt different in the presence of Patrick now, compared to her first encounter with him. Her once guilty feelings, which forbade her from looking into his eyes, were now replaced with overwhelming emotion surging inside her.


    ¡®My father.¡¯


    Instead of the man with the dull eyes, who was never sober nor had the slightest sense of refinement or morality in his entire life, this man, who was literally standing at her arm¡¯s length, was her real father.


    ¡°Really? Right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After having stared at his father¡¯s back, who hurried himself at his wife¡¯s call, Eugene turned to her brothers. ¡°Both of you too.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Mother says she has some very important things to tell you all.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Eugene gave a good long stare at the back of her brothers as well. They were her real family. Once Dana was finished with what she needed to say, she wanted to give her father, as well as her two brothers a decent greeting like the way she and her mother shared the joy of reuniting by giving each other a hug. The overflowing joy of having found one¡¯s root was truly beyond explanation.


    Lastly, she turned to Kasser and brightened into a smile when her eyes met his.


    ¡®After all this time, I still was unable to get you off my mind.¡¯


    As her conversation with her mother prolonged, she couldn¡¯t help but to think of Kasser, who must be waiting impatiently for her return. He had truly been a great support to her the entire day. Her concentration faltered whenever she thought of his worried look.

 CH 252.2

    Some might say that there¡¯s no use in raising a daughter because as soon as she gets married, her husband becomes her world. Eugene¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t stray from her husband despite being reunited with her real mother in 20 years. However, she had things to say for herself. In her defense, a mother was a mother while a husband was a husband, but both were just as precious to her equally.


    Eugene crossed the room towards Kasser. When she was within his reach, he pulled her closer by her hand and cupped her face as he caught her body falling into his arms.


    ¡°Did you cry?¡±


    Her eyes were all red like someone who had just cried her eyes out. And that had bothered Kasser the instant he saw her.


    ¡°Yes. Just a little.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°We were just talking about things, that¡¯s all. It happens between mother and daughter sometimes. But I didn¡¯t cry because I was sad.¡±


    Grasping his hand around her cheek, Eugene flashed him a smile while arching her eyes into a crescent. ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡±


    Kasser narrowed his eyes as he was dubious of the intention behind her such stunning smile. But he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse no matter how unreasonable her favor may be.


    ¡°¡­ And what is that?¡±


    ¡°Mother and I still have a lot of catching up to do. And it might take us all night long to talk about. So, I was wondering if I could stay for a night here.¡±


    ¡°You want me to go back all by myself?¡±


    ¡°You can come back for me tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Just for one night. Please?¡± Eugene brushed his cheek with her fingertips as he let out a sigh.


    ¡°Remember when I said that I will tell you everything when the time is right? I think tomorrow may be the right time.¡±


    A flash of light flickered in Kasser¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°So please give me one more day.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely come back for you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go back on your words tomorrow and say you want to stay for another day.¡±


    ¡°Umm. I can¡¯t really give you my word on that.¡± Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to break into a laughter at the sight of Kasser closing his mouth into a tight line. ¡°Fine. One day is all I ask for. I promise.¡±


    Overwhelmed with her love for her husband, she kissed him on his cheek on impulse. Instantly, Kasser grabbed her, who was still in her girlish giggle, by the nape and pulled her closer before he whispered, ¡°That¡¯s too little for a reward.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s lips were then swallowed by him at once. While she hesitated in a fluster, the sleek tongue of his burrowed through the gap of their closely interlocked lips. He sank right into the deep of her mouth and brushed against her inner flesh as he entwined their tongues.


    She felt like losing grip on his shoulders for support. Dazed by the sweetness in her mouth, she closed her half-open eyes completely.


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    Eugene sprang her eyes open at the sound with great surprise. She quickly turned her head around as she hastily pushed his chest away with her hand. And there was Enoch standing, with his body turned slightly sideways away from them.


    ¡°Mother suggests that we should have some lunch before the conversation gets long, since no one has yet to eat although it¡¯s well past lunchtime.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I see. Alright.¡±


    Eugene leered her eyes at Kasser as she straightened herself up with haste. She could feel her face burning up with embarrassment. As there was no way for Kasser to have not realized that someone was coming in, Eugene gave an accusing thrust in his chest with her elbow¡¯s end as he rose from the sofa.


    However, Kasser asked Enoch with a straight face as if nothing just happened. ¡°Shall we adjourn to the dining room then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. This way please.¡±


    It was Kasser¡¯s intention to show Eugene¡¯s family that he was indeed her lawfully wedded husband. He couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he was quite upset to hear everyone calling out her name because until today, it was only him who could have called her by her name.


    As he followed behind Enoch, Kasser slipped his arm around Eugene¡¯s shoulder. He could feel her looking at him inquiringly, but he kept his eyes fixed forward.


    ***


    Everyone was having a discussion over one common subject with Flora in present at the tea party,


    ¡°Is it true that Anika Jin has returned?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that she arrived just yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the rumor about the Lark tree is actually true?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she summoned right away by His Holiness for the verification of that rumor?¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no way of knowing what His Holiness had said.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of rumors of doubtful origins around the city, but I¡¯ve never met anyone who knows the real truth. But one can¡¯t go all the way to the Hashi Kingdom just to get clarification on the rumors.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t the nobles from the Hashi Kingdom know something about it?¡±


    ¡°They have no idea as well since they spent the whole active period here in the Holy City. It would take ages to wait for those nobles to bring back news from their kingdom in the next active period.¡±


    People casted side glances at Flora as such opinions were exchanged. Flora yielded under the silent pressure and opened her mouth at last.


    ¡°I have yet to meet Anika Jin since her arrival in the city. It isn¡¯t appropriate to drop in on her just to verify the authenticity of the gossip, especially when she must be weary from her long trip.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gossip.¡±


    Someone murmured under her breath, but it was soon drowned out by the babble of voices.

 CH 253.1

    ¡°The surest way would be to ask the person in question. Won¡¯t Anika Jin present herself in one of the social gatherings sooner or later?¡±


    ¡°I bet she would since she¡¯s come to visit after such a long time. I have no idea which gathering that would be, but I¡¯m sure it will be packed.¡±


    Laughter broke out around the room as they agreed with each other.


    ¡°From what I heard, it seems like Anika Jin seldom shows herself in social gatherings in Hashi Kingdom. Which was quite a surprise to me as I¡¯ve always thought that she would definitely want to be the star of the high society in Hashi.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it because they fell short of her standard?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that no high society is comparable to the one of the Holy City¡ªthe difference is of heavens and earth. Besides, Anika Jin is from the Arse family. She must have only seen and heard the best of the best.¡±


    Their conversation entails that no one is indeed oblivious of Jin¡¯s wherebouts even if she is away from the Holy City. The public interest in her withered just only a little when she left the city after her marriage. In her absence, her name was rarely heard in the mouths of the gossipers, but that didn¡¯t mean she was completely excluded from people¡¯s attention altogether.


    This was primarily because nothing could change the fact that she is the one and only daughter of the Arses, and this prestigious family was always the first in the list of families everyone wishes to be acquainted of.


    With the city¡¯s booming economy, it would be a piece of cake to find a family who had either wealth or honor in their life, but it is exceptionally hard to find one who managed to have both, just like the Arse family. Therefore, every member of the Arse family was the cynosure of all eyes.


    ¡°Since Anika Jin had come all the way to visit, wouldn¡¯t they throw a banquet at the Arse manor?¡±


    ¡°I think not. Lady Arse seems to have been in poor health for a very long time. If I¡¯m not mistaken, I believe no banquet was ever thrown in their manor except for on Anika Jin¡¯s first birthday.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    In silence, people started to murmur inwardly of the rumors which they weren¡¯t so daring to mention out loud.


    ¡®Is it true that Lady Arse¡¯s health failed rapidly after giving birth to Anika Jin?¡¯


    ¡®Come to think of it, Lady Arse wasn¡¯t even present at Anika Jin¡¯s coming of age birthday celebration.¡¯


    ¡®The lady handed over the family business to Lord Enoch, much earlier than people expected¡­ so the rumor about her health might be true after all.¡¯


    ¡®There also had been a rumor about Lady Arse favoring her two sons while she was utterly indifferent to her only daughter.¡¯


    Suddenly, someone piped in, ¡°No one seemed to have been invited to the Arse manor as frequently as you, Anika Flora.¡±


    ¡°I am truly jealous. Anika Jin had never invited anyone else except for Anika Flora.¡±


    Flora smiled and said not a word. Neither displaying pride nor regarding it as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal was a wise act. It was best not to react much about it and stir just yet another gossip.


    On her way back to her house, boarding her carriage, Flora felt like she couldn¡¯t feel lonelier. People often looked up to her with a hint of envy in their eyes since she was the only one who had been invited numerous times to the Arse manor. But Flora knew very well that she was no more than a guest to the family. Jin was the true owner of that grand manor.


    Why was it Jin? Why can someone like her get everything that she ever wanted in life?


    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were her¡¯. Whenever she was reminded of Jin, she would always feel a hint of regret. If only she were Jin, she imagined that she would have tried her best to earn a good reputation from people around her and would be a daughter whom her parents would be proud of. If she were in Jin¡¯s shoes, she would be willing to do a life-long sacrifice¡ªto live behind a mask; her true colors hidden for the rest of her life.


    She just couldn¡¯t understand Jin, who was foolish enough to flaunt her authority without looking at what¡¯s coming ahead of her. It¡¯s possible that she just had a bad disposition and Flora had hardly met anyone with good disposition in high society. However, she hadn¡¯t met anyone as stupid as Jin before in her entire existence.


    Flora, who was staring at the changing scenery outside her window, knocked at the carriage wall in great haste. As the vehicle came to a stop by the road, she got off quickly, opening the door on her own. She headed straight into the flower shop in sight and purchased an armful of flowers of all kinds. Now climbing back, she told the coachman of her new destination.


    ¡°To the Arse manor.¡±


    ¡°As you command, Anika.¡±


    ***


    For the first time in years, seats were occupied around the dining table in the Arse manor. Patrick was so pleased to see his wife and his two sons as well as his daughter and son-in-law all gathered around the table, that he already felt full even before the meal was served.


    ¡®It would have been perfect if Rene was here too.¡¯


    Patrick thought wistfully when Rene came to his mind.


    Enoch and his wife Rene have just become parents after years of waiting. Patrick had no idea that the couple had been anxious for years about not conceiving and it took a toll on them. He had never once pressured them since he knew it would work out for them in due time.


    But Enoch had another thing in mind. He was now practically the head of the family after being handed over most of the family business right after his coming of age. Not having an heir worried him gravely and this affected his wife too. Patrick had only found out about this after hearing that Rene had wailed when the child was finally born to the world.

 CH 253.2

    After a discussion with Dana, they had decided to let Rene go back to her parents¡¯ house with her baby so she could have a good rest and had reminded her to come back whenever she¡¯s ready. Hence, for the last couple of months, Enoch had been traveling between the Arse manor and the house of his wife¡¯s parents.


    ¡®I better ask Rene to come for a visit so we could have one full family dinner before Jin goes back.¡¯


    Everyone remained seated ever after they were done with their late lunch. Soon, desserts and teas were served in front of them.


    Enoch took alternative glances at his mother and Jin as he lifted his tea to his life. It was hard to tell by their faces, but they do seem a little more comfortable than they were before.


    Before Jin had left the city, they hardly had dinner together as a family, except on special occasions like birthdays. And even if they do, Dana would take her leave when she was finished with her meal. This was absolutely a first to all of them¡ªthe Arses gathering around for tea.


    He was both incredulous and puzzled at the same time about the sudden change. He couldn¡¯t help but to wonder what Dana and Jin had talked about. Before this, he even got praised by his mother.


    [I wouldn¡¯t have tried to meet Jin if it weren¡¯t for you. Thank you, Enoch.]


    Inwardly, Enoch was hoping for the time to pass as he was dying to know what the important thing was mother was trying to tell them before their lunch.


    ¡®Hmm¡­ He does seem like a fine man¡­¡¯ While everyone was still in a daze, Dana looked disapprovingly at her son-in-law, who had snatched her daughter away from her. It is only now that she had finally reunited with her daughter after so many years. Back in the glasshouse, as Dana saw only her daughter in her eyes, she couldn¡¯t recall if the Desert King was there with them or not.


    Three years ago, Dana couldn¡¯t care less if Jin was getting married or not. She didn¡¯t even bother to interfere thinking that it was all the better to not see the fraud if possible. Back then, she had already resigned herself to the thought that she would never get to meet her daughter ever again.


    But after having reunited with her daughter at last, she was disappointed to find out that she was already married and soon she would have to leave the Holy City to a faraway kingdom again. Why is she married to the king, of all people?! It would be ages before Jin could return to the Holy City after giving birth to the king¡¯s heir.


    At first, Dana surreptitiously eyed the Desert King. But before long, she found herself staring at him in an illiberal manner. Even Patrick gave a light squeeze at her hand, hoping that she would be self-aware of her discourteous behavior.


    Gradually, her eyes softened with time. She wasn¡¯t sure if the Desert King was truly unconscious of her gaze or he was just pretending not to, but he did seem like he was unable to take his eyes off his wife. The way his eyes followed his wife¡¯s every move reminded her of her own husband back in the days.


    ¡®She¡¯s being loved.¡¯ Dana felt relieved. Although she hasn¡¯t heard all the details from her daughter yet, it seemed like she had gone through a tough time growing up. Dana would have been devastated if her daughter wasn¡¯t happy in her marriage as well.


    ¡®Wait. She wasn¡¯t my daughter when she got married three years ago!¡¯ Her eyes sharpened again when this thought crossed her mind. ¡®I didn¡¯t approve of this marriage. Since there¡¯s still no child between them, maybe there¡¯s a chance for a divorce¡­.¡¯


    Just about when Dana was devising her brutal plans in her head, the butler came into the dining room. He then crossed the room to where Dana was seated.


    ¡°My lady, Anika Flora has come for a visit.¡±


    Dana immediately turned her eyes upon Enoch. Puzzled by the accusation, Enoch set down his cup of tea in a flurry. ¡°I didn¡¯t invite her, mother.¡±


    Dana reprimanded the butler with her brows furrowed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it your responsibility to make sure that we aren¡¯t interrupted by any unwanted guests during our family gathering?¡±


    Just until this day, Anika Flora was regarded as the most welcomed guest of the manor. Flora wasn¡¯t always accompanied by Jin during her visits as sometimes she would just come all by herself or it would be Jin who would ask her over for a visit.


    Moreover, Jin had always invited Flora over on her birthdays to join their family dinner.


    However, the butler knew better than to retort at the lady for her unreasonable reproach. Instead, he omitted Flora on his list of important guests in his head.


    ¡°Forgive me, my lady.¡±


    Eugene spoke out just before the butler was about to turn around with his head still lowered at Dana. ¡°Mother.¡±


    Dana answered, with her face instantly softened at her daughter¡¯s call. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just ask her to leave when she has already come all the way to visit. Besides, she must have been told to wait. She would be offended if she¡¯s asked to leave.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You said you don¡¯t really remember much.¡±


    ¡°I can handle it.¡±


    Patrick and his two sons glanced incredulously from Dana to Jin. Never in their life had they seen Jin put on such an innocent smile and Dana speak in such a gentle voice which sounded as if she had just swallowed honey. And what did Dana mean by Jin not remembering much? They couldn¡¯t help but to look inquiringly at the two women.

 CH 254.1

    Chapter 254


    They continued to exchange looks as if asking if anyone knew what was going on. Each silent inquiry returned with a nimble shake of head.


    ¡°Let Anika Flora come inside.¡±


    ¡°As you will, my lady.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s heart pounced with anticipation as she waited for the butler to welcome Anika Flora.


    ¡®It¡¯s Flora! The main character!¡¯


    Now that she realized that this world wasn¡¯t only an imaginary world she created in the novel she wrote, she felt the need to investigate further. But no matter what, nothing changes the fact that this world had indeed been where she had always taken refuge, in times of trouble. Eugene remembered how overwhelmed she was with her own imagination when she wrote about Flora bravely confronting the swarming army of Larks with her great power.


    ¡®How powerful Flora¡¯s Ramita would be? I¡¯m sure it would be more powerful than mine.¡¯


    Momentarily, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to gape as a woman of long jet-black hair, carrying an armful of flowers, appeared through the door behind the butler.


    ¡®Wow. She¡¯s so beautiful.¡¯


    Flora and Jin were indeed two beauties of different charms. Likened to an animal, Jin was a haughty feline while Flora was a docile puppy. Doubtless Flora would leave a favorable image to everyone she comes across.


    However, Eugene was totally bewildered when a certain memory of Jin flashed across her mind.


    [Flora. I think you really are brilliant. Despite being brought up by such parents, along with the brothers of yours, you turned out just fine.]


    [No one could have turned out as fine as you, Jin]


    Veiled hostility in their compliments¡­.


    [Ah, this room really is small. Can someone live in this kind of place?]


    [Looks like I could.]


    As well as the sense of superiority masked as sympathy. However, the most interesting fact was that Flora had given back as good as she got. According to their conversation, Jin and Flora wouldn¡¯t have been on good terms as enmity runs deep on both sides.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t feel more devastated at this point. Before today, all she did was to click her tongue whenever Jin¡¯s vile acts were revealed from her memories. But now, she was utterly outraged by Jin¡¯s past behavior.


    How outrageous of Jin to screw up all her relationships with people as if stealing her life weren¡¯t enough! Eugene had no idea as to where she should begin to restore her life back.


    ¡°Welcome, Anika Flora.¡± Dana greeted Flora. Instantaneously, Flora masked her bewilderment and lowered her head.


    ¡°Lady Arse and Lord Arse. I hope you have been well.¡± Flora was taken by surprise as she had never expected to see the whole Arse family gathered around the table. Flora was even more surprised to see Jin being here as well. She had always thought that she would ask her to come along before she went back to her house.


    Jin had always asked Flora to come along whenever she wanted to see her mother.


    ¡°My apologies for making an unannounced visit¡­ but I just wanted to give these flowers to Lady Arse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll gratefully receive that.¡±


    The butler then took the flowers from Flora and left the room. Flora looked away after watching wistfully as the flowers got carried away by the butler, instead of being handed over to Dana. She forced herself into a smile after she met eyes with Jin.


    ¡°Jin. It¡¯s so nice to see you back.¡±


    Jin smiled back in reply. Now was the time for all her efforts of practice to finally come to shine. As it seems like Jin¡¯s relationship with Flora had been less than favorable, she needed to make Flora truly believe her as ¡®Jin¡¯, as there were high chances of everything Flora sees and hears to reach Sang-je¡¯s ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s so nice to see you too. I believe you have filled my part as a daughter by visiting my parents while I was away.¡± Eugene paused before she emphasized the following words. ¡°Thankfully.¡±


    ***


    Flora¡¯s eyes quivered at Eugene¡¯s remark. But without saying anything, she dropped her eyes to the ground in silence.


    Eugene got flustered when the latter¡¯s response differed entirely from what she had expected from Jin¡¯s memory, where Flora had given a sharp retort at Jin in a somewhat unyielding manner.


    ¡®I knew she wouldn¡¯t be easy to deal with.¡¯


    Eugene was put in an awkward position as it now appears as if she had rebuked her old friend upon meeting after a long time. It wouldn¡¯t have been better if only Flora had said anything, but instead, Flora hushed up plaintively, looking crestfallen like a sinner.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t polite to keep the guest standing. Please take a seat, Anika Flora.¡± Enoch quickly interrupted. Eugene glimpsed at her brother. She couldn¡¯t erase the feeling that he had cut in on their conversation on purpose, right before things could take a turn for the worse. This indicated that it was frequent for people to intervene whenever Jin was mean to Flora.


    ¡®How foolish is Jin to behave with such unbelievable impertinence and irresponsibility? What would do good to her to have a bad reputation?¡¯


    However, Eugene couldn¡¯t quite feel sympathy for Flora either. She was rather suspicious of Flora¡¯s motives for feigning friendship at Jin¡¯s side despite all the indignity she suffered.


    ¡®Flora¡­ The heroine of my novel¡­¡¯


    The Flora she met was nothing like the heroine she had described in the novel she wrote.


    Despite her disappointment, Eugene flashed a smile on her proud face at Flora.


    ¡°I finally got the proper chance to tell you that I¡¯ve got married. Flora, allow me to introduce you to the King of Hashi Kingdom, who¡¯s also my lord husband whom I married three years ago.¡±


    With that said, Eugene turned to Kasser and flashed him a smile while curving her eyes into a crescent. It was Jin¡¯s signature smile.


    ¡°Your Majesty. This is Anika Flora, an old friend of mine.¡±


    Eugene saw him body flinch, just for a second. Stealthily, he averted his gaze and stared rigidly ahead. His face then took on a set uneasy expression. Eugene thought to herself that he was acting all weird again¡ªhis response reminded her of the night where he had taken a step back away from her.


    Kasser and Flora then exchanged silent bows with each other out of courtesy. After that, Flora took the liberty of interpreting that brief moment of awkwardness in her own way. ¡®I can tell right away that you¡¯re only feigning happiness in my presence. Small wonder with such a disposition of yours.¡¯


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s with all those flowers? Did you just come back from a celebration?¡± Eugene asked her.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯ve just attended a tea party.¡± Flora replied demurely.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± All eyes were turned to Dana when she let out an exclamation all suddenly.

 CH 254.2

    ¡°We must hold a banquet. A grand welcome banquet to celebrate my daughter¡¯s return after a long time. I guess the manor would need a little touch up for the first time in a while.¡±


    Eugene asked with a hint of excitement on her face. ¡°In the manor?¡±


    ¡°A banquet in our manor is more likely to catch people¡¯s attention than to just hold it in a banquet hall.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be cumbersome with all the people coming and going? Not to mention all the preparation work needed as well.¡±


    ¡°The greater the crowd, the better the celebration will be. Now that the subject has been brought up, we must set a date.¡± With clear excitement on her face, Dana got started on planning right away. She asked a maid to bring her pen and paper and started to write down her rough idea on the scale as well as the entertainment for the banquet.


    ¡®¡­A banquet? Here in the Arse manor?¡¯ Flora took alternative glances at Jin and Dana in disbelief. The deep affinity between mother and daughter radiated in the way they smiled at each other. Lady Arse, who had always avoided Jin with cold indifference, has taken a complete change in her attitude towards her daughter.


    Flora felt queasy suddenly. She felt like she was alienated when it dawned on her that she was nothing but an uninvited guest who made an abrupt appearance in the middle of the family gathering.


    She also felt a sense of crisis growing as she realized that Jin lacked nothing now that she has both Sang-je and her family¡¯s support behind her. Once the word of a banquet being held at the Arse manor gets out to people, Jin will become the talk of the town in no time while Flora¡¯s effort for the last three years will fall apart like the way waves washes away the sandcastle without leaving a trace.


    Flora rose from her seat and gave a nod as everyone turned to her. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to interrupt but I¡¯ve only come to give my present to the lady today. I¡¯m afraid I must take leave now as I have some other business to attend to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to my present on your next visit, Flora.¡± Eugene cut in, knowing full well how spiteful she might sound.


    Flora bit her lips for a moment before she flashed her innocent smile at Eugene.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll bring Sir Pides with me the next time I come to visit.¡±


    Eugene felt her face hardened instantaneously at Flora¡¯s remark. She then stole a quick glimpse at Kasser and was relieved to see there was nothing registered on his face.


    However, it wasn¡¯t only Eugene who was caught off guard by Flora¡¯s bold remark as it was no secret to the family that Jin had used to admire Sir Pides. Though it shouldn¡¯t matter much as it was all before her marriage, it was still very inappropriate of Flora to mention it, especially in the presence of Jin¡¯s husband.


    Enoch regarded Flora with a degree of surprise in his eyes. ¡®Have I been wrong about Flora all this time?¡¯


    He¡¯d always thought that Flora was a faint-hearted girl who often got pushed around by his mean sister. But after his mother told him that he must learn to have better judgment of people, he couldn¡¯t help but to feel uneasy by Flora¡¯s remark.


    After Flora took her leave, the butler came back with an announcement in a moment. ¡°There¡¯s an urgent message to the Desert King.¡±


    The chamberlain who followed in the wake of the butler, trotted close to Kasser at once. He spoke in such undertone that it was inaudible even to Eugene who was sitting right next to Kasser. All she could make out was that someone had come to visit at their royal manor.


    ¡®Could it be a woman? I think I heard him mentioning a lady¡¯s name.¡¯


    But Eugene didn¡¯t manage to catch it as the name was unfamiliar to her. Kasser gave a short nod before he turned back to the lord and the lady of the house. ¡°I beg your pardons but I¡¯m afraid I must be leaving now.¡±


    Then he turned to face Eugene as he went on. ¡°As for you my queen, you may stay and spend more time with your parents as you haven¡¯t seen them for such a long time. Please excuse my going first.¡±


    Dana had almost come to dread when she thought she must see her daughter go while she still had plenty left to say. But her clouded face was soon brightened at Kasser¡¯s kind consideration.


    Eugene turned and said when everyone followed suit as Kasser rose from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll go see him off.¡±


    Dana resumed her seat after boring holes at the back of her daughter and son-in-law as they left the room.


    ¡°What do you think of him, dear? Your son-in-law.¡±


    ¡°I think they look good together.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±


    Patrick, who had just given his honest opinion, turned to his wife as she sounded rather skeptical. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with the two of them?¡±


    The Desert King had already come into Patrick¡¯s favor since their earlier conversation. He was even feeling grateful to his son-in-law for treasuring his daughter, who was notorious for her mean temper.


    Dana asked the same to her two sons. ¡°What about you two?¡±


    Both her sons seemed startled as they obviously never expected their mother asking for their opinion with such keen interest.


    ¡°They seem to get along and they look good together.¡± Enoch gave his answer while keeping his honest opinion just to himself. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t it be us who have to be thankful to the Desert King for sustaining a smooth marriage with Jin?¡¯


    Arthur gave a nod in silence as he agreed with Enoch. He felt like Jin had gotten meek in temper and that it was her marriage that brought positive changes to her life.


    Dana¡¯s face registered disapproval as she rose to her feet. However, she couldn¡¯t quite contradict their opinion either as it was clear in the atmosphere that there was mutual affection between her daughter and her son-in-law.


    Nevertheless, Dana couldn¡¯t shake off the fact that their marriage was wrong from the start as the Jin who married the Desert King three years ago, wasn¡¯t actually her daughter. It disgusted her to think that her precious daughter got stuck with the man who was married to the cunning imposter.


    ¡°My dear. Enoch and Arthur too. I would like you all to listen to the end of my unfinished story from before. As for you butler, make sure we wouldn¡¯t be interrupted in the middle of our family conversation. And tell Jin to attend to me in my chamber as soon as she comes back.¡±


    ¡°As you say, my lady.¡±

 CH 255.1

    Chapter The royal carriage was already awaiting when Kasser and Eugene arrived at the steps that led to the front yard.


    Kasser said as he turned to Eugene. ¡°You don¡¯t have to come out any further.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure I don¡¯t have to go along with you? What¡¯s so urgent that you must leave in such haste?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no pressing matter at all. It¡¯s all just an excuse so that you can have plenty of time to be with your family.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°It means I¡¯m buying you more time so that you can spend the evening catching up with your mother all night long. Which also means that you can¡¯t go back on your words when tomorrow comes. As I¡¯ll come first thing tomorrow to pick you up.¡±


    Eugene slightly pouted her lips before she broke into a laugh. ¡°What if I change my mind tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I bet it will be amusing to climb over the wall of the manor with you in my arms. And I¡¯m sure it will be quite a sight to the people in the Holy City too.


    Kasser suppressed his laugh when Eugene seemed very much disgusted by his idea. He then reached out his hand to her face but dropped right before he could touch her. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to let her go once he did.


    ¡°Go back in. I¡¯ll go.¡± Kasser turned on his heel and started down the stairs. And just before getting on the carriage, he turned to gaze at Eugene, who was still standing on the stairs, for one last time before he finally disappeared into the carriage.


    Eugene chased the carriage with her eyes until it was small in the distance. She couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on her fickle mind, but it was disappointing to see him leave without giving her a second glance although it was her who had insisted on staying over for a night.


    It¡¯s true that she was overjoyed to reunite with her real family, but on the other hand, everything seemed unreal to her still. She couldn¡¯t imagine how lonely she would have been if it wasn¡¯t for him, who stayed by her side all along, even in those days when she thought she didn¡¯t actually belong in this world.


    ¡®Come in time for me tomorrow morning.¡¯ Eugene turned around only after the carriage was gone completely out of her sight.


    After leaving the Arse manor, the carriage traveled straight to the royal manor while Kasser was deep in contemplation with a cold impassive face since the departure.


    Soon, the carriage came to a stop. The door was then opened followed by the chamberlain¡¯s voice. Kasser alighted from the carriage after letting out a small sigh. Unwittingly, his head was turned to the sudden racket in the distance. What came into his view next was a black stallion charging straight toward him, running wild as if it had got stung by wasps while people chased after it in haste.


    Kasser stepped down onto the ground with his eyes bored into Abu closing in. Abu managed to slow down his pace narrowly before colliding head-on with his master. It then fervently turned its head all over the place around Kasser and even shoved its face into the carriage through its opened door. It was obvious who it was looking for.


    ¡°I came back alone.¡±


    Abu stiffened for a moment as it rounded its red eyes before it dropped its head in complete despair. Kasser couldn¡¯t help but snort with laughter as Abu was acting more like a person than a brute. Then he gave it an accusing glare as he was even more upset seeing it making a great fuss.


    In ones and twos, those who chased after Abu came to beg for forgiveness while they bowed before their king while still gasping for breath. Without a word, Kasser gestured at them so that they could take Abu away. Abu, with his head still hung low, was led away by its rein without any resistance.


    After the commotion had died down, the chamberlain went up to inform his king.


    ¡°The lady is waiting in the parlor, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kasser gave a nod as head out for it.


    When he arrived at the parlor, he helped himself in by pushing open the door himself. No one followed in behind and only a guest alone was waiting on the sofa situated in the parlor.


    A lady with coal-black hair, who seemed to be in her middle years, looked up from where she was sitting on the sofa, startled by the sound of the door being opened. She rose from her seat when she met eyes with Kasser.


    Kasser¡¯s face was still impassive as he crossed to the sofa although his eyes were on the lady. He was only a few steps away when he came to stand face to face with her. A sneer escaped him unwittingly as the lady, who was in fact his biological mother, was looking much older and gaunt compared to the last time they met.


    The former queen of the Hashi Kingdom had left the kingdom for good when Kasser just turned five since it took her quite a long time to recover from her difficult labor. If only she had her health, she would have gone straight to the Holy City after giving birth without having to spend another five years in the kingdom.


    His mother never came to visit after she had gone to the Holy City. But even so, he knew his father would have given enough financial support to the queen nonetheless, so she could keep her dignity as she still was a mother to his heir.


    But what she later did was utterly unforgivable. She could have avoided the worst if only she had asked for a divorce first. However, not only did she have an affair, but she had also borne another man¡¯s child while she was still officially the queen of the kingdom. Soon, the scandal about her affair was in everyone¡¯s mouth in the Holy City.


    As no king in the world would put up with such an insult, the late king notified the queen of their divorce at once. And as a result, she was stripped of her title, along with the financial support she had been receiving from the kingdom.


    Although Kasser could perfectly understand the measures his late king had taken, still, he couldn¡¯t help but to be reminded of the reason for his birth as he watched his father cut off his relationship with his mother without a remote hesitation. He realized once again that he was nothing but a product of a loveless physical union under the sole purpose of producing an heir to the throne.

 CH 255.2

    ¡°What brings you here today?¡±


    Kasser dryly asked as it has long been unnecessary to exchange courtesies with her. He didn¡¯t even bother to inquire after her either. It¡¯s been long since he was healed from his past wounds.


    Therefore, the woman before his eyes meant nothing to him except for the fact that she was his biological mother. There was nothing he could do but to accept as it was an undeniable fact that this woman had indeed kept him in her womb before he was brought into this world.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a rare occasion for you to come all the way here by yourself.¡±


    When he was still a boy, he had expected that his mother would come to see him someday. However, never once did she come to find him until he grew into a man.


    It¡¯s been a few years since he had reunited with his biological mother, who was now known as Lady Wallfred, after he came to manhood. Kasser had received a message from his mother that she wished to meet him, not long after he had ascended the throne after the late king¡¯s passing.


    And as it happened, Kasser had to travel to the Holy City to officially receive sacrament from Sang-je after his accession to the throne. So, on his way to see her, on the pretext of official business, he had somehow looked forward to meeting his mother, in the anticipation that she might have missed him too, even just a little.


    But despite his initial expectations, it turns out that she only wanted to meet him as she was pressing for money. It was apparent that she was having a hard life, living in self-inflicted destitution.


    Ever since then, Kasser has been giving financial assistance to his biological mother on a regular basis. It may have been possible for the late king to cut off his ties with her since they were nothing but strangers after divorce. But as for Kasser, he couldn¡¯t just sit by and watch her lead a miserable life. Like it or not, half of his blood belonged to her. Moreover, this was more of a matter of his pride.


    That was the first and the last time she had visited him in the royal manor. Since then, she only sent her steward to collect money from him. She never visited even when Kasser had come to the Holy City in search of a wife three years ago.


    ¡°Is this about money?¡±


    Lady Wallfred flinched a little before she gave a hesitant nod and said it in a scarcely audible voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little short of money¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that. Is there anything else?¡±


    Abashed, Lady Wallfred shook her head. It frustrated him for having to meet his biological mother over such trivial matters. However, this wasn¡¯t something which he could just leave to others.


    Even though the relationship between them had long been strained, there¡¯s no change to the fact that she was the mother of a king. Hence, if she ever happens to abuse her power using her position as his mother, no one will dare raise their voice against her.


    He knew he could never ignore her altogether, but Kasser had no intention of becoming her solid source of funds either, especially when she never once did her part as a mother. His financial assistance to her was solely for his honor¡¯s sake.


    Kasser then turned on his heel and left the parlor without giving her a second glance. Just like how they didn¡¯t bother to exchange courtesies, there was no need for him to bid her farewell as well.


    ***


    Dana¡¯s eyes were all wet with tears again when she was finished. Her voice sank deep and cracked as she was overcome with emotion while she spoke.


    She still couldn¡¯t believe it despite having met her daughter¡¯s eyes countless times today. All the years she had suffered alone, not understood by anyone, seem to have disappeared with the joy of reuniting instead.


    Dana reached out to Eugene with her eyes fixed on her. Feeling hotness behind her lids, Eugene moved closer as she held tightly on to the hand of her mother. Indescribable feelings were shared through the eyes of mother and daughter, as they felt each other¡¯s warmth.


    ¡®Thank you. Mother.¡¯


    Eugene couldn¡¯t express enough of her feelings of gratitude towards her mother. She had once heard of a saying that the purpose of a name is only fulfilled when it¡¯s called. As the saying goes, she was able to get clarity of her self-existence thanks to her mother, as she never stopped calling her name even after all these years.


    Until today, she had been living in a state of confusion without knowing who she was or where she truly belonged. Her underlying anxiety and guilt had always weighed on her mind as if she was being pulled by a heavy rock at the bottom of her heart. But now, she felt like her feet, which kept floundering while scrabbling for a foothold, had finally found a firm ground to stand on.


    Eugene could finally say with confidence that she has a right to live in this part of the world.


    Having a family¡¯s support had given her a boost of self-confidence.


    ¡°Now everyone. I want you all to welcome Jin who has finally returned home to us. This is my real daughter Jin,¡±


    The father and sons were at a loss for words alike, looking confused. Unlike Dana, who had waited her whole life for her daughter¡¯s return with unwavering conviction, the three men were dumbfounded by what they just heard as it was such an unlikely story to believe in.


    Most people would first doubt Dana¡¯s sanity should they hear her. However, her husband and her two sons were different, as they had an implicit faith in Dana since her influence was absolute in the family.


    While her two sons had the implicit trust of their mother¡¯s judgment, Patrick was the only one who can fully understand his wife more than anyone in the world. He had always known that his wife was gifted with a unique ability.

 CH 256.1

    [She isn¡¯t my daughter.]


    Patrick could never forget the grief-stricken face of his wife when she first said that to him. Dana then behaved like she was not in her right mind for quite some time before she was back to her old self once again. But after finding out that she was only holding up to carry out her responsibility as the head of the family, as well as a wife and a mother, it pained him greatly as he couldn¡¯t be of any help to his wife.


    He never saw his wife laugh from the bottom of her heart again ever since their daughter was lost from them. But right now, he could tell from her expression that she was truly overjoyed for the first time in a long time.


    Patrick, who was first bemused with Dana¡¯s change, found himself smiling along with his her as nothing mattered more than the fact that his beloved was smiling all over again.


    He spread his arms out to his daughter. However, Eugene appeared hesitant at first to accept it. Urged by her mother, she walked up to Patrick despite her slight reluctance. Father and daughter had then embraced each other rather cautiously.


    ¡®My father¡­.¡¯


    Her father¡¯s embrace was much firmer than her mother¡¯s that she felt like he was reassuring her that she could lean on him anytime she wanted. On the contrary, her mother¡¯s embrace felt like she was promising her that she would never let go of her again no matter what happens. Eugene quickly blinked away her tears before she slipped out of her father¡¯s arms. It was such a quick and awkward embrace.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember anything about growing up in this house?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ As they aren¡¯t my actual memory. But I do have some occasional images coming into my head. Maybe they are some parts of the memories that¡¯s left inside my body.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s make plenty of new memories together in future.¡±


    ¡°I would love to do that.¡±


    Patrick couldn¡¯t help but to feel strange when he saw Eugene¡¯s innocent, childlike smile. Feeling sorry for his daughter, who was constantly shunned by Dana, Patrick had tried his best to take a lenient view Jin¡¯s behavior. But despite his efforts, he couldn¡¯t deny his discomfort around Jin from time to time.


    However, it wasn¡¯t solely because of what his wife had told him about. It was rather because he had begun to feel like her innocence was lost from her eyes. To put it bluntly, he felt like she was using her feminine charms to get what she wanted. And he just couldn¡¯t understand why his daughter was behaving in such a way to her own father.


    Patrick was disgusted with a sense of guilt whenever Jin clung to him with a coquettish smile. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to push her away with a serious look either, in fear that it was only him who was being overly paranoid. But there was no way of knowing as it wasn¡¯t like he could consult anyone regarding such matters.


    But right now, he was assured to find that his daughter¡¯s smile was nothing like anything he remembered. All that he could see from her face was the innocence of a child that he couldn¡¯t love enough.


    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ It was hard to explain but he felt like he could finally understand what Dana meant when she said that their daughter had finally returned home to them.


    ¡°Well then, try calling me father first.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eyes rounded for an instant, but she gave a nod with a little waver in her eyes. ¡°Yes¡­ father.¡±


    Patrick was all smiles upon hearing that. And when Dana went to his side, he opened his arms to give her an embrace as if it was the most natural thing for him to do. There was no need for words as Dana and Patrick seemed to understand each other just by the look in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Eugene was moved by the sight of her parents who seem to have a deep faith in each other.


    ¡®Maybe someday¡­¡¯ Eugene pictured her future with Kasser in the hope that one day, should their passion fade with time, that their love for each other will develop into a form of comfort, just like her parents.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Enoch gave a little cough to attract their attention and offered his open arms to Eugene.


    ¡°Jin. Welcome back.¡±


    Since father seemed to have decided to accept his sister, Enoch concluded that he would do just the same. However, he was only doing so for the sake of his parents as he still had his doubts left in the back of his mind.


    It was hard for him to take his mother¡¯s word for it but he was tired of the long-running feud between his mother and sister. Therefore, he had decided not to throw the wet blanket when things were finally working out for them. He had always regarded that it was his responsibility as a successor of the house. to heal the breach between mother and his sister.


    Eugene stopped right before Enoch and held out her right hand instead. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you too, Enoch.¡±


    Enoch, who had spread out his arms to look overjoyed with the unexpected reunion, shook hands with his sister, looking rather abashed.


    ¡°Why are you discriminating between me and father?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Enoch. It¡¯s too cringey for adult siblings to give each other a hug.¡±


    ¡°Cringey¡­?¡±


    Arthur ended up bursting into laughter from the side while Enoch felt deeply wronged when Patrick chimed in to agree with Jin while reminding him that she was no longer a child. It had always been him who was put in an awkward position as Jin had come running into his arms whenever he happened to meet her outside or when he greeted after seeing her with Flora.


    Enoch felt strange too when he saw Jin shake hands with Arthur. He was astonished by how a person can seem so different when nothing has changed except for her demeanor. She clearly was not the same person who he had known as his sister, but that didn¡¯t disturb him in the least. He knew they would be able to get along in no time.


    Enoch¡¯s face softened when he saw his mother and sister laughing, looking into each other¡¯s eyes. He never knew there would come a day to see his mother regarding Jin with such warmth in her eyes.


    He must admit that he was just playing along with everyone until a moment ago. But not anymore, as now he was dying to find out more about what had happened to them in the last twenty years.

 CH 256.2

    Eugene could feel her body was afloat.


    ¡®I¡¯m dreaming.¡¯


    It was such a familiar sensation even with her eyes closed. She could feel her body lightened, surrounded by dreamlike feelings.


    But she couldn¡¯t help but to flinch by what she saw when she slowly opened her eyes. Air bubbles streamed from her mouth and traveled all the way up to the surface.


    This wasn¡¯t her usual dream as there was no sign of clear blue sky nor endless horizon where sky met the sea. All that she could make out was the flow of blue water, like how waves heave and set. After turning her head around, she realized that she was indeed surrounded all around by water. Which indicated that she was somewhere deep in the water and not on the surface of the water like usual.


    But it didn¡¯t scare her much as she knew that this was only her lucid dream. And the water in her dream would never hurt her. As a matter of fact, she had no difficulty in breathing underwater nor was she pressed by water or shuddered in cold.


    Eugene stretched out her arms and began to swim like a mermaid in water. Swimming through the water felt instinctive and fluid as she could move her body to whichever direction she wanted, feeling the water flashing past. She continued to explore in deep waters, like a whale swimming deeper into the bottom of the ocean without knowing her bounds.


    Instead of being resisted by the force of water, the water gave her a slight push in the back so she could keep going on forward. The water surrounding her was gentle enough so that she never felt out of her breath no matter how fast she swam. Eugene kept swimming for a while until she burst into a laughter of pure joy.


    She raised her head up as she stopped swimming and felt her body tilted up until she looked as if she was lying face up. She couldn¡¯t imagine how far she must swim to go back onto the surface as water stretched out endlessly above her body. She couldn¡¯t even make out where the bottom of the sea is as it was so dark around her to actually see the seagrasses.


    ¡®Ah¡­.¡¯ Eugene closed her eyes as she let out a long sigh. Although it was impossible to touch the water in a lucid dream, she could still vividly feel that the water was tickling at her soul.


    Before today, she had only regarded that she was invited into Jin¡¯s lucid dream. Ramita may be a power of one¡¯s soul, but she didn¡¯t really think that soul was more important than the body itself as a soul alone was meaningless if there weren¡¯t a body to contain it.


    But now she finally got the clarity that both the body and soul was hers by right from the start. Which means that she was now actually inside her own lucid dream.


    ¡®My Ramita¡­¡¯


    This whole bottomless ocean was her Ramita indeed.


    Eugene opened her eyes again when she felt a sudden shiver, that was different from anything she ever experienced in her life. With that, water swirled into a vortex as they rushed into her body. And the next time she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the bed once again.


    Bright sunlight filtered through the window as the curtain was now drawn halfway. The brightness in the room indicated that it¡¯s been long since dawn broke. She remembered how she had talked the night away with her mother before dozing off in the middle. Dana must have got up early as Eugene found herself lying all alone on the wide bed when she opened her eyes.


    Eugene did a stretch as she sat up in bed. After that, she looked down to her hands and clenched them into a firm fist. The force surrounding her body felt so strange yet familiar at the same time. She was then reminded of a time when she had asked Kasser a question.


    [Can you actually feel the Praz inside you?]


    And his answer was this.


    [I can feel it. I just know.]


    When she first heard him say that, she regarded him inconsiderate as his answer sounded so vague to her. But now she can finally understand what he was trying to convey.


    ¡®I can feel it.¡¯ Eugene broke into a smile as she stared into her tight fists. She could feel her Ramita which had already become a part of herself now. She just knew it.

 CH 257.1

    It was dark all around. The dim light radiating from the floor was of little avail as it expanded less than a man¡¯s height. None of the corners, where the floor meets the walls, nor the ceiling was visible as they were too far to be touched by the light.


    The light that radiated from the flat stone floor beamed in all directions in no orderly manner. It was just beams as thick as a man¡¯s arm, stretching out in straight lines and mystical curves.


    Such a strange sight to one¡¯s eyes, too vast for one to have a full view of it. However, if only one could look down upon it from far high up in the air, one could surely make out that the array of lights, radiating from the floor, forms a gigantic rune on the ground.


    In one corner of the rune, lit up by the light, had a cluster of people sitting around in huddles with each other. They looked ghostly due to the shades casted by light beaming up against their wizened faces. They talked in whispers among themselves.


    ¡°Can¡¯t they make this any softer?¡± One annoyed voice could be heard among the crowd.


    ¡°You know how quickly it will mold if it isn¡¯t completely dried before it¡¯s sent down here.¡±


    ¡°But I have bad teeth. And this bread is too hard.¡±


    The elders turned to Mur all at once as they appraised the quality of their rationed bread. The silent pressure in the air propelled Mur into a response.


    ¡®I¡¯ll see to it when I go back up.¡± He said to appease the unsatisfied elders of the tribe.


    ¨C Just eat what you¡¯re served or go hungry. It¡¯s ridiculous to get picky with food at your age.


    A clear voice resonated in everyone¡¯s mind alike. All gazes were then turned to the owner of the voice who had just uttered a blunt remark. He was easily spotted as he was the odd one among the group of the aged.


    Not only was he young, but it was also his contrasting look that made him stand out from all. The color of his long hair, streaming over his shoulders, was of conspicuous gold even under the poor light. And the eyes of the handsome stripling, whose comely features were a work of art, shone brightly in crimson.


    ¡°What gives you the right to say that the aged can¡¯t complain about what they eat?¡±


    ¡°Right you are! Eating is indeed one of the great pleasures in life as we humans have a delicate palate, unlike you. I bet you¡¯ll never come to understand how exquisite such senses really are.¡±


    The elders reproached the blond lad with all their fingers pointed at him. However, he simply ignored them all with a snort as the elders continued to glare and grumble. ¡°Shame on you, you impertinent greenhorn.¡±


    ¨C Have you finally gone senile? Or have you simply forgotten the fact that I¡¯ve lived much longer than you all?


    The blond lad quipped in retort.


    The elders winced shortly before they went on with their grumblings. ¡°Don¡¯t get on your high horses just because you¡¯re older. As it happens, age has nothing to do with one¡¯s maturity.¡±


    ¡°Well said. As it¡¯s the wisdom and experience that really matters. What have you accomplished as you get on in years? Playing leader to odds and sods?¡±


    ¡°Having much fun, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a dead wish, you parcel of old fools?¡±


    One voice screeched as he flew into a rage. ¡°What if I say I do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you to pipe down! Are you trying to impair the hearing ability of blind old men?¡±


    No one bothered to stop the commotion. The quarrel was starting to take an ugly turn and from everyone¡¯s experience, they knew that such squabble always escalates into a bigger fight. But, things were different now. As a matter of fact, they don¡¯t feel fear should things take a turn for the worse as the seven elders no longer felt obliged to be obsessed with life anymore.


    The ardent will to protect the tribe had almost faded and dampened with time. All that¡¯s left in their hearts was nothing but a faint sense of responsibility. They¡¯ve easily submitted to fate without any eagerness left in them that could spark new changes.


    Mur was however the one who was having the most torturous time as he feigned soulless smiles, shunned from the conversation. Although this was not at all an unfamiliar sight to him as he has been coming down at least every once a year since he had become the chief, cold sweat still broke down his back without fail. He doesn¡¯t think he¡¯ll ever get used to the sight of his ancestors, who were literally a living corpse, bickering with a lark (blond lad) that mimicked humans.


    Mur then turned his head around and gazed at a human figure in the distance. Aldrit was sitting at one end of the rune with his back turned from all.


    ¡®I believe more than a day has passed since then¡­¡¯


    Aldrit¡¯s response, upon confronting the truth, was calmer than Mur had ever expected.


    [Please give me some time.]


    Aldrit has been sitting still as a rock in that very spot since then. He never moved an inch, nor ate or slept, as if he was only a statue.


    Although Mur had no ability to read minds, he felt like he could easily assume that Aldrit was having a whirlwind inside his mind at the moment. He remembered how much it took him to recover from the shock when he first learned about the secret of the tribe shortly after he became the chief.


    ¡®I think you have done enough thinking. So will you please save me from all this trouble already?¡¯ Mur pleaded inwardly but he was more than determined to give Aldrit as much time he needed to organize his thoughts.

 CH 257.2

    He felt pitiable of the young lad who was to bear the heavy burdens in his stead. But on the other hand, he felt much relieved and light-hearted at the same time. It was only after having been in the position to lead, he realized deeply that it was much easier to be the follower instead.


    Mur let out a faint sigh as he turned back around. He found the blond lad and the elders were now talking in whispers with their heads put together, as if there hadn¡¯t been any squabble between them at all.


    ¡°That place has really changed?¡±


    Seeing them chatter on friendly terms, Mur turned to take a good look at his surroundings. Nothing was much visible in this darkness¡ªthey were in an enormous underground cavern, which no one knows about its existence, except for the elders and the chief himself.


    It was the spell initiated in this very cavern that acts as a protective layer to keep their hideout from the rest of the world.


    ¡®Lark¡¯s spell¡­¡¯ There was a bitter smile on Mur¡¯s face. To obtain this, something of equal value must be lost. It was the most fundamental principle applied to every spell. In order to initiate such a strong spell, a medium and a vessel of equal value was needed.


    A Lark had then become the vessel needed for the spell to initiate in this underground cavern. The very fact that the tribe who had summoned the larks into this world, was using the lark¡¯s power to protect themselves was kept as a secret, hidden with great confidentiality.


    ¡°He¡¯s quite tough for his age.¡± Mur turned to the voice and saw that an elder had his eyes set on Aldrit.


    Aldrit¡¯s figure was unclear to the old man¡¯s eyes as his eyesight had become so poor after long years of living under this dark underground. He hasn¡¯t gone blind completely but all he could make out was the faint figure of objects. His unfortunate surroundings had highly developed his senses. In fact, he learned to identify the location and the size of the object from the sounds reflecting from the walls and ceiling.


    ¡°How old did you say he was?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s nineteen, Sir.¡±


    ¨C I bet he¡¯s either asleep or had swooned long ago.


    The blond lad quipped. A retort came quick as the elder clicked his tongue at the lad. ¡°You still say that after having seen how tenacious our tribe could be with your own eyes?¡±


    The blond lad shifted the subject without refute.


    ¨C Just how much longer do we have to wait? Are you really going to follow whatever decision that mere lad makes?


    The old man responded with a sneer. ¡°That was a part of our contract, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Far back in the past, the ancestors of the wanderers encountered a very special kind of lark and they both had agreed on a contract to join forces. While the lark provided a safe hideout for the tribe, the tribe agreed to help initiating a spell which the lark demanded.


    And it was the seven elders who had volunteered in becoming the media that were needed for the spell to work. By now, they all have aged way beyond the normal lifespan of an average human being. However, they had long been dead and forgotten from the tribe¡¯s history. But that wouldn¡¯t change the fact that they had sacrificed their entire lives for the spell, and it was the spell itself which was keeping them alive to this day.


    However, the elders had attached a condition when they made the contract with the lark, that the spell¡¯s effect was never permanent, so that their contract had to be renewed every time a new chief was appointed.


    Simply said, the seven elders will break the spell the moment the new chief decides not to renew the contract. And once the spell breaks, the elders will lose the force that has been keeping them alive and will fall into an eternal sleep altogether.


    When Mur was given the choice, he chose to renew the contract. The tribe would lose their hideout once the spell breaks and he wasn¡¯t prepared to cope with such huge changes.


    The elder went on as the blond lad kept his silence.


    ¡°We made a deal in the past. You are not going to go back on your word, are you?¡±


    ¨C You are going to be the one who¡¯s sorry. Do you think you¡¯ll ever survive without this hideout?


    ¡°That¡¯s for our descendants to worry about. We¡¯ve done our part.¡±


    ¨C That¡¯s harsh. I thought you humans were more than willing to die for their child, am I wrong?


    ¡°For my own child, I would. But descendants are a different matter. Why don¡¯t you start worrying about yourself? Once the spell breaks, it¡¯s only a matter of time before your location is discovered.¡±


    With that said, everyone hushed up altogether. All eyes were then turned to Aldrit as he slowly rose to his feet. His body must have stiffened as he staggered a little when he tried to stand. But he soon recovered his balance after a few wobbled steps.


    Aldrit went up slowly to the people gathered before him. After giving a light nod at Mur when their eyes met, Aldrit then turned to the seven elders and gave them a deep bow on his knees.


    ¡°Allow me to do my homage to the great ancestors as a descendant. I will never forget the noble sacrifices you¡¯d made for our tribe.¡±


    The elders looked gratified as they nodded in approval.


    As he rose, Aldrit turned his gaze on the blond lad.


    ¨C So, have you made your decision? What are you going to do with the spell?


    ¡°I defer my decision.¡±


    ¡°Defer?!¡± A gruff voice was heard instead of the voice which ringed in their heads before. ¡°Did you all hear him? He said he wants to defer the decision. What does he mean by that?¡±


    The blond lad raised his voice as he looked around at the elders. Some of the elders had put their hands to their ears with frowns on their faces.


    Aldrit went on to explain further.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need more time to gather and contemplate on every information I can get since my decision will affect the entire fate of our tribe. This is no easy decision to make in just a few days¡¯ time. As it happens, I have plenty of questions for you¡­ Mara. Is it right for me to call you that?¡±

 CH 258.1

    A flicker of interest aroused in the crimson eyes of Mara. Aside from the seven elders, whom he had spent many years with, this was his first time seeing another human being remaining calm in his presence. But to be exact, the seven elders were no ordinary human. Every single chief of the tribe he had encountered so far had all shown repulsive signs and refused to speak with him from the outset.


    ¨C I¡¯m fine to be called that. What will your question be?


    ¡°There are quite a lot.¡±


    ¨C You¡¯ll only be allowed to ask one. And I too will make my decision according to the question you ask.


    Aldrit asked after a moment of contemplation.


    ¡°What is the relation between you and Mahar?


    Mara let out a guffaw upon hearing the question. He then tossed Aldrit something which he managed to catch in the air.


    Aldrit studied the small yet firm object as he held it tightly in his hand. The surrounding was too dark for him to discern its color, but it seemed like a lark seed judging from its shape and size.


    ¨C You must give me something in return if you want to know about my secret. Eat. It¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to eat anyway now that you¡¯ve stepped foot in this underground cavern.


    Aldrit was reminded of what Mur had told him before he entered the underground cavern.


    [¡­ Once you get in there, you¡¯ll be bound by a new spell, and you will be watched henceforth by it]


    Mur gave a nod when Aldrit glanced at him. After giving the seed a roll in his hand, Aldrit popped it into his mouth and swallowed without hesitation.


    ***


    Despite having dreamt endlessly all night long, Eugene was feeling surprisingly refreshed as if she¡¯s got a good night¡¯s sleep. Attended by the handmaids, Eugene washed her face and got changed. When she was ready, she gave a long, good stare into her reflection in the big mirror, which her handmaids had brought her. She was studying her dress to be more exact.


    She had not brought any of her clothes to change as she had no notion to sleep over when she headed for the Arse manor yesterday. Since they couldn¡¯t have a dress made overnight, she suspected that it was one of Jin¡¯s dresses they had been storing in the manor as it fitted seamlessly to her body.


    ¡®Jin¡¯s¡­ No, it¡¯s actually my room. I would like to see what my room looks like. ¡®


    ¡°Anika. Shall I bring your breakfast to your room?¡±


    ¡°Breakfast? Isn¡¯t it almost time for lunch?¡±


    ¡°But you still would need to wait for more than an hour.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can wait.¡±


    Eugene jumped up startlingly as she mindlessly reflected on how she had slept through until morning. ¡°Has the Desert King arrived, waiting for me perchance?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Anika.¡±


    ¡°When did he come?¡±


    ¡°Early this morning.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me so!¡±


    Eugene was flustered when she was told that Kasser was having a conversation with her mother. She remembered how startled she was to hear her mother mention about ¡®divorce¡¯ during the long talk with her last night. Eugene had made it clear to Dana that divorce was out of the question as she explained how Kasser was never a husband to Jin. However still, she couldn¡¯t help but to feel restive in fear that Dana might say something weird to the king.


    She wasted no time and hurried out heading straight to the sitting room.


    ***


    ¡°How long do you plan to stay in the Holy City? Or perhaps you¡¯ve already decided when to return?¡±


    To tell the truth, Kasser¡¯s honest answer would be ¡®tomorrow¡¯. He still can¡¯t quite forget how much he had seethed with rage as he comforted Eugene, who burst into tears after she came back from her audience with Sang-je on the day of their arrival. He had considered returning to his kingdom at once regardless of the aftermath.


    However, despite his suspicions against Sang-je¡¯s intention, Kasser was no longer certain if Eugene wished to leave the Holy City now.


    As a matter of fact, she¡¯s just returned to where she was born and raised, for the first time in three years. Besides, although he didn¡¯t know much of the details, it seemed like the problem she used to have with her family was somehow resolved on this visit. So perhaps she would wish to spend a few more days in the Arse manor.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t made any plans for our departure yet. But I¡¯m going to let her do as she pleases.¡±


    Kasser didn¡¯t just say that to avoid giving a direct answer. In fact, he truly meant every single word with all his heart. He was determined to do as Eugene pleases. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to take her back with him by force in the first place, as she was an Anika. And even if he could, what was the whole point in that?


    He knew more than anyone that it was only a matter of time before a marriage shatters if their reason to stay married was solely on the purpose to produce an heir to the throne. Just like his parents did.


    Dana gave a nod as she lifted her cup of tea. Thanks to her special ability, she was able to discern if a person was actually speaking from the heart.


    However, there are some limitations to her ability. It is only natural for an individual to feel nervous as one¡¯s level of concentration would likely increase when having a serious conversation. And under such circumstances, a natural barrier would form around an individual that hinders the use of her ability. But during an ordinary conversation, which just flows with one¡¯s consciousness, her senses are almost accurate. She could easily distinguish a smooth talker, who just fills one¡¯s ear with honeyed words, from a prudent one, who chooses his words only after much contemplation.

 CH 258.2

    Dana has met a wide variety of people throughout her whole life that she has drawn her own guidelines in her mind about how she should conduct herself whenever she encounters a certain type of person.


    However, there were two types of people in the world, whom she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on, even to this day. The Sang-je and the king.


    Fundamentally, Anikas are from an ordinary household where their parents and siblings are common people alike. Moreover, as they hardly reveal their special ability, which is known as Ramita, they were pretty much the same as others in general.


    And apart from Sang-je, who seldom associates with people, the kings whom Dana had encountered so far had all varied in terms of their personality and principles, to almost an extreme degree. She also got this impression that they held a strong superiority over the others as they considered humans an inferior being compared to them.


    That explained why it bothered Dana so much about her daughter being married to a king. She clearly carried a prejudice towards the kings. Compared to this, the problem of not being able to see her daughter whenever she liked, since her daughter now must live somewhere remote away from the Holy City, was only a trivial concern.


    Since a husband and wife was supposedly a lifelong companion, whom they can depend on till death do their part, Dana couldn¡¯t help but to doubt if the king was willing to understand and cherish his wife, with all his heart. There are too many failed marriages between kings and Anikas because Anikas were only seen a tool to produce heirs.


    Dana reproached him inwardly when she was informed of his arrival early in the morning today, thinking, ¡®What¡¯s his rush to come barging this early in the morning?¡¯.


    She had intended to let her daughter get all the sleep she needed after seeing her slumbering as soundly as a baby. But since he was a king before he was her son-in-law, Dana dared not to ask him to wait for her daughter to wake up.


    Having no other choice, Dana first went to greet the Desert King by herself.


    [Jin had gone to bed late last night since we had a lot of catching up to do. I¡¯ll go wake her up in this instance.]


    Dana was going to wake her up herself. She had also come up with a childish plan to walk as slowly as she could, so that her daughter can sleep for a little longer. Yet, the Desert King didn¡¯t sound like he minded at all.


    [You may just let her sleep off her fatigue. The journey must have tired her out. I¡¯ll just wait.]


    [¡­ But there¡¯s no telling when she will wake up.] Dana had said.


    [It¡¯s alright.]


    Dana was intrigued further when he asked her for a book to read while he waited. However, she still had her doubt in the back of her mind that the Desert King was only putting on a pretense of consideration, while he actually wished she would go wake her daughter up without him asking.


    After she brought him a book, Dana left him unattended on purpose, to further study his response. But when she returned to the sitting room after two hours, she found him absorbed in reading, sitting right on the sofa just as she had left him before. To her surprise, the aura of his surroundings was calm, without any sign of waver.


    According to the servant, the Desert King concentrated on his book without asking if his wife was awake, not even for once. Upon hearing that, Dana had started to see her son-in-law in a favorable light.


    She then recalled how she was faced with Eugene¡¯s strong opposition when she cautiously suggested divorce to her daughter last night.


    [Mother, why would you say such a thing? You have no idea how much he means to me. He was the only person who distinguished me from Jin before I met you.]


    Eugene had then tried to convince her, saying that the marriage was first agreed only under a contract, for many complex reasons. She had also said that Kasser was only married to Jin in name for the last three years before Eugene came to this world. When she was finished, she told her that she and Kasser have now become a true man and wife adding the fact that he could clearly tell her apart from Jin.


    Dana listened intently to Eugene and even chimed in for her sake every now and then. However, she couldn¡¯t help but to click her tongue inwardly, as she realized that her daughter was deeply besotted with her husband. She also felt dejected for a moment as it seemed like it was too late for her to split them up.


    Moreover, she couldn¡¯t help but to feel dubious about her daughter¡¯s explanation. She specifically found it hard to believe that Kasser was married in name only, without sharing the same bed with his then wife¡ªthe imposter Jin¡ªfor once over the course of three years.


    However, Dana was starting to get curious to find out more about the Desert King, since he had made a favorable impression on her earlier. She brought in tea, in an attempt to strike up a conversation with him. They hadn¡¯t spoken much, but she was pleased with her findings from the conversation.


    ¡®She¡¯s married to a good man.¡¯


    Dana felt relieved as the Desert King seemed like a man of good character, with not much of emotional ups and downs. A well-rounded personality was the best, in her opinion.


    She was especially fond of his prudent manner of speaking. His words were concise, and he paid no mind to flatter her with meaningless fine words. She¡¯s got this impression that he only speaks words he can be responsible for, instead of giving halfhearted responses.


    What her daughter had said about him only being married in name before, was beginning to sound convincing to Dana as both him and the imposter wouldn¡¯t have tolerated each other¡¯s temperament.

 CH 259.1

    All of sudden, Dana and Kasser turned their heads around as they both had sensed the urgency in the steps of someone who came running in great haste. Out of breath from running, Eugene looked alternatively at her mother and her husband with a flushed look on her face. She felt relieved as the atmosphere didn¡¯t seem very heavy around them.


    Dana narrowed her eyes as she watched Eugene, catching her breath. ¡®Look at her. Did she just come running thinking that I¡¯ll be hard on her husband?¡¯


    Dana was left speechless while a laugh escaped her unwittingly from her mouth. It would be a lie to say she wasn¡¯t disappointed at all. She knew deep down in her heart that it was only natural for a child to get married and start having a family of her own. However, it saddened her to think that she had missed her one and only chance in life to live with her, seeing her daughter grow into a woman.


    She rose to her feet and went up to Eugene. ¡°I see you¡¯re awake. Have you had your breakfast yet?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet.¡±


    ¡°Then you must be starving. I¡¯ll go ask them to prepare lunch a bit earlier today.¡±


    Dana gave her daughter a small tap on her forehead as she walked past her. Eugene laughed sheepishly at the thought that her mother had found out the reason why she had hurried.


    Eugene went up to Kasser and took a seat right next to him on the sofa. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry. No one came to wake me up, so I didn¡¯t know you were waiting for me this long.¡±


    ¡°I asked them not to.¡±


    Seeing that there were two teacups on the table, Eugene decided to ask what she¡¯d been concerned about. Just in case.


    ¡°Has my mother said anything weird to you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­. anything that might have offended you somehow.¡±


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t.¡± Kasser tittered a little as he stared into Eugene¡¯s face. He knew there was something weird about her expression when she came rushing in.


    ¡°Did you just come running to save me, out of concern?¡±


    ¡°I ran at my full speed.¡± Eugene gazed at him as he broke into laughter. It¡¯s only been a day, but he was looking dashing more than ever that she could almost feel herself thirsting for him. She wondered if she was having some sort of withdrawal symptoms. She just wanted to admire his face to her heart¡¯s content, without any intervention from her surroundings. Also, she couldn¡¯t wait to finally tell him about the truth, confessing that she was not the same person he had known for the past three years.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°To our home. There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±


    Wiping the grin off his face, Kasser fixed his gaze upon her. Eugene could almost feel the intense heat rising from his blue eyes. Unwittingly, she swallowed down her saliva as his lustful glare swept over her.


    ¡°Jin.¡±


    Eugene got up with a jump when her name was called out. A faint smile flashed across Dana¡¯s face as she walked in. She had clearly sensed the awkward air between the two and reflected that she must have interrupted them when they were about to kiss.


    ¡°Lunch is almost ready. Let¡¯s go have lunch first.¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear?¡±


    ¡°We would like to leave now.¡±


    ¡°What? Why don¡¯t you just stay for lunch? Is there anything wrong?¡±


    Eugene shook her head strongly as she clung to Kasser¡¯s arm. ¡°I want to go home and eat with him. There¡¯s so much for us to talk about. And I can¡¯t wait to tell him about the things we shared last night.¡±


    ¡°But still. There¡¯s no need for you to rush.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come visit again. It¡¯s not that far from our home anyway.¡±


    As Eugene insisted on leaving, she and Kasser made haste and got onto their carriage as if they had a pressing emergency. Since both her brothers happened to be out and her father was with a guest, they were sent off by her mother alone.


    Dana felt her emptiness in her heart as she watched their carriage leave. It was a completely different feeling from what she had felt when her son got married. She wondered if this was due to the difference between a son and a daughter, or if it was because she was her youngest child. Or was it because of all the years she had longed for her?


    She was infuriated to hear that her real daughter had undergone such hardships while her imposter lived in a clover. Although Eugene didn¡¯t go into much detail, assuring her that it was all in the past, Dana could feel that she had suffered much in life.


    ¡®I couldn¡¯t be happier to see that you¡¯ve found your happiness. My dear daughter. You have the right to be loved. In fact, you should be loved tenfold more to make up for the years you¡¯ve lost.¡¯


    As long as her daughter was happy, it wouldn¡¯t be a pain anymore even if she had to live another twenty years without seeing her.


    Dana stayed rooted to the spot, even after the carriage was no longer visible in the distance.

 CH 259.2

    Eugene said as she watched the carriage pass through the gate, looking out from her window.


    ¡°How strange. It was only yesterday when we came to visit.¡±


    She went on as she turned to look at Kasser.


    ¡°But I feel so different now as we leave¡ª¡±


    Eugene didn¡¯t end up finishing her sentence as her body got pulled all of sudden. Finding herself locked tightly in his arms, a look of surprise crossed her face before she put her arms around his back. The smile didn¡¯t seem to leave her face. His chest, pressed tightly against her face, was broad and hard. It was a familiar feeling of compression around her body that she had missed so much.


    However, Eugene¡¯s eyes began to falter with puzzlement as he continued to embrace her in silence.


    ¡®Is something wrong?¡¯


    She wasn¡¯t sure but there was something different about him today.


    In spite of her concerns, Kasser was only trying to suppress his surging emotions while he held onto her. He felt a strong urge to shower her with kisses, while he also felt like drifting off with her in his arms. It was such a complex feeling that cannot be defined with one word.


    [To our home.]


    [I want to go home and eat with him.]


    Just now, Eugene regarded their royal manor as ¡®our home¡¯ as if it was the most natural thing for her to say. Which means she no longer sees the Arse manor as her home.


    The royal manor in the Holy City had always been a white elephant to him as it was such a nuisance to keep such a big manor managed. Moreover, it was left empty most of the time since he hardly paid a visit to the Holy City. However, as getting rid of it was out of the question, Kasser had only regarded it as a costly accommodation.


    But then, all of a sudden, it started to hold a great meaning to him as it was now ¡®their home¡¯, where he and his wife could return to.


    Unhurriedly, Kasser savored every astonishing change that was happening inside him. Like a tree waking up from dormancy in the warmth of spring, he felt the warmth of his blood as they ran through his veins once again. It was such an inexplicable sensation that he couldn¡¯t think of better ways to describe it.


    Besides, he was not emotional by nature in the first place. Even as a child, he seldom threw a tantrum or cried like most children do in a way to express their feelings. He wasn¡¯t trying to hold back his feelings by force. He wasn¡¯t easily enraged hence, he merely supposed that he was made to feel less emotional than others.


    As a matter of fact, he was not disquieted even after his encounter with his birth mother yesterday. On the contrary, he simply shrugged it off as if it was just another trivial incident in his everyday life. His mind never faltered once even as he worked late into the night, carrying out his last inspection around the manor for renovation.


    After that, he had his dinner and went to bed just as usual although it took him some tossing and turning before he could eventually fall asleep. But he simply gathered that it was only because the bed seemed unusually empty without her by his side.


    But now as he indulged himself in the warmth of her body, it finally occurred to him that he was in fact unusually dispirited the whole time since his birth mother paid him a visit. This was indeed his first time learning what it truly meant to feel ¡®lonely¡¯.


    There were no better words than ¡°loneliness¡± to describe his inexplicable feelings from yesterday, as well as the occasional moments from his life where he felt like he was standing alone in the middle of the desert from time to time.


    If anything, his days had always been forlorn that he simply regarded such feelings as nothing but the weight of the responsibility which a king was destined to bear. But now that he thinks of it, it¡¯s been quite a while since he had last felt the hollowness in his heart, and it was Eugene who was at the starting point of all these changes.


    Before he knew it, her existence had sunk deep within him, taking up his heart to the point where he can no longer imagine a life without her.


    ¡®My home¡­ my wife¡­¡¯


    He would have lived just fine if he hadn¡¯t known it at all. But now that he got his clarity, there was no turning back to the times where he was ignorant of his loneliness.


    Eugene was however facing a dilemma of her own while being locked in embrace. Her mind muddled more than ever as she had never seen him behaving queerly before. She wasn¡¯t bothered enough to push him away, but she wanted to sound him out without making the air heavy around them.


    ¡°Are you that excited to go home with me?¡± She asked with a hint of jest in her tone.


    ¡°Yes. I am.¡± The smile faded from her almost instantly when she was caught off guard by his unexpectedly plain reply. She felt a sudden tightness across her chest upon hearing the word ¡®Yes¡¯ coming from his mouth.


    But she was soon flustered, feeling ashamed of herself for taking his word in a different way. She was relieved that he couldn¡¯t see her right now. Doubtless it must have been an unseemly sight for her face to flush red with indecent thoughts of her own.


    They stayed nestled in each other¡¯s arms all the way back, as the carriage headed to their royal manor. And as time progressed, it roused a strange feeling in her as they stayed fixed in an innocent embrace, without leading to a kiss or caress.

 CH 260.1

    ¡®I don¡¯t know if I can say this but¡­he¡¯s kind of cute today.¡¯


    Doubtless he was twice her size and incomparable when it comes to strength. However, she couldn¡¯t help but to feel like he was craving for her affection as if he was a child. And even though her body was tightly locked within his arms, she felt like it was rather her who was actually giving him a hug.


    Before long, the carriage started to speed down and spurted for the last moment before it finally came to a halt. And just as Eugene was thinking wistfully about having arrived so quickly, she heard a light tap coming from the other side of the door.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll be opening the door.¡±


    Eugene remembered how it seemed to take forever on her way to the Arse manor yesterday. But gathering from the fact that the returning trip took shorter than she expected, she must have been too nervous yesterday that the ride felt much longer than it actually was.


    Startled by the voice, Eugene pushed away Kasser at once. She clearly wasn¡¯t strong enough to break away from his arms, but he let go of her rather submissively. However, in the blink of an eye, he inclined his head towards her to steal a kiss off her lips along with the sound of the door being clicked open. It was a light kiss where his lips gently lingered on hers for only a second.


    Eugene brushed across her lips with her fingertip as she watched him alight from the carriage. The kiss touched her heart in an unexpected way, despite all the intense kisses she had shared with him so far. She could almost feel her heart pounding like a girl who just experienced her first kiss.


    ¡®He¡¯s¡­.¡¯ She can¡¯t quite put her finger on it, but there was something different about him today.


    A loud commotion was then heard when she took Kasser¡¯s hand to get off the carriage. As she turned to the sound, she saw a black horse come galloping toward her with all its might.


    Abu, who came up to Eugene in a flash, excitedly shoved its head against her. She was all smiles although the sight of a huge black horse, which easily exceeded a man¡¯s height, could come off as threatening.


    ¡°Abu.¡± Eugene reached out and gently stroked on his muzzle. ¡°Did you come to meet us?¡±


    Abu puffed in reply and rubbed its muzzle on Eugene¡¯s hand as if asking her to pet him some more. The stablers gasped for their breath with pale faces as they came running after Abu from behind. Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to feel sorry for them when she saw their frightful faces. She went on as she gave a light tap on Abu¡¯s muzzle.


    ¡°Abu. You should behave without making any trouble.¡±


    Abu neighed back in protest.


    ¡°All right. All right. You just have been bored, haven¡¯t you? I¡¯ll come play with you in a while.¡±


    Kasser did not hide his displeasure while listening to the two of them communicate in their respective language and animal cry as if they really understood each other. He got frustrated even more as he couldn¡¯t understand why he had to share his wife with that beast in the first place.


    He just got her back in a day. It wouldn¡¯t be barely enough even if he had her all to himself throughout the day. Kasser sneaked up behind her and placed his arm on her back as he scooped her up by putting his other arm under the crook of her knees.


    ¡°Not now, Abu. Umm, maybe tonight¡­¡±


    Just when she was appeasing Abu that she¡¯ll come back to play later, a short shriek escaped from her as she felt her body tilt to one side before she realized she was up in the air. After taking Eugene in his arms and with his knees slightly bent before he leaped into the air, Kasser swiftly landed on the roof of the carriage with ease.


    Eugene looked up at him with her rounded eyes. ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°One more time.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    Without further explanation, Kasser bent to prepare for another leap. Eugene quickly flung her arms around his neck when she saw his knees bent deeper than he did before he leaped up to the carriage¡¯s roof. Soon, his body soured into the air e as he kicked off the roof of the vehicle.


    Eugene looked down over his shoulders and saw their surroundings shrinking into the distance. A split second passed by as if in slow motion. It was such a ludicrous sight to see everyone wearing the exact same expression as they gaped up at them from the ground.


    Abu however, had let out a cry into the air while its eyes flickered in crimson. Abu could have easily caught up to them in the form of a black panther, but it was quite impossible as a horse. The sight of Abu stamping on the ground with chagrin was piteous but also funny at the same time.

 CH 260.2

    In just one leap, Kasser managed to land stably inside the balcony on the second floor of the manor.


    This reminded Eugene of the time in the castle when Kasser was just about to open the door to the room. But unlike last time, they entered without breaking any glass since the door was already unlocked.


    In silence, Kasser gazed into Eugene in his arms before he opened his mouth again.


    ¡°First.¡±


    Looking tense, Eugene braced for the rest of his sentence as he seemed strangely impulsive today.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have our lunch.¡±


    She broke into a dumbfounded laughter when the tension eased with his most unexpected invitation to lunch.


    ¡°Are you hungry, Your Grace?¡± Kasser questioned, ¡°I know you are. You even skipped your breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡±


    ¡°Still, you must eat something.¡±


    Eugene barely felt her hunger. She was rather filled with excitement as she had plenty of things she needed to tell him. She was growing ever more impatient to confide in him, but Kasser dismissed her and suggested having a light meal first.


    It took a long time for them to finish their lunch as dishes were served course after course before them. Eugene focused only on her dish throughout the whole lunch as what she was about to tell him wasn¡¯t something she can tell over a meal. If anything, it seemed even more impossible with servants coming in and going with the dishes while several maids held themselves at their disposal.


    After lunch, the couple adjourned to the study and bid everyone to stay off the room until they were said otherwise.


    However, when Eugene finally got to be alone with Kasser, she lost her tongue as fear caught up with her. She was afraid that she might strike him as absurd or that he might even reproach her for deceiving him the whole time.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Have you ever experienced any incidents in your life that seemed almost surreal or even preposterous?¡±


    ¡°Surreal and preposterous.¡± Kasser took a pause before he went on, ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    ¡°May I ask what it was about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± He answered decisively.


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°How you changed into a completely new person after your memory was lost. I¡¯ve never experienced anything more surreal than that in my whole life.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Eugene couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment as she gave him a nod. She was hoping to cushion the blow of what she¡¯s about to tell him, perhaps by gaining his sympathy beforehand but her attempt had been of no avail.


    She then drew a deep breath and closed her eyes to calm herself. When she opened them again, she was met with her husband¡¯s curious gaze. He held a stiff expression, having perceived the nervousness from her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve given much thought about where I should begin. But I think it¡¯s best to start from the incident twenty years ago, which is in fact the beginning of all tragedy. When I was only three years old, I was kidnapped, and it seemed like the incident had literally turned the Holy City upside down. Countless search troops and knights were mobilized to make sure every corner of the city was searched, even the sewerage system around the city.¡±


    Eugene heard about the very incident which happened twenty years ago during her conversation with Dana last night. The incident was later concluded with Sang-je announcing it as nothing but an impulsive case of abduction where the perpetrators¡¯ motive was nothing but money. However, Dana could not accept the announcement in the least.


    The nanny who had been involved in the abduction of her daughter had been working for them since Enoch was born. She found it hard to believe that the nanny had betrayed them and involved herself in crime merely for the money.


    ¡°Mother had conducted some investigation of her own but since Sang-je had announced it as a closed case, she needed to do without being noticed. It took her a few years to finally get a grasp on decisive clues. It turned out that those people who were involved in abduction were in fact the followers of Mara order and the nanny had been a staunch believer of Mara. However, she had been shrewd enough to keep it from everyone around her.¡±


    Kasser, who had been listening intently the whole time, spoke for the first time. ¡°Your life could have been in danger. I am most suspicious of Sang-je¡¯s intentions as well, but you were returned to your family unscathed. If that was the case, what had made Lady Arse feel the need to investigate further into the incident?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eugene¡¯s eyes wavered along with her pounding heart when he pointed it right out. ¡°For that, I would need to tell you about my mother¡¯s family first. This is actually a secret which has been kept from everyone except for her family members. My mother was born with an unusual ability from birth. To put it simply, she can see aura which is invisible to the eyes of ordinary people.¡±


    ¡°Aura? Of what kind?¡±


    ¡°According to her, it seemed like she could discern the aura which envelops each individual. Sometimes they appear in color but just like everyone possesses different souls, the aura differs from one to another as well.¡±


    Eugene swallowed down her tensed breath before she went on.


    ¡°So that is how my mother¡­ had realized on the day I was returned to her twenty years ago. She knew right away that the girl who was returned to her wasn¡¯t her real daughter after all.¡±

 CH 261.1

    Eugene has started to think how ludicrous she must sound to him while she listened to herself as she went on. None of what she¡¯s been telling him felt out of place to her since she was in fact, speaking from her own experience. But if she were to put herself in a different position, she can¡¯t really think her response would have been any different from, ¡®You really must have gone out of your mind.¡¯, if someone tells her that there has been switched. In soul.


    All she could do now was to try her best to speak in the most articulate way possible. And as she was afraid that her thoughts might get jumbled up once she tripped over her own tongue, she kept on without a pause.


    She took her time explaining how much her mother had tried to find her, in the hopes that her mother¡¯s desperation would be conveyed to him as well. She somehow believed that it would make him more likely to take her at her word instead of regarding her unaccountable stories as mere nonsense.


    Dana had literally tried in all ways to find a way to retrieve her daughter, but she failed eventually. While Dana agonized in disgust of her own powerlessness, the imposter had continued living in a clover under the name of Anika Jin.


    Kasser listened intently to her with set expression all the while until there was a subtle change in his gaze when Eugene said, ¡®My mother was the only person in this world who knew Jin was nothing but an imposter.¡¯.


    Eugene wondered what he was thinking in his mind, but she couldn¡¯t quite work up the courage to ask. Right now, she couldn¡¯t be more grateful to him for listening without cutting her off in the middle.


    ¡°¡­ So I found myself lying in the middle of a desert as I opened my eyes.¡±


    Eugene has finally reached the part where she had first set foot into this world. But she seemed to have reached her limit of tension that had been building up as she spoke. She was getting short of breath while her heart pounded with irregularity although she had been sitting still the whole time.


    Feeling parched all of sudden as if her throat was tightening on its own accord, she reached out for the tea which had already gone cold by now. However, the teacup, which contained nothing but a few mouthfuls of water, felt almost as heavy as stone. There was a slight tremor in her hand as she struggled to bring the cup to her mouth. She feared that she might drop the cup at this rate.


    Reluctantly, she put the cup back on the table and licked across her lips instead to moisten it before she could get to the most important part.


    But despite her efforts, her lips had gone stone¡ªshe couldn¡¯t say anything, her vocal cords blocked. She cleared her throat to put on a pretense of calm but ended up breaking out in a cold sweat when nothing, but air came out from her.


    Kasser, who had been sitting across from her the whole time, rose to his feet at once. Eugene looked up with a startle and watched as he came around the sofa table to her side.


    As he took a seat next to hers, he reached for the cup and held it out to her. Eugene intended to take the cup from him with both hands but instead of handing the cup to her, Kasser brought the cup directly to her quivering lips.


    Eugene smiled sheepishly as she tilted up her chin to drink out of the cup. She felt like she was able to breathe again now that her throat was moistened with water.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She looked back at him as if she was confused by the intention of his asking.


    ¡°You have no idea how you look right now.¡± While clicking his tongue inwardly, he brushed across her pallid face with the back of his hand. He was relieved as the water seemed to have brought some color to her face. Despite all the shocking truths which she was confiding in him, he couldn¡¯t help but to be more concerned to watch her turn pale as if she were to swoon any minute.


    ¡°..I¡¯m fine.¡± A faint whisper came out from her although she tried to speak up with all her strength. Her voice, although weak and unsure, sounded much better than when she spoke a while ago. Eugene forced her stiff muscles into a smile as if to reassure him, but her smile had only made him more worried for her as she couldn¡¯t look more in pain.


    Kasser wanted to ease the burden on her. ¡°Let me take it from here.¡±


    Eugene gazed at him, looking dumbfounded by his words.


    ¡°The day you woke up in the middle of the desert, must be the day you came back after you were found by the search troops. Am I right?¡±


    Eugene nodded, unsure of what kind of expression to put on.


    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t present at the castle as I was away in the desert.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Then on the day I returned. No, was it the day after? When I went to ask you regarding the missing national treasure as I¡¯d highly suspected your involvement, you¡¯d told me that you don¡¯t remember anything as it seems you had lost your memory after being found in the desert.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did¡­¡± Eugene¡¯s voice grew smaller with guilt.

 CH 261.2

    Kasser gazed at her for a moment before he muttered out. ¡°But you¡­ didn¡¯t lose your memory. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s only obvious that you couldn¡¯t remember anything about it as you never had any memory of such in the first place.¡±


    Eugene gave a nod while her eyes rounded with sheer astonishment. She remembered how her words had wandered off from her as she went on. In the end, she ended up getting confused by her own statement, as if her thoughts and words weren¡¯t in sync at all. With difficulty, she swallowed the cooled tea. She felt the need to start all over again so that her narrative could sound more sensible to him. But it seemed like she had underestimated him as he already had fully grasped the whole outline of her story.


    Eugene carefully studied his face. He was now deeply lost in his own thoughts in silence. On the contrary, she was growing more nervous since she couldn¡¯t tell if his such response was a good or bad sign.


    The king hadn¡¯t had the slightest idea of what she was trying to convey when she started out by bringing up a past incident from twenty years ago. He admit, it wasn¡¯t easy to take her by her words when she disclosed the secret of Lady Arse¡ªpossessing a natural ability which made her realize at once that the baby, although it was Jin in the flesh, returned to her wasn¡¯t her real daughter.


    He wondered if Eugene was also trying to explain how she had become distant with her mother ever since Lady Arse had fallen ill from the shock of the incident.


    Still, doubts began to emerge at some point as he continued to listen to her. Although he highly doubted his suspicions, he trusted his wife, the thought of being swapped by soul alone was enough to make goosebumps erupt on his skin.


    He was silent, so Eugene resorted to studying his face. As his eyes met with hers when he turned to his side, she quickly averted her gaze elsewhere and pretended as if she hadn¡¯t been looking at him at all.


    He reflected that the cup she was reaching out for was. Her eyes wavered when she realized it as well. Her such bewilderment was clear to his eyes¡ªEugene wore her heart on her sleeves. She was honest about her feelings without ever trying to hide it.


    As far as he knows about his dear wife, that¡¯s who Eugene really was. She was not the person to deceive anyone.


    He must admit there had been a clear turning point in his three years of marriage as ¡®Eugene¡¯, who he finally got to know of, had only appeared in his life a few months ago. Aside from the recent months of being with Eugene, the prior three years of his married life, mostly spent with the impostor Jin Anika, held no meaning to him in the least.


    Strictly speaking, he believed that Eugene was a patient whose years of memory were completely wiped out from her one day. At times, he felt ashamed of his own selfishness as a part of him strongly wished that her memory would not come back to her anymore.


    ¡®So, she truly is a different person? Is it really plausible for two souls to be switched?¡¯


    His mind was in constant denial. A normal person would say it wouldn¡¯t be possible for such an absurd theory to be true in the first place. However, there has been far too much evidence which could support such a ridiculously surreal theory.


    [Can a person¡¯s nature change just because memory was lost from one?]


    Although he had eventually come to stop comparing Eugene to her past self, he did have his suspicions about her in the beginning since she seemed to have changed into a completely new person after her memory loss.


    However, he strongly believed that it wouldn¡¯t be possible for one to turn into a completely different person, even after the memory was wiped out. He believed that one¡¯s true nature always remains the same. If so, the only plausible way to explain the foreignness he felt from Eugene would be to admit she was never the same person he knew in the past. All his doubts seemed to have cleared up after coming to such a conclusion.


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She blurted out a reply with a start.


    Kasser fixed his gaze onto her eyes, which seemed to waver in disquiet along with her growing anxiety as the silence stretched between them. Eugene felt compelled to beg for forgiveness as the stern look in his eyes seemed like an expression of disdain to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that I lied. But I did it only because I was¡­ scared. I¡¯d just found out about my identity after I met mother. Before then, I only thought I was involved in some kind of accident. And I must confess that I was planning to keep everything a secret for as long as I should, to keep on living inside a body which I thought I had taken away from Jin.¡±


    ¡°You really must have been scared. I bet you had suffered a lot on your own.¡±


    Eugene wondered if she had heard him right. Just like he said, she had indeed raked with apprehension and guilt until she finally met Dana. She also had asked herself countless times who she really was, in fear that she might one day disappear into another world just like how she was thrown here all of a sudden. And most importantly, what would happen to her if the impostor Jin comes back?


    To her surprise, not only Kasser didn¡¯t berate her for anything, but he had also instead shown concern. In disbelief, she asked for further clarity in fear that she might have interpreted his words to her advantage while his true intention remained hidden behind his words.


    ¡°Do you really understand what I just said? I¡¯m not the same Jin who you married three years ago.¡±


    Kasser flinched for a second, but he managed to give her a nod. ¡°I do understand.¡±

 CH 262.1

    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± She appeared skeptical, ¡°How¡­ exactly did you understand? And how come you take everything so easily? You don¡¯t seem surprised at all.¡± She raised her voice and was caught off guard by her own audacity. She must have sounded shameless and undignified to him, but she preferred to be berated than to be lied to.


    If they don¡¯t come to a mutual understanding with each other now, it would mean that she would have to live with another ticking bomb, not knowing when it might explode on them.


    ¡°I was surprised enough by what you¡¯ve just said. And I¡¯m not taking this matter lightly in the least. However, I was reminded of what Aldrit had told us as I listened to you.¡±


    ¡°Aldrit?¡± Eugene muttered as an unexpected name was brought up.


    ¡°Aldrit had explained to us once that Lark was never really a creature from this world. It was his ancestors who had summoned them over from another world. If that was true indeed, it might be possible for one¡¯s soul to be switched as well. If I hadn¡¯t heard all these from Aldrit before, it would have been harder for me to believe you. So¡­¡±


    Kasser trailed off with a slight hesitation, which had made Eugene tense up all over, bracing herself for the real blow to come. ¡°You really aren¡¯t the same person who I¡¯d married three years ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not.¡± Eugene gave him a firm reply.


    Kasser however, stared at her in silence before he went on with a hint of displeasure in his voice. ¡°So, what are you trying to propose?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Technically speaking, the rule and regulation which humans are legally obliged to abide by, is meant to be applied on the human body to be exact. Since the soul is invisible to our eyes.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eugene¡¯s brows furrowed since she had no idea of what he was trying to say.


    ¡°My point being a switch in one¡¯s soul does not provide any grounds for annulment or divorce alike. Our marriage is thus impeccable with every procedural justification.¡±


    Eugene belatedly realized what he was trying to point out. She wondered if he had been mulling over this matter earlier with the stern look on his face. All tension left her body while laughter escaped from her lips against her will.


    ¡°You really are unbelievable. I can¡¯t believe¡ª¡± She bit her lips before she could finish her sentence. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to stop her tears from bursting.


    Some part of her knew that he wouldn¡¯t turn his back from her completely. Still, she expected for their relationship to be affected in some ways. She had braced herself should he say something which might hurt her feelings.


    She wondered if this was how one would feel upon encountering a vast flat land stretching before the eyes instead of a rugged mountain which one had been fearfully bracing for.


    Eugene had her eyes closed for a moment before she reopened them as tears filled her eyes, making it impossible to see him clearly. She quickly wiped the tears with her hand as they streamed down along her cheeks. But she couldn¡¯t help but break into laughter when she caught sight of his flustered expression. She reflected how ludicrous she might seem to him as she continued to laugh and cry at the same time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­ My mind is completely blank. I hadn¡¯t nearly finished half of what I¡¯d prepared to say. I didn¡¯t even get started on the most important part. Is there anything you want to ask me instead? Please go on and ask me anything.¡±


    ¡°I do have something to ask.¡±


    Eugene was startled by his prompt reply as if he had been waiting for her permission to ask. Her relaxed heart seemed to tense up once again.


    ¡°What is it about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Sir Pides.¡±


    ¡°About whom?¡±


    Eugene asked back not because she didn¡¯t catch the name but rather because she was dumbfounded to hear an unexpected name coming into their conversation out of nowhere.


    ¡°Is he¡­¡± Kasser¡¯s voice trailed off as he became self-conscious of his petty jealousy after bringing the name up to her on impulse.


    Flora¡¯s remark was running through his mind since yesterday as he wondered what she meant by bringing Sir Pides on her next visit as a gift to Eugene.


    And as a matter of fact, Kasser has long been suspicious of Sang-je¡¯s intention ever since Sir Pides came to deliver Sang-je¡¯s letter in person. He also offered to escort Eugene to the Holy City at Sang-je¡¯s bidding. It was very unusual for Sang-je to send his most faithful right-hand knight on such a long mission as he normally keeps them at his sides.


    Instinctively, Kasser suspected that Eugene was in fact well acquainted with the knight. And since she was favored more than any other Anikas, Sang-je could¡¯ve contacted her privately through his most favored knight. If so, she must have met with the knight quite frequently in the past.


    However, Eugene was rather indifferent to Pides as she didn¡¯t seem particularly glad when he came as her escort nor did she show any sign which hinted that she had a personal acquaintance with him. Hence gradually, Kasser started to pay less attention to Pides.


    Although Pides¡¯s existence remained as an eyesore to him, Kasser wasn¡¯t bothered as much as before, so long as the knight was out of his sight.


    But that was until he heard Flora¡¯s remark yesterday.


    ¡°Your Majesty. What is it about Sir Pides?¡± Eugene asked again after a lengthy silence. But the king only remained silent without saying any word.


    ¡°Did something happen yesterday? Or did Sir Pides come to see me, perchance?¡±


    ¡°¡­Would his visit,¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°¡­be a gift to you?¡±

 CH 262.2

    Eugene gazed at him with a look of surprise and felt the last of her tears dry up almost instantly.


    Though it was brief, she hadn¡¯t forgotten about the conversation she had with Flora yesterday as it had nearly put her into an awkward position. But since it was only mentioned in passing, she plainly believed that he didn¡¯t give a fig about it, just like her family who pretended as if they heard nothing. If anything, that merely was a trivial incident which Eugene was likely to forget all about on the next day.


    She merely stared with occasional blinking of her eyes before it dawned on her that she had missed her chance to gloss over the situation. But she wouldn¡¯t have been able to answer him nevertheless since she hadn¡¯t expected him to ask such a question.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡®Have you lost your mind? Why are you stammering?¡¯


    Eugene reproached herself inwardly as her such response would likely cause more suspicion at this rate. But she could swear that she has done nothing that goes against her conscience. She first encountered Pides at the palace when he came to deliver Sang-je¡¯s letter to her, and she absolutely had no personal feelings whatsoever for him.


    Still, it didn¡¯t feel right to feign ignorance since she was well aware of Jin¡¯s feeling for Pides through her memories by now. Besides, it was impossible to leave out Pides if she were to explain to Kasser about the reason why Jin had decided to marry him in the first place.


    But she wasn¡¯t sure if it only had been a one-sided relationship or one of mutual giving since she knew no details about what really happened between Pides and Jin. All she could do was to conjecture from the snippets of memories she saw.


    ¡®I should have asked my mother yesterday.¡¯


    Never once did Pides¡¯s name cross her mind yesterday, as one night surely wasn¡¯t enough for Eugene and her mother to catch up on the years they¡¯d missed in the past.


    ¡°Nevermind. It was a stupid question¡­¡± said Kasser along with a faint sigh.


    ¡°No, really! I can explain.¡± The last thing Eugene wanted was for such a trivial matter to cause unnecessary misunderstanding between them.


    ¡°Sir Pides was Jin¡¯s, by Jin I don¡¯t mean myself here. He was Jin¡¯s¡­ first love.¡± Eugene made herself clear once again by placing her hand on Kasser¡¯s, after seeing his expression froze up instantly.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I¡¯m talking about the Jin who was in my body before I came back to this world.¡± Eugene went on, unable to discern how he was taking in her words just by his expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know who else knew but it¡¯s obvious that my family and Flora had known about it all along. There may be more or maybe not.¡±


    ¡°But Sang-je¡¯s among the people who knew.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Kasser was suddenly lost for words when it occurred to him that he wasn¡¯t being overly sensitive after all as it turns out that Sang-je¡¯s interference had indeed been intentional all this time. It truly was an undignified yet cunning tactic for trying to stir Eugene¡¯s heart by sending Pides to her on purpose.


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem fit to describe it with the word as innocent as first love, since¡­.¡± said Eugene after seeing him let out a snort of contempt.


    Eugene finally plucked up the courage and confided further in him about the secret deal made between Jin and Sang-je, concerning the marriage. However, she couldn¡¯t help but to break out into a cold sweat, watching his face harden as she went on. Never had she imagined that there would be anything much harder than explaining something as outlandish as souls being changed in a body. But on the other hand, she felt rather light-hearted since she had long deliberated about when and how to tell him about it.


    ¡°But I have no idea what exactly Sang-je had asked for in return when she requested for Sir Pides.¡±


    ¡°Sang-je¡­¡± Kasser trailed off, keeping the cursing to himself. Then he went on muttering with clenched teeth, as if swallowing his anger. ¡°Sang-je wants you.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d vowed to devote your whole life to God. That¡¯s what you, your past self to be exact, had promised Sang-je in return. That means you agreed to enter the convent in the Holy City palace.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°There are Anikas who go into the convent. And once they take the vow and enter the Holy City palace, they will leave their family, discard all the relationships and renounce the world forever.¡±


    Eugene looked completely nonplussed. ¡°I merely thought¡­ it was just a figure of speech. Wait!¡± said her when struck by a thought suddenly.


    ¡°Is that why Jin was never intimate with you throughout the whole marriage? Since she needs to stay a virgin to enter the convent?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not compulsory for one to remain virgin to enter the convent.¡±


    Eugene thought she had finally got to the bottom of the reason why Jin had avoided sexual intercourse throughout the three years of marriage. But according to what he just said, the deal she made with Sang-je didn¡¯t seem like the sole reason after all.


    ¡®Had Jin avoided it altogether as a justification for the annulment process later? But is there really a reason to have their marriage annulled? She could have asked for a divorce instead. Or could it be all because of Pides? He may be her first love but I don¡¯t think Jin is the type who devotes herself to only one man. If that¡¯s the case, that leaves no other explanation than the spell which Jin initiated in the past. I better start looking for the so-called sorcerers.¡¯


    While Eugene was ruminating over Jin¡¯s true intention, Kasser was lost deeply in his own thoughts as this was rather more serious than he had ever imagined. The fear that he might lose his wife to Sang-je no longer seemed like an idle fear to him.


    ¡®Doubtless Sang-je would try to stop Eugene from leaving the Holy City. I better prepare for the worst and devise different means of escape beforehand.¡¯

 CH 263.1

    ¡°Your Majesty, I can¡¯t stress enough that this was never my doing. It was what Jin had done in the past. How outrageous of her to conspire such things with Sang-je. But nonetheless, I guess I can¡¯t say quite say that I¡¯m not accountable for any of it as there¡¯s no denying that my body was involved during the whole conspiracy and just like you said, the rule and regulation which humans are legally obliged to abide by, is meant to apply on the human body and not on the soul. I would be the one to be held responsible even if I had committed a crime under the state of hypnosis. But¡ª¡±


    Kasser just stayed and watched as she wandered in her talk, looking much puzzled. He was of course, infuriated by Sang-je for trying to deceive him but he knew there was no point in brooding on what¡¯s already happened. He rather considered himself lucky since he can now at least prepare himself for the worst-case scenario. Moreover, it was even beyond Sang-je¡¯s powers to unilaterally annul their marriage against Eugene¡¯s will.


    Nevertheless, Kasser remained still as he watched her drawing closer to him. His instinct was telling him that it was advantageous for him to keep silent now.


    ¡°¡ªI have no interest whatsoever in Sir Pides. Nor do I intend to do as Sang-je¡¯s will.¡± Eugene cuddled up against him as she linked his arms in hers. ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    She muttered in a dismal tone as he remained silent. ¡°What a stupid question. Of course you¡¯re mad.¡± With that said, she released her arm and embraced him instead. She buried her face in his chest before she looked up and said, ¡°But please don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯ll do anything to make you feel better.¡±.


    ¡°Anything?¡±


    She gave him a nod despite her sense of foreboding as she believed that he wasn¡¯t a petty man who would take advantage of the situation and make an inordinate demand.


    ¡°Yes, whatever you ask.¡±


    Kasser wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her further into his arms.


    ¡°I have three wishes.¡±


    ¡®Three?¡¯


    Eugene was a little surprised when he jumped at her offer without a hint of hesitation but there was no reason for her to complain even if he had ten wishes.


    ¡°First of all, you¡¯ve said some memories of the past come to your mind occasionally although they weren¡¯t technically yours to be exact. So, I wish you could tell me about everything you see from now on no matter how trivial they may be.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Eugene answered meekly as she was planning to do that anyway.


    ¡°Secondly, as much as the time you left me alone yesterday, your whole day from now on, no, until tomorrow, will be mine alone. I don¡¯t want you to leave my side, not even for a second.¡±


    Eugene first thought his remark was made half in jest. But when she realized he was being serious, she couldn¡¯t help but to ask back with the same intensity as his.


    ¡°But what if I have to use the bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I come with you?¡±


    Eugene shot him a sideways glance along with a slap on his shoulder when he chuckled.


    ¡®He¡¯s not mad.¡¯ A laugh of relief slipped out of her as her tension eased. ¡°Your second wish is also granted. Except for the bathroom part. What is your last wish then?¡±


    Taking her chin in his hand, Kasser used his thumb to brush across her lips with a slight pressure. Eugene was bewildered by the sudden intensity in Kasser¡¯s eyes since he seemed a bit subdued just until a moment ago.


    ¡°I want you to kiss me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°With all your heart.¡±


    Eugene was having a hard time keeping up with the changing circumstances. And since her life had turned upside down after coming into this world, some part of her had braced for the similar changes to come after her confession to him today. But so far, nothing seemed to have turned out in the way she had expected.


    She couldn¡¯t quite understand how her confession about the change in souls had led to Pides then to their current conversation.


    However, it was much easier for her to kiss the man in front of her than trying to understand the puzzling situation around her.


    Slowly, she began by drawing closer to his face. It felt so odd to feel her heart flutter with embarrassment. Then, when their lips touched, Eugene reflectively closed her eyes, washed over by a wave of emotions. Picturing herself swallowing his lips, she enveloped his mouth with hers for a moment before she pulled away from him. Then she glanced up at him with her cheeks flushed red.


    ¡°So, when are you going to kiss me?¡± said Kasser with a cheeky smile spreading across his face.


    Eugene had no choice but to give him another kiss after narrowing her eyes at him. She took her time and even pushed her tongue in before she pulled away with a look asking if it was satisfactory to him.


    However, Kasser didn¡¯t acknowledge her efforts in the least. Instead, he went on in a wistful tone. ¡°Is this how you really feel about me?¡±


    His such remark was enough to make her bristle with disgrace. But on the other hand, she realized that there was no reason for her to shy away, especially when she had already spent countless nights with him without a shred of clothing. So, without further hesitation, Eugene pulled up her skirt altogether as she climbed on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    She started by devouring aggressively at his lips, knowing full well what a deep, sensual kiss was from her experiences by now. So just like the way he did, she inclined her head so their lips would interlock while she pushed in her tongue and gave a suck.


    Instantly, she felt his body grew taut against her skin. Just when she was feeling much triumphant for successfully arousing him, Kasser, who was taking a passive attitude all along, thrusted his tongue into Eugene¡¯s mouth at once and placed his hand on her nape so that she wouldn¡¯t pull away from him.


    ¡°Hmmp¡­¡±


    Eugene flinched as he rolled up her tongue and rubbed eagerly at it. She felt herself limp, her weight supported by the arms she hung around his neck. Kasser embraced her tighter, sensing her giving in. Her body pressed tightly against his, Eugene¡¯s face became flushed as soon as she felt the hardness against her thighs.

 CH 263.2

    Kasser tightened his arms around her body as she flinched. He broke off the kiss to switch the angle before he dug into her mouth once again. A faint nasal sound escaped her and tickled his ears as he continued to suck on her slick yet soft tongue. She was starting to feel faint as her heightened sensation surged all the way up to the crown of her head.


    Though he knows not when it exactly started from, he was having an unquestionable thirst, which can¡¯t possibly be quenched no matter how much cold water he gulped down, whenever he sees her. It was a thirst which could only be quenched by her alone.


    His sensations had long been aroused since from the moment she gave him that lovely kiss, which was no more than a brush across his lips. He felt his lower stomach pulling and twinging inside him as all his blood seemed to have rushed to his lower abdomen in a flash. And like always, he fought back his crude desire to shove himself deep into her flesh, with all his might.


    He didn¡¯t want to give way to his primitive instincts as he rather indulge in other pleasures such as tasting her lips, breathing in her smell, watching how she responds while feeling her with all his keen senses. To him, the pleasure that comes from their physical union was inconsequential compared to the emotional union.


    ¡°Ngh¡­¡±


    Eyelashes fluttered, her hands flinched on his shoulders, the sensual sensation, which had started from the bottom of her body, surged through her spine. Kasser, who has been driving her to the brink of breathlessness, broke off the kiss and nibbled at her chin before he pressed his lips grazed her cheek. He whispered as he kissed on her lids and licked at her ears.


    ¡°I knew something wasn¡¯t right from the beginning.¡±


    As Eugene glanced at him through her half-opened eyes, Kasser promptly showered his kisses around her eyes as she couldn¡¯t look more lovely to him.


    ¡°This marriage.¡±


    The next victim of his ministrations was her slender neck. Eugene¡¯s head jerked up involuntarily and her body lost its balance. However, she didn¡¯t fall as his hand firmly supported her on the back.


    ¡°I wondered why Anika from the Arse Family, who really had nothing in lack, had chosen to marry me in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Hmmph!¡± Eugene gasped in surprise when her breast was grabbed by his hand.


    ¡°What more could a woman of her status be in need of?¡±


    Indeed, Eugene wondered about the reason he¡¯d decided to marry Jin as well. As far as she knows, Kasser was rather cautious and meticulous by nature. So it was quite unbelievable that he¡¯d actually taken Jin for her verbal promise and spent three whole years without ever being intimate with her, not even once.


    Eugene asked as she threw her arms around Kasser¡¯s neck, while he kissed her on the nape.


    ¡°Did you really believe that Jin would bear you an heir?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I had my doubts that she might go back on her promise.¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you¡­ Ah!¡±


    Eugene clung to his neck in surprise when her body fell backwards. She found herself lying on her back as he laid her down on the sofa. Since the legs of the tea table were longer than the sofa, the table was now well above her eye-level. Sheepishly, red flushed her cheeks as she was somehow embarrassed by such novel position.


    Kasser gently brushed across her flushed cheek with his hand as he gazed down at her. He especially loved the moment where her milky skin turned rosy with red.


    ¡°I will definitely not accept the offer if I am asked again. But back then, I guess I acted out of sheer desperation since there was a lot going on in my life. All I wanted was to get married and be done with it without giving much thought about the possible aftermath. Which was a good thing after all since I was able to meet you through that marriage.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eyes widened at his remark.


    ¡°You were involved in an unexpected incident against your will and as a result, everything you ought to enjoy was taken away from you. That makes you a victim. So, there¡¯s nothing for you to feel sorry about.¡±


    Feeling hot behind her eyes, Eugene closed her eyes for a moment before she opened them again.


    ¡°Ironically, your misfortune has turned out to be luck to me instead. As you wouldn¡¯t have married me three years ago if it really had been you.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±  Feeling a lump in her throat, Eugene paused before she could go on. ¡°I feel so lucky to meet you too.¡±


    Eugene had indeed reproached the world countless times during her tearful reunion with her mother. She felt deeply wronged about everything that had happened to her since her life could have been much happier with her loving family by her side. However, her life on earth was hard and painful. She was already covered with all the cuts and bruises, which left scars forever in her heart.


    But somehow, she felt like all her hardships, which she had gone through before she came to this world, was compensated by this one warm remark from him. She wondered if her last twenty years had been a price she had to pay to meet this man.


    And just as he said, she probably wouldn¡¯t have considered marrying a ¡®king¡¯ if she was raised in this world since she would have been blinded by prejudice like Anika Gemma. If that was the case, she would have forever missed her opportunity to find out how good a person he actually was.


    Eugene took his hand from her cheek and turned her head to give a kiss at the tip of his finger. She looked up at him seductively as she nipped further at his flesh. Almost instantly, his once tranquil eyes turned and ablaze with a deep blue flame.

 CH 264

    Kasser promptly climbed on top of her body. A pleasant moan escaped her when she was pressed down by the familiar weight of the man. Without hesitation, she welcomed his kiss by parting her mouth.


    His tongue soon moved intrusively inside her as he sucked on her soft flinching tongue. He traveled all the way up from her calf to her thigh with his hand before he took hold of the mound hidden under the thin layer of her undergarment.


    He rubbed against the crevice he felt over the thin material. The undergarment was however already soaked through and was now wet against his fingertips.


    He nipped at her earlobe, seeing her eyes downcast on her flushed face.


    ¡°Hand or mouth?¡± His whisper had made her look up with a start.


    The finger, which has been rubbing over the undergarment, penetrated the fabric easily from the sideways and shoved right into her entrance.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Hand? Mouth? Which is it?¡±


    Eugene shot him a reproachful look. She didn¡¯t appreciate him for asking her opinion on such things since his intention was clear to tease her. As a matter of fact, she was all scarlet by now as if her face was blazing on flame. Doubtless she was red all over her face and even under her neck.


    Kasser shallowly slipped an inch of his sleek finger into her opening and before long, his whole finger was deeply shoved all the way through. His firm and long finger then poked at her insides and rubbed against her walls.


    ¡°Hmmp!¡±


    ¡°So you prefer the hand?¡±


    Imperceptibly, Eugene shook her head as she gazed at him with teary eyes.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know unless you tell me.¡±


    The finger, which had been pressing against her inner walls, slipped out from her at once. Then, he shallowly penetrated and tantalized her entrance before pulling out again. Wet sounds filled the air as her fluid trickled stickily along his finger.


    Eugene, however, was growing restive. She didn¡¯t feel quite satiated from the stimulation having experienced countless moments where she would feel completely spent after receiving his tenacious caresses. Wistfully, she recalled the warm touch of his tongue against her privates and felt a sudden twinge in her waist. It almost felt like she has now become an addict who¡¯s lost self-control after dabbling in the forbidden drug.


    After much hesitation, she bit back her words and beckoned him closer instead. In obedience to her gesture, Kasser lowered his ear to her mouth. Sheepishly, Eugene parted her lips and whispered in the faintest voice.


    ¡°The¡­ mouth.¡±


    Kasser responded in a subdued voice and smiled with the corners of his mouth. ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Without missing a beat, he vanished from her sight. Soon, he took hold of the hem of her dress and easily rolled it to her waist. She felt a sudden cold draft brushing against her lower abdomen as he stripped away her undergarment.


    Eugene screwed her eyes shut when her inner thighs were grabbed and spread to its sides by his hands. She felt so exposed to be lying on the sofa with her legs wide open to reveal her bare private before him, at this hour in the study. Yet, her waist trembled with expectation in stark contrast to her sense of shame.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Kasser licked up against her privates with his slick tongue. Then, he burrowed into her entrance the tip of his tongue before he gave another tantalizing lick from her labia to the start of her crevice. Eugene gasped with shock as it almost felt like she could sense even the tiniest projections on his tongue.


    As he turned and changed his angle against her heat, his tall nose stimulated her clitor!s. He deeply inhaled and sucked as if to devour her with his mouth.


    ¡°Hmmp!¡±


    Eugene¡¯s waist heaved up and down against her will. Firework exploded behind her eyes as the prickling sensation ran through her spine. She felt the constricting spasms coming from her walls while fluids poured out from her entrance. The obscene sound of him swallowing the trickling juice was all the room had in silence.


    She reflectively tried to close her spread legs but failed in vain as it were held back by his firm grips. Eugene covered her face with both her hands while moans slipped past her mouth between intermittent sobs.


    With his lips pursed, he sucked on her small tumescent projection. Eugene took the full force of the stimulation at her swollen nub. Unable to endure the sharp pang of pleasure, she uttered a loud coquettish moan.


    ¡°Hrrr, Ah¡­!¡±


    Her heightened sensation reached the climax at once. Resultantly, her waist jerked and seized up before she lolled back on the sofa. She felt her privates throbbed after reaching a short climax. His lips once again coveted her convulsing folds and tasted the trickling juice.


    ¡°Ah! ah!¡±


    She could feel her sensitive nub pulsed with excitement after being stimulated in a row. Relentless pangs of pleasure felt like blades against her body. However, Kasser seemed far to being done.


    Resting her legs on his shoulders, she didn¡¯t expect for him to lap up her still oozing labia as if it were honey causing her legs to tremble in the air.


    ¡°Ngh! Ah, ah!


    A new wave of pleasure washed over her after coming to her climax, once again. She reflectively curled her toes as her chin jerked up, while her body stretched before growing taut. Soon, she found herself lolling on the sofa as if she was made of wet cottons.


    ¡°Haah. Haah¡­¡± She gasped, struggling to catch her breath. She didn¡¯t feel like lifting even a finger as she felt like she was sent into a state of torpor, completely spent after her climax. Her brows furrowed at every intermittent flinch when her entrance convulsed with spasm.


    Without taking a breather, her legs were however spread further by his grip around her ankles. Eugene uttered a moan as she whined.


    Kasser positioned her legs on his waist and placed his slick manhood against her wet entrance. After giving it a rub or two, he pushed his member straight to her core. Her supple entrance easily engulfed his thick flesh as it slid into her.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    A sharp chill ran through her body at once. Kasser, on the other hand was not spared from the building pleasure, her walls warm and tight around his member almost drove him insane. He licked across his lips, tasting sweet in his mouth. The constricting spasms from her walls tightened and relaxed around his member continuously.


    Slowly, he slipped out from her body with a gentle twist in his waist before he pushed in once again. He started to pick up his pace as he thrusted up against her. Meanwhile, he carefully observed the change in her face as she winced and gasped for breath.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    He continued to let out his urge as he gained speed at his thrusting. Wet sounds transpired as two bodies slapped against each other.


    ¡°Ah! Ahh!!¡±


    Eugene uttered a coquettish moan whenever he moved. After being filled with him, her inner flesh trembles with pleasure as he slipped out. However, she barely had the time to feel her emptiness, as he gave another hard, deep thrust. She was completely overwhelmed by the tingling sensations while tears welled up behind her closed eyes.


    Soon, she felt a twinge at the tip of her fingers and toes. A hair-rising shiver travelled through her body like a drop of ink being spread across the water. It almost felt like she was being prickled along her fingertips to her shoulders. her arms, then again from the tip of her toes to her thighs along her calves. All her senses were on edge.


    Eugene knew exactly what to expect, from the moment she was engulfed in her senses. Waves could seem so far away at first, however, she knew the waves would eventually wash over her, much faster than she expected.


    ¡°Ah ahh!¡±


    Her pupils enlarged at the sensation while she sang moans that only encouraged the man before her. As her hips jerked up, she hooked her legs around his waist tighter. Kasser was undeterred in filling her insides. He could feel the squirming sensation around his member, her walls narrowing around him as he hasten his pace.


    Her shoulders heaved as she sobbed while tears flowed out of the corner of her eyes. Along with his low guttural moan, he poured out his hot seeds inside her. Eugene bit into her trembling lips, amazed by the mass inside her as it still managed to stretch against her inner walls, even after his release.

 CH 265.1

    Eugene closed her barely opened eyes, enraptured by the pleasure. Her sensations seemed to have heightened with even greater intensity than usual as the shudder that passed through her body in the wake of her climax lingered on with no sign of subsiding. She perched dizzily on the boundary between ecstasy and pain while gasping for breath.


    ¡°Hmmp¡­¡±


    An involuntary moan then escaped between her lips. The way he pulled himself out from her was almost vivid to her senses. Her body trembled further at the feeling of him slipping out.


    Eugene had no doubt that he would come back to her right away. As much as the time he takes almost excessively in caressing her body, he hardly lets her go until he has driven her to the verge of her limit, once he makes into her body.


    However, in contrast to her expectation, Kasser merely showered kisses on her face while supporting his body weight with his arms so that he wouldn¡¯t crush her fragile body. Instead of the usual kiss where their tongues entwine with fervor, his kiss was surprisingly gentle, leaving the warmth of his lips on her skin.


    The lightened atmosphere around them hinted that the kiss wouldn¡¯t likely lead to another heated activity.


    Although Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to be doubtful that he would truly stop as it is, her body has eased gradually. The strain from lovemaking finally gauging her to rest. But before long, she barely managed to open her eyes just in time to see herself being lifted in the air, the instant the pressure of his weight was gone above her.


    ¡°There is not enough space in here.¡±


    Eugene shut her eyes close this time. She would need her strength for the next few minutes to come.


    Gazing down her lovely forehead, now covered with a few strands of her hair sticking onto it, Kasser was torn as to whether he should resist or give in to his strong urge to kiss her. He chose not to, but hurried his steps as if there wasn¡¯t a moment to be lost.


    ***


    It seemed like Kasser was not jesting when he asserted his rights to spend time with her for the whole day. Though Eugene had somehow braced herself for it, it wasn¡¯t long before she realized that she wasn¡¯t nearly prepared for what¡¯s to come. She literally never got to leave her bed, not even once for the entire day.


    The king was the first thing that came into her sight when she opened her eyes the next morning. He hardly left her side while they had a late breakfast or even during the teatime after their meal. After that, they adjourned to the balcony where they can have a good view of the garden of their manor.


    The servants were then bid to bring in a sofa to the balcony which was wide enough for them to rest their feet. Stretched out on the long sofa close to each other, Kasser and Eugene soon engaged in conversations while the room hummed with their affectionate whispers.


    ¡°Does that mean your name will be Jin from now on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve always thought I wouldn¡¯t miss the life I lived as Eugene. But it¡¯s not as easy as I thought to throw away the identity of my last twenty years overnight.¡±


    ¡°I like Eugene,¡± said Kasser readily. ¡°That name suits you better I think.¡±


    She compared the difference in how she had felt when she was called Jin and now as Eugene by Kasser. Surely, the difference was obvious as her heart seemed more drawn to the name ¡®Eugene¡¯ as well.


    Even so, she couldn¡¯t possibly ask her mother to call her by that name. Especially when Dana had waited so long for her daughter ¡®Jin¡¯ to come back. Besides, the feelings she had when called ¡®Jin¡¯ by her mother¡¯s soft voice, differed much from Kasser¡¯s anyway.


    ¡°Perhaps I should keep them both.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    ¡°But then, it would be like stealing her name,¡± said Eugene with a laugh.


    ¡°Does it really matter? She literally stole your whole life from you.¡±


    Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to giggle, burying her face on his chest. Before today, she would most likely feel both thankful and sorry out of guilt, whenever he took her side. But now, she could finally be pleased wholeheartedly by his such remarks.


    They both stayed silent for a while, feeling the pleasant breeze blowing across them from the balcony. Despite being inside one of the biggest manors located in the middle of the Holy City, it almost felt like they were alone in a secluded forest. Everything seemed so peaceful around them.


    Even the silence felt pleasant now that he was around. And as much as he was enjoying having her alone, she was also jovial to have the busy king all to herself for the first time in a long while.


    ¡°How I wish I had inherited my mother¡¯s mystical powers from her as well.¡±


    ¡°You wish for too many things. You¡¯re already Anika. There¡¯s no way you can be more special than you are right now.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s human nature to be desirous of the things you don¡¯t possess.¡±


    As they discussed Dana¡¯s powers, Eugene went on to tell him further about the things she hadn¡¯t told him about her mother¡¯s family. Promptly, Kasser asked back with a tone of surprise in his voice.


    ¡°Your mother is from the Muen Family?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s astonishing.¡±

 CH 265.2

    Eugene never expected for him to be that surprise. He appeared calm even when he was told that her soul was changed but being confided of her mother¡¯s origin elicited a reaction from him.


    ¡°Do you know well about the Muen Family?¡±


    ¡°Just as much as it¡¯s known to others.¡±


    ¡°The fact that my grandmother was from the Muen Family is supposed to be kept as a secret. So, it¡¯s only my father who knows about the secret among our family.¡±


    ¡°Is it alright to let me in on such a secret?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already got my permission from my mother. Since you¡¯re not the kind of person who would give secrets away to others.¡± Eugene beamed from ear to ear and gazed at him expectantly, waiting for a compliment. Kasser looked at her in silence, tightened his arms around her shoulder and began to kiss her all over her lovely face, making her laugh.


    Eugene has heard all about the Muen Family from Dana. It was in fact the most interesting topic among all that had arisen during the conversation with her mother yesterday.


    Indeed, Muen is considered a hermit family where its existence is hardly known to the people of the Holy City. There is however an unspoken fact that among those who have an influence in the city, there are none who have not heard of the Muen Family.


    The head of the Muen Family is known to possess a special ability¡ªthey can foresee one¡¯s destiny or even the future of the world. And such ability has been passed from one head to another for generations in the family.


    However, chances are that they could be mistaken for belittling God if a mere human such as themselves were to display such godly power when there is Sang-je, who is acknowledged as God¡¯s vicegerent.


    Nonetheless, the history of the Muen Family goes way back and although the family is known to exert invisible influences on the ruling class in the Holy City, they never had been largely oppressed or whatsoever. It seemed only natural to assume that Sang-je was in fact turning a blind eye to their existence as Sang-je wouldn¡¯t have been in the dark about them.


    Sang-je had never once mentioned about the Muens in public. However, he hasn¡¯t taken any actions so far to correct the rumor that said that the Muens are in fact under his very protection. Resultantly, it was now regarded as an open secret that Sang-je was indeed deeply connected with the family.


    Sang-je does meet with the people through audiences, but only a minority of the population was granted a chance to actually see Sang-je in person. And the reason they long so much for an audience with Sang-je was out of vague expectation of getting God¡¯s blessing, more than to seek his advice.


    So whenever overwhelmed by the wall of harsh reality, people tend to turn to the Muen Family who would give them concrete solutions to their problems.


    On the surface, it was the head of the Muen Family who demonstrated one¡¯s godly power more often than Sang-je does so. However, there was a good reason as to why the head of the Muen Family wasn¡¯t worshiped as an equal to Sang-je as God¡¯s vicegerent. The reason being is that the head¡¯s power wasn¡¯t downright absolute.


    The head¡¯s ability to foresee widely varied depending on the people and the issue. Occasionally, people would likely get turned away at the door or told only about whether they were having good or ill luck. Even so, the prediction can sometimes be very precise, and it would literally blow everyone¡¯s mind away whenever they come true. As it happens, the predictions have never been wrong when it comes to one¡¯s fate of life and death.


    To cite an instance, once there was a man of importance who came to seek the Muens, most desperate to ask about the whereabouts of his lost child. However, what the man was then told by the then head that his child had long since died. The man was then directed to the place to look for his child¡¯s body and ended up finding the child¡¯s cold corpse.


    No one came to doubt the ability of the head of Muen when more similar cases of such were resolved after that.


    ¡°It seemed like the Muens had also helped back when I was kidnapped twenty years ago. Mother said there was a knight who came and assured them that it was only a matter of time before I was found as the Muens had offered to help in locating my whereabouts. From that, mother had regarded that the rumor about the relation between the Muens and Sang-je must be true after all.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That really is astonishing since Sang-je had never officially acknowledged his relation to the Muen family so far.¡± Said Kasser.


    ¡°I guess the Muens are more renowned than I imagined.¡±


    ¡°They truly are.¡±


    ¡°If so, how come their name is not so widely known to the public? I¡¯ve heard that most people in the Holy City don¡¯t even know about their existence.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that they truly are a renowned family. However, their fame is strictly restricted to those who already know about their existence. It wouldn¡¯t be so wise to gossip about the Muens as one would have to risk having his or her name being removed from the list whom the head would grant an audience to.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s basically, ¡®Watch your tongue if you wish to see me¡¯. What a bold threat.¡± Said Eugene, her mouth in an ¡°o¡± as Kasser continued,


    ¡°One must have a connection within the family to actually meet the head of the Muen in person. Into the bargain, there¡¯s a big sum to pay in advance, in exchange for the information. Nevertheless, one would likely have to wait at least half a year after registering for appointment as there is always a long waiting list.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen the head of Muen in person before?¡±


    ¡°No. The head of Muen never meets with a king.¡±

 CH 266.1

    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It seems like a king¡¯s destiny isn¡¯t something they could foresee even with their power. By the same token, they don¡¯t meet with Anikas as well. Come to think of it, how in the world did the head of Muen help when you were kidnapped? I don¡¯t suppose there was anything the head of Muen could possibly have helped in your case.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ you¡¯re right. Since they can¡¯t foresee Anika¡¯s destiny.¡±


    In that case, it must be one or the other. It was either the head of Muen had tracked down the whereabouts of the nanny who kidnapped her or it was a downright lie that the destiny of a king or Anika wasn¡¯t foreseeable with their power.


    Eugene was soon lost in thought as she made a mental note to ask her mother further about the incident the next time she sees her. She never bothered to delve deeper into it as she was very much captivated when Dana first told her about the Muens.


    She remembered having heard a rumor about the skilled fortune teller whom the men of importance and wealth often seek advice from, back when she still lived on earth. She was simply amazed by the fact that the ruling class never quite differs regardless of the worlds they live in.


    All this talk with Kasser so far had aroused several questions in her mind.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Is there some kind of prejudice one would likely feel when encountered with someone from the Muen family? Like uneasiness, for example.¡±


    ¡°Not that I could think of. Other than surprise.¡± said Kasser as he shook his head.


    ¡°Then, how do you think a family would respond to a family member declaring to marry one of the Muens?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, certain attempts such as buying the information regarding the heir of the Muen is quite prevalent as many wish to get closer ties with the Muen family through marriage. If such ability is indeed something that runs in the blood, it¡¯s obvious that there are people who wish to get their hands on that power through their grandchildren. Even so, I¡¯ve never heard of the Muens being related to such a reputable family through marriage. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that the Arse family was related to the Muens by blood¡­¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did my mother keep that as a secret? She told me that she had never met anyone from the Muen family other than my grandmother who has long since passed away. Do you have any idea as to why she avoided them?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone who knows about the Muen family is favorable to them. On the whole, there are two types of people among those who¡¯s aware of the Muens existence. Those who wish to meet with the head of the Muen at all costs and those who refuse to be told about their destiny. Perhaps Lady Arse falls into the latter group.¡±


    His reasoning alone, however, wasn¡¯t convincing enough for her since the Muen family was her mother¡¯s root nonetheless.


    And since prejudice against the shaman or fortune teller was prevalent in the society back on earth, she regarded that her mother had kept it as a secret for pretty much the same reason. However, the public perception here seemed very much different from earth according to Kasser.


    ¡®There must be some other reason. I guess I have to ask my mother about it in person on my next visit.¡¯


    ¡°I know this could sound absurd, but don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a chance that the Muen family could somehow be related to the ancient tribe which Aldrit had mentioned about having the power to foresee the future?¡±


    Kasser¡¯s eyes widened as he gave a nod. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound absurd at all.¡±


    After a moment of contemplation, he muttered as if he had realized something important. ¡°You¡¯re right. Just as you said, the power the head of Muen is known to possess is similar to foreseeing the future indeed.¡±


    ¡°I had my doubts that perhaps Sang-je is related to the ancient tribe in some way as well. And I guess my assumption wasn¡¯t all that groundless after all since it seems like there is a close tie between Sang-je and the Muens. I¡¯m sure we could find out more about Sang-je if we delve deeper into the Muen family.¡±


    Eugene felt her heart palpitated as she was beginning to see the glimmer of a clue to a long-standing conundrum. Setting aside the worries of the days to come, it was simply fun to see the pieces finally being fit into a bigger picture.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Seeing the twinkle in her eyes, Kasser had a sudden hunch that he wouldn¡¯t like what she was about to say.


    ¡°I would like to pay another visit to the palace tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­tomorrow?¡±

 CH 266.2

    ¡°I was able to leave halfway during the audience last time because of Kid. But I haven¡¯t actually got the chance to have a proper talk with Sang-je. And I think it¡¯s about time for me to revisit him since he had said that he would be looking forward to meeting me again upon my recovery from the fatigue of the journey. He might become suspicious if I don¡¯t pay him a visit until I am summoned.¡±


    Eugene was confident that she wouldn¡¯t be as tense as she was last time. Unlike the days where she had been severely insecure about her identity, she no longer had any reason to hide or fear anymore. The importance of one¡¯s state of mind in life seems to have finally dawned on her.


    As a matter of fact, she was very much reassured by the endless support from her loved ones. If Kasser is a shield that protects her from the enemies who attack her in the front, her parents are then a solid wall that keeps away the enemies lurking behind her.


    ¡°I guess I will stop by the library which I hadn¡¯t had the chance to visit last time and also at my mother¡¯s on my way back. There are a few things which I want to check with my mother about. I think I might come home late tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Kasser looked down at her face with somewhat mixed feelings. Eugene, who had cried her eyes out in his arms just a few days ago, seemed to have gotten much stronger in the meanwhile.


    In the past, she used to lean greatly on him whenever she grew uneasy. His heart had then fluttered along every time, since she couldn¡¯t be happier when she burrows into his chest whenever he takes her in his arms. Of course, he wasn¡¯t wishing for her to feel helpless to the point that she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything without him. However, he somehow hoped that she wouldn¡¯t get too far away by herself, forgetting the fact that he would always be around her side.


    Eugene gazed back at Kasser as he remained silent.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I will be fine.¡± said Eugene as she thought he was worrying about her.


    ¡°But Pides will be there too.¡± Kasser grumbled to her with a sullen look. Even though he wasn¡¯t bothered as much by Pides¡¯s presence around her as before, he still found himself saying needless things to her.


    Eugene, who was leaning against him, straightened up halfway from him with a start. ¡°Your Majesty. I¡¯ve told you there¡¯s nothing going on between me and Sir Pides.¡±


    ¡°But Sang-je will try to keep him close to you nonetheless. And I¡¯m most certain that Sir Pides has feelings for you.¡±


    ¡°Sir Pides, to me? What made you think he is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the way he looks at you.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Eugene cried out, stunned by his absurd accusation. But as much as she was unaccustomed to seeing his petulant side, a chuckle escaped her lips. She didn¡¯t feel all bad to see him jealous after all.


    Kasser drew her back into his arms. At the same time, he straightened himself and changed his position. So in the blink of an eye, it was Eugene who was now lying on her back on the sofa instead. Kasser lowered his torso until their noses touched.


    ¡°Make sure you take Kid with you tomorrow.¡±


    Eugene wrapped her arms around his neck as she smiled. ¡°I will.¡±


    Kasser had already made up his mind to wait for her somewhere nearby the palace tomorrow. As much as he wished nothing would happen to her, he wanted to stand by in the vicinity so that he could run straight to the palace should Hwansu call for him in case of emergency.


    All of sudden, Kasser¡¯s head was turned as he sensed some presence in the surroundings. Soon, a cautious voice of the chamberlain was heard beyond the balcony¡¯s window.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    As Kasser had already made himself clear that he did not wish to be disturbed unless there was a life-and-death situation, he was determined to bring the chamberlain to account if he was disturbed for nothing.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a man at the door who demands to have an audience with Her Majesty. According to him, he said he was assigned a task from Her Majesty and was told to come visit her anytime.¡±


    The chamberlain had indeed hesitated before his decision to make this report since the king¡¯s command was more of a warning that there would be consequences to those who disturbs him. For that reason, he had greatly grappled with how he should deal with this mysterious guest whose identity and status was unknown.


    If it was the king the man had sought, the chamberlain could have just postponed the report without question. However, since it was the queen the man was looking for, it was hard for the chamberlain to decide the urgency of the matter.


    ¡°A guest who came to see me?¡± Seemingly intrigued, Eugene pushed aside Kasser¡¯s chest to get up. Kasser helped by grabbing her hand and pulling her up. After she had straightened herself on the sofa, he commanded the chamberlain to come in.


    The chamberlain then continued to give more details about the queen¡¯s visitor. ¡°The man had further identified himself as a storyteller and also said that he met with Her Majesty back at the royal palace.¡±


    There was indeed a face which came to her mind upon hearing the further description.


    ¡°Did he come with a company perchance?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he came along with an old lady.¡±


    Eugene¡¯s eyes immediately widened with great surprise.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe this. Did he really bring his maternal grandmother all the way to the Holy City after he¡¯s found her?¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t help but to be genuinely taken aback by the power of money.


    ¡°Bring him i¡ª.¡±


    Eugene took a pause, taking a glance at Kasser. There were still a few hours left before the day¡¯s end, which she promised to spend with him alone. However, she didn¡¯t feel like she could hold back any longer. She was getting impatient to meet the storyteller¡¯s grandmother and ask the lady about everything she knew about the spells.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Eugene called out to him with an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Bring the man in,¡± Kasser bid the chamberlain after letting out a faint sigh.

 CH 267.1

    ¡°Master.¡±


    An old man, who was sitting with his back against the chair, opened his eyes in a sluggish manner. Despite his gaunt-looking face, his eyes, that were hidden behind the lined skin just until a moment ago, were still gleaming with life.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Soon, a man in his forties and a young little girl came through the open door. They came to a stop and lowered their heads as soon as they saw the old man.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    The old man rose from his desk when the father and daughter had taken their seats on the sofa. He may be slow-footed, but he managed to keep an upright posture as he walked up to them.


    Rahan, the head of the Muen family, then said as he gazed at his son.


    ¡°Take the child to that place today.¡±


    The old man¡¯s voice was indeed subdued and raspy. Also, his dry hacking cough showed no sign of stopping after his last words were caught in his throat.


    Thas, who was the likely heir to the Muen Family, waited for his father¡¯s cough to subside with a pitiful look before he opened his mouth.


    ¡°By ¡®that place¡¯, do you mean the underground?¡±


    Structurally, the Muen manor had no underground. Instead, it was a secret code which they frequently used in their conversation.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But master, Hitasya has just turned twelve.¡±


    There was only one chance for the descendants of the Muen family to visit the underground and there was an age limit. One could only pay a visit just once, before the day of one¡¯s fifteenth birthday.


    Rahan fixed his gaze at his granddaughter, whose eyes were full of curiosity all the while, regardless of the two adults who spoke in the words which she couldn¡¯t quite yet comprehend.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be alive until then.¡±


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    Thas¡¯s face contorted with grief at once. He felt even more miserable when not even a word of empty retort came out from him. As a matter of fact, his father had long been suffering from a chronic disease and his condition worsened as years passed by. And as it happens, he had already passed out several times this year and even his memories were becoming faint from him.


    The doctor had in fact said that it was amazing enough for his father to go about his days regardless of the pain he was in. Now that he thinks of it, he had never seen his father¡¯s face contorted in great agony, not even for once. On the contrary, his father had yet lost the brightness in his eyes nor his sense of judgment. So if only his father hadn¡¯t grown gaunter by day, he would have almost forgotten that his father was ill after all.


    ¡°Take her now before it gets dark.¡±


    ¡°Right now? But¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already got the permission for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Well. I guess I¡¯m not in the least surprised. Especially when she is still so young. As a matter of fact, the age limit is¡­¡±


    Thas held his tongue upon his father¡¯s low cough. Instantly, he took a sideways glance to his side as he had almost blurted out the secret in front of his daughter, out of animosity. She would learn about the truth eventually, but only in the distant future.


    It was their family custom to keep the family¡¯s heir in the dark about the secrets until the time was ripe. As one would likely be bound by it the sooner one learns about the truth of their family. Although it must be one¡¯s fate to be born as an heir of the Muen family, still, a chance to be free from such restriction was given, according to one¡¯s will. In fact, there had been some cases where the heir had chosen to leave the Muen family to lead a normal life.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Hitasya myself. You may leave and get ready for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    After Thas took his leave, it was only him and his granddaughter who was left in his study. Rahan, whose face now looked no more than a friendly grandfather, gave a smile at his granddaughter. Then, he gave a light tap on the empty seat beside him


    ¡°Hitasya, come sit beside me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    Hitasya, who had risen to her feet at once, trotted over and took the seat right next to her grandfather. Rahan then patted the girl¡¯s head with a warm smile on his face.


    ¡°You can call me grandfather when no one is around.¡±


    Hitasya broke into a bright smile upon his permission. ¡°Yes, grandfather.¡±


    Rahan was a stern father who was rather strict with his son, the likely successor. In fact, he had given more scolding than compliments to his son all his life. Nonetheless, he couldn¡¯t quite bring himself to treat his granddaughter like he did to his son as she was such a lovely thing which brought a smile to his face every time he saw her.


    Although he had already got his mind all sorted on the verge of death, it saddened him to think that he wouldn¡¯t be alive to see his precious granddaughter grow up with his own eyes.


    ¡°Hitasya, you are going to meet an esteemed elder of our family today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandfather.¡±


    ¡°He is the reason for our family¡¯ existence, the very root of our family indeed. However, you will never get to meet him again after your meeting with him today.¡±


    ¡°Does the elder live in a far place?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Then I can go visit him more often.¡±


    Rahan laughed heartily at Hitasya¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rule, Hitasya. You only get to meet him once in your whole lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Then, is there anything I need to do when I go see him?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re paying him a visit. He would see how much you have grown so far. And when he asks you a question, you just have to answer him honestly. By the way, you shouldn¡¯t tell anyone that you had met with the family elder. It¡¯s a secret which you must keep forever to yourself.¡±


    Hitasya gave him a nod with a determined look.


    ¡°Yes, grandfather. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°And if¡­ the elder has message for me, I want you to let me know. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandfather.¡±

 CH 267.2

    This one meeting was in fact the only means of communication between the elder and the Muen family. He couldn¡¯t help but to wish to get most of the chance he¡¯s got. However, it was quite obvious that a child who¡¯s yet to come of age would likely have trouble understanding the difficult conversations, let alone to deliver the words in exact terms.


    As one¡¯s spirituality would likely develop along as they grow, it was a custom for their descendants to choose the day right before their fifteenth birthday to pay a visit to the family elder.


    Doubtless twelve was too soon for one to visit the elder, however, Rahan felt compelled to have his granddaughter visit the elder while he was still alive. Despite his foresight being nothing extraordinary, the hunch which he sometimes felt was almost accurate at all times.


    Nonetheless, he wasn¡¯t too worried as Hitasya was indeed a bright girl for her age. Unwittingly, Hitasya¡¯s face recalled an old face to his mind, which he still misses to this day. There was a person whom he was reminded of every time he saw his granddaughter.


    [I¡¯m so sorry, Rahan. For making you bear such a heavy burden in my stead.]


    The person was his sister, who was both beautiful and wise more than anyone he has met in his life. Hitasya was indeed a spitting image of his sister, who he had never got to see after she had left the family for good.


    ¡®Come to think of it, I believe I¡¯ve heard that my sister¡¯s granddaughter had returned to the Holy City a few days ago.¡¯


    The birth of an Anika, in whose veins ran the blood of the Muen family, was indeed a secret he must take to his grave. Should Sang-je find out about it, he was bound to keep a close eye on the Arse family like he does to the Muen family.


    Although his sister had long been gone from this world, Rahan found himself still tracing after the trails which were left by his sister while she was alive. All he wished for his sister¡¯s offspring was to lead a peaceful life like the way they are now.


    ***


    First things first, Eugene handed the promised amount of money to the storyteller. And when she asked him to wait so she could talk privately with his grandmother, he left them without a hint of hesitation along with the servant, unable to hide the joy that registered on his face.


    ¡®He¡¯s no filial grandson I suppose.¡¯


    Eugene clicked her tongue at the man who couldn¡¯t care less of his own grandmother. She felt sorry for the old lady who seemed to have dragged all the way here just because of her money-blinded grandson.


    She then asked the old lady, who was sitting across from her with her head hung low.


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Berothy.¡±


    The old lady sounded pretty reluctant to answer as she didn¡¯t even bother to lift her head as she spoke. It was obvious that the lady wasn¡¯t pleased at all by the situation she was in.


    ¡°First of all, I don¡¯t mean to harm you in the least. All I want is to ask you a few of my questions. And I don¡¯t intend to take the money back from your grandson even if you can¡¯t provide me with answers. You can take my word for it.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is it that you wish to ask me?¡±


    Although there were no dramatic changes in the lady¡¯s attitude, Eugene thought it was just as well now that Berothy had hinted at her willingness to cooperate.


    ¡°Have you heard from your grandson about why I had wished to see you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you are looking for a sorcerer. But if your wish is to get your fortunes told, then I must say you¡¯ve got the wrong person. I¡¯m no more than a charlatan who does what I do on occasional comers and goers to make my living. I can¡¯t really foresee one¡¯s destined future.¡±


    ¡°I just want to ask you regarding the spells.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean by that¡­¡±


    ¡°About the rune, medium and vessel.¡±


    Berothy slightly popped her head up upon hearing that.


    ¡°Please tell me if there¡¯s anything you know about them.¡±


    Swallowing the words that might come off as compulsion or pressure, Eugene merely gazed at the lady with a desperate look in her eyes. Berothy, who had been silent for a moment, finally opened her mouth after letting out a faint sigh.


    ¡°A rune is no more than a form, a pattern that is visible with the naked eye. The rune alone will never amount to anything. But without it, it will be almost impossible to derive the substances from it.¡±


    Eugene listened carefully to Berothy¡¯s words with a look of anticipation on her face,


    ¡°A medium, however, is something that links the substance to the pattern. The power of a spell would then vary, depending on the medium. So basically, the same logic applies as in fishing, where you obviously need a bigger bait to aim for a bigger fish. Besides that, it is most essential to use the right medium. It¡¯ll be like adding fuel to the fire if the wrong medium is used.¡±


    ¡°What exactly happens when the wrong medium is used?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s extremely dangerous. In the worst case, the sorcerer might even die.¡±


    Eugene finally realized the reason why Jin had dedicated such a long time in preparation before she finally initiated the spell.


    Nonetheless, the consequence was unsparingly fatal. Yet, the spell Jin had initiated must be a powerful one since it had the power to summon the soul from another world.


    But according to Jin¡¯s character, she never seemed to be the type of person who would risk herself in doing something as dangerous without her security guaranteed, especially when there¡¯s much risk for the sorcerer to take on. And what was even more suspicious was that Sang-je had actually turned a blind eye while Jin had put herself in such danger.


    ¡°Is there any way to keep the ill effects to the minimum?¡±


    Berothy closed her mouth in hesitation, although she clearly looked like she had something to tell. After taking a moment of contemplation, she finally made up her mind and spoke.


    ¡°There¡¯s a way to use a stand-in to take on all the risks instead of the real sorcerer. However, one would likely receive a much stronger counteraction compared to what the sorcerer would likely have received.¡±


    Instantly, the five servant girls who had accompanied Jin to the desert crossed Eugene¡¯s mind in a flash. Jin must have planned to use them as sacrificial lamb in her scheme from the very beginning. Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to be infuriated just by thinking of all the misdeeds Jin had committed or planned to do while she was in her body.

 CH 268.1

    ¡°Finally, a vessel is the subject of the spell. Although the spell doesn¡¯t necessarily have to fill the whole vessel, it should never overflow from it. Once the spell exceeds the vessel, the vessel will break, and the spell will also fail to initiate eventually.¡±


    ¡°What actually happens when it exceeds?¡±


    ¡°If the vessel is an object, it will only break as a result. But if the spell was initiated with a person as the subject, that person might end up with serious injuries or even die.¡±


    Eugene gave a silent nod as she listened. According to Berothy, there were many risks for one to consider initiating a spell. It was much akin to chemical experiments which involved the handling of dangerous material. For instance, there was a danger of explosion should one conduct the experiment without a proper knowledge of the materials and their exact ratios.


    ¡°Is there any spell you could possibly demonstrate perchance?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Berothy answered in a resolute tone which sounded more like a firm refusal.


    ¡®I bet Berothy is related to the ancient tribe in some ways.¡¯


    Eugene remembered that she was given no more than a shake of head from the storytellers whom she had asked the same questions to. Their response was, however, quite understandable since the spell was never a knowledge that was commonly known to the public. But seeing that Berothy had managed to answer her questions without a hint of hesitation, there was a high chance that she was in fact a descendant of the ancient tribe. If not, she still could possibly have special relationship with someone from the tribe, perhaps like a master and disciple.


    Berothy didn¡¯t seem like a person who would likely submit to coercions as she strongly reminded Eugene of Aldrit, who had refused to yield even in the face of death. When that crossed her mind, Eugene realized she might as well give up in urging Berothy to speak any further. In fact, what she had been told so far was already beyond her expectation. Eugene couldn¡¯t be more amazed to hear this much about the spells from the old lady.


    ¡°Thank you. You really have been a great help. I¡¯ll see to it that you would be rewarded regardless of what your grandson had already received. You are free to leave now.¡±


    Eugene said as she motioned to a servant standing afar.


    When the servant approached as if suggesting following her, Berothy rose to her feet, looking puzzled. At first, she couldn¡¯t believe that she was given permission to leave so easily since she had expected for conciliation or even threats to follow.


    Berothy, who had just turned around to follow the servant, turned back around and told Eugene with a determined look on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Anika, such as yourself, is able to have an audience with His Holiness at any time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°If so, I¡¯m sure His Holiness would be able to tell you more than what I know.¡±


    A slight frown promptly creased Eugene¡¯s brow.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°The power of both divinity and spell shares the same root fundamentally. Seeing that you have summoned me, you must have thought they were different after all. If I may be so bold, I¡¯m sure your doubts will clear up once you start seeing them as the same thing.¡±


    After Berothy took her leave, Eugene turned to gaze at Kasser, who had sat through her conversation with Berothy in silence. He then began to mutter as he stroked his chin.


    ¡°Divine powers¡­ Is that how they are linked?¡±


    ¡°What are divine powers?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a ceremony which Sang-je holds once in a while to demonstrate his holy powers to the citizens of the Holy City. It involves something like making pillars of light to descend from the sky or to make music play itself in midair.¡±


    Eugene couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing upon hearing that.


    ¡®What¡¯s all that about? Some kind of special effect? He clearly had been deluding people with his spells all along.¡¯


    Coming to that conclusion, Eugene confidently concluded that Sang-je could never be someone who was sent to speak for God.


    ***


    Hitasya was being driven to some place with her father in the carriage. Not only was it dark inside without the windows, but she also almost felt like she was trapped since it was so cramped inside. The poor girl had to sit closely together with her father throughout the whole ride.


    When the carriage had finally slowed down to a stop, the door was opened from outside. Hitasya, who had alighted from the carriage after her father, looked around her surroundings as soon as she got off.


    [Make sure you take a good look around your surroundings, Hitasya. I¡¯m sure then you¡¯ll be able to picture the place again from your memory, even at a later time.]


    As her grandfather advised, Hitasya took great care to remember even the smallest details of the surroundings which unfolded before her eyes. However, the single-story building, which looked queer from the outside, didn¡¯t seem like it was livable in the least. Nonetheless, she tried to engrave the gruesome sharp points on the fences surrounding the building and even the little pebbles which were scattered all around the floor like dirt, into her memory.


    Meanwhile, Hitasya cleverly feigned fear and looked around as naturally as she could, as if she was only doing it out of the fear of being in an unfamiliar place.


    ¡°Hitasya.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    Thas bent down and placed his hand on his daughter¡¯s shoulder as he pointed to the building with his other hand.


    ¡°Do you see that door?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You must walk to the door all by yourself. And as you wait by the door, someone will open it for you from inside. Once you get inside, you will then be carried further down into the dark underground. Do you think you can be a brave girl and go inside without crying?¡±


    Fear registered on Hitasya¡¯s face when she was told that she needed to go inside all by herself. However, she was quick to shake off her fear and answered her father with a firm nod.


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you here. I would never leave without you returning so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    Thas kept his gaze fixed at the back of his little daughter as she walked toward the door. Watching his daughter had somehow reminded him of the very day when he had walked down the same road, decades ago.


    He never realized back then that he was in fact a hostage and was sent down under the pretext to meet the elder. But despite having learned all the truth by now, there was no way he could put a full stop to this vicious cycle of tragedy where he had to send his own daughter as another hostage.


    There were so many things for him to ask if only he could meet with the elder once again. However, no one was granted the exception along with the age limit which was strictly abide.


    [Humans have the tendency to form a conspiracy when two come together.]


    The reason for the age limit was entirely because children still lacked the power to make their own judgment. In other words, it was practically impossible for children to actually ¡®plot a scheme¡¯, to put it in Sang-je¡¯s words.


    ¡®That sly fox.¡¯


    The clenched fists of Thas trembled with anger as he helplessly wondered just how much longer he must be played into the monster¡¯s hands. He had never been more resentful at his own powerlessness than today.

 CH 268.2

    Hitasya¡¯s heart pounded the whole time as she was being carried down into the deep underground at the back of a stranger, surrounded by darkness. The man kept his silence all the way into the underground, which was much deeper than she first imagined. Hitasya, who was only a little child still, grew crestfallen with worry as she wondered if he was upset because she was too heavy on his back.


    When the man had finally reached the bottom of the underground, he let Hitasya down and opened the steel door before them. Hitasya hurriedly followed as the man walked into the door by himself without saying a word to her.


    As they walked along the dim corridor, they came to another dead end which was blocked by the barred steel door. The man, however, swiftly unlocked the lock which was hanging at the bar and unchained the door without any sign of hesitation.


    ¡°Get inside and you will see a room where you can see lights filtering through from the gaps on the ground. Find the room and go inside.¡±


    With that said, the man pulled out a long iron bar and gave a few taps against the steeled bars.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a tap to let you know when the time is up. You just have to come back here when you hear the sound.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Hitasya thought the man¡¯s voice sounded as if he was just reading out the lines from a book, which he didn¡¯t enjoy in the least.


    At first, she had indeed hesitated to walk into such a dark corridor all by herself. However, she eventually steeled herself and bravely took a first step forward. Before long, the sight of the steel door and the man was no longer visible behind in the dark although she had only taken a few steps into the corridor.


    The girl had no other choice but to take a deep breath and keep forward with both her hands firmly clenched. Then, when she finally spotted the dim light which was coming from the gaps of the door, she swiftly ran for the door.


    Another heavy steel door, which looked gigantic since it was much taller than herself, was firmly closed before her. Hitasya then used all her strength to open up the door although she was half worried that it could be locked. But despite the rattling sounds coming from the rusty hinges, the door opened fairly easily, unlike her expectation.


    Cautiously, Hitasya took a step and walked into the room.


    Almost instantly, she saw a person sitting still on the pattern of light which was beaming through the gaps from the floor. An old lady, whose eyes were closed with her head hung down low, slowly lifted her head up. Hitasya couldn¡¯t help but to gasp when her eyes met with the lady¡¯s.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Alber gave a faint exclamation of joy as she beckoned at the girl, casting a smile for the first time in a long while.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Hitasya meekly obeyed and went up to Alber as she was told. And even when the lady had reached out and wrapped her hands on her cheeks as she groped for her eyes, nose, then her lips, Hitasya remained still since she had somehow known that the lady meant no harm to her in the least.


    ¡°How pretty you are. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Hitasya.¡±


    ¡°Hitasya. What a pretty name. Is Rahan your father?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Hitasya only belatedly remembered that Rahan was her grandfather¡¯s name indeed. ¡°He is my grandfather.¡±


    ¡°So you are Rahan¡¯s granddaughter? I see¡­. time surely has passed. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s already become a grandfather. Then I guess you must be Thas¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hitasya was quite puzzled as the old lady looked nothing like how she had imagined. In fact, the lady looked much younger than her grandfather and she had a clearer voice as well. It sounded especially strange when the lady called her grandfather¡¯s name as if she was calling on a little boy.


    ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m twelve years old.¡±


    ¡°¡­ twelve? Has Rahan¡­ your grandfather had any message for me?¡±


    ¡°He has just told me to give honest answers when I¡¯m asked questions.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s contemplation, Alber broke into a smile as she gave a nod. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s hear it from you then. Now, can you tell me about your family?¡±


    The girl¡¯s voice sounded like a bird¡¯s song and she kept chirping on like a little bird. Alber was overjoyed as it¡¯s been a long time since she had last felt this much alive. She felt like all of the sacrifices she had made so far were very much worthwhile as long as this lovely girl could stay as cheerful as she was now.


    It¡¯s been more than twenty years since she was visited by a child from the Muen family after Rahan¡¯s third daughter paid her a last visit.


    Although it would be best if she could meet with every child from the tribe, she was grateful enough to be able to see the children from the Muen family as this was the result of her compromise with Sang-je.


    In the beginning, Sang-je kept a closer watch and even eavesdropped on every single conversation she had with the child. But after realizing that she exchanged no more than an everyday conversation with the child, he eventually stopped caring and allowed her to have a chat with the child, in private.

 CH 269.1

    Although she had first joined hands with the monster in defense of her tribe, she couldn¡¯t possibly have endured to this day if it was only for such a grandiose purpose.


    Muen. A family which has prospered under the name of her only son, was the only descendant related by blood with her.


    As a matter of fact, Alber had gladly endured all the pains and hardships just for the sake of them. Despite the fact that she only gets visited by her descendants once in a few decades, she would get awakened to the sense that she was no more than mere human every time she finds the children endearing.


    ¡®She reminds me of her.¡¯


    There was a girl who had deeply impressed Alber more than any children from the Muen family she had ever met with so far. Hearing Hitasya¡¯s voice had somehow taken her back to a day which was probably more than fifty years from now.


    ¡®Seeing that Rahan is already a grandfather, I bet she¡¯s become a grandmother by now as well.¡¯


    The girl¡¯s name was Resha, and she was Rahan¡¯s older sister. She truly was a bright girl who was very considerate and mature for her age. Moreover, she had a great talent as well. For instance, when she was taught a few spells, not only did she assimilate the principles, but she was also quick to learn as she had succeeded in casting the spell on the first try.


    It pained Alber to think that this gem of a girl would later become the head of the family and ended up living under the tight surveillance of Sang-je for the rest of her life. She can still remember the last thing she had said to the girl.


    [Resha. Go ahead and live the life you want to live. I hope you will live for nothing but your own happiness since I haven¡¯t been able to do so myself.]


    Alber still wondered if her advice had affected the girl¡¯s future.


    The next child she remembered meeting with was Thas, who was Rahan¡¯s son. It was through Thas that she had learned that it was Rahan who had become the next head of the family instead of Resha, who had always been regarded as the heir of the family.


    And when Thas had told her that his aunt had already passed away even before he was born, Alber hariolated the fortune at once. The news had given her quite a shock. Fortunately, she was able to regain her composure as it seemed like Resha¡¯s lifeline was yet to be cut off.


    Indeed, Resha possessed an outstanding talent more than anyone in the family. And since she had been the heir of the family, Sang-je would have kept his eyes on her still, even after she left the family for good. With that, Alber had naturally assumed that Resha must have feigned her own death to cut her ties with her family once and for all.


    Alber couldn¡¯t help but to break into a smile every time she thought of Resha, as she imagined that she would now be living her life wholly at her will, free from all the restraints which had once bound her.


    ¡°¡ªthen I saw the carriage pass by!¡±


    Absorbed in her own thoughts, Alber had just missed what Hitasya was talking about. Still, Alber remembered hearing the word ¡®Anika¡¯ from Hitasya in passing.


    ¡°Anika?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She had left the Holy City after she got married to a king. But it seems like she just returned a few days ago. It was a shame that I was unable to see into the carriage.¡±


    Smile appeared on Alber¡¯s face, thinking that the distinct appearance of Anika must have seemed intriguing to a child¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Have you never seen an Anika before?¡±


    ¡°I have but I was hoping to see her face.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve heard that she looked a lot like my great aunt.¡±


    ¡°Why would she look like your great aunt Resha?¡±


    Hitasya seemed startled when it dawned on her that she had just blurted out a secret after being much carried away as she spoke.


    She may be bright, but a child was still a child since she absolutely had no idea as to how to switch the subject. Alber, however, felt a strange hunch right upon Hitasya¡¯s flustered response.


    ¡°Hitasya. Can you tell me what you just meant by that?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I shouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. In fact, it¡¯s your grandfather who had told you to give honest answers whenever you were asked a question. Besides, no one will ever find out what we have discussed down here. I assume you are already aware that we will never see each other again, am I right?¡±


    Hitasya gave a nod for an answer.


    ¡°Do you mind letting me in on your secret?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Hesitantly, Hitasya went on to explain. It happened three years ago, when she was playing hide and seek with her little brother. She had gone into her father¡¯s office looking for a place where she would never be found.


    Then, when she was hiding under the table, both her father and grandfather, whom she had thought had left, returned to the room. Hitasya froze on the spot in fear that she might disappoint her father and grandfather more than the scolding itself.

 CH 269.2

    [It seems like she will spend a night in the Holy City before she leaves tomorrow.]


    [A marriage with the king¡­]


    Her grandfather and father were having a discussion over the marriage between a king and an Anika.


    [I guess it¡¯s all in her blood. She surely looked very much like your aunt.]


    [Did she really?]


    Clearly, Hitasya had been too young to fully understand the conversation exchanged between them. However, she remembered hearing the two of them say that Anika, who had married to a king, resembled much of her great aunt.


    As it happens, Hitasya often hears from her father or grandfather that she too looked much like her great aunt. Moreover, her late great aunt had been a stunning beauty when she was alive. Innocent and na?ve, the child ended up feeling jealous when she heard that there was someone else who also resembled her great aunt. But it was more of a curiosity to be exact since Hitasya wondered to herself ¡®How much could she really have taken after her?¡¯. And upon finding out who the Anika in question was, it had somehow left an impression on Hitasya¡¯s feeble mind.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe this.¡¯


    Alber¡¯s eyes soon trembled with shock.


    ¡®Could it be Resha¡¯s daughter¡­ no, is it her granddaughter?¡¯


    Kings and Anikas were indeed those who are the most closely related to God, and the only human beings whom that cunning monster is truly afraid of.


    ¡®God¡¯s is never quite predictable.¡¯


    What could be the meaning of the birth of an Anika in whose veins runs the blood of the Muens, those who got their necks bitten by the monster. Alber¡¯s heart had soon begun to pound as she pondered on such thoughts.


    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯


    Suddenly, her whole body shuddered¡ªa strong sensation ran through her spine. From time to time, she was able to foresee the future without having to borrow the power of the spell. Although the prediction was never precise as when the spell was used, it was yet a strong hunch like an arrow hitting the mark.


    ¡®I must see her.¡¯


    She knew that her meeting with Anika would be able to change the tide for sure.


    Clang! Clang!


    Upon hearing the clunking sound coming from the steel-barred window, Alber quickly turned to Hitasya and told her with a tone of urgency in her voice.


    ¡°Hitasya. Can you try to remember what I¡¯m about to tell you and send my words to your grandfather? Just to your grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hitasya gave a determined nod, remembering what her grandfather had told her before she came here.


    After Hitasya had gone back, Alber hariolated the fortune for the first time in a long while. She doesn¡¯t usually hariolate the fortunes of the Muen children since her time has always been flowing differently from them.


    ¡°¡­You are no longer here.¡±


    It turns out that Resha no longer existed in this world.


    ¡°Why did you have to leave so soon?¡± Alber fell to the ground and started sobbing with her face buried to the floor. It pained her as much as the time when she had learned of the death of her son.


    ***


    Charlotte greeted her parents delightfully as it¡¯s been long since she had last seen them. On the day of her arrival in the Holy City, she had originally planned to pay a visit to her maternal grandfather but she hadn¡¯t got the chance to meet him as he happened to be traveling on business away from the Holy City. There seemed to have some problems in the firm that he owns.


    So, as soon as she heard the news that her grandfather had returned, Charlotte went to the Scan manor to visit her grandfather at once.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the master is in the middle of a serious conversation with his client at the moment.¡±


    The butler¡¯s remark had failed to disappoint Charlotte in the least. In fact, she had never expected for her grandfather to come out and greet her in the first place. Her grandfather had indeed been very particular about whom he spent his time with as he was a kind of person who was even stingy about the time he spent on his sleep.


    For quite a long time, Charlotte had meekly waited for her grandfather, alone in the sitting room when the door to the sitting room opened right after she stuffed a freshly baked biscuit into her mouth. Through the door came striding an old gentleman of a sturdy build, along with a few young men who followed with their heads hung low.


    Charlotte continued to chew away on the biscuit while she watched her grandfather, Mitchell, rush in like he was in a great hurry.


    Mitchell, who had flopped into a seat right across her, started to browse through the papers which he had brought in with him.


    ¡°So have you secured the stocks or not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to check on them.¡±


    ¡°Is this the best you can do? I want definite answers!¡±


    Fear clouded the men¡¯s faces when her grandfather bawled out so loud that his voice resonated through the whole sitting room.


    Charlotte, who had washed down the remaining biscuits with a sip of her tea, said to Mitchell, smiling. ¡°Grandfather. Don¡¯t you even have the time to greet your own granddaughter?¡±

 CH 270.1

    All the men¡¯s eyes shuddered with a shock when Charlotte daringly interrupted the conversation. In contrast to their expectation that a furious roar will soon follow, only a slight frown was formed between Mitchell¡¯s brows before he gave a snort and said to her with much indifference.


    ¡°Is he being nice to you?¡±


    ¡°Of course he is, grandfather. Your grandson-in-law is a fine man.¡±


    Mitchell then turned to the men behind and told them to leave the room. As soon as they were given permission to leave, the men lowered their heads before they made a bolt for the door. Watching as they left, Mitchell clicked his tongue at their unseemly backs.


    When things quieted around them, he asked Charlotte.


    ¡°What brings you here today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to give my greetings to you of course. Especially since it¡¯s been so long since I had last visited the Holy City.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have bothered to. We would have run across each other anyway.¡±


    Charlotte was not in the least offended by her grandfather¡¯s grumbles as he has always been ill-tempered and never knew how to speak kindly to anyone.


    In fact, as a person who never tends to waste even a second of his time in a day, he showed no tolerance against any idleness and applied the same principle to his children as well. However, he had basically forced his principle onto his children, often by yelling and rebukes instead of convincing them through enough communication. As a result, his children grew to hate his father as much as they found him difficult. And the same goes for his grandchildren as they were all afraid of him.


    Charlotte, however, was the only person who didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of Mitchell, unlike everyone else. Even when Mitchell raised his voice at her, she only smiled and even daringly retorted instead of bursting into tears like most girls would do.


    And it was all because Charlotte was born to be a good judge of character. She had easily realized that her grandfather was never a bad person after all as he just wasn¡¯t very good at expressing himself to others. Mitchell, the owner of the Scan firm who¡¯s also known as a man as hard as nails, endeared Charlotte the most among all his grandchildren. And that was why he had helped an Anika, who had become the queen of Hashi Kingdom, upon Charlotte¡¯s request. It surely was a waste of his time, and it never came to any money as well. He would most likely have turned it down if it wasn¡¯t for Charlotte.


    ¡°I hear that you all came together.¡±


    Charlotte, who had cleverly understood the meaning behind his significant question, answered him at once.


    ¡°Yes. The trip to the Holy City was most pleasant all thanks to Her Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Did she ask for a favor again? Is that why you are here?¡±


    For a moment, Charlotte was at loss for words seeing that he had hit the nail on the head. She realized once again that her grandfather was indeed an astute businessman.


    [Count Oscar. Do you know what kind of favor I asked your grandfather, perchance?]


    Charlotte was unable to answer Eugene when she was asked the question since she had played no more than a middle role to introduce her grandfather to the queen.


    She had merely sent a letter to her grandfather asking him if he could be of help to the queen when she was asked a favor from the queen in the past. But in the reply from her grandfather, he had only written that there was no need for her to get involved further as he would take care of the rest by himself.


    Despite the curt expressions written on the letter, Charlotte was able to understand what his grandfather was trying to convey. It basically meant that ¡®It¡¯s best not to pry before getting yourself involved in unnecessary hassles.¡¯ Charlotte thought it was best to follow his advice. And as it happens, as she had no intention to get close to the queen back in the past, she paid no more attention to the matter since then.


    Just as Mitchell suspected, Charlotte had indeed been asked a new favor from the queen. Her job was to find out about the favor the queen had asked Mitchell in the past and about what she had received from him.


    [Count Oscar. Like I¡¯ve already told you, I have lost much of my memories from the incident. So I¡¯m now trying to retrieve my memory as much as I can with all the clues that I¡¯ve found out so far. And it seems to me that I¡¯ve received a great deal of help from your grandfather, and I want to find out what it was about. Do you think you can help me out?]


    Charlotte gladly offered to help since she couldn¡¯t quite turn her down as the queen sounded sincere when she asked for her help. Besides, she had personally received an agreeable impression from the queen throughout their travel to the Holy City.


    However, she must find out about what the queen had asked her grandfather in the past without telling him about the queen¡¯s memory loss. To do that, she had actually come up with a plausible story after much discussion with Eugene. She was going to tell him that she had been assigned to replace Count Wacommbe as the liaison so that she wished to take over all of his duties he had done so far.


    ¡°Grandfather. The thing is, I do have something to ask you.¡±

 CH 270.2

    Once again, Eugene had arrived at the Holy City palace in her carriage. But before she alighted from it, she steeled herself for what¡¯s to come by muttering out words of encouragement to herself. Although she wasn¡¯t feeling as nervous as her first visit, she tried not to lower her guards down in any case.


    She, however, did flinch a little when she saw Pides, who clearly had come to meet her. She couldn¡¯t help but to be conscious of his presence even as she walked to the prayer room with him as her escort.


    ¡®It was much better when I wasn¡¯t remotely conscious in the past. This is all his fault.¡¯


    Putting the blame on Kasser, Eugene continued to grumble inwardly.


    ¡®I still can¡¯t put my finger on Jin¡¯s feelings towards Pides. Was she really in love with him, enough to make such a deal with Sang-je? I guess I have to ask my mother if there¡¯s anything she knows about.¡¯


    Just like her last visit, she descended the last stair by herself. When she reached the last step to the prayer room, she couldn¡¯t help but to wonder about the workings behind the door when it opened itself before her.


    ¡®Is this some kind of a spell? It¡¯s just like an automatic door.¡¯


    It felt strange all of sudden when she naturally defined it with the phrase ¡®automatic door¡¯. By now, she had deeply realized there are two sides to everything in the world. And although life had been hard on her for the last twenty years, the reason she could see things in a different light from the people in Mahar was because she had come from a world where both the level of technology and civilization were different from here.


    ¨C Did you get some rest? You surely look much more relaxed than we last met, Anika Jin.


    ¡°Hope you have been well, Your Holiness. Thanks to your concern, I have fully recovered from the fatigue of the journey.¡±


    Eugene recalled the conversation she had with her mother as she looked at Sang-je.


    [Mother, have you had an audience with His Holiness before?]


    [Not in recent years. It really had been quite a while ago.]


    [Then, do you still remember what it was like? The aura that you saw around him.]


    Dana answered, as she gave a light chuckle.


    [Like father, like daughter. Your father had asked the exact same question to me once, too. I guess everyone¡¯s curiosity is pretty much the same. But to be honest, I don¡¯t really know. As I didn¡¯t see anything.]


    [But mother, didn¡¯t you say you can see the auras surrounding the king and Anika? Yet, you really didn¡¯t see anything at all?]


    [Well, since His Holiness is God¡¯s vicegerent so I guess he isn¡¯t someone I can judge simply with my power.]


    ¡®Sang-je is never God¡¯s vicegerent. I¡¯m most certain he¡¯s playing some tricks here. But he wouldn¡¯t have taken measures beforehand since he knows nothing of mother¡¯s ability. Is this a spell then? Who am I supposed to ask about this?¡¯


    Eugene couldn¡¯t help but wish to quickly have done with the audience so that she could visit the library.


    ¨C I believe you¡¯ve told me that your memory isn¡¯t intact. Haven¡¯t your memories come back to you still?


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid many parts of my memories are still missing,¡± said Eugene, looking crestfallen.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but to feel empty with this huge void inside me, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C What you have initiated is in fact the forbidden power of divinity from ancient times. Therefore, I had asked you to inform me right away as soon as the medium was found. Although I wouldn¡¯t reprimand you about it as it has been successful, you must keep in mind that I wouldn¡¯t be tolerant if you were to disobey my words again, Anika Jin.


    Sang-je said in a decisive tone when Anika Jin brought up her memory loss, once again. He was sending out a clear message that he wouldn¡¯t show any tolerance to her whines any further.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. I¡¯ll keep your words in mind,¡± answered Eugene in a dispirited tone while she fitted in the new piece of clue inside her mind.


    ¡®Divine powers? I guess the rune, medium and vessel, the three elements of spell, are being used in the divine powers as well. I bet Sang-je had deceived everyone just by rephrasing them as divine powers.¡¯


    The mystic powers of spells had been long forgotten by people nowadays. Therefore, Sang-je could¡¯ve easily deluded people if he had colluded with the tribe that foresees the future, which is in fact the only tribe from the ancient times that had knowledge about the spells.


    ¨C Anika Jin. Let us continue the conversation we hadn¡¯t got to finish last time. Tell me about what you gained.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡± said Eugene while she fiddled about her sleeve unwittingly. Kid was safely concealed this time as she had kept it safely hidden under her sleeve. She felt much relieved when she thought of Kasser, who would come running at once when Kid sends him the signal.


    ¡®I just need to answer him as I have prepared.¡¯


    ¡°Your Holiness, I have indeed retrieved my Ramita back. I can¡¯t express enough how delighted I am to be entitled as an Anika at last. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible without all your support.¡±


    A corner of Sang-je¡¯s lip turned up slightly at her words.


    ¡®The more one has to lose, the more one becomes a coward.¡¯


    Indeed, Anika Jin used to run wild like an untamed shrew as if nothing feared her in the world. If anything, she behaved like someone who had been diagnosed with a terminal disease as she showed no sign of hesitation and lived everyday like it was her last day to live. Jin surely was arrogant as her behavior somehow hinted that she would most likely disregard Sang-je once she got back her Ramita.


    However, Jin¡¯s disposition seems to have changed completely compared to the last time he saw her. He regarded that she must have retrieved her senses back along with her Ramita since she showed a humble attitude instead of a triumphant air.


    Sang-je suspected Jin¡¯s sudden change in behavior was mainly because she now had much to lose as she had finally become a real Anika. Therefore, she had no choice but to consider the consequences that her reckless behaviors would likely cost her.


    ¨C Then I guess you have had your lucid dream now that you have retrieved your Ramita.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    This was a question she had expected that he would ask. However, Eugene had no intention of confessing what she really had seen in her lucid dream to him.


    ¡°I was standing in the middle of an open lake. It was so wide indeed that I couldn¡¯t even make out where the waterfront was.¡±

 CH 271.1

    She knew he would easily see through her obvious lies if she lied about seeing a pond or a well in her dream when she had in fact turned a lark to a tree. So, she had instead thought of referencing Anika Roxy¡¯s lucid dream, who¡¯s known as a legendary figure, as Roxy¡¯s lucid dream was already widely known by people.


    ¨C A lake? Did you just say you saw a lake?


    Sang-je¡¯s brows furrowed at once. Eugene felt a chill as she answered him when his cold voice pierced into her mind.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C If so, how did the water feel in your dream?


    All of sudden, the voice of a girl was heard in the back of her mind.


    [I saw a very clear pond, Your Holiness. And the water was as cold as ice when I dipped my hands into it.]


    Eugene was left perplexed since she had thought her imposter never had a lucid dream as she didn¡¯t possess any Ramita. Meanwhile, she also wondered what Jin had meant by the water being cold. But it didn¡¯t take much long before Eugene finally realized what her imposter had actually done.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe this. Did she really tell a lie? To Sang-je?¡¯


    Doubtless her imposter had believed Sang-je as God¡¯s vicegerent. Still, Eugene couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by how her imposter had managed to lie in front of such a figure without batting an eye.


    ¡®I guess she wouldn¡¯t have been able to put on a pretense in the first place if she hadn¡¯t had the brass nerve.¡¯


    Eugene suspected that her imposter was fully aware of the fact that she was in someone else¡¯s body. As a matter of fact, what her mother had told her, had further supported her assumption.


    Dana vividly remembered everything before and after her daughter¡¯s disappearance like it was only yesterday. She had in fact told Eugene that aside from the aura itself, there were some visible changes as well.


    [I remember that you were fully capable of expressing yourself in words from the age of three using the limited vocabulary of your age. However, you somehow didn¡¯t speak a word after you were safely returned home to us. It almost seemed like you couldn¡¯t understand us. And ever since that day, all the habits and manners you used to have before the incident had changed as well.]


    The doctor seemed to have diagnosed it as mutism and said that it had probably developed because of the shock from the incident. It took about a year before she started to speak again which clearly was the time her imposter had taken to pick up the new language.


    ¡°Your Holiness,¡±


    Eugene dropped her gaze to show that she was feeling guilty for lying.


    ¡°I beg your forgiveness for my imprudence for telling such a lie to you in the past. I¡¯ve now realized that one can never touch or feel the water in the lucid dream.¡±


    ¨C You really seem to have dreamt a real lucid dream this time.


    While Sang-je remained silent, Eugene was starting to grow fretful since she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on what Sang-je was really after. Ramita surely wasn¡¯t something he can easily take away no matter how much he desires it. Even her imposter, who had literally taken everything away from her, had failed to earn the power of Ramita.


    ¨C Anika Jin.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C Will you show me your Ramita?


    ¡°I beg your pardon?


    As Sang-je lifted his right hand, a small basket, which was placed on the table along with candle stands, floated across the room to Eugene. It was indeed a marvelous scene even though she already knew that it was the power of spell.


    The basket, however, was filled with nothing but translucent beans inside. As Eugene kept her gaze fixed at the beans, Sang-je said,


    ¨C This is almost like toys for Anikas. You may have not touched them before but I¡¯m sure you know how it works as you must have seen other Anikas do it before.


    Eugene had no idea what the seeds were used for as no memory regarding them had struck her so far. So she had no choice but to guess the use of it from the context.


    ¡®So will he be able to measure my Ramita when I touch this?¡¯


    Eugene clearly had not expected this.


    ¡®What should I do?¡¯


    Cold sweat started to break out from her back as she knew there was no way for her to escape this. There was no guarantee of how he would react If she refused to be measured. The main reason for her visit today was to lower Sang-je¡¯s guards down around her but things were likely to get worse at this rate.


    ¡®Believe in yourself. Believe in your Ramita.¡¯


    Eugene reached out for the basket after making up her mind. Fundamentally, Ramita is a power that resides within her soul. So she would be able to control her Ramita at will like kings taking full control over their Praz.


    She picked a seed and gave it a light squeeze in her palm before she recited inwardly to herself.


    ¡®I¡¯m a lake. I just have to reveal my Ramita as much as the size of a lake.¡¯


    The seed then began to tremble inside her palm. And as soon as she opened her hand, dim lights started to beam out from the small crevices on the seed before it finally cracked as it sprouted.


    Its stem, which continued to shoot up without end, crumbled into dust right before it could touch the high ceiling of the prayer room. Nothing remained on Eugene¡¯s palm as both the stem and the seed seemed to have fully dissolved into fine dusts in the air.

 CH 271.2

    ¡®Did it work? Have I done it right?¡¯


    Eugene raised her eyes from her palm to Sang-je. However, she found no significant change in his expression as his eyes remained closely shut like before.


    ¡°Should I give it another try, Your Holiness?¡±


    ¨C There¡¯s no need to. Congratulations, Anika Jin. You have now become a true Anika.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Holiness.¡±


    Eugene grinned as she felt a sense of pride inside her.


    ¨C You may take your leave for today.


    ¡°Your Holiness, I am thinking of visiting the library before I leave,¡± said Eugene while thinking that Sang-je¡¯s attitude had turned somewhat cold towards her all so suddenly.


    ¨C You have my permission.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C Anika Jin.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¨C What is your itinerary henceforth?


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be attending a banquet. My family is hosting a welcoming banquet to celebrate my return for the first time in a long while. And I must say I¡¯m very much looking forward to it as it¡¯s going to be a grand party.¡±


    Eugene seemed truly overjoyed as she told him of her plans. However, she looked no more than Jin to Sang-je¡¯s eyes, as he strongly remembered her as someone who never seemed to miss a single banquet that was held in the city.


    ¨C Inform me at once if you sense any changes to your lucid dream.


    ¡°As you will, Your Holiness.¡±


    Creases were formed between his eyebrows once Eugene took her leave.


    ¡®What happened? A lake? Does that mean Jin¡¯s Ramita is just about the same as Flora¡¯s?¡¯


    Since the grade of Jin¡¯s Ramita as measured by the transparent seed was very much similar to Flora¡¯s, Jin wouldn¡¯t have been lying after all.


    However, as such a level of Ramita wasn¡¯t nearly enough for him, his disappointment was close to despair. He clearly had hoped for more than that.


    ¡®What could then have possibly caused the changes to the lucid dreams of other Anikas? Are they irrelevant to Jin?¡¯


    As Sang-je opened his eyes, a fierce spark flashed across his crimson pupils.


    ¡®Alber. Was it all a lie?¡¯


    With his teeth clenched, the outline of Sang-je¡¯s body slowly faded before he eventually vanished into thin air.


    ***


    The library was located on the utmost floor of the main palace where the prayer room was situated as well. Eugene could feel that the place was under tight security as she had walked past many knights on sentry duty as she headed to the library.


    A priest, who was sitting at the desk next to the entrance as soon as she pushed opened the door to the library, came up to her at once while he lowered his head before her.


    ¡°Welcome back, Anika Jin.¡±


    A memory then hit her she watched the priest greet her.


    [Welcome, Anika Jin. I had the book ready as you had requested.]


    Eugene suspected her imposter had been a frequent visitor to the library judging from the way the man had treated her as he handed the book.


    ¡°It¡¯s been such a long while. I just thought of dropping by for old times¡¯ sake. I wonder if there have been some changes here since my last visit.¡±


    ¡°There had been minor rearrangements but the section where you frequented should be the same as before.¡±


    ¡°Truly? It does seem a little different from how I remember.¡±


    As Eugene kept looking around her surroundings without making any move, the shrewd priest quickly took the hint and said as he took the lead, ¡°I believe it¡¯s just because you haven¡¯t come for a visit in a long time. Please come this way.¡±


    The priest showed Eugene the way into the library and only stopped when he reached in front of a certain bookshelf.


    ¡°Shall I bring you your writing supplies?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to.¡±


    The priest¡¯s hospitality was somewhat excessive to think that he was offering himself out of the kindness of his heart. Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to wonder what her imposter must have offered him in return for his hospitality.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Anika Jin.¡±


    Although it happened in just a split second, Eugene had clearly seen his eyes glittering in greed when he turned around at her call. Without any hesitation, Eugene took off her necklace and handed it over to the priest standing before her.


    ¡°I have almost forgotten, as this was an unplanned visit.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to bother, Anika Jin. I can¡¯t accept this.¡±


    The priest had indeed made quite a fuss as he declined her gift, but Eugene stuffed the necklace into the pocket of his robe anyway.


    ¡°No one is going to criticize when I¡¯m giving a gift of gratitude to someone who has been so much of help to me at all times.¡±


    ¡°But this is too excessive¡­¡±


    Despite his words, the priest didn¡¯t return the necklace to her. Eugene let out a small chuckle as she watched his back growing smaller by the distance.


    ¡®I guess there¡¯s nothing money can¡¯t buy no matter which world you live in.¡¯


    Eugene went closer to the bookshelf after running her eyes up and down to take an overall look. She hoped she would be able to find some leads although she suspected there would be limits to the variety of resources being stored in an open library.

 CH 272.1

    There was a carriage standing for quite some time at some distant place from the front gate of the palace. It was rather far to get a clearer view of the palace, but this was all for the best. Getting a bit nearer would likely arouse the royal guards¡¯ attention and a carriage that stands for too long outside the gates would look suspicious.


    Right then, there was a carriage coming out of the palace. Kasser only heaved a sigh of relief after he checked that it had safely passed through the gate. Three knocks on his carriage soon followed. It was a sign from the warrior outside to inform him that the queen¡¯s carriage had departed from the the palace grounds. But it looked like he need not need signal for that.


    As a matter of fact, not once had Kasser took his eyes off the front gate. His mind and body were on full alert, his Praz too was on the look out to run straight to the queen in case of any emergency. Kasser¡¯s whole body was surrounded by a blue aura, emanating heat to its surroundings.


    But as Kasser closed his eyes, his Praz was sucked back into his body and disappeared by the time he reopened his eyes. He clenched his hand into a fist and opened it after a while, staring down with a faint sense of unfamiliarity.


    ¡®I never knew it was this easy to take full control over it.¡¯


    Truly, all the horses outside remained calm the whole time although his Praz manifested in full. This could only mean that he was capable of taking control over his Praz while making sure the presence of it was kept hidden from the surroundings.


    He gave two taps to his carriage, and the carriage departed at his signal.


    ***


    Eugene closed the window curtain after seeing her carriage pass by the front gate. She pulled at her left sleeve, which was rather tight around her wrist, and finally untied it to loosen it up. Soon, a tiny squirrel staying hidden within her sleeve escaped from it in a nimble movement.


    The squirrel began to climb up along her left arm to her shoulder only to climb back down along her other arm before landing on the back of her right hand. All smiles, Eugene stroked at its chin with her fingertip.


    ¡°You did a great job. Wasn¡¯t it hard to stay still the whole time in such a tight place?¡±


    Eugene was soon lost in her own thoughts while she stroked Kid¡¯s back.


    In the bookshelf which the priest had escorted her to, had indeed stored plenty of books on its shelves. Among them were books, thick with fancy covers which resembled the ancient books that she remembered seeing from the secret room hidden within the palace¡¯s library back in the Hashi Kingdom, while there also were some books with their cover so worn-out that she dared not to even touch them.


    And when Eugene picked up a book from the shelf, a memory of her imposter crossed her mind. In the memory, her imposter had run her eyes through the spines of the books on the bookshelf before she let out a sigh and murmured.


    [I guess I¡¯ll start from here today.]


    Instantly, when the thought occurred to Eugene that it was pointless to search through the library, she turned and left the place without turning back.


    ¡®She must have made countless visits to the library as much as the time she needed to gain what she wanted. That means I would need to invest as much time as she did in the library in order to find something useful from there.¡¯


    The trouble was, Eugene hadn¡¯t got that much time to spare. To return to her kingdom before the dry season comes to an end, the longest she could stay in the Holy City would be two months at most.


    So instead, Eugene tried to place herself in her imposter¡¯s shoes. She imagined herself as a nine-year-old girl waking up to find herself in a foreign world in someone else¡¯s body. And as it happens, the owner of the body was an only daughter of a prestigious family of both wealth and power.


    ¡®I bet she was overjoyed with the changes at first.¡¯


    But her imposter must have encountered the first obstacle by the time she started to cope with the language. She realized that Dana had already seen through her identity from the beginning.


    Eugene bet her imposter had been extremely restless to have someone who knows about her secret around her. She must have lived in constant fear that Dana might find a way to change her back into her old self. However, her fear had faded eventually with time while she enjoyed her new life, living in plenty, as a noble lady from a noble family.


    However, she soon encountered a second obstacle yet again. She would have lived without worries if she were an ordinary child, but the owner of the body was in fact an Anika. Hence, the imposter must have realized that she was without the power of Ramita, unlike other Anika.


    ¡®I guess that¡¯s when she had told Sang-je that she¡¯s going to retrieve her Ramita¡­ although it¡¯s more exact to say she was planning to steal it, but anyway, she must have wished to possess the power of Ramita with all her heart.¡¯

 CH 272.2

    Eugene revalued her imposter as she put the pieces of the puzzle together in her mind. Although fake Jin was indeed a person of a wicked disposition and she most likely would have done everything she could to gain whatever she wanted, there was no denying that she was a persistent person with a brilliant mind.


    She must have had to take a detour to solve her problems as she couldn¡¯t risk her secret from being revealed. Eugene couldn¡¯t help to be amazed to think that her imposter had learned an unfamiliar knowledge such as spells just from the books in the library without any external help.


    However, her imposter had ended up making a fatal mistake of making light of the power of spell. Perhaps she had fallen into a common fallacy of an amateur thinking that she had enough understanding of the spells after reaching a certain point of her learning.


    The spell had turned everything back to its rightful places, a failure in the shoes of her imposter.


    ¡®What happened to her soul after that? Has she returned to earth? There¡¯s a chance that she remains somewhere in this world. To make sure, I must find out what was the spell she had initiated in the desert¡­¡¯


    As much as her imposter wished to steal the power of Ramita, Sang-je must have provided help by teaching her his divine powers to retrieve back her lost Ramita. However, both Sang-je and her imposter seemed to have similar yet a totally different purpose as their true intention differed. And that must have been where they had begun to splinter.


    ¡®I still have no idea as to why he¡¯s after the power of Ramita. I wonder where I should begin to solve this mystery.¡¯


    While Eugne was grappling with the unsolved mysteries in her head, the carriage had already arrived at the Arse manor.


    ***


    Eugene began with the conversation by firing all the questions she had been meaning to ask Dana. What she was most curious about among all was of course about the mysterious Muen family. However, Dana only shook her head for an answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing I can tell you more. As what I had told you last time is all that I know about the Muens.¡±


    ¡°So there never has been any encounter between you and the Muens?¡±


    ¡°Your grandmother had always told me that our relation to the Muen family must be kept secret. As the Muens must abide by the strict rules of the family, your grandmother said one had to cut all ties with the Muens once leaving the family.¡±


    ¡°But you said the Muen family offered help when I was kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Dana continued after a moment of pondering with a perplexed look on her face.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who had asked for their help.¡±


    ¡°What kind of help did the Muen family offer back then? I thought the destiny of king and Anika is beyond the power of the head of the Muen family to foresee.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure as I wasn¡¯t in a state of mind to consider all that. Then later it became hard for me to ask His Holiness about it since much time had already passed after the incident. But the girl who came back to me wasn¡¯t you after all so I could say they hadn¡¯t been much help after all.¡±


    ¡°Do people of the Muen Family know about you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think they would have known naturally from people¡¯s talks while grandmother engaged in social events?


    ¡°The thing is, your grandmother hardly left the house to socialize.¡±


    Dana¡¯s gaze turned somewhat nostalgic as she finished her last sentence. Eugene quickly changed the subject, seeing that her mother was in low spirits at the thought of her late grandmother.


    ¡°Mother. What exactly was the relationship between Sir Pides and the imposter?¡±


    Between Eugene and her family, the word ¡¯imposter¡¯ referred to the fake Jin of the past.


    ¡°Why are you asking? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°A memory of the past had occurred to me once and it seemed to me like she had a special feeling towards Sir Pides.¡±


    Eugene didn¡¯t bother to tell her mother about how Sang-je was attempting to shake her up with Sir Pides as a bait nor that she was suspecting about his true identity.


    The future relationship between her and Sang-je remained ambiguous as there¡¯s no way of knowing if she would just keep her distance from him or if she would end up standing against him.


    So for now, she decided not to make her mother worry. In fact, her mother would mostly likely show a sensitive reaction to those who come as a threat to her daughter, whom she had finally got to reunite with after so many years. She would also need a significant justification if she were to stand against Sang-je as she would continue living in the Holy City.


    ¡°Besides that, Flora¡¯s remark had bothered me as well. So I guess it would be better for me to know about it.¡±


    Dana¡¯s face scrunched up for a fleeting second when she heard Flora¡¯s name. But she must admit that her eyes had naturally chased after Flora whenever she came over for a visit. As a matter of fact, Dana did find a little solace in that significant aura of Anika surrounding Flora, whenever she missed her daughter.


    But unlike her intention, it seemed like her such behavior had aroused some misunderstanding as people started to think that she was pretty fond of Flora. And worst of all, Flora herself had started to believe it as a truth.


    ¡®How dare you try to insult my daughter in front of me.¡¯


    Although Dana didn¡¯t show it on her face, she was indeed very much infuriated when Flora mentioned Pides¡¯s name on that day. Dana knew Flora¡¯s remark was never a mistake since there¡¯s no way Flora had not known about the great social repercussions the words hold after her years of participation in social events.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better to ask your brothers about it.¡±


    As Enoch wasn¡¯t home today, Dana sent for Arthur instead. Arthur then briefly explained about what he knows of the relationship between Pides and Jin.


    ¡°I bet most people knew that your imposter was once fond of Sir Pides as she never bothered to hide her feelings in public.¡±

 CH 273.1

    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Dans asked back with a crease formed between her eyebrows. She never knew such details as she never really showed any interest in what Jin was up to while she secluded herself in the manor, away from the society.


    ¡°Yes, mother. But Sir Pides took a vow of soul in the end.¡±


    ¡°I believe I¡¯ve heard of it.¡±


    ¡°A vow of soul?¡±


    ¡°It is a declaration of one¡¯s eternal devotion to God,¡± answered Dana as Eugene asked.


    ¡°How come she didn¡¯t try to hide her feelings towards him? If everyone knows about how she feels about him then it¡¯s hard to say it¡¯s an unrequited love.¡±


    Dana and Arthur¡¯s eyes met for a moment in the air before Dana said to her son,


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better for me to explain from here.¡±


    ¡°As you say, mother. I¡¯ll get going then as I have some matters to attend to. I won¡¯t be home until later tonight.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you may leave us.¡±


    With a startled look in her eyes, Eugene waited for her mother to speak as Dana had somehow urged her brother to leave them alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the word ¡®unrequited love¡¯ is appropriate in this case.¡±


    It took Eugene quite some time to repress the shock she received after hearing her mother¡¯s further explanation.


    According to her mother, it was pretty common among the wealthy noblewomen to have affairs with the knights in the Holy City. A handsome knight was without doubt most popular among the ladies that the competition typically fierce over who gets to make him their lover. Without saying, those who were at the top of the ladder of the society¡¯s hierarchy, just like the Arse family or Anika, were capable of showing their interest in certain knights by making public declaration.


    Basically, when a noblewoman shows her public interest in a knight, the said knight would later pay a private visit to the woman when the rumor reaches to his ear. However, there were also the opposite cases of the knights approaching the noblewomen of their interest first.


    The rumor about the knights¡¯ promiscuous behavior prevailed in the city although no one mentioned it out loud. It surely was not a rare sight to see a married woman having a knight as a lover. In fact, there was even the case of two married women fighting over the same knight by pulling each other¡¯s hair publicly in the social gatherings.


    Eugene murmured, still looking in shock. ¡°Aren¡¯t the knights supposed to devote themselves to God by practicing celibacy?¡±


    ¡°Practicing celibacy doesn¡¯t have anything to do with serving God.¡±


    Eugene was immensely shocked once again hearing her mother say it so like it was an obvious fact. All of sudden, she remembered hearing Kasser say it to her once that chastity was never a necessity for one to become a priest. She couldn¡¯t help but to feel like her general knowledge was being challenged.


    ¡°Aside from affairs, is it common for an unmarried woman to marry a knight?¡±


    ¡°That almost never happens.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because knights will have to resign from their post upon marriage. And the main reason women have affairs with the knights is primarily because they are attracted to their social position as a ¡®knight¡¯.¡±


    ¡°But I thought you said chastity isn¡¯t important.¡±


    ¡°As long as they stay unmarried.¡±


    Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to sneer with her brows furrowed into a crease. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand. Don¡¯t the knights get reprimanded for their lack of self-restraint by His Holiness?¡±


    ¡°His Holiness doesn¡¯t seem to mind at all.¡±


    Eugene snorted inwardly to think that Sang-je, who keeps a tight rein on Anikas, was giving unbounded freedom to the knights instead. She highly suspected that there is some perverse nature in Sang-je¡¯s disposition.


    ¡°But those who takes a vow of soul would keep away from opposite sex as it is considered a virtue to restrain their desires.¡±


    ¡°So the meaning that Pides took a vow of soul¡­ is pretty much the same as declining her confession in public.¡±


    Dana laughed a little as she thought it was quite an interesting way of interpretation.


    ¡®I wonder if it was just an obsession along with her unyielding nature towards something she couldn¡¯t have.¡¯


    The feelings her imposter had for Pides didn¡¯t seem like it was out of pure affection.


    Her imposter had in fact faced quite a few setbacks after the change of their bodies. Firstly, she had failed to be acknowledged by mother as her daughter while she suffered fear and a sense of inferiority as an Anika without the power of Ramita. So, perhaps it was Pides¡¯s public declination that acted as a trigger to the animosity she had kept hidden inside her.


    ¡°My lady.¡± The butler¡¯s voice was heard along with a knock from the door. As Dana permitted his entrance, he came in with a message.


    ¡°His Grace, the Desert king has arrived.¡±


    Eugene spring to her feet at once, while her eyes sparkled with joy. ¡°Is he at the gates now?¡±


    ¡°I came to inform as soon as I saw his carriage coming in so¡­¡±


    Even before the butler could finish his sentence, Eugene strode past him as she told her mother, ¡°I¡¯ll go get him, mother.¡±


    Watching as her daughter leave the room in hurried steps, Dana murmured with a smile on her face, ¡°She really must like him very much.¡±

 CH 273.2

    Kasser was already coming up the stairs after having alighted from the carriage when Eugene opened the door to the manor¡¯s porch. She felt a sudden rush of tickling sensations on her fingertips when she saw his eyes smile as their eyes met. She stood and watched as he walked over to her side while her hands slightly curled into a fist without her realizing it.


    ¡°Was everything alright?¡±


    Eugene gave a nod instead of an answer as hearing his voice somehow made her nose tingle. It was strange how his words instantly turned her into a child who had a bad day, although she seemed just fine when she left the palace and even after seeing her mother¡¯s face.


    ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±


    ¡°I just know.¡± Kasser grinned after giving her a rather vague answer. Eugene smiled back even broader as the mere sight of his face was enough to make her all smiles.


    ¡°Something interesting happened while I was at the palace. I¡¯ll tell you later when we get home.¡± Eugene couldn¡¯t wait to tell him about how she managed to control her Ramita, wholly at her will.


    Dana, however, was quick to set forth her proposal as soon as she saw her daughter come back with her husband.


    ¡°Will you two stay for a meal today?¡±


    Eugene could feel the silent pressure behind her mother¡¯s smile which she dared not to disobey. She responded with a sheepish smile and told her mother that they would stay for the meal.


    As her two brothers weren¡¯t home, the four of them sat around the table and had a meal. And when everyone was just about to finish their meal, Dana spoke up. ¡°Jin, I was thinking of getting you some clothes.¡±


    ¡°But I brought enough for my stay.¡±


    ¡°Still, you will need some clothes here as well.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there enough clothes from before? Like the ones I changed into when I stayed for the night.¡±


    Dana instantly knot her brows and said with a stiff expression on her face, ¡°I¡¯m going to throw them all away. I can¡¯t possibly let you wear those. Last time was an exception as there weren¡¯t other clothes for you to wear.¡±


    Eugene thought it was wasteful. But seeing her mother¡¯s determined look, she realized she wouldn¡¯t be able to change her mind.


    ¡°Besides, you¡¯ll also need a new dress for the banquet. I¡¯ll call Madame Janette to come over¡­no. Perhaps it¡¯s better if we go out together.¡±


    Dana could hardly remember the very last time she visited the dress shop in person as she usually had a tailor come over to take her measurements for as long as she can remember. All the meaningless courtesies she must exchange upon every encounter, deterred her from leaving the manor.


    However, she no longer felt the same about meeting people now that she could finally show off her one and only daughter to the world with confidence.


    ¡°Right now? Perhaps next time, mother.¡±


    ¡°Why not go today while we are on the subject of it? Or is there an urgent matter for you to leave in such a hurry?¡±


    Dana¡¯s eyes were on the Desert King even though her question was directed to her daughter.


    Kasser swiftly intervened while he lowered the teacup he was holding, ¡°We have no other plans for today.¡±


    She gazed at her daughter again. Eugene looked hesitant to give an answer right away.


    She was torn between her mother and her husband. Kasser, who clearly had been worried sick after she went to the palace alone. He would be disappointed if she were to choose her mother over him, especially when he had already come all the way to the Arse manor for her. But then she wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid the sense of guilt if she were to choose her husband instead, as that would make her an awful daughter, who wouldn¡¯t spend time with her mother.


    ¡°If I may, I would be happy to be your escort today.¡± Kasser suggested a compromise.


    ¡°Are you suggesting that you will accompany us to the dressmaker¡¯s?¡± asked Dana, with her eyes rounded with surprise.


    ¡°Yes, if I¡¯m not troubling you, Lady Arse.¡±


    Dana¡¯s face lightened up in a broad smile at once. ¡°Of course not. That would be most splendid.¡±


    Patrick kept his silence while he nursed his tea, hoping that his wife wouldn¡¯t ask him to come along as well. Although it¡¯s already been more than a decade, his last outing with his wife had been as tiresome as any long-distance trip in his opinion.


    In fact, he had never seen his wife do anything in a half-hearted manner before. Patrick quietly wished his son-in-law good luck knowing that her such tendency was evident even when she shopped for clothes.

 CH 273.3

    Six carriages, which stand out just briefly by their sizes and glamor, have turned up in rows to the street where the best dress and jewelry shops in the city were clustered. It didn¡¯t take long before the carriages dominated the whole street, which was fairly narrow, since only a selected number of people ever visited such a place.


    Everyone, including those who were walking past the street and those who were getting on and off from their carriages, stopped on their tracks as they marveled at the parade of carriages before their eyes.


    ¡°Where are those carriages from? Have the entire family come out for an outing?¡±


    ¡°Good gracious! I think they are carriages from a royal family.¡±


    ¡°Ah. They really are!¡±


    Some of the crowds recognized the coat of arms on the carriage representing the Hashi Kingdom.


    A number of retinues alighted in rows from the opened doors as soon as the carriages came to a full stop. The armed escorts who wore epaulets that showed their rank as warriors on their shoulders, formed a circle around the two bigger carriages with their backs against them. In the meantime, attendants installed the portable stairs right in front of the doors.


    Curious bystanders all had their gazes fixed on the rare sight happening before their eyes.


    ¡®Who could it be?¡¯


    Although the crowds had an inkling by now that it was a royalty who came, they still couldn¡¯t quite put their finger on who it really was. Royalties were in fact very few as Anikas are known to give birth to only one heir to a kingdom.


    It was usually the kings who visited the Holy City since the king¡¯s heir never left the kingdom until they arrived at their manhood. However, a king would likely call for a tailor if new clothing was needed instead of making a personal visit to the shop.


    Another opinion was that an Anika could be in one of the carriages since an Anika, who married a king, would always be deemed as a royalty unless she was divorced. However, Anika never gained such exceptional respect as a queen once they left the kingdom.


    Although Anikas receive a substantial amount of financial support, all the attendants need to be hired from the Holy City as it is strictly forbidden to keep anyone from the kingdom or to hire the warriors as their personal escorts.


    The door to the second carriage in the row opened first. And the man¡¯s significant blue hair, which appeared from it, was enough to catch people¡¯s eyes from far behind. Although not many knew how to discern the coat-of-arms that represents different kingdoms, everyone was aware of the colors that represented the respective six kings of the six kingdoms.


    ¡°Desert king¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the desert king.¡±


    ¡°I remember hearing that he had come to the Holy City a few days ago.¡±


    The Desert king headed to the carriage in front as soon as he alighted from his. Then, he promptly offered his hand to a lady who finally showed up from the opened door. There were people in the distance craning their necks or screwing up their eyes to get a better look at the lady.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Not many recognized Dana by now as she had lived a secluded life for quite a long time. However, those who did recognize her, have all widened their eyes in great shock.


    ¡°She¡¯s Lady Arse.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡±


    A lady with hair as black as coal soon followed and extended her hand to the Desert King. This time, there were more people who seemed to have recognized her.


    ¡°Anika Jin?¡±


    Surely, it was a rare sight to see Lady Arse and Anika Jin, as well as the Desert king standing together on a street.


    ¡°What are they doing together here?¡±


    Although it¡¯s most natural for them to be seen together as the three of them were now tied under a strong bond called marriage, people don¡¯t seem to really understand the relationship between them. If anything, it must be because no one has ever witnessed the three of them together in public until today.


    Silence soon fell on the street. They stayed rooted to the ground with their eyes following them three, their faces took on set expressions.


    It was only after they disappeared into a dress shop that the street came back alive like before, as if the stopped time had started to run as usual. It was again bustling of people¡¯s chatter, busily discussing the scene they had all just witnessed.


    However, others just couldn¡¯t get enough of the trio. A crowd formed outside the dress shop. No one dared to enter despite their prying eyes as they feared to be stopped by the warriors guarding around the shop.


    Not long after, another carriage came and stopped near the dress shop. From there came out a stout lady of middle age, Lady Ditheo, who didn¡¯t give a fig about the crowd nor the lined carriage in front of the dress shop, as she pushed the door to the entrance of the dress shop without a hint of hesitation.


    She was very much known for her audacious disposition indeed. The crowd seemed despondent as they feasted with their eyes the arrival of Lady Ditheo to the shop without being held back by the warriors.

 CH 274.1

    The dress shop had a wide interior with customers browsing the displayed samples of dresses and goods, along with the attendants.


    A big stir turned into a hushed silence. Everyone zipped their mouth shut with their eyes rounded in surprise in unison.


    ¡°Good heavens. Lady Arse!¡± Janette, the madame of the dress shop, exclaimed dramatically as she trotted over to greet the honored guests.


    ¡°What a great honor to have you come all the way here. I would have gone straight to the manor myself if you had asked.¡±


    Janette was a tailoress who¡¯s been taking charge of every garment that¡¯s been worn in the Arse Family. Her skill was absolutely impeccable but above all, it was her tendency to keep her tongue that made such long years of trade possible. Doubtless, no one has ever visited the Arse manor as often as Janette. However, no words have ever gotten out of the manor.


    ¡°I just felt like getting some fresh air today. And since my daughter has come to visit, I was thinking of getting a few new dresses for her.¡±


    Janette felt a twitch at the corner of her lips for a second. She couldn¡¯t help but to feel parched to have such important customers drop in without warning.


    Moreover, Janette was well aware of the fact that the atmosphere had always been cold between Lady Arse and her daughter. Indeed, Lady Arse never once came to take a look at her daughter when Janette came over for the fitting.


    Although it was natural for mothers to have many questions when their daughters start to outgrow their old clothes, Lady Arse, however, had never once shown any particular interest in her daughter¡¯s change. Truly, if only they weren¡¯t the exact spitting image of each other, Janette would most likely have doubted their relationship as a mother and daughter.


    But in contrast to the past, Lady Arse was surprisingly gazing at her daughter with fervent affection today. Janette had no idea what had caused the change but she only responded with her usual tone without prying into it further.


    ¡°You have come just at the right time. We do have some new designs which I think will look great on Anika Jin.¡± Janette sent out the signal to her assistants at once. The assistants then took her sign and started to get busy about the shop.


    ¡°Good lord! Who this might be?¡± said Lady Ditheo with her loud and resonant voice. With all eyes in the shop now shifted to her after her dramatic entrance, Lady Ditheo went up to Dana and held her hand.


    ¡°Never in my wildest dreams I thought I would be seeing you here, Lady Arse. I¡¯m truly surprised.¡±


    Once again, Lady Ditheo made a great fuss when Dana introduced her daughter and her son-in-law to her.


    ¡°Have you regained your health?¡±


    Dana had in fact secluded herself for years on the pretext of her health. Still, Lady Ditheo showed no hint of hesitation in bringing up what could seem as a rather sensitive subject. She indeed has a way to make everything sound like perfectly innocuous remarks despite the fact that she is the kind of person who says whatever comes to her mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m now fully recovered thanks to my daughter.¡±


    Dana¡¯s such remark was something which could have sounded peculiar depending on the person. It opened to various interpretations such as that Anika Jin had literally cured the disease of her mother. But since Anika Jin was no practitioner, it also opened to the possibility that Jin had in fact returned with a cure which she had gained from the help of the king whom she married.


    Such rumors were bound to grow and spread across the whole city in a few days time, just as Dana intended to.


    In fact, she purposely chose to visit the dress shop as this was where countless rumors were born.


    ***


    It didn¡¯t take long for Kasser to realize that his job was to just stand by while the ladies busily browsed around the shop. He took a seat on the sofa which seemed to be prepared for the customers just like himself.


    He silently observed Eugene as she busily tried on different types of garments in the shop when a significant difference between her and other ladies caught his eyes all of sudden. She was the only one without any adornments around her neck among all the ladies in the shop.


    Although he was pretty sure Eugene had worn a necklace when she left for the palace, he was confused as he couldn¡¯t quite recall the exact shape of the necklace.


    In any case, his wife¡¯s empty neck was starting to get on his nerves profusely. It bothered him all the more as Lady Ditheo, who was being overly chatty around his wife and his mother-in-law, was wearing a large necklace set with huge jewels.

 CH 274.2

    Lady Ditheo was a lady with rich gestures as she spoke. And everytime she held up her hand in the air, a rock sized jewel glittered on her finger. Compared to that, all Eugene had around her finger was a plain ring.


    He was no expert, but he knew the size of a jewel doesn¡¯t always proportional to what it¡¯s worth. Moreover, everyone has different preferences. And that particular red, walnut sized rock ring around the lady¡¯s finger didn¡¯t seem like it would look good on Eugene either.


    Stll, he couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy deep down in his heart. And he can¡¯t recall exactly when, but he did make a mental memo that she was very much fond of jewelry.


    ¡®Right. I believe it was the day we went to the treasure house.¡¯


    How she couldn¡¯t quite take her eyes off from the necklace, which was designated as a national treasure, along with a graphic exclamation of delight, flashed on Kasser¡¯s mind all of sudden. He reproached himself for not thinking of giving her a necklace as a gift. But come to think of it, he hasn¡¯t given any gift to his wife before.


    Lady Ditheo¡¯s huge ring must have caught Dana¡¯s eyes as well, since Kasser could faintly hear his mother-in-law asking the lady about the ring.


    ¡°My ring? I guess it¡¯s a little too extravagant, isn¡¯t it? To tell the truth, I only got it from my husband on my birthday after much begging and pleading. Wouldn¡¯t you think it would have been wonderful if it was a surprise gift from him? Men really are thoughtless.¡±


    Lady Ditheo started to backbite not only her husband, but how thoughtless and insensitive all men could be, at length. And her every word reverberated in Kasser¡¯s ears, along her loud, resonant voice.


    Feeling uneasy, Kasser averted his gaze from her. He was about to turn away when his eyes caught sight of the attendant who was attending to another lady. The male attendant was showing the lady a necklace which was carefully laid on the velvet fabric in a tray.


    After having observed it with interest, he looked around his surroundings to call for an attendant. A male of middle age was fast to notice and went up to his side. The man happened to be no ordinary attendant but the assistant manager of the shop. He had been keeping his eyes on the workers just in case they commit discourtesy before the honored guests.


    ¡°Is there anything you are looking for, Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°Do you carry jewelry here as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. We do carry a range of jewelry with the best designs which could also be bespokely made to satisfy the sophisticated tastes of our customers¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything which will suit my taste right now?¡± Kasser held up his hand and intervened before the man could get carried away with self-flattery.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The man heard a bell chime in his mind along with a strong hunch as a businessman. Indeed, whom he was dealing with now was a major customer who would likely appear once in years, or even a lifetime.


    No matter how wealthy the tycoons in the Holy City are, they would be no more than a firefly under the sun when compared to a king. And so the man interpreted the king¡¯s phrase, ¡®which will suit my taste¡¯, as, ¡®which only I could purchase¡¯. He also raised the limit of prices he had tentatively set in his mind for his special regular customers to the maximum.


    The assistant manager bent his back and said with the utmost courtesy.


    ¡°We have our best jewels specially stored. If you would please come with me, Your Grace.¡±


    A secret passage was revealed behind the thick purple curtain as the assistant manager drew it aside. Kasser followed as the man ushered him in. Eugene turned her head around just in time and saw him disappear beyond the curtain.


    ¡®Where is he going?¡¯


    Eugene suppressed her urge to ask the attendant about where he was going since he could have only left to use the men¡¯s room.


    ¡°What do you think of this, Anika Jin?¡±


    ¡°Jin. What about this color?¡±


    Eugene had to turn her head back around when she was called by Madame Janette and her mother consecutively.


    Eugene¡¯s mind had long been befuddled after being surrounded for a good while by three ladies. Janette explained ceaselessly every time she showed her new dresses and goods while her mother chimed in and urged her to try everything on. And there was also Lady Ditheo, who kept horning in as if she had been their company all along.


    Dana swiftly leafed through the design book that Janette handed to her. Almost everything Eugene had tried on today was drawn inside the book.


    ¡°Take this and that away. And make the waistline slimmer for this one. This hat did not go along with this at all. It seemed too stiff.¡±


    ¡°I must admit you have such great eyes for fashion. I couldn¡¯t agree more about the hat.¡±


    It seemed like the opinion of the person who would actually be wearing all the clothes wasn¡¯t important to them in the least. Eugene couldn¡¯t erase the feeling of being pushed away from a part of the heroine to a pedestrian. Still, it didn¡¯t feel bad at all to play along as her mother¡¯s doll. As her mother must have always dreamed of spending her time with her daughter, just like today.


    Eugene had no idea when he came back but Kasser was speaking with a middle-aged man when she turned her head around again. After seeing that her mother was pretty occupied with her discussion with Janette, Eugene went up to Kasser. The middle-aged man excused himself as soon as he noticed her approaching.


    ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting. We¡¯re almost done now. I think my mother is the one who¡¯s most excited although we are here for my clothes.¡± said Eugene apologetically as she drew near him.


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to let out a chuckle since his choice of word was unexpectedly precise. ¡°Should we pick out some clothes for you as well?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡± Kasser¡¯s prompt reply had somehow made Eugene chuckle once more. She was about to turn her head around after having checked that her mother was still in the middle of her conversation with Janette, just before she caught sight of the showcase nearby. She went up to the showcase as if she was seized by the glittering goods on the display.


    Eugene had to look down to the showcase as it came up only to her waist. And inside, there were various types of jewelry being displayed under the glass lid.

 CH 275

    ¡®They¡¯re so pretty¡­¡¯


    Frankly speaking, the kind of cheap jewelry which she had when she lived on earth was much more delicate in terms of design as there must be a huge difference in the craftsmanship skill between the two worlds. But there¡¯s no denying that the classical glamor, which the authentic jewel gave off, was impressive enough to make up for the gap in skill.


    There¡¯s indeed quite an amount of jewelry back in the palace which must have been the former possession of her imposter. And Eugene didn¡¯t feel like wearing them since she couldn¡¯t quite shake off the feeling that they don¡¯t belong to her. She hardly brought any for her trip to the Holy City as well.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    Startled by his voice, Eugene raised up her head and saw him standing right next to her. She smiled sheepishly in worry that he might have misconstrued her behavior when she only intended to browse. She was going to say no to him. But then she thought, ¡®So what if he thinks I want it? I could ask my husband to buy it for me,¡¯ and gave him a nod for an answer instead.


    As soon as Kasser turned his head around, four attendants, who seemed to have been summoned by the assistant manager, came over and lifted the glass lid by holding up at its four corners. The jewelry had not been allowed to be tried on nor had been exposed before such a crowd since such valuables were usually locked up, so they would not go astray.


    ¡®Wow.¡¯


    The jewelry looked sharply different now without the glass lid. And among them all, it was the necklace which was set with both ruby and diamond that instantly caught her eyes. It surely stood out among the various types of adornments displayed within the showcase.


    ¡°May I try it on?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Which one would you like to try on, Anika?¡± responded the assistant manager without any hesitation. He then personally took the jewelry, which Eugene had pointed to with her finger, placed it on a silver tray and showed it to her.


    ¡®I guess they do train their sales attendants here in this world as well.¡¯


    Eugene regarded the assistant manager¡¯s sincere hospitality only as a part of the customer service. She couldn¡¯t possibly have known how he felt like he could even lick at their shoes if it was needed.


    Kasser was fast to pick up the necklace before Eugene. He then went around to her back and leaned slightly forward to put the necklace on for her. Eugene swiftly gathered her hair to one side and revealed her bare neck before him.


    As he hooked the chain of the necklace, Kasser took in the sight of her white neck with his eyes. He suppressed his strong urge to plant a kiss. He instead grazed her neck with his thumb which didn¡¯t escape the queen¡¯s notice. Eugene¡¯s face turned scarlet, startled by the unexpected contact. She quietly shot a sidelong scowl at Kasser standing behind her back.


    She checked her reflection in the mirror which the attendants had brought to her. The necklace seemed a little too flashy at first glance, but it didn¡¯t really stand out as much as she worried now that she actually tried it on.


    She liked the way it looked around her neck but not as much as she really wanted to buy it. Eugene felt torn since it didn¡¯t truly take her fancy and also as it seemed like it would cost a fortune.


    Eugene decided to sound Kasser out and make a decision based on his response.


    ¡°Are you going to buy it for me?¡±


    Kasser broke into laughter like someone who¡¯s just heard a joke.


    ¡°It¡¯s already yours.¡±


    A faint exclamation broke out amid the crowd. Eugene¡¯s felt heat rising in her face along with a sudden sense of pride. She tried to cool off her heated cheeks by pressing down with the back of her hand. Eugene couldn¡¯t help but to admit that her already perfect husband seemed much more charming today. So she held onto her husband¡¯s arm to stand on tiptoe and pressed a light kiss on his cheek.


    Kasser turned up the corners of his mouth into an unmistakable smile when Eugene pretended to look elsewhere with her head turned away from him.


    ¡°Assistant manager.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± The response came quickly from the man like he was a loyal servant to the king.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take everything in this showcase.¡±


    ¡°Have you gone out of your mind?!¡± exclaimed Eugene with a startle. After belatedly realizing there were eyes all around them, she quickly whispered as she stood closer to his side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it. I really don¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡°Do you not like them?¡±


    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°I said no.¡±


    Everyone in the shop was staring at the two of them, looking half-stupefied, as if they could not believe their eyes. Although there had been many speculations and rumors about the reason Anika Jin chose to marry a king, no one ever thought they had affection for each other.


    ¡°How wonderful.¡±


    Madame Janette clasped her hand, looking profoundly moved, while Lady Ditheo fell quiet for the first time. She wordlessly stared at the lovely couple, her eyes widening in astonishment. It was clear that their affection for each other was genuine as everything from their expression to the atmosphere around them wasn¡¯t something that could be feigned.


    ¡°Lady Arse, I must say your daughter couldn¡¯t look any happier.¡±


    Dana, who was watching her daughter and son-in-law with an unmistakable smile on her face, turned around at the remark. ¡°I¡¯m most glad to see her happy with her marriage. She must have found her peace of mind after she got married. As she¡¯s now become more considerate to others.¡±


    Janette couldn¡¯t help but nod with agreement as she also got the impression that Anika Jin has become a totally different person judging from her behavior today. Janette vividly remembered how arrogant and particular Anika Jin was in the past, whenever she encountered her in the Arse manor.


    Lady Ditheo seemed like she still couldn¡¯t quite shake off the shock as Anika Jin¡¯s notorious disposition was still fresh in her mind. The reason she had stuck her nose in around Lady Arse and her daughter today was simply because of her astonishment.


    She had in fact occasionally wondered about ¡®How the apple does fall far from the tree.¡¯ wherever she saw Jin in the past. And although she had a son just about the same age as Jin, she had never once even joked about setting her son up with Anika Jin.


    But now, Lady Ditheo wondered if she was wrong about Jin after all, since Jin couldn¡¯t look more lovely as she smiled and spoke amiably to her mother throughout the countless fittings without a slight hint of annoyance. And to see Jin getting all lovey dovey with her husband had made Lady Ditheo deeply regret for not setting her up with her son.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve regained my health, I¡¯m thinking of starting to socialize again, little by little. And since my daughter has come back for the first time in a long while, I¡¯m planning to throw a welcoming banquet in our manor for her.¡±


    ¡°A banquet? In the Arse Manor? Does that mean you will be hosting it yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little worried since it¡¯s been years since I last hosted a banquet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so modest of you. Sophisticated tastes such as yours never quite fade with time.¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯ll send out the invitations once the date is set, I wonder if you would spread the word out before that.¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure. A banquet in the Arse Manor. I bet everyone will go all out to obtain the invitation. Can I assume that you will set aside an invitation for me, Lady Arse?¡±


    ¡°Of course I will.¡±


    Without Janette even having to try, the word was bound to spread out in no time from the mouths of the people in the shop, whose ears got pricked up to eavesdrop on the conversation.


    As a matter of fact, no customer has left the shop ever since the arrival of Lady Arse and the royal couple. Everyone lingered on, pretending to pick out their clothes although all their attention were focused on the three unexpected visitor.


    And just as Janette said, people will go all out to get their hands on the invitation, which will grant them to attend the very banquet that is to be held in the Arse Manor.

 CH 276.1

    Eugene was visited by Charlotte after she returned home in the afternoon. She greeted Charlotte in a pleasant manner as she indeed had been looking forward to Charlotte¡¯s visit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve paid a visit to my grandfather. And I¡¯m here today as I have something to speak to you regarding that matter, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear about it.¡±


    As Eugene asked everyone to leave, only she and Charlotte were now left in the drawing room.


    ¡°First, I give you my sincerest apology for failing you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Did something go wrong?¡±


    ¡°My grandfather¡­ he¡¯s fastidious and a skeptical person by nature.¡± Charlotte said with a bitter smile.


    Charlotte didn¡¯t think her grandfather doubted her words at all. If he did, he most definitely would have kicked her out on the spot, judging from his character. If anything, he was only showing a strong disapproval of Charlotte taking the role of Count Wacommbe, who had been a liaison between him and Anika.


    [There¡¯s no reason for you to be a part of this. Or is there something you didn¡¯t tell me about? If you are not willing to do this, let me handle it. I still have that much power.]


    [There¡¯s really no need to, grandfather.]


    [Are you certain? Isn¡¯t it because of your husband? If it is, I¡¯m going to knock some sense into his head. How incompetent he is to take advantage of his wife?!]


    [Grandfather. You¡¯re jumping to conclusions again. I told you, it¡¯s not because of him. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve become acquainted with the queen by chance. And she wasn¡¯t all that bad once I got to know her.]


    Mitchell only gave a snort in disgust.


    [Grandfather, you are having a biased view of her because of the groundless rumors. I believe you have never actually met her in person.]


    [I haven¡¯t but your grandmother did. Are you trying to suggest that your grandmother had lied and betrayed someone for no good reasons?]


    Charlotte was at a loss for words as this was her first time hearing of it. She was well aware of her grandfather thinking less of the queen and until today she thought it was only because of the rumors, as there has been no chance of them meeting each other.


    [You are no longer a child, so I guess there¡¯s no reason for me to interfere if you insist as so. But Charlotte, if someone entrusted you with a task without giving you any kind of explanation beforehand, that person is not someone worthy of your trust nor loyalty. And will only bring you more harm than good.]


    [I¡¯ll keep your words in mind, grandfather.]


    [Also, just because you are my granddaughter and will be acting as a liaison from henceforth, I still can¡¯t tell you about anything that happened between me and the queen since trust is essential in trade and one¡¯s tongue must be held tight to earn it.]


    Charlotte¡¯s original plan was to coax forth information from her grandfather, but all she got was a good scolding instead. She delivered the words she had with her grandfather, while leaving out the parts which might come across offensive to Eugene, at her discretion.


    ¡°My apologies, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologize, Count Oscar.¡± Eugene said, with a shake of her head. ¡°Your grandfather said only the right things. I must admit that I was being shallow. The head of the Scan firm must have only said so as he was concerned for his granddaughter. I should be the one to apologize.¡±


    Charlotte couldn¡¯t be more grateful to the queen, who surprisingly displayed understanding for her grandfather without any sign of being offended. On one hand, she couldn¡¯t help but to feel resentful of her grandfather¡¯s prejudice against the queen.


    She never used to like the queen but nor did she have antipathy against her. Instead, since she had kept her distance from the queen, she held no hard feelings or whatsoever towards the queen either. And because of that, she was able to draw a conclusion that the queen had been on edge out of her wariness, after she came to the foreign kingdom.


    In fact, according to her experiences so far, rumors never truly reflected the truth most of the time. She believed that there had been some malicious maneuvering involved, behind all the rumors about the queen that are rampant in the Holy City. Indeed, the queen was an Anika from the Arse family, so it wasn¡¯t hard to think that there were people who begrudged her wealth and social influence.


    ¡°I¡¯m really trying my best but I just can¡¯t remember anything about it. It¡¯s taking longer than I thought for my memory to come back. Believe me, I never meant to deceive you or anything, Count Oscar.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty. I have never doubted your words.¡± Charlotte said at once with a startle.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you believed me.¡± Eugene said, along with a genial smile.


    Charlotte reflectively lowered her gaze. The queen wasn¡¯t authoritative at all, but Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but to feel overwhelmed by the queen¡¯s presence itself. She naturally bowed her head before the queen as her mere subject.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to meet the head of the Scan firm myself. Do you think you can arrange a meeting in my stead?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. And I¡¯ll do my best to not fail you again this time.¡±


    After their conversation was finished, Eugene left the drawing room with Charlotte to see her out. It was when they¡¯ve just stepped foot into the hall on the first floor that a servant came up to Eugene and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the assistant manager of the Janette Boutique has come to deliver an item for you.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. He¡¯s just arrived and is now waiting by the door.¡±

 CH 276.2

    Eugene¡¯s face betrayed her puzzlement as she wondered what he could have come to deliver, especially as it hadn¡¯t been long since she returned from the boutique. There was no way for her clothes to have been made finished this fast. In fact, she was told that all her purchases, such as the hats, shoes and the like, will be delivered to the Arse Manor along with the clothes.


    ¡®I believe all the jewelry has been brought with me.¡¯


    Eugene became discomposed instantly when she recalled the earlier event, as if she was having buyer¡¯s remorse. She tried to dissuade him, but Kasser insisted on purchasing every item on display, stressing that a king never goes back on his words.


    Although she was well aware of the obvious fact that her husband was extremely rich, such excessive extravagance was, however, too much for Eugene to handle. Up to this time, Eugene only bought things she truly needed, after much comparison and consideration, in order to maximize the efficiency in a limited budget.


    And even though she no longer has to stick to her old spending habits, she couldn¡¯t help but to feel torn between her inner desire and her long-standing habit of frugality.


    ¡®Perhaps he¡¯s brought some free giveaways as a thank you for spending such a fortune.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet him on my way out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    As soon as Eugene and Charlotte got out of the manor, they both saw a carriage for Charlotte, standing on the yard stretching below the stairs, and another one standing right next to it. The men standing before the carriage, darted up the stairs as soon as Eugene was in sight. The assistant manager, who was in the lead, bowed until his body was bent at his waist, showing piety to the queen.


    ¡°My apologies for not introducing myself earlier, Anika. I¡¯m Jake, the assistant manager of the Janette boutique.¡±


    Even without his proper introduction, Eugene clearly remembered who he was as she could still vividly recall his joyous face while he wrapped away all the jewelry that was on the showcase, a few hours back.


    ¡°I have come to deliver the present from His Grace to you, Anika.¡±


    ¡°I thought everything was brought in with me. What did I miss out on?¡±


    ¡°You did not, indeed, Anika. What I¡¯ve brought is a rare treasure, incomparable to what you have seen earlier today. But I must plead with you not to mistake my words, as everything you have purchased today is without doubt the best qualities of our most carefully selected products. Still, the thing about the treasure I brought¡­¡± the assistant manager said as he put out his hand to the two other men, who were carrying a wooden chest at its both ends, behind him.


    ¡°¡­is that it is the finest of our boutique, or if I may, it truly is the finest treasure of the whole Holy City there is. And I can¡¯t be more honored for this treasure to have finally found the right owner. Would you please spare me some time so I can explain further about this treasure to you?¡±


    On the contrary to the assistant manager¡¯s expectation, Eugene didn¡¯t seem much impressed.


    ¡®What did he buy again this time? He¡¯s going overboard.¡¯


    Charlotte, however, casted a curious glance at the wooden chest instead. And unlike Eugene, who didn¡¯t seem at all intrigued by the assistant manager¡¯s excessive explanation, Charlotte had a rough idea of what the content of the chest was.


    There are only several renowned stores that carry finest jewelry in the Holy City and each of the stores has their own respective treasures in store. Although such treasures were perfectly on sale, not one of them had been sold so far as it was hard to find someone who could actually afford such exorbitantly priced treasures.


    As a result, the treasures were more commonly used for exhibition purposes to impress the customers by showing them what the store has in carry. And since customers pay a substantial amount in advance for every purchase made in such prestige stores, such treasures are deemed as a security for the store to gain the customers¡¯ credibility.


    ¡®A treasure from the Janette boutique?¡¯ Charlotte couldn¡¯t be more curious as a store¡¯s treasure was never something anyone could ask for a viewing.


    ¡°Your Majesty. If only I may ask, would you please give me the chance to watch as you open the chest?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you may.¡± Eugene promptly replied as she didn¡¯t mind it at all. It was only a trivial favor compared to what Charlotte had done for her so far. So, along with Charlotte and the assistant manager, Eugene returned to the drawing room.


    The two men stepped back after placing down the chest. The assistant manager then unlocked the chest and took out a smaller chest within it. After carefully placing it down on the sofa table, he further lifted the upper lid. At once, all four sides of the chest spread out on the table in order.


    A pure gasp of shock escaped from Charlotte¡¯s mouth, despite covering it with both her hands. Eugene too, couldn¡¯t help but to gape with her eyes widened in surprise.


    What was revealed from the chest was in fact a displaying bust, where it displayed a necklace, elaborately set with diamonds, enough to cover the whole neckline.


    ¡°To explain further about this treasure¡­¡±


    Eugene was too dazed to listen to the assistant manager¡¯s excited explanation as she was having a hard time believing her eyes. It was obvious that this world had no technical skills to make artificial jewelry, so the only possible explanation would be that the necklace was set with genuine diamonds.


    But somehow, Eugene was finding it awfully familiar, which was utterly impossible as there¡¯s no way she could have seen such valuable treasure before in her life.


    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯


    All of sudden, the grand image of the royal treasury came into her head.


    She could still vividly remember how overpowered she was by the stunning necklace, which was indeed a designated national treasure. Compared to that, the very necklace, which was brought by the assistant manager today, seemed rather plain.


    Although there¡¯s no denying that what¡¯s in front of her was a marvelous treasure, as someone who¡¯s already seen something more incredible, she couldn¡¯t help but to be amazed less by it. As a matter of fact, she more amazed by how similar the necklace in front of her was to the national treasure she had seen before.


    ¡®Did he buy that just because I marveled at the similar necklace in the treasury?¡¯


    It didn¡¯t take much long for her suspicion to turn into certainty since someone as scrupulous as Kasser, wouldn¡¯t have forgotten about it. She buried her face into her palms, wondering why her eyes were starting to tingle, even though her mouth was smiling.

 CH 277.1

    At the time when Eugene was meeting with Charlotte, Kasser was hearing reports from his man about the investigation which he had ordered. After leafing through the pages of the report with an impassive expression, Kasser tossed it back on the table. And all the while he was buried in his thoughts in silence, the man who brought the report, remained standing as firm as a rock with bated breath.


    ¡°Alright. You may take your leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The man waited for a moment before he retreated and took his leave, just in case the king had any other instruction for him.


    Kasser then stared vacantly at the report which was sitting on his table. He tried to reach out his hand for it but eventually flinched and pulled back with his hand clenched instead.


    Not long ago, on the day his birth mother came to ask him for more money, Kasser gave out an order to conduct an investigation of his mother. Although he already had an inkling about it, what was written on the report was much more pathetic than he imagined.


    ¡®What an absurd woman she is.¡¯


    If only she had not given up on her position as the queen by not divorcing his father, her life wouldn¡¯t have turned out this badly.


    Kasser couldn¡¯t help but to wonder if his so-called mother ever had a will of her own as her whole life has been constantly swayed by either her parents or siblings. He only recently found out that Sang-je was taking advantage of Anikas, and that means there literally was no one to aid the woman to become independent from others.


    After a moment of contemplation, Kasser got up from the table and opened the window leading to the balcony to call Abu by force of habit. But the scene from the window eventually stopped him¡ªelaborate buildings of various heights instead of the vast land of the Hashi kingdom.


    Only then he remembered that he was now at Holy City, and not his kingdom where he could just run across the desert on Abu¡¯s back whenever he needed to clear his mind.


    ¡®This is ridiculous.¡¯


    He had no idea why he was so bothered by the tidings of his birth mother to the point that he had forgotten about where he was just now.


    Kasser stood for a moment by the opened window before he stepped into the balcony. The turmoil in his thoughts were subsiding as he gazed at the unfamiliar scenery before him. It really helped a lot just by trying not to think whenever the mind was troubled.


    Just then, he sensed someone¡¯s presence behind him, followed by the voice of his chamberlain.


    ¡°Your Majesty. The queen is here.¡±


    ¡°Let her come in.¡± Kasser bid at once.


    A moment after his chamberlain took his leave, Kasser went back into his study. The door soon opened and from there he saw his wife walking into the study alone. He couldn¡¯t remember exactly when, but without being asked, everyone naturally gave them privacy whenever they were alone.


    Kasser silently watched as she looked around the room with her eyes wide, trying to find him. He saw her breaking into a broad smile as soon as she spotted him standing in front of the window by the balcony. A sudden ache in his heart, a strange pang of pain startled him a little.


    Eugene trotted over and threw herself into his arms at once. He then instinctively wrapped his hands around her body to pull her closer to him. She buried her face deep into his chest before looking straight his blue ones, her rosy cheeks evidently betraying her irrepressible excitement.


    ¡°The assistant manager from the boutique was here just now.¡±


    ¡°That was fast. I was expecting him tomorrow.¡±


    The assistant manager had indeed informed Kasser beforehand that it would take at least one day for them to process the purchase, as they needed time to prepare the documents required for the transfer of ownership. However, after seeing that the Desert King purchasing every item displayed in the showcase without any hesitation, the assistant manager concluded that the king was an impetuous man. And since it would be a disaster to lose such a bold customer, he quickly changed his plan and decided to deliver it before the king decided to change his mind.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Do I like it?¡± Eugene laughed out loud as if it was a ridiculous question. ¡°It¡¯s exactly what I wanted. How did you know I fancied that kind of necklace? Perhaps you can read people¡¯s minds too, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I just thought you might like it.¡±


    Burying her face once again into his chest, Eugene tried her best to suppress a laugh from escaping her. She couldn¡¯t help but to find him adorable, to see him play innocent without mentioning a word about the treasury to her. Thus, Eugene decided to play along by making an even greater fuss about it on purpose.


    ¡°Thank you so much. I really love it. It is by far the best present I¡¯ve ever gotten in my whole life.¡±


    Kasser felt like he couldn¡¯t be more content to receive such a fervent response from her. And the smile on her face alone was enough to make his efforts worthwhile.


    ¡®What to do now?¡¯ Eugene murmured inwardly, resting her head on his chest.


    It was on her way to the study when she realized that everything she had planned before arriving at the Holy City had long gone awry.


    Despite her agreement with Kasser to act indifferent to each other in public, they ended up showing the exact opposite to so many people today. And without doubt, words will spread out and reach Sang-je¡¯s ears in no time.


    However, Eugene didn¡¯t say anything about it to her husband.


    In fact, she had discovered how shallow and materialistic she was earlier in the boutique, as she couldn¡¯t quite deny how thrilled she was to hear all the envious murmurs breaking out among other customers, while waiting for the jewelry to be packed.


    And if they are to be on everybody¡¯s lips anyway, she thought it would be better to show how happily married they truly are to the whole public. Besides, it upset her just to imagine him being cold and indifferent to her, in awareness of others.


    ¡°Let¡¯s change our plan.¡± Eugene said, looking up from his chest.

 CH 277.2

    ¡°What plan?¡±


    ¡°Now that we know Sang-je¡¯s intention is to prevent Anika and the king from having a closer relationship, we¡¯ll be able to attract his attention should the rumor about us getting along, reach his ears. In the meantime, we can conduct further investigation on the spells or the ancient tribe while he¡¯s distracted with us.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you¡¯re telling me to buy you more presents in public like today, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I was talking about.¡± Eugene said, giving him a light push at his chest as he sounded serious.


    ¡°But I won¡¯t refuse it if you do.¡± Eugene coyly added.


    After letting out a low chuckle, Kasser scooped her up and sat her down on his desk. The desk indeed had put her about the same eye level as him. He brushed across her cheek and ran his right hand through her hair.


    There¡¯s no denying that the woman before him is Anika since her black-as-coal hair and eyes strongly resembled that of his mother¡¯s.


    His birth mother, however, was a woman without even the tiniest sense of responsibility. But it was a common characteristic that could be easily found from Anikas who got married to a king like his own mother. And it was especially hard to expect responsibility from them as they hardly played their role as a wife, queen or even a mother to their own child.


    Naturally, Kasser harbored ill feelings against Anika. Which explains why he was so indifferent when he got married three years ago, without a slightest hope nor expectation on married life.


    Even he found it hard to believe how much he¡¯s changed in just the past few months as never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he¡¯ll ever come to love someone with all his heart.


    And thus through Eugene, he¡¯s learned that it was foolish of him to blindly hate someone with a prejudiced view, just because she was an Anika.


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯ll be attending a tea party tomorrow, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know the exact time yet.¡± Indeed, Eugene was going to a tea party with Dana tomorrow. Although it was a small gathering of a group of less than ten attendees, she¡¯s heard that they all have great influences in high society.


    Plus, she¡¯s told by Dana that it was customary to make appearances in such gatherings and get acquainted with people, for the banquet to be held in great success. Hence, for the time being, Eugene decided to attend various gatherings along with her mother.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll come to hear about or even come across her in person as you start attending gatherings in Holy City.¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Lady Wallfred. My birth mother.¡± Kasser said, staring at his own reflection in her twinkling black eyes.


    Shock was evident in Eugene¡¯s eyes. And only after blankly blinking her eyes in silence for a moment, she managed a murmur out under her breath, ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°She requested Sang-je that she would like to be called Lady Wallfred instead of Anika after she remarried her current husband.¡±


    ¡°What happens¡­ after making such a request?¡±


    ¡°It is unusual but there are Anikas who feel burdened to receive special treatments just because they are Anika. It practically means that they officially renounce the name as well as all the privileges they received as Anika.¡±


    Kasser was surprised by the fact that he was telling Eugene about his mother with remarkable equanimity. Especially as he used to loathe to even think about his mother. And after so much time has passed, he believed that he had already long forgotten about her. But truthfully speaking, he¡¯d been resenting her for as long as he can remember while keeping his hatred for his mother bottled inside him.


    But now, he finally felt like he was ready to let everything go.


    ¡°My birth mother, Lady Wallfred, was borne into a rather adverse environment, growing up under pretentious and greedy parents, who tried to use their daughter to satisfy their endless avarice.¡±


    The parents of Anika are known to be guaranteed a life-long pension throughout their whole lives. However, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t enough for Lady Wallfred¡¯s parents.


    Katie Wallfred , Kasser¡¯s mother, was highly popular in the marriage market because she was an Anika indeed. As a matter of fact, there were plenty of men who offered a great sum of dowry, wishing for their children to be born with God¡¯s blessing.


    As a result, Katie¡¯s parents had started to receive dowry from their prospective sons-in-law before breaking the engagement with various reasons in the end. It has become a scam. Later, with continuous occurrences of similar victims, nobody came forward to ask Katie for her hand in marriage anymore.


    And it seemed like Katie¡¯s parents led an extravagant lifestyle as it was their desire to be accepted as a member of the upper class. But as money started to run out, they decided to present their daughter in a different marriage market this time.


    ¡°That¡¯s why she married the late king.¡±


    ¡°Just because of the monetary gift from Sang-je?¡± Eugene asked, unbelievingly.


    And Kasser only gave her a nod.

 CH 278.1

    ¡°But I thought Sang-je is the one who chooses the match for the king.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess there¡¯s no reason for Sang-je to say no if Anika, who he might consider as a match for a king, actually volunteers to get married.¡±


    Katie¡¯s inborn Ramita was of below average level and nor was she from a prestigious family. And above all, she was a gullible, faint-hearted person with a faint will as well.


    No one could know if she had become despondent with her life or if she truly had fallen in love, but she returned to the Holy City after giving birth to a son, then soon became the center of a scandal that¡¯s been discussed on everyone¡¯s lips for years.


    Katie had a child with a man called Hogan Wallfred although she was still legally married to her husband. The infuriated king notified her at once that he¡¯ll divorce her, after he heard about such a scandal. After going through all the divorce proceedings, she remarried Hogan as soon as she was officially divorced.


    She further renounced her name as Anika and became Lady Wallfred afterwards and had two more children with Hogan. On the surface, she appeared to be leading a happy life with her new family in the Holy City. But according to the intelligence, her new husband, Hogan, was no more than a lowly swindler and gambler. Kasser could easily imagine that her life was in a mess after she remarried to that kind of man, especially as she came to ask money from the son whom she had long abandoned in the past.


    But Kasser didn¡¯t bother to tell Eugene that his mother was living in such hardship.


    ¡°Just ignore everything even if you hear or should you happen to come across Lady Wallfred at some point. As she has nothing to do with me anymore. I¡¯m just telling you because I thought you should at least know about it.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t hard for Eugene to take notice that Kasser was calling his mother strictly by the name ¡®Lady Wallfred¡¯. It pained her even more since he couldn¡¯t sound more indifferent as if he was telling stories of someone else¡¯s.


    However, she had no intention to sympathize with him in the least. And she thought offering him a consolation will only hurt his pride now.


    ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡±


    Kasser gave Eugene an embrace as she held out her arms at him. He looked much more relieved now that he¡¯s told her, as he realized that he no longer had any feelings left about his birth mother. And the only reason he felt dejected earlier when he heard about her recent tidings was no more than sympathy.


    It was the woman he was holding in his arms right now who made it possible for him to face the future. He no longer had any reason to resent his mother for abandoning him as Eugene was now his new family.


    ***


    Rahan was wearing a careworn expression with his eyes closed- worry registered on his shriveled face. And it was all due to the message he received from the elder through Hitasya, after she returned from the underground.


    [I want to meet Resha¡¯s child which God had bestowed her with. To do so, I¡¯ll need a bridge to reach the dream.]


    It seemed like Hitasya had repeated the elder¡¯s message countless times on her way back so that she wouldn¡¯t miss even a word. She literally poured out the words as soon as she was alone with Rahan and heaved a sigh of relief only when she was finished. As a matter of fact, Rahan¡¯s son later told him that Hitasya had kept her mouth closed as tight as a clam, without speaking a word all the way home.


    Rahan couldn¡¯t be prouder of his bright young granddaughter for doing such a great job. However, the message she brought was nothing of his expectation.


    By the child which God had bestowed Resha with¡¯, the elder must have meant Anika Jin, who was in fact Resha¡¯s granddaughter. There was no surprise in how the elder had found out since the elder has the ability to foresee the future.


    ¡®But I had no idea she had the ability to read dreams too.¡¯


    A spell is something which literally anyone could initiate as long as the essential conditions, such as the rune, medium and the vessel are prepared. But there are indeed some special spells which could only be initiated by sorcerers with appropriate rights.


    The spell which connects one¡¯s consciousness to someone by entering the dream was one of them.


    ¡®I should have known that the elder had an ace up her sleeve.¡¯


    Rahan couldn¡¯t help but to feel a shudder down his spine. If Sang-je had even the remotest idea about it, he wouldn¡¯t have let the elder meet with the children from the tribe in the first place.


    However, no attempt as such was made so far from the elder to contact with the descendants, using her ability. Rahan also doesn¡¯t recall seeing the elder in his dreams nor had he heard of such attempts from his predecessor. Instead, the elder had sealed the ability, keeping it hidden away from the eyes of the beast, waiting for the final blow.

 CH 278.2

    There are only two ways to enter one¡¯s dream. Either by intrusion or by making a careful approach. But by intrusion, there will be unavoidable damage to the minds of both the intruder and the owner of the dream. And whatever the outcome is, Sang-je will be bound to take notice of the attempt as the whole process must be done at the expense of the initiator¡¯s life force.


    But as the elder requested for a bridge, it seemed to him that the elder was attempting to make an approach instead. However, there are two conditions needed for the approach. First, the owner of the dream should never refuse the visitor. Secondly, a medium which signifies the owner of the dream will be needed. The most ideal will be body tissue, such as blood.


    A deep sigh escaped from Rahan as they both seemed an almost impossible task to be done.


    Who in their right mind would give their blood to someone who appeared one day after insisting that they actually are relatives?


    Besides that, Anika has a close relation with Sang-je. And Rahan couldn¡¯t risk Sang-je from finding out about the attempt, as once he does, it will be the end of the Muen Family.


    ***


    Torn between whether he should just be complacent with status quo or to take on a risky venture, Rahan deliberated, wondering if he, who clearly hasn¡¯t got much time to live, has the right to gamble with the future of the Muen family. But when the face of his pretty granddaughter came to his mind, he felt hot tears spring to his eyes.


    ¡®This might be our last chance.¡¯


    Rahan¡¯s eyes glowed glaringly when he peeled his eyes open.


    ¡®It wouldn¡¯t have been possible for us to live in such comfort and plenty without her sacrifice in the first place. So even if things go wrong¡­ and if that¡¯s really the end for all of us, I guess that must be God¡¯s will then.¡¯


    Rahan called on his son at once and asked, ¡°Do you know if the head of Scan is keeping in contact with Anika Jin still?¡±


    ¡°I believe the contact between them has been scant for the past few months but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s been the same after Anika Jin came to the Holy City. I have yet to receive any information regarding the matter.¡±


    The reaction among people who met the head of the Muen family in person varied greatly. There are people who first come with great anticipation, return only with disappointment, while some who were rather dubious of the family¡¯s reputation ended up becoming a frantic believer. Besides that, there are also people who think it was only a waste of money, and a several showed tremendous gratitude even for the smallest advice given to them.


    And as for Mitchell, the head of the Scan firm, his reaction was more of the latter as his business conspicuously prospered after taking the advice from the head of the Muen as a young man. So ever since then, he has been aiding the Muen family in his own secretive ways.


    Capitalizing on human nature to go all out for their kin or lovers, Sang je had both Alber and the Muen family by their throats, exploiting them to his advantage.


    But no matter how cunning he really was, a monster like him couldn¡¯t fully understand everything about humans. In fact, Sang-je tends to take a piecemeal approach in his judgment of human relationships.


    However, human nature isn¡¯t as simple as he imagined. For instance, humans have the propensity to show compassion, willingly sacrifice themselves for a stranger, even if they aren¡¯t their kin nor lover. Sang-je obviously has failed to notice the intricacy, as well as the spirit of goodwill in human relations.


    Besides, it¡¯s been fairly long since the Muen family has settled in the Holy City. In other words, the number of people who benefited from them was almost beyond counting by now. And they all were the so-called elites of the Holy City, who have the whole city revolving around them.


    Therefore, the Muen family, who has been long known as the hermit family, has indeed a powerful, largely invisible influence on the Holy City. And no matter how much Sang-je tried to keep the Muens under his close guard, it was impossible even for him to get the full picture of the Muen family¡¯s network of contacts and intelligence.


    Sang-je tends to become extra vigilant whenever he senses any sign of interaction between the Muen family and the ancient tribe or any collateral descendants of theirs. But other than such cases, Sang-je was mostly unconcerned.


    Making use of the monster¡¯s blind spot, the Muens have managed to make a tiny opening on the thick, high wall of Sang-je¡¯s surveillance.


    And to escape the vigilance of Sang-je, the Muens did business with only a certain circle of people. On the surface, all interaction they had with the outside world seemed no more than an exchange of regular greetings with their acquaintances.


    But in reality, they have several supporters just like the head of the Scan firm, who willingly help the Muen family on the quiet. And every intelligence the Muen family received was mainly from their such secret supporters. Sang-je must have believed that he managed to blind the eyes and ears of the family by keeping the information to himself, but they knew better. Muens knew as much about the world as Sang-je did.


    ¡°Contact the head of the Scan and ask him if he¡¯s able to arrange a meeting with Anika Jin.¡±


    ¡°I will do as commanded.¡±


    ¡°And I want you to meet Anika Jin yourself.¡±


    For a moment, Thas was stunned into silence. ¡°But the Sang-je¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to find a way. I can¡¯t leave this to anyone else but you. As this will affect not just the fate of our family, but our entire tribe.¡±


    Thas silently stared at his father with a stiff expression on his face. And he nodded heavily when he saw his father¡¯s determined eyes.

 CH 279.1

    Eugene arrived at the Arse manor a little early to attend the tea party at noon. She was greeted by the butler who had descended all the way down the stairs to meet her at the door.


    ¡°Welcome. Anika.¡±


    The butler¡¯s expression has evidently softened over the course of several days. Of course, he was impeccably polite when she first met him, but she got the feeling that he was only exuding a formality that is rooted in good manners.


    But today, she could clearly sense the subtle difference in his manners, although she made no other efforts but to greet him whenever she came across him in the manor. Eugene surmised that as a hired servant, he couldn¡¯t help but to be more cautious now that his master shows a great affection towards her daughter all suddenly.


    ¡°Bring it over here.¡± Eugene commanded the handmaid standing behind her. And at her command, the handmaid handed a big basket from her hand to the butler, who received it with a perplexed look on his face.


    ¡°The pie was baked gloriously sweet and golden today, so I brought some. These aren¡¯t for my mother. So please share them with other employees.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± The butler dumbfoundedly stared at the basket in his hands with surprise.


    Eugene recalled the memory she saw in her last visit that regarded the butler. It was a scene where her imposter was throwing something at the butler, indignantly. But it didn¡¯t surprise Eugene in the least, knowing that the imposter had done pretty much the same to her handmaids in the palace.


    However, she could only hope to repair relations with him from here onwards as it would sound absurd to explain that it wasn¡¯t her doing after all nor she wanted to apologize for something she didn¡¯t do.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    ¡°No. I mean, thank you, Anika. I¡¯ll make sure to share with everyone.¡± He was trying his best to hide his surprise.


    ¡°Is mother awake?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the lady is getting ready to go out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine by myself. I know where my mother¡¯s room is.¡± Eugene quickly told the butler when he turned around to give her an escort.


    The butler bowed his head as Eugene walked past him. In a moment, when he lifted his head again, he managed to catch a glimpse of Eugene¡¯s back before she disappeared behind a wall on the second floor.


    Still looking puzzled, the butler lifted the cover of the basket and found that it was full of carefully packed pies inside the basket.


    Indeed, the butler has been working for the Arses long enough to see the only daughter of the Arse family growing up to be a lady. And despite his great regard for his two masters, he never quite grew to like their daughter. In fact, it was one of his important duties to pacify the employees who had fallen victim to her ill-temper.


    Three years may be long, but he still couldn¡¯t believe how she has changed into a completely new person in just a few years of time.


    He couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it still, but there was something different about her on the first day she returned. However, he hadn¡¯t got the time nor the mind to give it much thought, since the whole manor was turned upside down followed by the Lady Arses¡¯s sudden collapse on that day.


    It was during yesterday¡¯s dinner that he became assured of his supposition, when she surprisingly showed generosity to the mistake of a handmaid without making any fuss, as if she wasn¡¯t bothered by it in the least.


    And today, she even brought snacks for the employees. ¡®The pie was baked gloriously sweet and golden today, so I brought some.¡¯ Her such remark kept echoing around his ears as never in his wildest dreams had he thought she was capable of saying such words.


    The butler picked out a slice from the basket and took a bite. The taste of a slice of pie during the peak hour of his duty, couldn¡¯t be more divine. He casted a smile on his face while happily munching on the pie in his mouth by the stairs.

 CH 279.2

    Eugene listened to her mother¡¯s brief explanation about today¡¯s gathering before their departure to the venue of the tea party.


    The tea party, which is known to be held once in every month, goes back close to a hundred years of history. The gathering is strictly limited to ladies, with only ten to twelve people attending most of the time. And though it is relatively small for a party, its reputation, however, greatly transcends its size in high society. In fact, every member was indeed from a prestigious family of wealth and honor in the Holy City.


    The members of the gathering are limited to seven people. In other words, no admission will be allowed unless someone withdraws the membership. Besides that, one must be recommended by an existing member and receive consents from the rest to be welcomed as a new member.


    Today, Eugene would be attending as a guest since every member is allowed to bring along one guest to the gathering. If anything, members were commonly accompanied by either their daughter or daughter-in-law, whom they intend to hand over their membership to, upon their death or if they inevitably must leave the group.


    Since this is a gathering of an extensive history, the members customarily had their successor appointed in advance. Also, there hardly had been a case for someone, who¡¯s not a close relative to the existing member, to join as a new member.


    ¡°Mother. I believe you¡¯ve told me that you haven¡¯t associated with people in high society for quite a long time. Then I guess it¡¯s been a while since you last attended the gathering.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while indeed. As it¡¯s almost been twenty years¡­¡±


    ¡°You never showed up for the last twenty years and they still hadn¡¯t expelled you from the group?¡±


    ¡°Expel?¡±


    Dana chuckled before she rhetorically remarked, ¡°Me?¡±


    It was a remark which required no further explanation. So instead, Eugene merely smiled back sheepishly while thinking that her mother¡¯s reasonable confidence somehow reminds her of a man she knew well. She always thought Kasser had every reason to be overly confident, as he was a king. But now that she thinks of it, her mother¡¯s position in the Holy City seemed comparable to that of a king¡¯s.


    ¡®I guess my mom is truly an important figure in the city.¡¯


    With that thought, Eugene started to see her mother in a different light, along with a huge sense of pride inside her. She still finds it hard to believe that someone, who has every reason to be self-conceited, but still wouldn¡¯t get reprimanded for it, was indeed her mother.


    ¡°But I must say that I don¡¯t really like the venue where today¡¯s gathering is being held.¡± Dana said with a frown.


    ¡°Where is it being held?¡±


    ¡°We better hurry now. I¡¯ll explain on the way.¡±


    As the carriage left the manor, Dana explained about the venue of the gathering to Eugene.


    Traditionally, the members would take turns to hold the gathering in their own respective residences. However, if it was inconvenient to do so, the members are allowed to hold the gathering at a different venue instead.


    In fact, the vicinity of the city¡¯s most crowded central square, had everything from fine dining restaurants to accommodations, as well as exhibition halls. And the very venue of today¡¯s gathering was reserved in a social club named ¡®Day and Night¡¯.


    By social club, it meant a place with various facilities such as restaurants, hotels and exhibition halls all combined. And it¡¯s a place strictly limited to those who pass the screening at the entrance. In other words, a social club was where the so-called nobles of the Holy City would eat, gather, accommodate and seek entertainment from.


    ¡°Every room in the club is used for different purposes. And I believe they¡¯ve reserved a room where we could have a quiet conversation over tea. However, you must be careful as you might encounter unsightly scenes should you lose your way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. But mother,¡± Eugene took a pause and drew a deep breath before she went on. ¡°What if I accidentally commit a discourtesy? I¡¯m worried that I might bring disgrace to your reputation.¡±


    Dana gently patted on Eugene¡¯s hand with a warm smile on her face. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. No one would ask anything that would put you in a difficult position as they all are decent people. Just relax and enjoy yourself.¡±


    Eugene was relieved a little when she heard that Lady Ditheo is in fact a member of the gathering. She couldn¡¯t be more grateful to have at least one acquaintance in the group. Of course, Lady Ditheo was a great talker, but she was easygoing as well.


    Before long, the carriage pulled in right in front of the club. Eugene looked up and saw a five-story building standing tall right before her, as she alighted from the carriage. But to her, a five-story building was barely considered tall at all. Still, the whole premise was so broad that it was enough to make the building look much taller than it was.


    Eugene got a bad feeling from the moment she got off from the carriage. And just as she feared, there were eyes on her everywhere she went thereafter. She could literally feel everyone staring at her every move as she entered the club, ascended the stairs, and walked down the hall towards the reserved room.


    When Eugene stole a quick glance at her mother, she saw that her mother didn¡¯t seem in the least conscious of such gazes.


    ¡®She really is a born celebrity. She seems so natural to be in the center of everyone¡¯s attention, even though it¡¯s been a long while since she last went out in public.¡¯ Eugene said inwardly in a great awe.


    She followed her mother into the room and saw there were six ladies gathered around at a round table inside the room.


    At once, the three older ladies among six, rose from their seats almost at the same time.


    ¡°Good gracious. Dana. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how surprised I was to hear that you¡¯re coming.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been such a while, Helen, Anita.¡±


    It was the rule of the gathering to address one another only by their first names.


    Eugene quietly stood by while her mother exchanged greetings with her old acquaintances by giving each other light embraces. Meanwhile, she saw there were three other young ladies, who were standing rather awkwardly around the table, just like she did. She gathered that they must be either daughters or daughters-in-law of the three middle aged women.