After Cumberland left, Todd returned to his palace with a heavy heart.

Pushing open the door at the far end of the second floor, Todd was first greeted by a spacious hall filled with wardrobes and wooden mannequins.

Evening gowns, hunting outfits, capes, culottes... all sorts of styles and designs of clothing transformed this room into a fashion paradise.

Passing through these wardrobes, Todra opened two thick, heavy screen doors and entered a studio filled with books and paintings.

The Queen of St. Defence, Mary in Todd's memory, that stunningly beautiful woman who was always aloof and unattainable, was now sitting cross-legged on the sofa, engrossed in drawing design sketches, without any makeup, wearing a loose-fitting casual robe.

Todd walked over to Mary and gently squeezed her stiff shoulder, eliciting a soft, contented moan from her.

"When I got back from my trip, I thought you were taking a nap in bed."

Mary picked up her paintbrush, pointing the end of the brush to her neck, gesturing for him not to stop: "For me, this room is more relaxing and enjoyable than sleeping. Here, I can let go of all my burdens and just do what I love..."

Todd massaged Mary's silky white skin with his fingertips and said with a smile, "Just do what you like?"

Lost in the pleasure of touch, Mary turned her head with difficulty, two blushes clearly rising on her delicate face. Panting, she whispered, "If you want, the bedroom is in the back..."

Despite having seen her flawless, stunning face many times before, Todd was once again moved by her beauty.

Todd smiled and shook his head, released his hand, sat down next to Mary, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her into his embrace: "You need to rest."

“You really are different from everyone else.” Mary wrapped her arms around Todd’s neck and pressed her whole body against his chest. “Is it just you, or are all men in your world like this?”

Todd smiled, said nothing, poured some liquid from the glass bottle on the table, and drank it all in one gulp.

Savoring the lingering taste in his mouth, Todd frowned and looked at Mary: "This taste..."

“It’s a lot like coffee, isn’t it?” Mary said with a smile. “Some herbs, some nadonna fruit, plus agave powder and a few flavorings, and that’s how you make this drink.”

Mary picked up her cup, took a slow sip, and sighed, saying, "But the taste is still different from real coffee. It doesn't have that unique aroma, nor does it have any energizing effect."

Todd smiled and said, "I think this is even more delicious than coffee."

Mary smiled and hugged Todd tighter, closed her eyes, and after a long while, whispered, "Why couldn't I have seen you sooner?"

Todd was a little surprised: "See me sooner?"

Mary's voice trailed off: "If our meeting had happened in my childhood city of Saint Guard, if it had happened before I married into Silver Ring City, if it had happened before that woman met you..."

Todd fell silent, gently patting Mary's back, as if trying to comfort the woman before him.

Mary slowly raised her head, looked at Todd's face, and suddenly asked, "Is something on your mind?"

Why do you say that?

Mary sat up straight and stared into Todd's eyes: "Tell me, what is it?"

Todd sighed helplessly: "There is indeed something troubling me in the kingdom."

"After the transformation ritual, humans will become alien races, which are often mentioned in daily life as the 'Crusaders'."

“These alien races, whether in terms of physical structure or genetics, have no relation to humans whatsoever. And now, various problems have arisen in their coexistence, such as differences in religious status, lifestyle, and values.”

"Among these issues, I can use faith as a buffer to reconcile the conflicts between different races and humans. But what really worries me is their union, which will bring unpredictable consequences."

Mary's eyes widened: "Unpredictable consequences?"

Todd said with a headache, "If humanoid species and humans interbreed, their offspring may exhibit unpredictable mutations. In my world, this phenomenon is called reproductive isolation."

Mary then asked, "Are all the mutations resulting from this reproductive...isolation bad?"

"There are pros and cons. Let me give you an example: the offspring of a donkey and a horse is called a mule. Although the mule has a long lifespan and strong adaptability to the environment, it has lost its basic reproductive ability; the offspring of a tiger and a lion is called a liger. They are physically strong, but they also have almost no reproductive ability; sheep and goats will produce hybrid sheep. They are good at running and can produce a lot of milk and wool, but they are still unable to reproduce."

Mary summarized Todd's case: "So, offspring produced from the union of two similar organisms are likely to inherit the characteristics and abilities of both parents, but will lose their basic reproductive capacity?"

“That’s true, which is why I’ve always been worried about the union of non-human species and humans.” Todd’s eyes dimmed slightly. “While such a union may satisfy the momentary pleasure of both the man and woman, it will bring indelible physical defects to their offspring. Perhaps this is an irresponsible act.”

Looking at the expression on Todd's face, Mary instantly guessed what he was thinking.

Although Todd spoke of the union between the Crusaders and humans, he was actually referring to himself.

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