Petrus (7)

When King Derek saw Severus again, a smile appeared on his face: "Severus, is everything resolved?"

“Your Majesty, both of the men you gave me have failed.” Severus stood before King Derek, his expression turning somber. “Now the Queen’s apostles have completely vanished.”

“Useless thing,” Derek muttered under his breath, staring at Severus. “What does this mean?”

"The Queen's Apostle may know that we have discovered him and has temporarily disappeared. He may have left Sun City, or he may be preparing a larger conspiracy."

"Is there any way?" Derek stood in front of Severus. "Tell me, what do you want?"

Severus reached out and removed Derek's crown. The rubies on the crown were newly added, and the solid gold base seemed somewhat soft; with a slight press, the crown dented. Severus gazed at the crown and said, "Your Majesty, you also have Princess Danes." Severus knelt on one knee. "Please, Your Majesty, allow me to become Princess Danes's apostle."

"You bastard!" Derek roared, kicking Severus in the shoulder and sending him sprawling to the ground. He gasped for breath, "Denise is only ten! Denise is the most noble princess of the Flower Kingdom! How dare you, a mere... a... dare to even dream of her!" Derek, in his rage, choked and squatted down, coughing. A servant rushed to help him up and poured him a glass of water, but Derek pushed the glass away. "Go, bring me wine! And have someone whip this one—" Derek's finger trembled as he pointed at Severus, then turned and shouted at the servant, "Go get me the wine!" The servant quickly retreated.

Derek clenched his fists and looked at Severus, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Try another method. Denise won't work."

"Your Majesty doesn't want Princess Denise to be Queen?"

“She is my daughter, and of course she is qualified to be queen, but she also has an older brother, Ryan, who is the smartest and most capable child I have ever met.” Derek calmed down. “Denise is not someone you can lay a finger on, and the Adventurers’ Guild will not agree to it. You can find someone else.”

Severus lowered his head, staring at the smooth floor with an expressionless face: "Your Majesty, I only want virgins under the age of twelve. If it is Denise, I can put her on the throne and make her queen. If it is someone else, Derek's bloodline will be cut off."

“Severus, don’t test my patience,” Derek stood up. “Tell me, who do you want?”

Severus lowered his head: "Petrice."

"Alright, I'll give you Petrus after you find the Queen's Apostle and deal with him."

* * *

The Queen's Blue Moon Palace is hosting a distinguished guest, Anma, the third elder of the Adventurers' Guild.

"Grandma Anma, why did you come in person?" Queen Angelis affectionately hugged Anma's arm and rested her head on her shoulder.

Anma smiled kindly, showing none of the coldness Mi had seen before. She patted the Queen's arm gently and said, "It's been a long time since I've visited you. How have you been?"

"Something happened in Lincheng 17, but it's been dealt with now." Queen Angelis helped Anma sit down and handed her a cup of hot tea.

“You must take good care of Petrus,” Anma said, looking at Queen Angelis. “Do you know that Severus went out with two hunting dogs?”

"They didn't find him. Severus hid the body in the tower, and the king is unaware of it."

"What's wrong with Derek now?" Anma asked, somewhat annoyed, thinking of the wisp of smoke.

“Derrick has been on medication, and Delgado has been putting pressure on him.” Queen Angnes was at a loss. “He and Severus are plotting something; they’ve been meeting a lot lately.”

“Just pretend you don’t know. Seg has severed all ties with the royal family, and she will have no further contact with you,” Anma comforted the Queen. “This is a letter that Anne sent to you through someone.”

"Who is it? Where is the messenger?" Queen Angelis looked anxiously at Amma.

“She is the person Severus is looking for,” Anma said, pressing the Queen’s hand. “Regardless of any past grievances she may have had with the royal family, Seger has severed all ties between her and the royal family, so you should not go looking for her again.”

After Anma left, the Queen opened Anne's letter. Inside was only one line: "I've sent you the person you wanted." Following it was a string of stars and the incomplete "Thirty-six years." Queen Annis clutched the letter to her heart. "No wonder, no wonder." She remembered Anma repeatedly saying that the connection had been severed. This letter came too late; the King had already taken action. Elder Seger had personally severed the connection between the Guide and the Queen's Crown. She choked up, "Anne, the person you sent is useless now." Queen Annis stood up, staring at the night sky for a long time before finally saying, "I won't give up. I will investigate and confirm it myself."

* * *

Mi returned to the inn and lay on her bed. Images flashed before her eyes: the princess with the crown, the strange pursuer, the thin gray threads, the people who lived like skulls, the old woman who filled the room with coldness, the hunter who was killed in retaliation… Now Mi knew those adventurers were alien races like herself, possessing terrifying and unpredictable abilities. Mi pondered for a long time, deciding to shut down all her senses and connections to the outside world. She would no longer rely on her witch form to run rampant in Sun City. After sending Beatrice's package away, she would live a normal life. This Flower Kingdom was like a sieve; the natives were either hiding, murdered, or had built a wall to keep the Sand People out. It had become an adventurer's paradise. She wondered if these alien races were permanent residents or just tourists like herself. Mi thought of the Adventurers' Guild, over a hundred years old, and the fact that outsiders had only been in the Flower Kingdom for five hundred years. These people had already become the true owners of the Flower Kingdom.

* * *

When the ball began, Patris appeared at the banquet. A harp was placed beneath a platform between two staircases, where the King and Queen stood hand in hand, smiling and maintaining a perfectly harmonious facade. Patris played the harp downstairs, while her friend Eli stood beside her, tapping his feet lightly and humming an unknown tune to the cheerful melody. When the piece ended, applause rang out, and Patris bowed in thanks. Before Patris could rise, Hannah walked to the center of the ballroom and clapped her hands. With two crisp claps, the band played an even more lively tune, the tinkling drums urging on, the rhythm growing increasingly rapid. Hannah twirled, her skirt billowing in a huge arc, her gown transforming into a dazzling rainbow. Young men cheered and applauded around Hannah. Suddenly, the drums stopped, Hannah paused her dance, and bowed with the others. King Derek, hand in hand with the Queen, slowly descended from the upper floor.

After the King and Queen finished their opening dance, the ball officially began. The second dance was the Dahlia Waltz, and all the men and women present were invited to participate. Prince Ryan and Princess Denise served as the male and female leaders, respectively. The ladies, dressed in beautiful gowns, formed a circle inside, while the gentlemen in formal attire formed an outer circle around them. As the music started, the gentlemen knelt down, raised their left leg and right hand, and lifted their female partners, circling them with light steps. The drums sounded again, and the ladies twirled forward, while the gentlemen bent backward, exchanging partners in the alternation. When the drums stopped, the ladies circled the gentlemen again, continuing this process until all the men and women had partnered, and the two circles returned to their original positions.

The King and Queen sat on their thrones, watching the young men and women on the dance floor conversing softly. The Queen twirled a sapphire ring on her hand, and an energy swirled around King Derek, who remained oblivious. Watching the handsome men and beautiful women on the dance floor, he couldn't resist any longer and stood up to leave. Prince Ryan went to the Queen's side to comfort his mother: "Mother, Father just likes to dance."

The Queen watched as the King embraced the beautiful and charming young woman, Heina, as they twirled in the center of the dance floor. She pulled Prince Ryan to sit beside her and said, "Ryan, you must always remember that in the royal family, obsessive love will only make you a laughingstock, a source of pity for others."

"Mother, I will marry a woman as strong as you, and give her my most faithful love." The prince's amber eyes were filled with unwavering devotion. He respected his mother, but he also had a deep affection for strong and capable women. The ring in the queen's hand continued to spin. The prince looked at the queen with a puzzled expression: "Mother, what are you investigating?"

"I'm checking your Derek's sleeping powder." The Queen didn't hide anything from Prince Ryan; neither had the sleeping powder on King Derek leaked out. The Queen looked at the dance floor and said, "Go, call your sister over."

Princess Denise, lifting her skirt, walked up to the Queen and twirled, showing her her new gown. The first night of the New Year in the Flower Kingdom was always an open day at the Derek Royal Theatre, where the King delivered his New Year's address. Six days later, balls were held at Derek Palace, where the King and Queen would personally lead the dances, kicking off the new year's social season in Sun City. Princess Denise had prepared no fewer than ten magnificent gowns for these six days of balls, each one intricately designed, perfectly framing her small, ten-year-old frame.

"Yes, it looks beautiful." The Queen stroked Princess Denise's hair and straightened the crown on her head. The amount of Derek's Smoke on Princess Denise was so small that it could hardly take shape. The Queen could no longer bear the sight of the broken crown and its shadow.

"Mother, you're hurting me." Princess Denise brushed away the Queen's hand and muttered unhappily. She then picked up her skirt and said proudly, "Isn't my skirt beautiful? This is the fabric that Heinrich gave me. Mother, announce Heinrich's engagement to my brother."

“Denise, your brother’s marriage is a matter of state, not something you can interfere with.”

“Hmph, I knew you wouldn’t listen. I’ll go talk to Father right now, and he’ll listen to me and announce my brother’s marriage to Hena.” Princess Denise turned and saw King Derek dancing with Hena in his arms. “Look how pleased Father is with Hena.” Princess Denise said, leaving Queen Angelis’s side and walking toward King Derek. For the rest of the night, she held the king’s hand and kept talking in Derek’s ear.

Queen Agnes was heartbroken, yet also felt a surge of relief. Daenerys was her daughter, born healthier than Prince Ryan, and she had once held high hopes for her. However, as Princess Daenerys grew older, her flaws inevitably surfaced. Just like her loud, boisterous cry at birth, Princess Daenerys made no attempt to hide her temper and preferences. Princess Daenerys acted without any rhyme or reason, or rather, she had only one rule: "Those who obey me prosper, those who defy me perish." Any maidservant who dared to offer her advice was either sent for punishment or transferred away. Now, she was surrounded by her yes-men.

Princess Denise was jealous of everyone better than her. Her face, a perfect replica of King Derek's, was now the most revered in the palace, making her a laughingstock of the royal family, but she cared nothing for it. Queen Agnes arranged for her to be educated alongside Prince Ryan, with the same teachers. While Prince Ryan was gentle, polite, and diligent, earning high praise from his teachers, Princess Denise criticized them for being incompetent. Finally, King Derek arranged a private tutor for the princess. Everyone knew that Princess Denise couldn't even spell her own name correctly; the distorted script of the Flower Kingdom was like a foreign language to her. As the only princess in the royal family, ten-year-old Denise couldn't even sign her name. All of her orders had to be given verbally by her. Queen Agnes had completely lost faith in her.