Chapter 112: Burning with Jealousy [VIP]
"Hey, have you heard? That thing..."
"W-what happened?"
"The Love Witch has a new lover, a man of noble birth, twenty years her junior... He secretly returned from Maga to meet her, and only the night before yesterday did an accident..."
"Accident? What accident? Tell me more details!"
"The situation is probably like this..."
Somewhere in the upper part of the royal capital, beside an exquisitely trimmed shrub, the palace sparrows waved their colorful feather lace fans while excitedly discussing the palace gossip that had just come out last night.
Rustle, rustle——
The sparrows' whispers were like ripples on the water caused by a breeze, or like the buzzing of small insects in the corner, quickly spreading from unknown corners to the entire upper city of the royal capital.
"——Oh my god, old women are still so popular!"
"But she is very beautiful."
"No matter how beautiful she is, she shouldn't be... a favorite. There have indeed been rumors in the palace that His Highness, due to his upbringing, is prone to developing a fondness for mature, sexy women around his mother's age..."
"...Your Highness must be dating her to seek the feeling of a mother!"
"That's right! Although that fairy still looks young and beautiful, she is almost fifty years old after all!"
"My tailor said she's ordered a black silk dress with an open back, the latest fashion, to wear to my birthday party at Silver Moon Palace next month!"
"What! This woman is so shameless! Does she think His Highness likes her face and body?"
"Hush! Keep your voice down! Don't let her lovers or His Highness's admirers hear! Those guys are clearly terribly anxious, yet they're shouting that the rumors about Sonya and His Highness are false, and they're challenging anyone who dares to spread these rumors publicly."
"Hahaha! How come these people are so funny!"
…
…
While the palace sparrows were whispering in the corners of the royal capital, in the Silver Moon Palace, famous for its elegance, nobility and purity in the Western Continent, the protagonist of the scandal was admiring the flowers in a greenhouse full of blooming flowers.
"--How beautiful Rosa Marie, the crimson color burns like a flame."
Yaris, wearing a simple white silk robe, sat among the dense clusters of crimson rosamaria that bloomed like flames, and excitedly broke off a flower that rushed over the back of the sofa and rushed to his front.
"I want to give Lady Sonya a bouquet of crimson rosamarias. They are as intense as fire, as bright as blood... and as hot as the sun... What do you think?"
“…”
Xiao Yun looked at Yaris with a complicated expression.
Half a month ago, after enduring hardships and crossing the dark passage to return to the mortal world, they used the Eye Gem of the Two-Eyed Clan to break Madam Sonia's demonic hypnosis. With Madam Sonia's assistance, they returned to the Silver Moon Palace in a high-profile manner. However, this also led to rumors of an affair with Sonia, known as the "Witch of Love" -
Now, almost all the nobles, courtiers, servants... even the kitchen servants in the upper city of the capital were discussing their love affair with Lady Sonya. Everyone used their own imagination to add to the rumor when retelling it, turning a suspicion based on a few words without any evidence into a lively story with ups and downs, twists and turns, and full of ethical conflicts.
The rumors have spread all over the city, and Yaris, the person involved, continues to add fuel to the fire!
"You've been acting a bit strange lately. You knew there were rumors circulating about you and Madam Sonia, but you didn't bother to avoid them. You even took the initiative to get close to her, inviting her to your birthday party and sending her all sorts of small gifts..."
"Are you jealous?"
Yaris asked casually.
"you--"
Xiao Yun lowered his voice and said, "I know you. You're not someone who would easily fall in love with someone else. You've suddenly become so close to Madam Sonya. You must have other motives."
"So you really are jealous, aren't you?"
Yaris fiddled with the crimson Rosamari with his white fingers.
“…”
Xiao Yun was speechless.
He grabbed Yaris's hand and said, "I've told you so much, and you only care about whether I'm jealous!"
"Yes, I'm dying to know if you're jealous right now."
Yaris blinked innocently.
"Brother, we need Sonya, the socialite. Her vast network of connections in the capital's social circles can help us obtain intelligence that's impossible to obtain through normal channels."
"Then you don't have to... What we're doing is extremely dangerous. Although she's smart and capable, she's just..."
She knew, and she joined us voluntarily. She said she wanted revenge on Him who had hypnotized her. She also thought what we were doing was dangerous and exciting, a hundred times more interesting than boring love games!
[Good son...]
Xiao Yun hesitated to speak.
[By the way, there was a note in the little gift I gave her yesterday. I asked her to use her lover.]
The woman refers to the mysterious woman who had an intimate relationship with Edmund and who also underwent strange mutations.
——】
"A magician of his level usually has no interest in sex. Edmund has long been tormented by his own evil thoughts and nightmares and simply doesn't have the energy to bother with such things... Knowing that Romila was peeking, he still arranged this. I suspect he's issuing a challenge to us..."
[Regardless of whether or not He is issuing a challenge to us, since that woman's body has mutated, we should find a way to find her to prevent any accidents!]
【Yes. 】
, ready to end the heart-to-heart talk.
At this time, Xiao Yun grabbed his hand again.
"When you're done, you can leave the task of spreading rumors about Sonia to me. There's no need—"
[No, the romance rumors between Sonya and I weren't just meant to lure her into my camp and pass on information under the guise of love letters. I also wanted to use this relationship to confuse Him, to make Him mistakenly believe that our once unbreakable brotherly bond was rapidly crumbling because of the appearance of a woman close to my mother's age...]
"When He was trapped in the mirror dimension, He repeatedly used the matter of Mother to sow discord between us, but you didn't fall for it. Therefore, the only person rumored to be having an affair with Sonya was me. Only if I were to have a scandal with her would He believe that I harbored a grudge against you because of Mother's incident..."
[Also, while the Holy Family's religious status is universally recognized, due to the short lifespans of successive high priests, many within the priesthood, which holds actual control of the church, have always viewed you as a threat. Your rapid growth frightens them, and they worry that upon becoming emperor, with my help, you will gradually seize control of the church, achieving the unification of church and state. Therefore, if a rift were to occur in our relationship, they would be delighted and work even harder for us.]
[I see, I thought things were too simple...]
【Finally, and most importantly...】
Yaris looked at Xiao Yun sadly.
[I’m afraid you’ll really fall in love with her…]
【……】
A subtle feeling arose in Xiao Yun's heart.
You never have to worry—
"Excuse me!"
Mr. Duncan, the butler who had served the Holy Family for generations, walked into the conservatory and said respectfully, "The representatives of the citizens of the Lower Town have arrived at the Silver Moon Palace. Would they like to be received here?"
"Bring them here."
"Yes, sir."
The butler turned and left, and the servants brought the fruits, drinks, desserts, snacks, etc. needed for the tea party and placed them on the long table decorated with flowers and small sculptures.
…
When the citizen representatives walked into the greenhouse filled with flowers and rich fragrance, and saw the two people sitting intimately in the crimson Rosamaria like twin gods described in the myth, tears of excitement immediately burst out of their eyes!
"That's great! We finally, finally—"
"Some bad things happened a few days ago, and I'm sorry to have made you worried."
Yaris smiled gently, interrupted everyone's kneeling and salutation, swept his eyes across the working area, and told Xiao Yun the names and identities of these people in his mind.
Xiao Yun instantly understood his intention and said with concern, "This is a private occasion, you don't need to worry too much about etiquette." He took the initiative to greet the representatives. His approachable attitude made the already emotional crowd even more excited, and tears of emotion welled up in their eyes again.
"Hail! Lucien—"
"Before the conversation officially begins, you should have some drinks first."
Xiao Yun gave the order.
The servants came forward and distributed the drinks that had been prepared long ago to the reserved crowd.
The representatives took the drinks with both hands and looked at Lucien eagerly, their eyes showing both anticipation and nervousness.
After the drinks were distributed, Yaris signaled the servants to leave: "No one is allowed to approach the greenhouse until the conversation is over."
"yes."
After the servants left, Yaris glanced at his brother and said calmly, "I called you all together today because I have something very important to announce—"
He paused, then spoke slowly and firmly, "The capital is becoming extremely unstable. You must quickly organize an armed force similar to the Citizens' Volunteer Corps that can effectively resist in times of crisis."
"What happened! Is the dog emperor going to--"
Citizen representative Mills asked excitedly.
He used to be the most cynical young scholar in the academic district, and now he is the most passionate and radical citizen representative in the downtown area.
"About a month ago, He asked us to enter the capital. If we refused, the lizard monsters would break into the lower city and feed on us at will."
Xiao Yun's voice was heavy. "In order to protect innocent civilians and to avoid being blackmailed by him in the future, we agreed to his request. We plan to formally launch a rebellion in the capital and expose his true monster nature to the entire Western Continent!"
"His Majesty!"
"Why are you doing this..."
"You don't have to..."
The shocked deputies shouted in unison.
Xiao Yun shook his head. "Starting a rebellion in the capital means we will face a war with a huge disparity in strength, and we might even be ridiculed by future generations as a foolish decision. However, life and the future are priceless. We must do our best to give more innocent people a chance to survive!"
"If we launch a rebellion in the capital, the possibility of failure is very high, and we may even suffer heavy losses. Therefore, we must not only organize a volunteer group of citizens in advance, but also plan an evacuation route..."
Yaris smiled and added details of the operation.
His voice is steady and slow, seemingly soft but full of power.
People attending the party paid close attention to the brothers and were clearly aware that there was some subtle and indescribable relationship between these two brothers who were given a special destiny, especially those who attended the student party two years ago.
(Although His Highness was also a beautiful woman two years ago, his beauty was like a flower in a frame, both close and distant. His relationship with Your Majesty was the traditional one of a precocious and calm elder brother guiding a late-maturing and slow-witted younger brother. But now… His Highness now entrusts everything to Your Majesty, just like a child relies on its mother or a wife on her husband.)
(Your Majesty naturally exudes pride and majesty, as if telling the world: "I am ready! I am not afraid of any test! I will take on everything!")
"...To prevent leaks, before the operation officially begins, you might as well announce that you're forming a civilian pilgrimage group that will tour the major holy sites of the Western Continent for one to two years. Distributing weapons and organizing simple military training for members is out of concern for their safety during the journey."
At this moment, there was a knock on the door.
A short man in a black cloak came in.
"I'm sorry I'm late."
The magician Prime Minister Ulysses spoke calmly, walked into the greenhouse quietly, saluted Yaris and Xiao Yun, and then stood opposite them.
"It's okay, we're waiting for you anytime."
Xiao Yun looked at Ulysses affectionately: "You look pale, did something unexpected happen?"
"While checking next year's fiscal budget documents, I found a strange item—"
Ulysses said, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
"What project?"
"The Crown Prince's Birth Celebration."
"—The Crown Prince's Birth Celebration?"
Yaris frowned: "Edmund is currently single, has no queen, and no recognized mistress. Where did he get…"
He subconsciously looked at Xiao Yun.
The two of them simultaneously thought of the dark vortex that was madly growing in Edmund's body.
Xiao Yun thought for a moment and said to Ulysses, "This is indeed a very strange matter. We will discuss it in detail later. Now, let's continue the topic of forming a citizen volunteer group."
"yes."
Ulysses nodded and stood aside.
Xiao Yun looked at the representatives of the citizens from the Lower Town and said solemnly, "You are about to face a brutal war. Many people involved will lose their health or even their lives. If you are afraid, you can take your families and leave quietly. No one will blame you."
"We will not retreat! We will never retreat! We stand here with a heart ready to die, hoping to use our blood to exchange for pure truth and a bright tomorrow for our country! Let the voice of 'Long live His Majesty Lucien' echo across the entire Western Continent!"
As she spoke, Amy, one of the representatives, shed tears.
"Today's gathering may very well be the last time we meet His Majesty in this lifetime. But we believe that regardless of whether our actions succeed or fail, whether our names are remembered or forgotten—under the starry sky of gods and morality, everything we have done—is supremely glorious."
"We will succeed in saving this country!"
Deeply inspired by a strong sense of responsibility, the crowd covered their burning hearts and shouted in unison: "She is our country and even more so our sacred mother. She is worth protecting with our lives!"
"You are the greatest and most fearless patriots I have ever met."
Yaris said gently, "Even if it's just to respond to your enthusiasm, I will strive to stand up again, serve as Lucien's helper, and together with him, hold high the banner to lead our country and our people out of this crisis."
"Well, we, we...we will do our best for our motherland!"
The representatives repeated their oath with sobs, wiped their tears, and left Silver Moon Palace in batches under the guidance of their attendants.
…
After the representatives left, Julius took out the most suspicious page from the financial budget document and handed it to the two men.
"The document indicates that the woman who will bear Emperor Edmund's heir is a woman named Suvelte."
"Suvelt?"
Yaris raised his eyebrows: "Is there a woman with this name in the palace?"
"No."
Julius stated sternly, "After discovering the budget documents for the Crown Prince's birth celebrations, I retrieved several files under the guise of verifying financial expenditures. However, whether it was the records of the nobles' annual pensions or the monthly salary payments for the palace servants, I found no woman named Suvelte, nor even a man with a similar name."
"The non-existent Su Wei Erte... The Crown Prince who will be born next April... Wait a minute! Why is he so sure that the upcoming child will be a boy?!"
Yaris muttered to himself, cold sweat breaking out on his fair forehead.
Xiao Yun held his hand carefully.
The so-called Crown Prince born next April is undoubtedly the monster gestating within Edmund. Su Wei Er is the nominal mother they have chosen for this monster... She is most likely the woman with the mutated body Romila saw in the mirror dimension.
"Yes, I think so too... What can we do to stop these horrific things? If the abyss monster gestating in Edmund's body is born successfully, it will definitely bring great disaster to the Western Continent!"
[The gods have sent down a test, and I will face it with you.]
Xiao Yun gently comforted Yaris, who had a frown on his face.
Ulysses stood quietly by, waiting for the next instructions from the two.
After some heart-to-heart discussion——
"...Ulysses, finding the mysterious Sue Weird is indeed important, but if you focus your energy on this, you may neglect other more important things."
"yes."
Ulysses raised his thin face and stared at Xiao Yun intently.
"Remember, for our Front Alliance, your presence as Prime Minister beside Him in this secret battlefield is far more meaningful and valuable than appearing on the front lines as a comrade. Even though this also means that you may face arrest and torture at any time."
"For my country, I can be torn to pieces."
Ulysses' eyes sparkled with clarity.
"Thank you for your loyalty, of course—if you were in real misfortune, we wouldn't be able to rescue you in time."
Xiao Yun added.
He expressed deep regret for this.
Ulysses just smiled, knelt on one knee, and kissed Xiao Yun's fingers devoutly: "Your Majesty, I have long been aware of this."
"That--"
"Next month is my birthday party, you don't have to attend."
Yaris said suddenly.
"clear."
Ulysses said this meekly and left the greenhouse silently.
After Ulysses left——
"elder brother--"
Xiao Yun looked at Yaris and couldn't help asking, "Why do I feel like you seem to be dissatisfied with Ulysses as well?"
"Maybe."
Yaris spoke absentmindedly.
"But your attitude just now was really strange, as if you were jealous and kind... He was clearly..."
"Yes, he was devoted to me, but now I'm madly jealous of him."
Yaris said a little sarcastically, "I envy him that he can serve us wholeheartedly and gain happiness and satisfaction from serving us."
"You're actually jealous of this..."
Xiao Yun was speechless.
Yaris bit his lip and said resentfully, "Why can't I be jealous of this? I've been a twisted person since I was a child. I envy every pure, clear, and simple soul equally... Because this is what I want but can never get... I want to be a poet, I want to be a scholar, I want to be someone who can gain the love of others without doing anything... I desperately pursue what I lack, I want to get everything, I want to know everything..."
"Wanting everything will only lead you into endless distress."
Xiao Yun hugged Yaris and tried to calm him down.
Yaris leaned on his shoulder and choked up, saying, "I know... I know that greed will make people unhappy. I tell myself every day, 'You have already got the best you can get, you must know how to be content.' But when I found out that even Ulysses could have simple and complete happiness, I, I..."
"That's why you have to be aggressive in your treatment—when you're too sick, you're prone to depression and paranoia."
Xiao Yun picked up Yaris and said, "I'll take you back to your room."
"Good boy."
Yaris put his arms around his neck tiredly: "Don't leave me before I fall asleep."
"Even if you fall asleep, I won't leave you."
"You'll spoil me like this, and they'll complain about me taking up too much of your time."
Yaris smiled with the innocence of a child.
"No matter how much they complain, I will never leave you."
Xiao Yun lowered his head and kissed the smooth forehead: "You are my half-brother, a blood relative, and also my destined twin who can make me feel the throbbing of my soul."
"Is there a possibility..."
Yaris smiled slightly: "Our souls were originally one?"
…
…
After finishing his "date" with Lady Sonya, Yaris took a carriage back to Silver Moon Palace along the brick road along the Ebola River that divides the capital of the Kingdom of Light into two.
Ahead of the road stood a dark and eerie building. It was the Tower of Sin, famous in the Sun Empire and even the entire Western Continent. It was where great nobles who could not be publicly tried and prisoners with sensitive identities who might cause national unrest were imprisoned.
Inside this mysterious tower, there are countless horrifying interrogation methods and countless secret executions.
Every night, ghosts who were tortured to death would walk out of the walls in groups. With resentment towards death and hatred towards the living, they followed a mysterious black giant snake known as the "Tower Master" and traveled through the floors of the tower, constantly emitting noisy, terrifying and strange sounds from hell.
"Stop."
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