Chapter 49 Conversation: "I want to kiss you—"
After the dance, His Majesty introduced her to several elderly nobles—heads of prominent noble families—who greeted her very politely.
Then they started talking about official business. Shi Wei listened for a few minutes but wasn't interested, so she said she needed to rest for a while.
She found a quiet corner and picked up a glass of what His Majesty called "Asta," a secret-recipe wine. The bright red liquid and strong, spicy aroma made her wonder about its alcohol content.
After hesitating for a moment, Shi Wei was about to try it when she heard a gentle voice: "This wine has a very high alcohol content; you'll get drunk if you drink it."
The voice was somewhat unfamiliar, but once it entered my mind, it strangely felt familiar.
She turned around instinctively, paused for a moment, and then smiled: "It's you, long time no see."
The blond-haired man smiled gently at her, his tone even: "Long time no see."
He seemed to be just passing by, but Shi Wei detected a hint of sadness in his words, "It's been a long time."
She lowered her eyes, put down her wine glass, and then looked up again, which was perfectly normal: "Semo, I heard you got promoted recently, congratulations."
Sermo felt even more bitter. It was indeed a promotion, but he had also been transferred away from the capital. If it weren't for the long holiday, he wouldn't have come back.
It goes without saying who issued the transfer order.
During his time at the company, his special care for Shi Wei was not difficult to investigate; many people in the company were saying that he was pursuing Shi Wei.
In fact, they were only a little bit away from breaking through that veil.
It was so close!
There was a hint of sadness in Sermo's pale golden eyes, but he still forced a smile and said, "Yes, I've finally made it into management. A million-dollar annual salary is no longer a dream."
For someone of his noble status to say such a thing is indeed a bit funny. Shi Wei couldn't help but laugh: "That's great! Keep it up! Once you become a boss, an annual salary of hundreds of millions is not a dream."
The two exchanged a smile, then quickly fell silent again.
Sermo looked at her increasingly beautiful face, knowing that what separated them was something he could never overcome in his lifetime. He sighed and said, "I have something I want to talk to you about. How about we go for a walk outside?"
Outside, the lights were bright. Shi Wei followed him to a secluded spot in the garden where patrol teams would pass by, so Shi Wei didn't need to worry about being seen or gossiped about.
“My brother has a girlfriend,” Sermo said, leaving Shi Wei a little confused.
This is even more boring than him getting a girlfriend.
“Her name is Bai Jiao, and she is a snake-type beastman,” Sermo said slowly.
Shi narrowed his eyes, somewhat puzzled: "Bai Jiao? And your brother... I remember your brother was a very aloof Alpha, why would he—"
Sermo's brother, as he himself said, is a typical eldest son of a noble family. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be involved with someone like Bai Jiao, who has been under the supervision of the Security Bureau.
“I don’t know what he was thinking.” Sermo sighed, feeling helpless. “He broke off his engagement with a young lady for Bai Jiao. If he really was willing to do anything for love, I wouldn’t say anything. After all, I was even crazier than him a few years ago—”
Shi Wei sighed inwardly, pretending not to understand him, and asked, "Is there something wrong with Bai Jiao?"
Sermo shook his head: "I don't know how she regained her freedom. My brother said that someone helped her find a loophole, but I felt something was wrong, so I secretly investigated her and found that she was still in contact with her people, especially her brother."
Shi Wei's expression turned serious. She knew very well where Bai Xiao had gone. That fierce and cruel snake-man had fled to the Chaotic Starfield and then disappeared without a trace.
Chaotic Starfield—she cursed that bastard hundreds of times in her mind.
Sermo probably found out something, which is why he approached her.
Shi Wei paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you want me to do?"
The man before him said apologetically, "Over the years, my brother has always warned me not to have any more contact with you, but what he's been doing lately... I don't know how to put it. That snake woman is definitely suspicious. Now my brother trusts her completely, and I'm afraid that if this continues, he'll get involved with people he shouldn't be—"
Sermo looked at her and pleaded, "I heard from Major General Lu Qi that you joined the Security Bureau a long time ago. Although I don't know why that day... but with your current position, it should be easy for Major General Lu Qi to investigate this kind of thing, right?"
Shi Wei nodded.
Sermo breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "I hope you can consider my feelings and ask His Majesty to be lenient with my brother. He wasn't like this before. I don't know about that snake woman... Never mind, in any case, please help me protect my family."
This request might be a bit presumptuous, but they had known each other for three years—not a short time, and it hadn't been that long since she and His Majesty had truly become acquainted.
She also always remembered the man's gentle companionship during that time when she constantly worried about the future.
Maybe… She took a deep breath. There was no maybe.
Yes, fate has pushed her to this height, and if she is not careful, she will fall.
Therefore, there is no "maybe".
Shi Wei smiled at Sermo: "You are right. His Majesty will not let down any citizen who is loyal to the empire. I will plead for you."
What trouble could two mere snake people possibly cause within Manla's territory?
Her formulaic tone reassured Sermo, but also left him feeling somewhat wistful.
The two looked at each other for a few seconds, and those three years passed in those few seconds.
It was like meeting an old friend again; after a slight surprise, they exchanged a smile and parted ways.
"It's already too late," Sermo thought to himself. Seeing her about to leave, Sermo couldn't help but ask, "Do you still have nightmares at night?"
Shi Wei paused for a moment before turning to look at him and smiling at him: "No, it won't happen again."
Then he turned and left.
Under the cover of night, both of them looked somewhat sad, but no one noticed.
Shi Wei walked through a flowerbed until she was out of Sermo's sight, and sighed deeply.
Her eyes were a little wet. During those three years, she often had nightmares. After Sermo accidentally discovered this, he took her to see many doctors in this field and tried many methods, but none of them worked.
Even when some doctors bluntly said, "This requires seeing a psychologist," he never asked any further questions.
Tears fell onto the flowers; she didn't know what she was sad about.
A clean handkerchief was handed to her. Shi Wei looked up abruptly and realized that Cyril was standing quietly in front of her at some point.
Damn! She's so sentimental, she didn't even notice such a big person appearing?
Seeing her shocked expression, Cyril explained, "I was just here, you didn't notice me when you came."
Shi hesitated for a moment, then took the handkerchief and thanked her.
This place is very close to where she was talking to Sermo, and with his S-class Alpha strength, he probably heard everything.
Shi Wei was trying to recall if she had said anything she shouldn't have when she heard Cyril say, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Seeing that he was gentle and did not seem angry at all about her actions towards Jiang Chuge, Shi Wei breathed a sigh of relief and joked, "Your Highness, please don't say that. I was just chatting with a friend for a few minutes."
"Then why are you crying?" the moon-white figure asked.
Shi Wei was speechless, realizing something was really wrong. She said helplessly, "Your Highness should have been here for a while, so you must have heard everything..."
Cyril nodded and said, "It was a smart choice for him to plead with you, but he shouldn't have said those irrelevant things. Today it's me who's here; if Father were here, you wouldn't be able to explain yourself."
Shi Wei felt overwhelmed, but he seemed very serious, as if he were really instructing her on how to do things, so she could only say, "I understand, thank you, Your Highness."
Cyril suddenly asked, "Were you ever together with him?"
Shi Wei immediately shook her head and said, "No, no, we just have a normal superior-subordinate relationship."
Cyril gave her a "don't lie to me" look, which made Shi Wei very embarrassed. She held the clean white handkerchief and said, "We just got along a little better, but after I met His Majesty, I never saw him again."
I have seen it before. Last time she was harassed, it was Sermo who helped her out.
Cyril, unsure whether to believe it or not, asked instead, "His personality is completely different from Father's, so why do you like him?"
Shi Wei scratched her head, unsure how to explain: "Maybe it's because he's very nice to me?"
Wait, why did she answer so naturally?
What if this guy is a tattletale like Similan?
Cyril pondered, "You'll like someone just because they're nice to you? Similan treats you very well too, so why do you prefer Father?"
"What a ridiculous question," Shi Wei couldn't help but roll her eyes. "What's so great about that bastard Simanan? How can he compare to His Majesty? Besides, His Majesty is much better looking than Simanan."
Whether this answer satisfied the Crown Prince or not, he finally stopped asking these strange questions and returned to the main hall with Shi Wei.
Shi Wei noticed that Cyril looked unwell, his lips were pale, and he didn't seem to be in a good mood—was he sick? But she didn't ask.
When they appeared together, Similan was the first to notice them, raising an eyebrow—could it be that he really succeeded in hypnotizing them?
This guy couldn't resist and went to flirt with Shi Wei?
That's incredibly audacious.
Shi Wei found a place to sit down, eager to try the wine at the banquet. When she was about to take a drink, she realized that she was still holding the handkerchief that Cyril had given her. She casually stuffed it into her pocket and started drinking.
It's a bit spicy and has a strong flavor. Once it enters your mouth, it turns into a warm current that flows into your stomach.
The taste was very peculiar, and Shi Wei couldn't help but take several sips, trying to figure out what was inside.
And so, by the time His Majesty found her, she was already half-drunk.
She was talking to a young noblewoman, who was looking at her with a smile.
His Majesty raised an eyebrow, and the noble lady bowed to him and tactfully stepped aside.
The fragrant, beautiful young lady had vanished, and suddenly a tall, dark figure stood before her, half-embracing her. She seemed to smell a faint aroma of gin.
Her slow-witted mind gradually realized that this was one of her favorite things, and she couldn't help but laugh, snuggling into the other person's arms.
His Majesty helped her up and asked, "How much did you drink? Do you want to go back and rest?"
Shi shook her head slightly: "I'm going to dance!"
She still remembered the young girl asking her if she wanted to dance.
"Alright then." Her Majesty sighed. Her silly grin was just too irresistible to refuse.
King Sklag II put his arm around her waist and slowly slid into the dance floor, while people around them quickly made way for them.
Countless eyes were on them; they were the center of attention.
While drunk, Shi Wei was completely unaware of where she was; the palace was already a very familiar place to her.
Her dance moves relied entirely on the man, who was practically pressed against her body. Her eyes darted around, a look of confusion on her face: "Where's that girl?"
King Sklag II coaxed, "He went to dance with someone else."
Shi Wei was very frustrated and wanted to break free from him.
His Majesty quickly replied, "Let her come to the palace to play with you tomorrow."
That finally calmed them down.
After jumping for a while, Shi Wei stared at the handsome and extraordinary man in front of her and suddenly smiled shyly.
King Sklag II's heart raced, and his voice was a little hoarse: "What's wrong?"
He could already smell the rose scent emanating from the girl, though he couldn't tell if it came from the garden outside, or—
Shi Wei had already cupped his face in her hands, her eyes filled with adoration: "I really like you so much."
This face is so incredibly handsome!
Haha, this is hers!
His Majesty turned his head to the side and kissed her fingers.
Shi Wei's face flushed even more, and she said very seriously, "I want to kiss you—"
King Sklag II laughed and said deliberately, "No."
Sure enough, Shi Wei's rebellious streak was particularly pronounced when she was drunk. With her eyebrows raised, she declared, "I don't care, I just want a kiss!"
With that, he stood on tiptoe and kissed her.
His Majesty offered no resistance and happily enjoyed the beauty's kiss.
The two kissed right there on the dance floor, oblivious to everyone else.
The two brothers outside the dance floor looked pale, especially Cyril.
Even Jiang Guyuan couldn't help but sigh and rub his forehead: "It's like an old house catching fire, it could kill people!"
His wife, however, looked at the couple with great interest and said, "His Majesty was also paired with me back then. I still remember his arrogant face. Ha—he was cocky for half his life, but he still ended up in the hands of a little Omega, didn't he?"
Jiang Guyuan chuckled and said, "His Majesty is indeed pitiful. Who would have thought that not only would his destined bride be so much younger than him, but she wouldn't even be a Manla woman..."
He suddenly noticed Cyril's pale face and frowned slightly.
Having lived most of my life, I can naturally see through the intricacies of relationships at a glance.
Cyril has always known what's important, so why is he so out of control tonight?
I need to have a good talk with His Highness in a few days.
The others looked at the most eye-catching couple on the dance floor and sighed with admiration.
Aker said to Luzi, "It has to be Decari. He even chose a partner for His Majesty before he left. I will admire his discerning eye for the rest of my life."
"Keep your voice down." Lu Qi knew he was joking, but he also sighed, "If Decari hadn't committed suicide, he probably would have survived, considering he found His Majesty's true love."
Aker chuckled: "Alright, enough of that nonsense. It's all in the past now. What I'm most curious about now is when His Majesty plans to hold the wedding?"
These trusted confidants could naturally discern His Majesty's attitude, but it was rather strange that they hadn't heard any news yet.
Lu Qi chuckled and said, "That's not something His Majesty can decide."
In his opinion, Shi Wei was very playful, and His Majesty was already quite capable of marrying someone within ten years.
After the dance, His Majesty left the stage with his entourage, and the others began to gossip.
Luqiaker Jiang Guyuan was asked this question many times.
Meanwhile, on the other side, after being stripped almost naked by His Majesty, Wei tilted her head and watched as the man pulled a white handkerchief from her pocket.
Before her brain could process what was happening, she saw His Majesty sniff and ask, "Cyril's?"
Shi Wei stared at him blankly: "Yes."
The man's expression was somewhat inscrutable. Seeing her dazed look, he pinned her down, kneading her while interrogating her: "Do you have a strong liking for him?"
Do you have feelings for Cyril?
Shi Wei thought for a moment, and under the man's sharp gaze, she nodded fearlessly.
She felt a sharp pain in her buttocks and looked at Sklag II in confusion, wondering why he was pinching her.
The man took a deep breath and seized the opportunity to continue asking, "What do you like about him?"
"She's good-looking!"
His Majesty closed his eyes briefly and continued, "So, do you like him more, or me more?"
I like you!
This time the answer was quite decisive, and His Majesty breathed a sigh of relief. Then he heard her mutter to herself, "Because you are more handsome than him!"
Although he knew she was someone who valued appearances, he never imagined that he himself had risen to power based on his looks, and he was filled with mixed emotions.
Soon, a deeper worry surfaced in his mind: appearances will eventually fade with age, and youthful beauty will wither away. He was already over a hundred years old, and even if he had another hundred years to live, he could not stop his body from aging.
He will grow old, but Cyril is only in his forties and has a long youth ahead of him.
At this moment, even the strongest emperors of the eight star systems felt powerless in the face of time.
He couldn't help but pinch it again, his tone very displeased: "How can you be so shallow!"
Shi Wei didn't know why he suddenly changed his expression. He had just been hugging and kissing her, and now he was like this—she felt wronged and wanted to push him away, but then she heard him ask again, "Semo, do you still like him?"
He could easily deal with both Cyril and Similan; these two young men were full of ambition, just like he was back then, valuing power above all else.
There's no need to worry about that orc; he's ugly, but he has ears, which satisfy her strange fetish.
Only Sermo, whose report Her Majesty had read from the Security Bureau, was confirmed to be the man who had truly been by her side for three years.
He hadn't spent this much time with Shi Wei before.
King Sklag II looked at her, a hint of nervousness in his eyes.
As if deep in thought, Shi looked at him with slight confusion: "Who is Sermo?"
The man felt a great weight lifted from his heart, and he was too lazy to question the handkerchief anymore; they were all third-rate people who couldn't shake his position.
Look, when she's drunk, she doesn't remember anyone.
The indoor temperature gradually rose, and sweat dripped from the man's dark muscles, spreading across his porcelain-like skin.
The sounds of panting and water mingled together. Shi Wei felt herself smelling that refreshing fragrance again, and it took her a while to realize that it was the scent of a man's pheromones.
Seeing her sniffing him like a little animal, the man's wicked senses kicked in. He scooped up some liquid with his finger and smeared it on her small nose, asking in a nasty tone, "What's that smell?"
Alcohol made her thoughts sluggish, and Shi Wei really took a few sniffs and frowned: a fishy, pungent smell, mixed with the scent of the two people's pheromones.
"It smells awful..." She wiped the liquid away and casually smeared it on the man's chest, utterly disgusted.
The man didn't mind and continued kissing her, even rubbing the glands on the back of her neck.
...
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Author's Note: 5200 words! I'm updating!
Moving is exhausting. I need to save up drafts and revise the text for the next seven days. There are still some plot points in this book that I haven't figured out yet before the ending.
The ending was already decided in the book about the protagonist's rise to power. The main story won't cover the end of their time together, as that would be somewhat cruel. It will probably be revealed in the epilogue through the perspective of other characters. It's too early to delve into that now...
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