Chapter 156 "How was it? I'm not bad, am I...?"
Mamboa saw me too, laughed with the Queen, and even managed to smile at me and raise his glass to me. I raised my glass to him in return—if he could do it, so could I.
The floor heater was burning too brightly, making the air hot and stuffy, so I went out onto the balcony of the banquet hall. Large snowflakes were falling, but thankfully there was a non-slip mat on the floor, so I didn't slip and fall.
A biting cold air swept in, and snowflakes landed on my slightly warm fingers, which I had just taken off my gloves. They were slightly damp and cool, but not cold, even as the cold air covered my face.
"Lady Lana." A strange, slightly hoarse male voice came from the other side of the long balcony. I saw a man in a magnificent white robe with short, curly brown hair. He was not handsome, but his features were quite distinctive. His face and chin were sharp, and his eyes were piercing. He looked somewhat like Haiya.
“I apologize for the intrusion,” he said, “but Princess Yanni has surely introduced me to you; I am Lytia of the West.”
"The same identity as Haiya?" I asked, as if to confirm.
"Yes." Countless snowflakes fell on his hair and white robe, making him look like a snowman—he was standing right at the windy opening of the balcony.
"I haven't thought about your matter yet," I said.
"I do not aspire to the throne of the West, but only to avoid fleeing east and west like a stray dog." His eyes were extremely sharp.
"What can I do to help you, and what can you do to help me?"
"If you can help me get rid of Midaan, I can help you take back the Great City."
I stared into his sharp, desire-filled eyes. "Is all you really want to do is oust King Midan?"
“I dare not think more,” he said frankly, “but it’s true that he wants me to die, and it’s true that he wants to die.”
I gave him a deep look, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Inside the banquet hall, the ball was reaching its climax. Noblemen and women danced and twirled, feeding each other drinks. The dancers were especially wild, tossing their sheer garments into the air like striptease dancers. Some men rushed to grab them, laughing wildly, while the women laughed loudly, creating a deafening atmosphere of revelry.
Manberia was still with the Queen, and the two were passionately kissing in their seats. Manberia's hand reached behind the Queen's waist and then down to her buttocks, while the Queen's hand caressed his well-developed pectoral muscles. They kissed from their lips to their necks, and then from their necks to their arms, before finally falling back into their seats in an up-and-down position. The Queen was pinned down and giggled, while Manberia fed her a sip of red wine with his lips. The crimson liquid flowed down the corner of her lips, making her look especially sensual.
"Do you think they'll sleep together tonight?" Princess Yani came up behind me and asked with a coquettish smile.
"I'm not interested."
"I heard you haven't slept with Manberia yet?" Princess Yani said with interest. "But that's in line with your usual style—raising yourself up a bit, and your value increasing."
It's not what you think.
“That’s exactly right,” Princess Yani retorted. “Otherwise, how would you attract the attention of men, including the Elf King?” Her tone softened slightly as she said this. “But how can I put it? A woman who has neither status nor wealth, nor beauty or a good figure, must have something to attract people, right?”
“Maybe I have talent,” I said.
"Talent alone may win a man's favor for a while, but only if you bring benefits will a man be interested in you for a long time."
"What are you trying to imply to me?" I asked, puzzled. "What benefits can I bring you that would make you marry me?"
“I don’t know,” Princess Yanni said, picking up a glass of red wine from the table, “but I know it must be because you can bring benefits.”
"What are you talking about?" Mamboa's cheerful voice suddenly rang out beside us. The Queen had also arrived and was looking at us with a smile.
“We were talking about—” Princess Yanni said in an exaggeratedly coquettish tone, “What benefits can your chief mistress bring you, and what benefits can Lady Lana bring you? Why are you willing to give the position of your second wife to Lady Lana?”
Mamboa's smile deepened. "Do you want to know, Lana?"
I laughed and said, "You can tell me."
"Because I feel that the spiritual and physical benefits you have brought me far exceed those of anyone else."
I was stunned. Princess Yani was also taken aback, seemingly not quite believing that the words came from Manboya.
The Queen burst into laughter, "Manboa, I never expected you to be such a romantic."
“I really am.” Manberia looked aggrieved, as if he felt that everyone had misjudged him in the past.
“Perhaps,” the Queen laughed breathlessly, “a womanizer who frequently sows his seed in women.”
Manberia smiled ambiguously and suddenly put his arm around me, saying, "I don't sow seeds often, it's bad for my health."
The Queen threw her head back and laughed, pulling Princess Yanni up as she did so. "Let's go, or I'll laugh my head off."
Even after they had gone quite a distance, I could still seem to hear their laughter. Princess Yanni was laughing too, though not as exaggeratedly as the Queen.
“I was just being affectionate with her, it was just for show,” Manberia explained as he led me out of the banquet hall. “Don’t take it to heart.”
"What's it to me!" I sneered. "I wouldn't even bat an eye if you slept with her."
"What you're saying makes me very sad."
"It's okay to be sad, as long as I'm not sad."
“That’s a good answer,” Manberia gave me a thumbs up. “I’d rather be heartbroken than see you even a little bit sad.”
I burst out laughing; I couldn't help it. I have to admit, this man has an amazing way with words.
It was almost dawn. The party had been going on all night, and I yawned constantly as I walked from the empty, cold corridor to the warm, cozy room. But once we got to the bedroom, Mamboya refused to leave.
He stayed in my bed and refused to get down no matter what.
I could only lean back in the soft sofa and glare at him coldly.
"Don't look at me like that. No matter how fiercely you stare, I won't leave," he said angrily. "It's been so long, why won't you let me into bed?"
"I don't want to," I answered simply and clearly.
"Why not? Do you think my skills aren't good enough? Let me tell you, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
"No need, I don't have that need."
"Then I'll go get some medicine, I guarantee you'll be in ecstasy, and if you can't take it, pounce on me."
"If you dare, I'll fight you to the death."
He then put on an extremely aggrieved look, "Why are you so resistant to me?"
“It’s not that I’m rejecting you,” I earnestly advised, “but matters between men and women are about mutual consent.”
He looked dismissive and said, "I know more about matters between men and women than you do. There's no need for so many formalities. Just get into it and go for it."
"Then what's the difference between you and an animal in heat?" I scoffed.
"Humans are just animals." He smiled again, looking kind and approachable.
I yawned again, I was so sleepy that I didn't have the energy to argue with him anymore. I lay down on the sofa. It was already bright outside, but I was too lazy to draw the curtains. I covered my face with the blanket that was already on the sofa and fell asleep immediately.
I slept for a long time, and when I opened my eyes I found myself in bed. It seems that Manberia wasn't heartless after all, and he still put me back in bed. Just as I was about to get up, I couldn't move my body. My two legs were held down tightly by the other two legs—Manberia was sleeping on the other side, but he held me down so tightly that I couldn't break free.
I mustered all my strength and angrily kicked twice. Manberia let out an exaggerated scream, squirming his legs as he complained, "Is murdering your husband fun? You can't do that!"
I could move my body again, but I still couldn't get up. I kicked a few more times with all my might, and he cried out in exaggerated pain again, "I can't, I can't kick anymore."
I kicked him a few more times, and he finally let go of me with a scream. He scurried over while screaming, saying, "I don't care, you have to touch my foot. You kicked me and it hurt. I won't let you get out of bed until you touch it."
I was furious. "Who told you to get your feet tangled in mine?"
"But you can't kick my leg. You've hurt it. You'll have to pay for it."
"I'm not paying."
"How can you not compensate me?" He squeezed next to me with "teary eyes" and pointed to me, "Look, these two legs are numb."
I was speechless.
A blizzard struck that day, starting when we woke up and continuing until we finished dinner. We awoke in the evening, and by the time we finished dinner it was past eight o'clock – it hadn't stopped for over three hours. The maids said it was practically impossible to go outside; the snow was already knee-deep.
"Fortunately, there's no ball today, otherwise some people who like to stay outside the palace during the year-end ball would be disappointed because they won't be able to make it," Mamboya said, shrugging. "The snow is too thick; the carriages simply can't move."
“You can ride in one of those carriages with flying horses,” I said.
“Silly girl, once you enter the palace, you can no longer ride the flying carriage. You can only take an ordinary carriage to the banquet hall. But now the carriages can't go any further, and the nobles won't walk there because the snow is too thick and the weather is too cold.”
After dinner, he and I took a walk along the inner palace corridor. This was the inner corridor, where large glass windows and thick walls kept out the raging wind and snow. The underfloor heating also warmed the adobe walls, and the rising steam could warm one's face.
"You've experienced the depths of winter in the North, haven't you?" Mamboa joked. "In another two weeks, when the year-end ball month ends, the snow will be even heavier, and you really won't be able to leave the house."
"I really should thank you for not leaving me in the freezing cold in the dead of winter."
“I wouldn’t dare,” Mamboya said, raising his hands in surrender. “I wouldn’t dare even if you killed me.”
I ignored him, but he came closer again. "Don't be angry. After the deep winter is over, I'll take you to see the royal city I gave you. You'll be happy then."
"Even if we divorce in the future, will this royal city still belong to me?" I looked up at him.
"Yes." He looked at me gently.
Seeing that I didn't believe him, he quickly said, "You are the city lord of this royal city. It's all written in the contract. I'll take you to see it."
He led me to the study and placed a parchment contract on the table. My name and his name were indeed written on it in Northern script. I picked it up and examined it closely; it appeared to be a transfer agreement, in which he transferred the royal city that originally belonged to him to me.
He suddenly grabbed my hand, pressed it onto the red inkpad, and then onto the contract paper. "Now the final procedure is complete. Look, my handprint is here."
On the other side of the contract, there was another red handprint.
"Both handprints are on it, the contract is officially valid." He smiled at me and said, "How about that, am I not bad? At least I'm not a liar."
"..."
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Author's Note: Have any of you read my other novels, my dears?
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