Chapter 168 "How many times are you planning to get married?"...
Twelve days later, I received a message from Letea. He had found a witness and could bribe him to reveal part of the truth.
“A whole chest of jewels is also needed,” Leithea wrote in the letter. “This witness needs a whole chest as a reward.”
I replied: "Could he testify in person before King and Queen Midian, including providing evidence?"
Leithea replied: "Okay."
Fifteen days later, Letea wrote: "The witness has met with King and Queen Midian and presented all the evidence he has. In addition, there are other witnesses with evidence and leads, and more money is needed."
Instead of sending the money immediately, I inquired with Beatrice whether anyone had recently seen King Midian's queen in secret. I had been having Beatrice secretly monitor King Midian's queen, and when she replied that someone had, describing their appearance and suggesting they were likely from the Western Kingdom's royal family, I believed Lydia's words and secretly sent him another box of jewels.
Money makes the world go round, I sigh. No one can do without money at any time.
Two weeks later, Letea wrote again: "I have given the new witness's fingerprinted testimony to King Midian's Queen. King Midian's Queen is curious about who is pulling the strings behind the scenes."
I replied, "Don't reveal any information about me yet."
And so the days passed, and several months went by. I kept in touch with Letea and Beatrice. At first, finding evidence and witnesses went relatively smoothly, and I would get a reply within ten days or so. But later it became increasingly difficult, and I would only receive a letter from Letea every one or two months.
My belly is getting bigger and bigger. One day, Manberia touched my belly and said jokingly, "I know you've been very busy lately, writing letters to Beatrice, but you can't be too busy. You have to take care of your belly too. Didn't you eat dinner again last night?"
I didn't eat dinner last night, or rather, I haven't been eating dinner properly lately, which is why it aroused Mamboy's suspicion.
My morning sickness has long since subsided and my appetite has returned. However, I've been quite busy lately. Mamboya suddenly entrusted me with managing a portion of the finances. I was already in charge of the palace's internal affairs, and with the added task of replying to letters, I've become rather overwhelmed. Sometimes I don't even have time for dinner, because I sometimes have to attend some social dances after dinner. Of course, I don't think it matters whether I eat or not.
“There was a dance party after dinner last night…” But before she could finish, Manberia interrupted her, “A dance party is a dance party. Although there is food, most of it is cold food, which is not good for the baby in your womb.”
"Have you already refused Bernard's requests to visit multiple times?" I quickly found fault.
Mamboya was taken aback, not expecting that I already knew. He stammered, "Who was the gossip who told you? I only refused a few times."
“I really want to see him,” I said. “It’s been so long since we last saw each other.”
Manberia's face fell immediately. "We'll discuss this later. First, you need to promise me that you'll eat dinner properly from now on, or I won't let you communicate with Beatrice anymore."
I pretended to have a bad look on my face and said, "What right do you have to tell me what to do? So what if I don't eat? I won't starve."
Manberia's tone softened, "I hope you can take good care of yourself. If anything happens, you and the child will suffer."
My expression softened. "I understand. Okay, I'll eat dinner properly from now on."
That was the end of it.
I became particularly careful in my correspondence with Beatrice after that. Beatrice even sent me a special kind of letter paper that had to be heated over a fire for the true handwriting to appear. So I would write a regular greeting letter on the surface, but secretly write another letter with a pen, leaving an imprint of the writing. Beatrice would then heat the paper over a fire to understand my meaning.
While I was incredibly busy, I received another letter from the Elf King. The Elf King's wording in the letter was extremely polite:
“It’s been a long time. How have you been? Anleya can walk now. Could you perhaps visit her in the Secret Realm when you have some free time? She misses her mother very much, and I’m sure you would like to see her as well. As for the request to send her back to you, it’s best not to make that request; you might be disappointed. Anleya and I would much rather see you in the Secret Realm.”
I sighed and didn't reply.
I really want to bring Anleya back, but the situation in the North is unstable, and I'm still planning things in the West. I'm afraid I can't take care of her right now. To put it bluntly, I can't even protect myself, so how can I protect her? Maybe it would be better for her to stay with her biological father.
I touched my already protruding belly and sighed deeply. I really wish I could return to my world before the baby is born.
Another half month passed, and deep winter finally passed, with early winter arriving, and the snow on the roads began to melt. I told Mamboa that I wanted to return to the Independent Royal City, but Beatrice suddenly fell ill, running a fever on and off for ten days straight. Yes, this was a lie that Beatrice and I made up, our purpose being to return to the Royal City to see a special guest—King Midian's Queen.
Manboa was reluctant for me to return, and I had to plead with him before he reluctantly agreed. But he solemnly made me sign an agreement, stipulating that I must return within ten days, or I would have to compensate him with ten chests of jewels, plus a thousand private soldiers, and he would personally come to the capital to fetch me back. I agreed and pressed my fingerprint on the document.
The day I returned to the independent capital of the West was truly unlucky; it was the rainy season, and a torrential downpour began. When I entered the humble palace, I was soaked to the bone. After a brief conversation with Beatrice, I went to my room to change.
Halfway through the change, a splendid, languid male laugh came from behind, "You've really gained quite a bit of weight since your belly got bigger."
I was so frightened that I quickly gathered my skirt to my chest and hid behind the bed curtains, where I saw Bernard's stunningly beautiful smiling face.
"W-What are you doing here?" I hurriedly pulled my long dress over my shoulders. "How did you get in?"
“That’s how I came in,” Bernard replied with a smile. “I missed you, so I came.”
Unable to enter the North, he learned that I would be coming to the West, so he traveled without stopping and arrived at the same time as me.
I put on my long dress, buttoned it up, and scolded, "I've never seen anyone like you, coming in while people are changing clothes, with no aristocratic manners whatsoever."
I can only use the aristocratic etiquette here to pressure him. Aren't they very particular about the rules of high society here?
"Can aristocratic etiquette alleviate my lovesickness?" he replied dismissively. "What could be more important than seeing my beloved?"
"My belly is so big, and you're telling me you're going to see your sweetheart?" I was both amused and exasperated.
I thought he had long forgotten me, really, after all, a man like him doesn't lack women.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve done this,” he sighed as he came to my side. “I can only say that I was too confident in our relationship, which allowed others to take advantage of the situation.”
I scoffed, "How many illegitimate children do you have now? Don't talk about me."
"Can they be the same?" he retorted. "Can men and women be the same?"
Why can't they be the same?
Seeing my angry expression, he smiled and stopped talking. He tried to hug me, but I avoided him.
"What do you want from me?" I asked coldly.
“Don’t be so cold to me,” he sighed. “I came to find you because I really missed you.”
"It's impossible between us now. I'm married and have a child. I don't plan to leave my husband right now." I turned my face away from him.
“I don’t plan to leave right now, but I will leave in the future,” he joked. “It’s okay, I’m willing to wait.”
"If you're willing to wait, then wait. It's none of my business, but my next husband might not be you," I said calmly.
"How many times are you planning to get married?" he suddenly asked.
"It's none of your business."
"You're hurting me by saying that. I've always cared about you."
I pushed him out the door. "If you want to wait, go outside and wait for me. I need to rest for a bit now."
The door closed, keeping him out, and I breathed a sigh of relief. My appointment with King Midian's queen was later today, and I couldn't delay any longer.
King Midan's queen came to see him under the pretense of borrowing money for her father, and also to meet with me. But her time was very short; she was returning to her father's capital today, and would only stop briefly in our capital when she passed through.
I looked out the window at the torrential rain, which gave her an excellent reason to stay.
The heavy rain poured down, creating puddles and mud everywhere, making the roads extremely difficult to walk on, especially since night had already fallen.
Wearing a waterproof, pure black hooded long coat, I secretly left the palace through a small gate under the cover of my guards, boarded a carriage transporting supplies, and arrived at a dilapidated temple about a kilometer away from the palace. This was the closest place that King and Queen Midian had arranged to meet me.
King Midian's queen had arrived. The oil lamp was dim, but her beautiful face was still visible. She went straight to the point: "Why did you show me those witnesses and evidence? What is your purpose?"
"Don't you want to avenge your brothers and sisters? It was all King Midan's scheme," I retorted.
“My relationship with my siblings has never been very good,” she sneered. “Whether I seek revenge or not is irrelevant.”
“If you didn’t want to avenge them, you wouldn’t have come here in the first place,” I said.
She turned her back. "I just came to see what your purpose is."
I laughed and said, "There's a good opportunity right now for you to fight back against your husband and get back all the grievances you've suffered at his hands."
"Poison him? I tried, but I never succeeded. The last time, he found out and sent me to my father's place." She said mockingly, "Everyone thinks we separated because of relationship problems, but little do they know that he drove me away. He originally planned to fabricate a crime to put me to death, but my father paid a large sum of money to redeem me. My father begged him to spare my life and leave me with the empty title of queen so that the ministers wouldn't force him to remarry, and he reluctantly agreed. He doesn't love women at all now, he only loves men, and mistresses are just a pretense."
Hearing her say that, I knew I had made the right choice in arranging the meeting. Her father was willing to spend a lot of money to "redeem" her, which clearly showed that he valued family ties. Therefore, the overall atmosphere in her family must also value family ties, even if her relationship with her siblings was not very good.
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Author's Note: I hope you'll also read my other novels, muah~~
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