Chapter 193 Back then, she was attracted to his good looks…
He suddenly burst into laughter, an uncontrollable laugh, and said, "I believe it. An unrealistic woman like her can only meet another woman in her dreams."
"What do you mean?!" I asked, puzzled.
"She is deep-thinking, reserved, and rarely speaks. If you try to get information out of her, she will immediately sense it and reply with just two words: 'Go away.' Wouldn't you say that such a woman is rare in this world? And who would want to be her friend? She is extremely aloof and speaks very little. How could she possibly have friends? Only in dreams."
My voice trembled slightly, "She is the kindest, gentlest, and most beautiful woman I have ever met!"
He stared at me for two seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter. "My God, have you fallen in love with her?" He laughed and leaned close to my ear, whispering, "She's really beautiful, and she's really cold. If you fall in love with her, you're destined to suffer for the rest of your life."
"You fell in love with her, and you suffered your whole life?" I asked back.
He laughed so hard he could hardly breathe, and between laughs he said, "How could that be? I don't love her, I just want to fuck her, to fuck off her hypocritical mask, and see if she can remain indifferent when she's at the peak of desire?"
He lowered his voice again, pressing against my earlobe, "In the end, I was disappointed. Even when she reached her climax, she remained indifferent, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes. This enraged me, and I fucked her even harder until she cried out. It was during that time that she became pregnant with Bernard. I hate this son, and I feel that he is an accomplice she found to help her get back at me."
I was terrified and disgusted, and remained motionless. He continued in a low voice, "If that mother and son really join forces, do you think I'll still have a place to stand? I might not be able to get the throne of the Eastern Kingdom, having married a woman of another race; I can't get the throne of the Elven Kingdom either, because I'm of another race. So, she must die, or I won't be able to rise to power. But her wealth is so tempting, tempting enough to bring down any kingdom. Help me get her money, and I'll give you a share of the power in the Eastern Kingdom, and let you sleep with more handsome men, not necessarily more handsome than Bernot, but definitely better at sleeping with him."
A sudden burst of laughter and noise, mixed with the smell of alcohol and barbecue, softened the impact of his words. His cold blue eyes gleamed in the darkness; this boisterous party had laid bare his greed.
The firelight and crystal light swirled, landing on his sharp, handsome, and angular face.
Back then, the Elf Queen was attracted to his good looks, but she only wanted a son.
Choosing him was simply choosing a son who resembled him.
Suddenly I understood why the Elf Queen had married him.
He laughed as he stood up, tossed aside the exquisite wine bottle in his hand, and twirled to the center of the dance floor. There, he danced with a group of scantily clad women, singing songs I couldn't understand. He was truly drunk; it was a rare moment of indulgence for him. And it was only because he was truly drunk that he told me those crazy things.
As I stepped out of the luxurious restaurant and into my carriage, a slender, tall figure alighted from another carriage—it was Queen Nere.
The dazzling lights illuminated her indifferent and profound face. She stood on the steps in front of the restaurant for a while, her figure so lonely and her eyes so detached.
I was stunned for a long time.
“My stepmother and my father separated many years ago,” Bernard said lazily in the room at the palace school. “They used to be comrades-in-arms because of their shared interests. But more than ten years after my father became king, the situation changed. My stepmother’s father, the head of the Duran family, was a powerful man, and no other man in the family could compare to him. Since his death, the Duran family has begun to decline. In order to pave the way for the family, my stepmother desperately promoted her younger brother and several nephews, which aroused my father’s dissatisfaction.”
I began to understand. "Your father was afraid that the Duran family would rise to power because of this, and that the maternal relatives would seize power?"
Bernard glanced at me in surprise. “Yes. My father has been wary of the Duran family for a long time. They are the second-largest family in the East. It is said that my father was involved in the death of my stepmother’s father. My stepmother’s father died suddenly, and there are secret rumors that my father administered a slow-acting poison.”
"Maybe she really did put it in," I said casually.
Bernard simply smiled and continued, “My paralyzed adoptive father always sided with my stepmother to prevent my father’s family from becoming too powerful. Both his and my stepmother’s families were powerful clans, and both feared being swallowed up by my father’s family. When my father neglected and abandoned me, it was my adoptive father who took me back to the Yod family to raise me, also to cultivate a prince with direct royal blood who could rival my father. If this prince could marry his daughter, or even his adopted daughter, then our child would have the Yod family’s bloodline. If he then promoted this child to the throne, he could become the ruler of the East. Therefore, my adoptive father was known as the ‘Kingmaker.’”
"You all know his intentions?" I asked.
“People aren’t stupid; they’ll figure it out over time,” he said with a smile. “Plus, as I grew up, I wasn’t really on his side, so he gradually gave up on the plan and instead joined forces with my stepmother’s family.”
“It’s too complicated,” I shook my head. “You people are just too complicated.”
He embraced me and kissed my face. "You don't need to think too much. As long as I don't have complicated feelings for you, that's enough."
That night, King Amur's drunkenness seemed like a dream. When I awoke, everything was as usual. When I saw King Amur again in the palace, he was calm, serious, and sharp. He showed no unease when he saw me, his eyes indifferent, as if he didn't recognize me.
I heard that King Amur has hardly left the palace since that night. It is said that Queen Nere was very displeased, believing that the king's drunkenness violated royal etiquette, and closed the luxurious restaurant for three months, only lifting the closure in the fourth month when her anger subsided.
The ice and snow have melted, spring is in full bloom, the grass is growing and birds are singing; it's hunting season in the Eastern Territory. Hunting in this season requires a high level of skill; pregnant or young animals cannot be shot, so the requirements for nobles are high: they must have discernment and superb hunting skills.
The first hunt of spring was quite large in scale, and perhaps to elevate my status and demonstrate my worth, Bernard specially brought me along.
I don't really like participating in these kinds of fighting activities. Although I'm not an active animal rights activist, I can't stand seeing animals panicked and running around in all directions. Out of sight, out of mind. If I can't change their hunting habits, then at least I won't go.
But Bernard insisted that this was the first show of the spring, and I had to go. After he pleaded with me for several days, I reluctantly agreed.
A long horn sounded, and the nobles in riding attire galloped into the forest with a whoosh. I stared in disbelief. I had only just learned to ride a horse and, of course, couldn't possibly run that fast; I only managed to move forward a few steps.
“You won’t catch many prey in a day at this rate,” Bernard said, frowning at me.
“Don’t worry about me, go with them.” I frowned as well. “I have my own pace.”
Bernard was naturally unwilling to leave, but after wandering around with me for an hour, he couldn't resist spurring his horse and heading deeper into the forest. "I'll be right back!"
The forest was bathed in the vibrant colors of spring, a lush expanse of green, with birdsong filling the air. I was captivated by the sight. I rarely ventured into forests or rivers, spending most of my time in palaces or cities. Even in the North, West, and South, I seldom ventured into nature. Seeing such beauty, I was naturally mesmerized.
The faint sound of the river's murmur reached my ears, and I spurred my horse onward, with several guards following closely behind.
The clear water shimmered in the sunlight. I dismounted and scooped up a handful of water to wash my face when a whooshing sound came from the opposite bank. A lithe, brown deer with twining antlers spread its legs and tried to dodge two golden arrows that attacked from behind. However, one of them struck it squarely on the back of the neck, and it fell to the ground instantly, twitching a few times.
I was stunned; this scene was absolutely breathtaking.
A white horse galloped quickly, but a black horse was even faster. The two men on horseback reached out and snatched the deer that had been shot and killed on the ground.
The owner of the black horse won the snatch and looked triumphantly at the owner of the white horse, saying, "Same rule as always, whoever grabs it first gets it."
The white horse owner shrugged. "Take it if you want."
This nonchalant attitude slightly annoyed the owner of the black horse, but he held back and laughed loudly, "You'd better be quicker next time, little brother."
At this moment, I could clearly see that the owner of the black horse was Crown Prince Ivanhoe, with an unruly expression and an arrogant attitude, while the owner of the white horse was Desen, the youngest brother with short silver hair, who had a smiling face but whose emotions were unreadable.
My guards and I have hidden deep in the jungle, and with a river separating us, they can't see us.
The white horse's owner, Desen, was not angered by Ivanhoe. Instead, he smiled and said, "Alright, I'll be quick next time!"
That evening, at the victory feast, a glistening and fragrant roasted venison was presented to Queen Nere. Queen Nere picked up a thin slice of roasted venison with her fork, put it in her mouth and chewed it a couple of times, then suddenly spat it out, took a handkerchief and covered her mouth, "Oh, I still can't get used to venison, the smell is too strong."
But everyone knows that the roasted venison placed in front of the king wouldn't have a gamey smell. It had already been processed a hundred and eighty times by experienced chefs.
Crown Prince Ivanhoe's facial muscles twitched twice, and Prince Desen immediately ordered the venison to be removed.
Queen Nere said while drinking water, "This meat is still good meat. Roast it again and bring it up."
But in reality, I didn't see any more venison all night.
Benoit maintained an indifferent expression, while King Amur continued to flirt with the beautiful woman, seemingly oblivious to the situation.
"Is the Queen showing some favoritism towards your brother?" I asked Bernard after the banquet.
“All mothers love their youngest child,” Bernard smiled ambiguously. “Including you. You must love your youngest one too; that’s our child.”
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Author's note: Thank you for your support!
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