Chapter 276 "My girl, I've known her for a long time..."
"Okay." I turned around without even wiping away my tears, grabbed Bernard's hand, and headed towards the dance floor.
“If you hadn’t had that kind of relationship with him, he wouldn’t be alive now,” Bernard said coldly on the dance floor, as the music played.
“Don’t believe what he says. He’s even less willing to let go now that he knows you’re a superpowered woman,” he said. “His family would have to struggle for at least a decade to attend a banquet of this caliber, not to mention he’s an illegitimate son in the family with an even lower status. If he can get close to you now, he can rise to the top. If you were him, what would you do?”
"Why are you saying such harsh things?" I smiled wryly.
"Just a reminder that people's hearts are unpredictable."
I suddenly burst into tears, crying very hard. He helplessly reached out and wiped away my tears, saying, "You're still the same as before, you cry at the drop of a hat."
Then, he put his arm around my waist and left the dance floor.
That night, a heavy rain fell in the West. Rain is relatively rare in the West, but it was the rainy season in summer.
I sat on the soft carpet under the bed, unable to sleep.
Bernard, wearing an extremely soft cotton bathrobe, sat beside me, flipping through documents. He refused to go to another room, saying that we had to be in the same room when we were out. I asked why, and he said it was to show others our relationship, "so that no one would covet you and think you're still single," he said. I couldn't be bothered to reply. Actually, I did think I was still single.
Dawn was approaching. I had actually been sitting up all night, and Bernard had also been reading documents all night.
"Do you think we're a good match?" I drew back the floor-length curtains and answered proactively, "We've been incompatible for a long time. A long time ago, there was a gap in our social status and various other conditions. I couldn't compare to you in any way, and you felt the same way, which is why you kept me hanging on. You were unwilling to get married, yet unwilling to let go. You thought I was mediocre in every way, yet you also thought I was a rare commodity. I've always felt wronged and at a disadvantage in this relationship, so I wasn't willing to truly accept you. You've always been playing games with me."
“Now, there’s an age gap between us. You’re getting older, and I’m still young. This gap can’t be changed by any power or money, which is why you’re a little panicked. Are we really right for each other? We’ve never been right for each other. Let go, Bernard, you and I can both find our own happiness.”
“Oh, you want to be with that bastard?” Bernard looked at me coldly. “I’m just a little old, but I’m far superior to him in every way.”
Before I could speak, he continued, “That illegitimate son of hers just got married last month. If you want to be with him, you can only be his mistress again. Of course, he might be willing to divorce his wife for you, but he will face a lot of family pressure and financial pressure. Can he afford your daughter’s expenses in the capital? Can he afford your newspaper’s operation? I will be the one to cover all of these costs. Once you separate from me, I will immediately withdraw all my funds.”
"So, you're threatening me with money," I said slowly.
“It’s not just money,” he said coldly. “It’s also my army. Once your capital city is without my army, it could be attacked by other countries at any time. Without me, your capital city will be in dire straits.”
Tears streamed down my face. "Why are you doing this to me? Is our relationship just a romantic one? Now that it's over, you're turning your back on me? I've done you a great favor. I rescued you from the land of death, helped you quell the zombie outbreak in the wilderness, and even renovated the entire castle's drainage system, solving many problems. You even made a lot of money later thanks to that renovation ability."
I've visited several castles and palaces, and observed their drainage systems. I noticed obvious signs of alteration, with the pipes resembling modern structures. Although I've never asked, I know that Bernard was involved. And Bernard would never do these things for free; he must have been charged a hefty fee. Otherwise, where did his later funds for returning to the capital and seizing the throne come from? Did wealth fall from the sky? A portion of it must have come from here.
I drew back all the curtains, and all the sunlight streamed in; the rain had already stopped.
I looked at Bernard and said, "I've never held a grudge against you for favors or money, yet you're pushing me so hard now. Are you trying to kill me?"
Bernard walked up to me and said, "Are you saying I'm too old now? I'm not old, not at all."
As he spoke, he took off his soft bathrobe and stood naked in front of me. His muscular chest, strong and toned waist, firm and round buttocks, and long, muscular legs made him a truly first-rate man's physique.
"Isn't this enough to satisfy you?" He launched his companion in front of me, and I fell to the ground.
“Why don’t you give it a try?” he said. “I’m no worse than a young man, and I understand you better.”
I turned my face away from him and his big friend, saying, "Don't say things like that."
He knelt down in front of me and suddenly hugged me tightly. I couldn't break free.
"Just once," he pleaded.
"Break up after trying it out?" I asked.
"What I want is to get back together, not to break up." His deep blue eyes were unfathomable.
"Sir, that's impossible." I kicked him hard, and he was caught off guard, so I escaped in an instant.
He was incredibly fast; the moment I opened the door, he tackled me to the ground. I screamed, and he silenced me with a passionate kiss.
I punched and kicked him desperately, and bit his lip hard, but he wouldn't let go at all. He even rubbed against me and scraped me with his big friends.
He kissed me until I fell onto the carpet, and then covered me with his whole body.
He kissed me, rubbed against me, and caressed me all at the same time.
“Relax,” he whispered in my ear.
I continued to struggle, biting him fiercely, trying to make him let go, but he wouldn't let go at all.
"My girl, I've loved you for a long time, and that has never changed." He kissed my lips again, a kiss that made my head spin.
I gripped his shoulders tightly with both hands, my body tensing up.
He continued to caress me, his passionate kisses turning gentle, then he kissed my neck, lightly nibbling at my skin. With each firm, intermittent kiss and nibble, I gradually relaxed…
When I came to my senses, he still hadn't finished, and I was clinging tightly to his waist.
"Are you happy?" he asked me.
I didn't answer him.
He buried his face in my chest, greedily inhaling my scent.
“Why do you have to harm others?” he murmured against my chest. “He’s so young, are you going to ruin him? He’s already married, maybe his wife is pregnant, do you want to tear him apart? If you really leave me, the Elven King and the Great Master of the North will definitely take action, do you think this young boy will survive? And if the Elven King and the Great Master of the North abandon you, do you think King Daio will let him live? King Daio has a fiery temper, if he thinks there’s a chance with you, he’ll kill him without hesitation. Don’t tell me you and King Daio didn’t have an affair, I heard you slept together once.”
I didn't say anything; I really didn't know what to say.
It was only when Aurora's maid outside the door asked us when we would depart that I realized it was already noon.
At the palace gates, we unexpectedly encountered Princess Yanni. Princess Yanni, who was supposed to arrive in a day or two, had come ahead of schedule. She leaned out of the carriage window and called out my name loudly: "Lana!"
Princess Yanni has aged, but she's still younger than Bernard. Her hair is said to be turning gray, but she's dyed it orange-red. She has deep crow's feet around her eyes and wrinkles around her mouth, and her figure has changed somewhat; she has a slight belly, and her hips aren't as attractive as they used to be. But her meticulously applied makeup, beautiful clothes, and expensive jewelry still make her very beautiful.
As she disembarked from the carriage, two tall, thin young men attentively helped her. She laughed and said, "How do my two little lovers compare to your new lover?"
I was speechless for a moment, and Bernard frowned as he looked at her.
She walked towards me with a smile, her beautiful tutu swaying gently, which was very charming.
"My God, how can you still be so young! I'm so envious." She looked at me with jealous eyes.
“Time difference,” I laughed.
She looked at Bernard meaningfully, "Now, you have the upper hand, Lana."
Bernard laughed. "She's always had the upper hand."
She smiled happily, "Oh, really?"
She took my arm. "When are you going to visit the Southern Border? Maybe we can talk about your Straight Road plan."
The plan for a straight road to the Western Kingdom's capital had long been shelved, but now that our capital's plan has begun, she's naturally interested. The Southern Kingdom's agricultural resources are poor, and it has been importing wheat, barley, and other crops from other kingdoms year-round, constantly seeking ways to reduce transportation costs.
“It would be more practical for you to visit our capital or correspond with us,” I said frankly. I rarely travel far, partly due to Bernard's objections—he was worried about me going to other countries.
"Okay, that's good too." She smiled.
"Did you really come to the West to attend a wedding?" Now that the wedding was over, I asked curiously.
"Since I've got nothing better to do anyway, I might as well come over and have some fun. Maybe I'll remarry Haiya?" she laughed.
My eyes lit up.
Back in the capital, I immediately wrote a news article titled "Princess Yanni Suspected of Remarrying King Haiya." I also pulled out two case articles I had been working on recently. One was the "Apple Core Murder Case," in which a wife choked to death on an apple core. Her family was suspected of murder, but the husband was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The other was the "Street Murder Case in the Western Capital," a case that was quite famous in the capital. I don't think writing it down would be considered revealing the privacy of another country. The case was simple: the eldest son of a prominent family in the capital killed his mistress's lover in the street, decapitating him with a single sword stroke. This caused panic among all the civilians present and led to a month-long curfew in the capital.
At the same time, I took out the sequel to "The Story That Isn't a Story," which I had written a few days earlier, and wrote about the male and female protagonists' eventual reconciliation. I only wrote this after sending someone to the male and female protagonists' homes to confirm that it was true.
These articles filled up a large section. I got up and called the head maid, asking her to bring me the weather forecast from the head of astrology. Weather forecasts here are mainly based on astrologers, who are quite capable, with an accuracy rate of about 60% based on astrological predictions. I also included the weather forecast for the next week in the newspaper. Of course, I only included the weather in the western region and surrounding areas.
Bernard also gave me a news item: several mistresses of a famous count in the East were fighting, and it happened at a famous salon gathering. The cause was that the count was biased and bought a beautiful house for his new favorite. The other mistresses were very envious and deliberately picked fights with the new favorite at the salon, which resulted in a fight. The new favorite's maid also rushed in to help, scratching faces, pulling hair, slapping, and kicking stomachs. The scene was a complete mess.
"Who won in the end?" I wrote in my notebook.
“You only have two new favorites and maids, but several mistresses. Who do you think won?” Bernard retorted.
"Weren't there any men trying to stop it?" I asked. "There must have been men there, right?"
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Author's Note: Please continue to support me! I also appreciate your support in reading my other novels. Writing is hard work, and I really hope to get your support~~~ There's a perk today, you can contact me to get it, you'll understand after reading the first sentence of my synopsis.
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