Chapter 384 My Queen
While the entire Glass Island was still discussing the story of Aiwass and Aleister, Aiwass himself had quietly entered the Temple of Silver and Tin.
After he returned from the Arbitration Chamber, he stayed at Moriarty Manor for three days.
Then a message came—a call had been made to Moriarty Manor, asking him to go immediately to the Temple of Silver and Tin.
Iverson immediately understood what was going on.
Perhaps it was because the new minister came so frequently that even the servants in the palace knew him.
This time when Aiwas entered the palace, he did not wait in the side hall, but walked straight in.
Throughout the entire process, no one attempted to stop him or report him. There wasn't even the usual body search... This was completely different from the procedure Aiwas had followed before at the Temple of Silver and Tin.
Normally, even ministers visiting would follow this process: either they would be led to a certain place to rest and wait for the person they were meeting to arrive, or servants would directly take the ministers to the agreed location.
But Isabel's letter didn't mention where to meet Aiwass... and there was no butler or maid to lead the way.
In other words, Aiwass was given the privilege of walking freely in the Temple of Silver and Tin.
No doubt this was something Isabel had recently instructed.
And Aiwass subconsciously went to Isabel's bedroom first.
After opening the bedroom door and seeing that there was no one inside, Aiwass turned and went to the study.
There were only a few rooms anyway. If Isabel wasn't in the study, she should be in my grandmother's bedroom.
But Aiwass still caught Isabel in the study.
“…Huh?”
As soon as he entered the door, Aiwas opened his eyes wide in surprise.
Isabel's outfit was different from usual. She even wore light makeup today, just like when she first invited Aiwass to the party.
Because of her quarter-elven blood, Isabelle, who was actually a year older than Aiwass, had a rather childish face, like a girl of only fourteen or fifteen. However, because of her elven blood, she was taller than her peers, standing at around 1.63 meters.
But in front of Aiwass, she was still the little girl who was a head shorter than him. With such youthful energy, she didn't need to dress up at all to look cute.
And now, Isabel's long straight light blonde hair, which always flowed casually behind her, was braided with intricate techniques, making them look like flowers, like a wreath, and like a crown.
This made the thin and fragile girl look a little mature for the first time.
"Minister Moriarty, you're here."
Isabel called softly.
Her emerald eyes fixed on Aiwass, a look of obvious joy in them. But she quickly suppressed her emotions: "Please sit down first."
Her eyes turned to the chair that was placed directly opposite her desk, at least three or four meters away.
Looking at Isabel sitting there with her chest and head held high and a serious look on her face, Aiwass couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly.
He casually lifted the chair and carried it across from Isabel's table, as if they were eating face to face, and then sat down.
Seeing Isabel's slightly panicked and momentarily bewildered look, Aiwass's lips curled up slightly: "Not bad. You're acting a little like a queen now."
“…I am also growing.”
Isabel puffed her lips and asked seriously, "Didn't I do something wrong?"
Aiwass just smiled and shook his head, then spoke calmly and clearly: "You should call me Aiwass.
"The Queen's majesty doesn't work this way. If it were Her Majesty Sofia, she would call me by my first name in private to show a close attitude.
"Besides that, whether you should call me by my first name or last name in front of others depends on whether you need to show this kind of closeness at the time. Sometimes this attitude can express approval, sometimes it means leaving the decision to me, and sometimes it means alienating others."
As Aiwass spoke, he crossed his fingers and casually placed his elbows on Isabel's desk. This made the desk, which was once perfectly spaced, seem a little cramped.
So Isabel subconsciously pulled her hand back from the table to make some space for Aiwass.
But just when she received half of it, Aiwass quickly grabbed her wrist.
She looked at Aiwass in a daze, but this time she quickly reacted: "This shouldn't be the case, right?"
"For me, it's casual."
Aiwass chuckled. "But for others, no—didn't Her Majesty Sophia teach you these things?"
"No."
Isabel shook her head. "She said that politics can't be taught overnight. Rather than letting me understand a little and think I understand...it's better for me to remain completely ignorant. I'll ask you and Sherlock directly for your advice."
"Your Majesty is right."
Aiwass nodded: "Half-understanding is indeed more dangerous than no understanding at all."
As he spoke, he pulled back Isabel's wrist, which he had grabbed, and slowly returned it to its original position.
He whispered, "Remember next time: if someone invades your territory, don't back down. Shout at them and tell them to back off. Protect your pride like a lion king."
“…I remember that.”
Isabel was silent for a long time, then slowly nodded and responded seriously.
If she said she remembered, she did. Isabel wasn't the type to pretend to know something when she didn't. She would always ask questions if she didn't understand something, and if she said she remembered, she did. She was a good student, and that reassured Aiwass.
Aiwass straightened up and let his right arm hang naturally on the table, leaving only his left arm on the table, supporting his chin.
He said casually, "I guess you didn't call me here to see your new hairstyle. Although it does look nice."
"It's just beautiful, I know that."
Isabel raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and said lightly: "But thank you for the compliment."
There was a much stronger confidence in her tone than before.
Her eyes were extremely bright as she looked at Aiwass seriously. "I called you here to ask for your help. Grandmother should... her time should end today. Probably only a few hours left."
"—Please help me, Aiwass."
Isabel did not say why she was asking for help.
But Aiwass already understood what she meant.
It wasn't just one thing she asked Aiwass for help with—it was everything.
"You know, Isabel. I just like that about you."
Aiwass said leisurely, "Never be stubborn or overbearing. Always know what you should and can do. When you know you need help, you're the first to ask for it—you know, Isabel. This is also a talent. And a very rare one."
“…What kind of talent is this?”
Isabel blushed a little at what Aiwass said.
She thought it was Aiwass being sarcastic.
But Aiwass simply shook his head. "It truly is a talent. Its father is humility, its mother is self-reflection. And it is the fundamental connection between people. It is one of the two most essential talents for a monarch. Many monarchs lack it, becoming arrogant and self-centered, refusing to accept advice."
"What about the remaining one?" Isabel asked curiously.
"A firm and calm spirit."
Aiwass replied, "You need to be absolutely certain that you are on the right path and not be swayed by what others say."
"...This sounds contradictory." Isabel was keenly aware of the incongruity.
"Many things are in conflict. We are born in conflict and die in conflict. People crave comfort and pursue wealth. Animal and social needs differ. As a monarch, you need to fight against your inherent nature as a human being."
Aiwass said softly, "You need to be a good listener, yet stubborn in your opinion; you need to be willing to ask for help, yet stubborn in your silence. It's difficult, but being a monarch is not easy."
“…I don’t understand.”
Isabel was silent for a long time, then answered honestly: "But I will work hard in this direction."
"Then I will teach you your first lesson, Isabel. As a monarch, you must first learn to lie."
Aiwass smiled, leaning back in his chair. "My beloved Queen."
"I'm not the queen yet."
Isabel said this subconsciously, stroking the silver-white dragon head ring that was already on her right ring finger.
This was an Avalonian tradition, signifying a contract between the king and Avalon. Logically, it should have been taken back by Bishop Mathers after Queen Sophia's death and bestowed upon Isabel at her coronation.
But Queen Sofia regained consciousness for a short while, took off the ring herself, and put it on Isabel's finger.
Isabel was silent for a moment, but suddenly spoke: "But I... am also willing to learn."
Upon hearing this, Aiwass smiled like a fox, put his hand on his chest, and lowered his head slightly.
"It's okay," he said gently and elegantly, "I'm good at it - I'll teach you. But before that, I'll accompany you to see His Majesty off."
(End of this chapter)
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