Before Yun Wei could speak, Isaac said, "He is Yun Wei, a companion I met in the wasteland—"
However, Catherine turned her head away and interrupted him directly, "I'm asking him."
Isaac immediately shut up.
The entire courtyard was eerily quiet; even the summer sunlight seemed pale, enough to drain one's soul.
Catherine looked at Yun Wei again. She was quite tall and looked to be about the same height as Yun Wei, but with a more imposing presence.
That's not right either, because they are not comparable at all.
Yun Wei had absolutely no imposing presence.
Meeting those eyes the same color as Isaac's, Yun Wei forced a smile and said, "Yes, my name is Yun Wei, and I am a magician."
He was so nervous that he even sang off-key and didn't know what he was saying.
Catherine suddenly chuckled softly.
The laughter was light and airy, coming from the throat or nose, and it didn't sound like it meant happiness.
She gave Yun Wei a deep look, then turned around and walked gracefully toward the main building of the castle. "Come with me."
Clearly, this was said to Yun Wei.
The others bowed to her, and through their synchronized movements, Yun Wei turned to look at Isaac on the other side.
The other person was also bowing at that moment, but when they received Yun Wei's gaze, they secretly blinked.
Yun Wei knew that Isaac was assuring him that he would definitely come to his rescue later.
Watching Catherine's retreating figure as she ascended the steps, Yun Wei finally gritted his teeth, mustered his courage, and followed her.
This castle was built entirely to palace standards, with little emphasis on military defense, but rather on the use of light and shadow and its artistic merit.
The connecting corridor is quite beautiful, with natural light streaming into the interior through the stained glass, creating a magnificent and dreamlike atmosphere.
But Yun Wei had no time to appreciate it. He simply followed behind the Empress, silently listening to the rhythmic thud of her heels on the granite floor, not daring to utter a sound.
Finally, they arrived at an elegantly furnished room.
“Close the door, then come and sit down,” Catherine instructed him.
The door itself was probably nearly four meters high, and Yun Wei had to expend a lot of effort to open it.
He nervously sat down beside the other person, only daring to sit on a third of the seat, and trying his best to straighten his back.
"Your name is Yun Wei, right?" Catherine asked.
Yun Wei quickly replied, "Yes."
Catherine immediately pouted unhappily, "Call me Your Majesty."
Yun Wei had no choice but to answer again: "Yes, Your Majesty, my name is Yun Wei."
Catherine laughed again.
She picked up the porcelain teapot on the coffee table, poured herself a cup of tea, and as she brought it to her lips, she suddenly asked, "Have you slept together?"
Having said that, she didn't wait for Yun Wei's reply, lowered her eyes and slowly drank her tea.
Yun Wei's mind went completely blank for a moment.
He moved his lips, but even breathing felt difficult.
Although he and Isaac didn't make it to the end, it didn't really matter.
So he replied awkwardly, "Yes, Your Majesty."
He was so ashamed that he couldn't lift his head when the other person's elder pointed it out to him directly.
He had no time to ponder how the other person had figured it out; more importantly, he suddenly began to worry whether this behavior was despicable and whether he would be looked down upon by Isaac's family.
But clearly, his worries were unnecessary.
Because Catherine's next words were, "Let me be blunt, I don't think you're a good match. You're not the right partner for Isaac."
Upon hearing such comments, Yun Wei was so saddened that she almost burst into tears.
He sat there silently, staring at the thick carpet on the floor, expressing his protest through silence.
“Alright, it seems you’re not convinced. Do you know why I said that?” Catherine placed the cup back on the saucer. Although it was only a slight clatter, Yun Wei couldn’t help but suspect that the porcelain was about to shatter.
He answered in a low voice, "Because I am... a man."
“Ha.” Catherine laughed again, this time making no attempt to hide her contempt, muttering to herself, “What kind of taste does that boy Isa have?”
She raised her chin and said seriously, "Raise your head and look at me."
Yun Wei subconsciously did as instructed.
The woman before him was not only Isaac's grandmother, but also a powerful level seven expert with unparalleled strength, a ruler who governed countless vassals.
He had never seen a person in such a position before; the other person simply sat there without saying a word, like an unshakeable Mount San Moriti.
"Putting aside the fact that you can't have children, you should know that the foundation of a monarchy is the continuation of bloodlines, which is basic common sense." She looked Yun Wei up and down, her gaze filled with blunt scrutiny. "You are not suitable for Issa because you are not lively enough and not energetic enough."
“Isa is the successor I personally chose and raised. He is the next ‘Augustus,’ and what he will face from now on are countless conspiracies, schemes, and treacherous villains.”
"As a monarch's partner, it is far from enough to please him in bed alone. He will also have moments of vulnerability, and at those times, he will need to draw strength from you."
“But in my eyes, you are more like an unfillable black hole, and you will need his care. Therefore, I cannot accept someone like you becoming the next ‘Augusta’.”
She spoke slowly but without pausing for a moment, explaining things clearly and logically.
To be honest, Yun Wei felt that he was about to be persuaded by the other party.
In fact, even he himself never thought of becoming an "Augusta".
Even after Isaac told him the other person's identity, he never imagined that one day the other person would become emperor.
He simply liked the other person.
That's all.
"Oh, this is unbelievable! How did things get to this point?" Yun Wei thought dejectedly.
However, Catherine did not give him much time to think. "The above is merely my statement as a monarch. Now, it is time to speak my thoughts as an elder."
She suddenly adjusted her posture, and her heel slammed against the chair leg with a dull thud.
Yun Wei was immediately startled.
Catherine's expression suddenly changed, and she coldly questioned, "How dare you?"
"Huh?" Yun Wei stared at her blankly, a bad feeling rising in his heart.
"Hmph, don't play dumb. You keep Issa chained up like a dog and have a master-servant contract with him? No one has ever dared to provoke Temu Brown like this, never."
"If it weren't for the contract, I would have torn you to pieces."
"This kind of distorted and disgusting feeling will never receive my blessing, ever."
Catherine's gaze was like burning ice, making no attempt to conceal the anger in her heart.
"No, no. Please listen to me, actually, this is just a misunderstanding." Yun Wei's face turned pale as he stammered in explanation.
Actually, he really didn't know how to explain it.
Eight hundred years had already passed between him and the monarch before him.
He couldn't bring himself to tell Isaac the truth that things had changed 800 years later without informing him.
But that contract... that damned contract!
Isaac, when are you finally coming?! Yun Wei thought to himself in anguish.
Even at this point, he still longed for Isaac's arrival.
And just as Catherine said, he was not a good match for Taymburch.
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