As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

"Hmm? Can't fully adapt? What does that mean?" Leah tilted her head, looking puzzled.

"Ha... You'll find out when you meet Her Majesty the Queen."

As he said this, Leus patted the girl's head again, calming Lia's fluctuating thoughts. Then he looked out the window at the passing street scenery, feeling the approaching palace in the distance amidst the rhythmic hoofbeats, waiting for the meeting to begin...

Chapter 154 The Gears Turning: The Curtain of the Royal City (Part Two)

Some time later, in a waiting room outside the palace.

"Young Master Fren, Your Majesty the Queen has been informed of your request for a meeting and has agreed to it. She is now waiting on the throne, and we request that you proceed as soon as possible."

"Yes, I understand."

Nodding to the waiter who had come to inform them, Leus gently took Lia's small hand and pulled her up from her seat. Lia swallowed slightly, looking at her exquisite evening gown and the exquisite crystal high heels on her feet, her nervousness increasing even more.

"Brother...Brother, is there anything about Lia that needs fixing? Is she in a mess? Would it be offensive to meet Her Majesty the Queen like this..."

"Don't worry, Her Majesty doesn't have many requirements in this regard. As long as you are dressed neatly and properly, that's fine. Leah, don't worry. Just follow behind me and leave everything to your brother."

Lius stroked Lia's slightly steaming face, gave her a reassuring smile, and continued to hold her hand tightly, leading her out of the room and following the servants toward the throne room.

"How is Your Majesty lately? Is she busy?"

On the way, Lius asked the waitress this question, and the waitress nodded, looking at Lius with a helpless smile.

"Ha...you could say that. Recently, there have been several conflict cases in the kingdom, especially in the royal city, where patients have been suffering from magic diseases one after another. Her Majesty the Queen is having a terrible headache over this and often complains to us, saying that if you, Prince Lius, were here, her work would be much easier."

"It sounds like this has become my job. If this continues, won't I really become Her Majesty's advisor, spending all day in the palace serving her?" Lius joked.

"Ha, perhaps that's not bad. If Your Majesty and Prince Lius are willing, we would also welcome you. After all these years, you are very familiar with this place, Prince Lius. With your assistance, Your Majesty's busy schedule will surely be relieved. And Her Highness the Princess, she misses you very much, Prince Lius."

"Your Highness..."

“Yes,” the waiter suddenly lowered his voice, “to tell you the truth, Her Highness has been playing chess in an empty room lately at midnight, using the chessboard you gave her last time. She said… the Black Queen’s pieces have your flavor on them, and she must savor them thoroughly.”

"Um... Haha, is that so... Looks like I'll have to go see her properly later."

Upon hearing the waitress's words, Leus swallowed hard, shivered involuntarily, then smiled awkwardly and strolled to the throne room door. The waitress slowly opened the door, bowed slightly, and invited Leus and Lia inside.

"Then, Her Majesty the Queen is inside. Please, Prince Leus and Miss Lia, enter."

"Ah."

After nodding, Leus glanced at Lia again to make sure the girl was still calm. He smiled encouragingly at her, then continued to hold her hand and led her into the vast throne room, where they looked at the silver-haired queen sitting quietly on the majestic throne in front of them.

"Wow……"

As soon as she entered the throne room, Leah was overwhelmed by the luxurious and magnificent scene around her.

The sweet scent of ambergris mixed with the fragrance of jasmine flooded her nostrils, and Leah's senses were affected by two things: on the one hand, the resonant and clear sound of the thousands of prisms on the crystal chandelier, and on the other hand, the constantly flashing, sparkling gemstone light on the throne, like a dazzling star.

Although she had already gained some understanding of the palace's extravagance while outside the royal city, it was only after personally venturing inside that this naive young girl truly grasped the meaning of the word "luxury."

Flawless white marble pillars surround the throne room, firmly supporting this vast space. Exquisite crimson silk is laid on the floor, flowing like water, smooth and delicate. Every inch is wrapped with a layer of gold thread, its priceless value evident just by looking at it. Despite its simplicity, it exudes an air of luxury.

Looking towards the very front, on the throne carved from jade, sat a silver-haired woman dressed in silver velvet.

A crystal-clear jeweled crown rested firmly on the woman's long, silky silver hair, shimmering with the exquisite and luxurious air befitting the nation's supreme ruler. She wore a fitted, one-piece long dress, the silver fabric adorned with white threads, creating intricate patterns that accentuated the silver-haired queen's nobility and drew the attention of all who beheld her.

But looking at her face again evokes a completely different feeling.

The woman appeared to be at the peak of her maturity, every movement exuding a mature gentleness and allure. Her face was as radiant and cool as moonlight, and her figure was even more seductive than that of the most alluring succubus. Her full breasts paired with her beautiful legs encased in black stockings beneath her long dress would deeply attract any man to this stunning silver-haired beauty.

"..."

Gazing at the silver-haired woman on the throne in the distance, Lia was momentarily stunned, astonished by the queen's beauty. Then she blinked and noticed the expression on Queen Flora's face.

Cold as ice, awe-inspiring as a mountain – that was the first impression this icy queen gave Leah.

The magic crystal on the armrest of the throne flickered as she tapped it with her fingertips. It was a controller that directly connected to the kingdom's defense system. When the woman's silver-gray fingernails grazed the crystal surface, the floor of the entire palace trembled almost imperceptibly—she was silently declaring her complete control over the building.

Those seemingly decorative gilded vine reliefs are actually animated weapons capable of strangling intruders within three seconds. When Leah's skirt accidentally brushed against the wall, the vines suddenly opened hundreds of amber eyes, which quickly closed again after the Queen coughed.

Sitting on the throne, Flora exuded an aura of unapproachability, radiating an air of "only to be admired from afar, not to be trifled with." Just being swept by her gaze sent a chill down Lia's spine, her body trembling uncontrollably, and she swallowed nervously under the cold and beautiful woman's gaze.

"what……"

Just then, Leah suddenly felt a burning pain in her eyes, as if overlapping phantoms appeared behind the queen in her vision—one was a crying girl bound by chains, and the other was a ferocious demon god with six wings spread. She blinked hurriedly, but the illusion had already disappeared without a trace.

"Brother..."

Shivering, Lia gripped Leus's small hand even tighter, while Leus gently patted the girl's shoulder to reassure her.

"Don't worry, with your brother here, it's alright. Come on, let's greet Her Majesty the Queen."

With that, Leus led Lia forward to the steps leading to the throne. He and Lia bowed slightly and paid their respects to the silver-haired beauty on the throne.

“Your Majesty, your subject Lius-Fren has arrived. This is Lia, my adopted sister, who has also come here today to pay her respects.”

After introducing himself, Leus deliberately let his family crest pendant peek out from his collar, making the lily pattern on the pendant bloom. Then he turned his head slightly toward Leah and touched her arm.

"Lia, it's your turn. You should also greet Her Majesty the Queen."

"Ah! Yes...yes!"

Reminded by Lius, Lia snapped out of her previous nervous daze, nodded repeatedly, and greeted the cold-faced queen before her:

"Your Majesty, I am Lia, my elder brother's younger sister. This is my first time visiting the palace, and it is an honor to meet you. Perhaps... perhaps I have not been proper in my manners, please forgive me for my rudeness..."

"Lord Leus's sister, is that right..."

Hearing Lia's words, Flora nodded and uttered her first words since arriving here. She then waved her hand, signaling the waiter to bring out two chairs so that the two could sit down.

"So, Lord Leus, what brings you here today?"

She spoke again to the two of them, her voice still carrying a hint of coldness, like ice, making people hesitant to approach.

"Gu..."

In response, Lia continued to appear nervous, staring at the silver-haired beauty's face, unsure how to answer. This also made Lia somewhat uneasy about the relationship between her brother and the Queen.

"Does my brother... really have such a good relationship with Her Majesty the Queen? Why is Her Majesty so cold and scary now..."

Just then, noticing the strange look on Lia's face, Lius took the initiative to speak up and help his sister alleviate her "predicament," slowly explaining in Queen Flora's direction:

"Yes, Your Majesty, we have some leads to report regarding the recent outbreak of magic disease in the royal city."

"Oh? Lord Leus, you've found a clue?"

Flora looked at Lius, a curious glint in her eyes. Her inner thoughts were unclear, but her tone was tinged with unease.

Lius, however, completely ignored the cold and aloof tone and simply nodded slightly in Flora's direction.

"It's like this, Your Majesty, regarding our recent experiences, I've heard the details..."

Looking at Flora, Lius spoke softly, recounting in detail his recent experiences...

Chapter 155 The Turning Gears of the Royal City Curtain (Part 3)

"Hmm... So, Lord Leus, you mean that the recent outbreak of magic disease is related to a group of cultists dressed in black robes, and that they are preparing to sacrifice the entire country to achieve some kind of wish."

After listening to Lius's account, Flora frowned slightly, stroked the golden scepter standing beside the throne, and asked Lius again. Lius nodded vigorously and presented the various pieces of evidence he had prepared in advance, showing the silver-haired queen his recent series of discoveries.

"..."

Throughout this time, Lia maintained a serious yet tense demeanor, her small hands clasped to her chest, swallowing hard as she watched the conversation between Lius and the Queen, not daring to make any unnecessary noise. She simply observed Flora's appearance silently, trying to discern the Queen's inner character from her facial expressions.

Lia noticed that when she was with Lius, although he appeared very calm and indifferent, Flora's tone of voice conveyed a strong sense of trust and gentleness. They didn't seem like a queen and her subject, but rather like friends who had known each other for a long time.

"What exactly happened between my brother and Her Majesty the Queen? They seem to have a really good relationship..."

A sense of doubt arose within Leah, while the conversation between Leus and Flora drew to a close. After presenting the final piece of evidence to Flora, Leus gave a slight bow and stated his final conclusion:

"As you can see, Your Majesty, these things prove to us that a huge conspiracy has descended upon the kingdom. If we do not stop it quickly, we cannot even imagine what will happen."

"In that case... we should indeed pay more attention to this aspect. Lord Lius, what suggestions do you have? You came to the palace today not just to deliver this message, were you?"

“Indeed, I have already grasped the key points of those formations, so I would like to request Your Majesty to send people to reinforce and arrange the locations on these maps.”

"Oh? Sending troops?"

Flora moved slightly closer, a hint of surprise in her eyes as she looked at Lius, and her delicate lips uttered soft, slow words:

"I never expected that you, Lord Lius, would take the initiative to make this request to me. I thought that with your personality, even if you faced a crisis, you would only secretly manipulate things behind the scenes and resolve them without my knowledge. It is quite rare to see you take the initiative to request support from the royal family."

"Ha, after all, things have come to this point. If I were to rely on my own strength, not only would I be unable to solve the King's problems, but the next victims of the magic disease might not just be the common people in the royal city. At that time, not only me, but even the King himself would need to have an extra bed in the royal mausoleum."

"Hey... elder brother, that's far too disrespectful to Her Majesty the Queen..."

Upon hearing Lius's words, Lia blinked slightly and quickly nudged Lius's arm, whispering a reminder to him.

To Lia's surprise, upon hearing Lius's words, Flora on the throne not only showed no anger or dissatisfaction, but instead revealed a gentle smile, responding to Lius in a relaxed tone:

"Ha, Lord Leus, no matter the situation, you always like to joke. Aren't you afraid of offending me?"

“If it can ease Your Majesty’s mood, then I am willing to carry out the imperial decree to 'offend' Your Majesty in a different way.”

Lius nodded slightly, watching the faint smile on Flora's lips, and continued speaking to the queen before him:

"Just now, when I entered the throne room, Your Majesty's sigh, though soft, was still hard to hide. Fortunately, Your Majesty only did so in front of me. If Your Majesty were to reveal this attitude in front of other subjects, it would be easy for them to find your weakness. Please be careful, Your Majesty."

"Ha... We've only exchanged a few words, and Lord Lius is already going to start instructing me again. In this respect, Lord Lius really has no sense of distance."

"As Your Majesty previously said, there is no need for too many rules and restrictions when interacting in private, especially when it comes to advising Your Majesty on your shortcomings. I am merely following your orders."

"That's true in private, but it doesn't seem to be private now. Besides me and Lord Lius, isn't Lord Lia also here?"

"Ah! Me...me?"

Upon hearing Flora suddenly mention her, Leah abruptly straightened up, her expression tense, and hurriedly opened her small mouth.

"Your Majesty... about Leah... I..."

"Now that you, Lord Lia, are by my side, my interactions with Lord Lius are no longer private. You have learned everything about the weakness I just revealed. Now, how should I deal with you? Should I try to bury this secret forever? It's a real dilemma."

"Ah! This...this..."

Hearing Flora's sudden remark, Leah frantically waved her small hands at her sides, her voice becoming increasingly hesitant, as if she didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"Your Majesty...I..."

"Hmm~ She looks so nervous. This is not the reaction of an ordinary noble. Could it be that you have something to hide, Lord Lia? Come, Lord Lius, take her away."

"Eh?!"

Upon hearing the Queen's command, Leah cried out in alarm, while Leus, standing beside her, smiled helplessly, patted Leah's head to comfort her, and continued speaking to Flora:

"Alright, alright, Your Majesty, please put away your mischievousness and stop teasing Leah. Leah is still a little girl and doesn't have much experience in these matters. Playing such cruel jokes on her can really scare her."

"Huh? Just...just kidding..."

Hearing Lius's words, Lia blinked in surprise, looked at Flora who was smiling gently in front of her, and then at Lius who was holding her. She felt her heart pounding in her throat and finally went limp, collapsing into her brother's arms in a weak and limp manner.

"Ugh... I can't even stand up anymore, it almost scared Leah to death..."

"Ha, it's alright, Lia. The king was just joking. He won't really punish you. Relax and rest. I'll take care of the rest."

As he said this, Leus stroked the girl's head again, calming Lia down before turning back to Flora. Composing himself, he finally spoke to her:

"Therefore, the most important thing now is to find out as many cultists as possible hidden in the kingdom. Perhaps we can thwart these conspiracies completely. Your Majesty, please look here. This is the location of one of the key points of the formation..."

Presenting Flora with a marked map, Lius stepped closer and personally showed the Queen the various markings on the map, explaining them to her continuously. The Queen listened silently to Lius's explanation, nodding slightly from time to time in response.

"Hmm... Lord Leus, you have arranged everything perfectly, except for the dispatch of troops from the capital. It's all arranged very well, just like you always do, Lord Leus, taking care of everything for me in private..."

"If I have offended the King's majesty, I will offer my own head after all matters and crises have been resolved, to appease Her Majesty the Queen," Lius replied with a solemn and serious expression.

"Ha... You say I have a perverse sense of humor, but Lord Lius, your perverse sense of humor is no less than mine. What would I do with your head? To keep it as a decoration in the palace?" Flora smiled slightly as well.

"If Your Majesty wishes, I am willing to offer myself up at any time. Of course, it would be best to place it where Your Majesty can see it, so that even after death, I can always be by Your Majesty's side and watch over you in every aspect."

"Hehe, that sounds good too. It's settled then. If you die one day, Lord Lius, I will definitely fulfill your wish and let you know that whether you live or die, Lord Lius, you are the most precious thing to me."

Flora smiled slightly as she and Lius exchanged chilling words, causing Lia, who was in Lius's arms, to cast surprised glances at the two of them. She seemed unsure of what expression to make and could only lie on her brother's shoulder in a bewildered state to ease her tense and confused feelings.

Finally, after everything was settled, Leus regained his serious expression, carefully put the map away, bowed slightly to Flora on the throne, and asked her softly:

"So, Your Majesty, what are your thoughts?"

"If it is in accordance with my opinion, we should indeed take action now to support your plan, Lord Lius. However... there are also some things to consider within the capital. If we gather our forces now, it might create some constraints."