Free Web NovelChapter 421: Chapter 39: Heavens, What a Match Made in Heaven
As the fighting intensified, the Royal Court could no longer hold its current lines. The Grand Law Officer, however reluctant to admit it, had to concede that they were in dire need of aid.
Eilvette pressed a hand to his forehead and said with resignation, "Especially that Master of Greedy Banquet... a scion of the Divine Ancestor. Her incursions are the most frequent. She’s even called me out by name for a duel. The battles aren’t intense, but they leave me spread too thin. No one can be sure if it’s just a bluff."
’No need to worry. Anise won’t actually fight for real.’
Eilvette’s predicament was Anise’s doing. After all, Westheid didn’t want the Grand Law Officer hanging around the Central Royal Court. It was best to keep him pinned to the border.
’And as for himself? He would happily return to the Royal Court and do some poaching.’
Westheid flashed a bright smile. "Rest assured, Your Excellency. While you are away from the Royal Court, Ailorus and I will hold down the fort."
’And then I’ll shamelessly help myself to the Ten Thousand Wind Melodies!’
.........
「The Central Royal Court. Within the palace of the King of Wind Law.」
As the residence of the most exalted member of the Elf Royal Family, this palace complex was less a living quarter and more a gallery for a vast work of natural art—a miracle carved over generations by long-lived Elf Masters.
From its various palace clusters to its lakes, gardens, and courtyards, every location possessed a distinct yet harmoniously unified beauty.
At this moment, for instance, the Wind Law Queen was in a private villa situated in the center of a sea of countless intricate and magnificent flowers.
This seemingly fairytale-like scene was, in fact, the meeting place where past Kings of Wind Law heard reports from their confidants. In the past, all manner of directives that fueled the Royal Court’s many conspiracies had been issued from this villa in the sea of flowers, their influence radiating throughout the entire Land of Rhythm.
In short, it was the privy council.
Of course, due to the calamity of the divine-mortal separation, the Tuner Group had seized control of the Royal Court’s discourse. Compounded by the fact that the monarch was young and the kingdom’s loyalty was uncertain, this privy council had not been officially used since Ailorus ascended the throne.
She simply used it as a private retreat. However, the Wind Law Queen also reviewed classified intelligence here, so it did serve a fraction of its original purpose.
It was called intelligence, but in truth, it was all about Duke Qinghui.
As Westheid won victory after victory in his campaigns abroad, related letters and video recordings were packaged and sent to her. Ailorus would then savor them, admiring the man’s heroic figure with great relish.
Every letter Westheid sent, every video he recorded—Ailorus would pore over them again and again, appreciating every detail. In the time she spent without his company, they were her only solace from loneliness and longing.
"Faticia, I have good news! Very, very good news."
In a room on the villa’s second floor, Ailorus, clad in a light and pristine white dress with platinum trim, spun endlessly on the carpet with her small, bare feet. She smiled at Faticia, who stood to one side.
"Can you guess what it is?"
The purple-haired, melancholy beauty tilted her head. "Did Duke Qinghui agree to the marriage alliance?"
The Elf Lolita’s charmingly innocent face was alight with a joy she couldn’t hide. She said,
"Hmm... Was I that obvious?"
Faticia answered honestly, "Because only this news could make Your Majesty so excited and joyful. I almost never see you wear your heart on your sleeve, except when the topic is Duke Qinghui."
Ailorus clasped her hands behind her back and drew circles on the carpet with her toes, asking,
"So, what do you think? About me and Brother West becoming husband and wife?"
"I think it’s an excellent idea. It’s the most appropriate next step."
The Purple-haired Elf, speaking from the most rational perspective, believed the marriage alliance between the Wind Law Queen and Duke Qinghui was an excellent choice.
In the past, there was no precedent for a Monarch of the Realm of Order to marry a Foreigner. But then again, the divine-mortal separation had never happened before either. In a Mortal World rife with disaster, huddling together for warmth was the only sensible path. Fighting alone left one with too little capacity to endure risks.
The Thousand Laws Royal Court needed the aid of its allies, and Westheid was the Monarch of the Knight Country. In terms of status, he was an absolute equal to the King of Wind Law. What’s more, Duke Qinghui was the most prominent Powerhouse in the Mortal World, a great benefactor with a universally acclaimed reputation.
A perfect match! A union of powerhouses!
"See? You think it’s a perfect match, too!"
Ailorus’s sacred, cyan eyes flew wide, sparkling with light.
"We must be a match made in heaven!"
If her initial feelings for Westheid were simply a normal crush born from an admiration for his flawless beauty and heroic deeds—seeing him through rose-tinted glasses, so to speak—then after spending some time with him, Ailorus felt herself growing ever more obsessed with the man.
No one had ever so perfectly matched her own strange, twisted preferences—and even actively played along. In private, their games were getting more and more daring.
Even the precocious Wind Law Queen, under the influence of Emperor Qianlu’s tragic bloodline and further affected by Westheid’s Divine Face, had become completely and utterly lovestruck.
"........"
Faticia offered no comment. Although she, too, was deeply tempted by Westheid, her duties as a Tuner and the queen’s confidante still compelled the purple-haired, melancholy beauty to reflect on the matter as an observer.
’It was hard to say what the outcome would be. They really did play some wild games in private. But if you were to ask if they’d crossed any real lines... well, they hadn’t. They were still at the level of middle schoolers who hadn’t even shared a first kiss.’
’But on the other hand... ’Mommy,’ ’Brother,’ role-playing, giving each other lap pillows... Her Majesty was extremely enthusiastic about all sorts of ’play’ that made Faticia herself blush just thinking about it.’
Ailorus put her hands on her hips. "Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t you agree?"
"...Your Majesty, that’s not what I meant at all."
’If nothing interrupted them, Ailorus would now launch into another long-winded session of praising the man and proving her point.’
Fortunately, Faticia received a message just then. She glanced at her terminal and, with a sigh of relief, said to the Wind Law Queen,
"Your Majesty, Duke Qinghui has returned from the front. He just arrived in the Royal Court."
For a person to travel as fast as a message was not so incredible. After the nodes in the City in the Lake were restored, one could "jump" between them. Even if he could only jump to adjacent nodes, Westheid was still able to return to the Central Royal Court quickly.
Otherwise, how could Eilvette possibly have held the front lines alone? The travel time alone would have consumed most of his time.
"That’s wonderful! I’ll go see Brother West right now! Oh, should I change into something more formal?"
As expected, upon hearing the good news, Ailorus immediately tossed all other thoughts aside and asked Faticia to help her change.
A moment later, having changed into a new dress, the Wind Law Queen emerged from the depths of her chambers and found Westheid.
However, his current situation was slightly different from what she had imagined. To be precise, he was surrounded by far too many people.
In a central courtyard paved with white jade and surrounded by flowerbeds and streams, Duke Qinghui was encircled by all sorts of Elf Noble Ladies, three layers deep.
A voluptuous, mature noblewoman clung tightly to Westheid’s arm, embedding it in her astonishing softness.
A pure and beautiful young lady linked her arm through his other one, rising on her tiptoes to steal a kiss on his cheek.
Even the proudest Elf Knight, who would disdain to actively fawn over someone, hovered near Westheid, pondering how she might create an opportunity to be alone with him.
.....All the worthies, both young and old, had gathered!
Thanks to Westheid’s meticulous efforts, there were hardly any Elf beauties left in the Central Royal Court—outside of the Tuner Group—who hadn’t been captivated by him. Upon Duke Qinghui’s return, they naturally couldn’t help but flock to him. Even just brushing against the man brought them immense satisfaction.
Even as Ailorus approached, they showed no signs of backing away. It was as if they couldn’t even see the Wind Law Queen, their eyes fixed only on the man’s figure. It got to the point that Faticia couldn’t help but let out a soft cough.
"COUGH, COUGH!"
Her cough wasn’t even meant to attract the attention of the surrounding women, but of Westheid himself.
Westheid immediately extricated himself from the crowd and came before the Wind Law Queen.
"Ah, my dear Ailorus."
