Free Web NovelChapter 8: The Forsaken Empress
"Welcome, Your Majesty."
They cried out in unison as she sat upon the throne.
In a large hall, the ceiling soared high above like the heavens themselves. Chandeliers of forged crystal hung from the shadows, casting pools of warm golden light across the polished marble floor. Pillars carved with intertwining dragons and phoenixes lined the walls, their stone wings seeming to shift in the flickering glow.
At the extreme end, a throne stood at the highest point, a seat of black and gold, its back carved into the shape of a dragon’s spread wings, its arms ending in phoenix claws. It loomed over the hall like a silent sovereign.
Seraphina settled into the throne, her posture straight, her gaze cold and commanding. The weight of her authority pressed down on the room, silencing even the faintest whisper. Her fingers rested lightly on the armrests, tracing the phoenix claws as if they were an extension of her own will.
Her subjects remained kneeling, heads bowed low, waiting for her command.
She looked down at them, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
"Rise."
At her command, they all rose, maintaining order.
"So," she began, her voice smooth yet carrying an edge, "what has been happening in these past few days I have been absent?"
She rested her head on her arm as she leaned into the throne, her gaze sweeping over the assembled figures like a hawk surveying its domain.
"Yes, Your Majesty..." A slightly old man stepped forward from amongst them, his robes marked with signs of status. He bowed deeply before beginning his report.
"The Dragon Empire remains stable, Your Majesty. No significant changes. The Phoenix Empire mirrors this stillness. However, the Demon Race is beginning to stir along the eastern borders."
He paused, gauging her reaction. Finding none, he continued.
"...And finally, the Aethel Academy is set to reopen its doors again in one month."
Throughout the report, Seraphina’s expression remained unchanged, a mask of cold composure. But at the mention of the Aethel Academy, something shifted.
A faint, almost imperceptible glow flickered in her eyes. Her lips curled upward, a slow, deliberate smile that carried the weight of a plan forming.
Then, just as quickly, her expression returned to normal.
No one noticed.
Suddenly, everyone sensed a shift in the Originat within the castle. It was being drawn toward someone, a presence they didn’t recognize.
Confusion rippled through the hall. Vigilance sharpened in their eyes. Meanwhile, Seraphina raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Her gaze seemed to pierce through the walls, cutting through stone and distance, settling on the scene of Lucien cultivating and absorbing Originat in his room.
Even though his actions were small, they had still been sensed by them.
Murmurs spread through the hall. Questions filled the air.
"Who is it?"
"An intruder?"
"Should we investigate?"
"No need to worry," Seraphina said, her voice cutting through the murmurs like a blade. "There’s no harm."
The whispers died down, but curiosity still lingered in their eyes.
"From now on, don’t address me as Your Majesty," she continued, her tone cold and absolute. "Address me as Young Miss."
The entire hall fell silent. They all thought they had misheard.
"That is an order," she said, her voice dropping to a chilling calm. "Whoever disobeys will face severe punishment."
She let the words hang in the air before continuing.
"You can share the news with the servants. Anyone who dares disobey will face my wrath."
"Darwin..." She called.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The old man stepped forward slightly.
The hall turned upside down. A massive killing intent erupted from Seraphina, flooding every corner of the room. The pressure was suffocating, heavy enough to make their knees buckle.
The old man’s face paled. He quickly corrected himself. "Yes, Young Miss."
As he spoke, the killing intent vanished as if it had never been there. Seraphina smiled, a faint, satisfied curve of her lips.
"The others, you can excuse us," she said in a dominating manner.
All of them bowed and filed out, leaving only the old man. He stood alone, confused, his mind racing.
Had he done something wrong?
When the last figure disappeared through the doors, Seraphina shifted her gaze to the old man.
His legs began to shake under her cold gaze. His mind filled with questions, a growing dread coiling in his chest.
What had he done? How had he offended her?
"Your Majesty..." He tried to speak, but she cut him off.
Her voice, however, wasn’t as cold as he had expected.
"Darwin, I have a task for you..."
---
Meanwhile, Lucien was still cultivating, absorbing the Originat. He was shirtless, his bare chest glistening with a thin sheen of sweat as the Originat swirled around him.
The system notifications came through every second.
Ding!
[Host has leveled up. +5 to all stats.] ×7
[Host has leveled up. +5 to all stats.] ×7
Lucien’s stats kept increasing, along with his stat points.
After leveling up to Level 2, the next EXP required was 1500.
Lucien hadn’t expected it to be this much. It seemed his plan to rely only on cultivation and Originat absorption wouldn’t work.
This should be enough for today, he thought as he checked his status.
He had only reached Level 5. The EXP required to go further wasn’t something he could achieve without spending hours upon hours in meditation.
He opened his eyes and was startled to see Seraphina in front of him.
She was too close.
He held his breath as she touched his chest again without his permission.
"What are you doing?" Lucien harrumphed.
She closed her eyes, her expression serious. Lucien could feel a foreign energy invade his body, probing, searching.
Ding!
[Detecting an unknown energy investigating Host’s status. Does Host want to stop it? (Y/N)]
Lucien knew that if he cut off her energy, Seraphina would become more suspicious. But leaving her be might expose some of his secrets. As for the system, he had no fear of that.
Ding!
[Detecting Host’s thoughts. Creating a countermeasure.]
In that moment, information appeared in his mind, as if it had been there for ages but had just resurfaced.
He found that the Primordial Anchor Body had a concealing feature. He didn’t waste time activating it.
The moment it activated, Lucien seemed to lose all energy, returning to his former state. His physical strength, his Originat — all of it was concealed.
Seraphina, who was investigating his status, opened her eyes in surprise. What she could learn was limited: Lucien could cultivate, and his physical body was slightly stronger than before.
She frowned. The rate at which she had sensed him absorbing Originat didn’t correlate with what she was seeing now. Something was off.
"Did you do something?" Seraphina looked at Lucien suspiciously.
This left him amazed by how keen she was.
He feigned ignorance. "What’s happening?"
Seraphina looked at him for a while, her gaze piercing and unreadable. Then, her lips curled up into a smile. "Nothing."
She rested her head on his chest. The sudden movement shook him and made his face flush slightly.
"What are you doing?" He tried to push her away, but it led to naught.
After much trial, he gave up and decided to talk things straight to her.
He opened his mouth to speak but could only close them back in dismay as he saw that she had drifted into Dreamland.
Lucien was surprised by this. He glanced at the window and saw that it was already nighttime.
He looked at her sleeping face, a bit entranced by it. He unconsciously leaned in.
A face different from the image of her in his mind. Peaceful and calm. Vulnerable, even.
Ding!
[Seraphina Drax’s Obsession Link has deepened. Resonance has increased by 10%.]
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