Chapter 171
Chapter 171
“…And that is the situation.” The Queen wore an apologetic expression as she looked at the young girl before her, her voice very gentle. “I know this may be difficult for you to accept all at once, but I hope you understand that sacrifice does not mean death. It means eternal life. You will forever remain at the god’s side and become his faithful servant.”
Who on earth would want to become a servant? And for all eternity, no less.
The Queen’s words made Xu Duoyi feel sick to her stomach.
Thanks, but no thanks.
Of course, she only dared think that in her heart.
Outwardly, she still had to put on a look of overwhelming gratitude. She closed her eyes devoutly, tapped her chest a few times with her hand, and then said with great affectation, “Praise be to our god! To become the god’s servant is the greatest honor of my life!”
The King watched her and curled his lips in satisfaction.
He immediately ordered countless treasures of gold, silver, and jewels to be bestowed upon Monica.
“If you have any other wishes, I will grant them,” the King said with effort.
Xu Duoyi wiped away tears that did not exist from the corners of her eyes. “Although I lived in the forest before and never had contact with outsiders, in these few short days, I have made quite a few friends. Miss Judy, in particular. I feel as though we met far too late. I hope she can witness the most glorious moment of my life.”
This request could hardly even be called a request.
The King was currently very pleased with this, his only lifeline, and agreed without even thinking.
“Father… I have something to say,” Maria suddenly said from the side.
The King glanced at her, signaling for her to speak freely.
“Since the founding of the Church, there has never been a Saintess. Now that our kingdom has produced one, and she is even going to serve the god for all eternity, I believe this sacrificial ceremony should be witnessed by everyone. Let the subjects see the grace bestowed by the god with their own eyes. Let them know that you are truly someone favored by the god.”
“Then,” she said, deliberately drawing out the word in a highly enticing tone, “they will all submit to you with all their hearts.”
The Queen’s expression stiffened. She glanced at the King and said hesitantly, “Princess Maria’s intentions are good, but…”
“I think Maria is absolutely right.” A sharp gleam appeared in the King’s eyes. Just imagining the scene of himself bathed in divine light made him tremble with excitement.
Such a sight had to be shown to his subjects.
He had to let them know that their King was truly the god’s chosen one.
“Then let it be done. Have the Church prepare everything needed for the sacrifice as quickly as possible.” The King let out a long breath. “I am a little tired. All of you may leave for now.”
The corners of Maria’s lips curved slightly as she curtsied and withdrew.
“Your Majesty…” The Queen still wanted to say something, but then she heard the King begin to snore softly.
She frowned in disgust, then rose and left the room as well.
Too much had happened tonight. Only now did she realize that she seemed to have been led by the nose the entire time.
Maria’s words and actions appeared flawless, yet they made her vaguely uneasy.
She had to deal with that unknown hidden danger before she could feel at ease.
—
Eugene was locked in the dark dungeon.
A Mouse and cockroaches scurried around his feet. The place was damp and cold, and not even a blanket had been left for him.
Attempting to murder the King was, in their eyes, already a certain death sentence.
A flash of venomous resentment crossed Eugene’s eyes. Those damned Soldier guards. Once he became King, the first thing he would do was have them all executed.
He firmly believed he would be able to leave this place.
Because his mother in name, his beloved, would definitely save him and take him away from here.
Although the Queen was his mother in name, there was not a great age gap between them. For that, he had his father to thank.
The King was a lecherous, fickle man. After the Former Queen died, he had almost immediately married a New Queen who was only seventeen years old.
That year, Eugene was fifteen.
As the King’s eldest son, he had been raised to be willful and violent-tempered. At such a young age, he had already become many people’s nightmare.
He hated his new mother. There was no other reason. It was only because the first time the Queen met him, she smiled at him, patted his head, then turned to the King and said, “Eugene is truly as handsome as you are.”
By then, the King had already grown fat, his belly as thick as a barrel. There was not the slightest trace of handsomeness in him.
A Woman whose mouth was full of lies.
Relying on his status, Eugene deliberately opposed her at every turn.
The entire Royal Palace knew that the Eldest Prince Eugene hated the New Queen-hated her so much he was unwilling even to stay in the same room as her.
And so, in this Royal Palace where people fawned on those above them and trampled those below, the Queen’s circumstances grew more and more difficult.
At last, the Queen came to him.
“Why do you hate me so much?” Her confusion came from the heart. Her eyes were bright and dewy, shimmering faintly with tears. “What exactly did I do wrong to make you hate me like this?”
The New Queen was very beautiful. If she had not been, the King would never have married her immediately after the Former Queen’s death.
When she cried, she looked like a rose drenched on a rainy night.
For the first time, Eugene realized that someone could be so beautiful even while crying. He also suddenly understood that the Queen was, in the end, only a girl two years older than him.
He awkwardly looked away and said gruffly, “Stop crying. You look awful.”
“Then can you promise me you won’t hate me so much from now on?” the Queen asked, blinking her misty eyes.
“What business is it of yours…” Eugene instinctively wanted to refuse, but then he met her tearful eyes.
“…Fine. I’ll try.” He turned his head away, avoiding her gaze.
Only then did the Queen smile. She took his hand, her eyes curving like the moon outside the window, yet brighter than the moon.
“Then from now on, let’s get along properly, all right?”
He lost himself for a moment. By the time he came back to his senses, he realized he had already agreed.
The Queen leaned in and lightly pressed her cheek to his, carrying with her the fragrance of roses.
It was a perfectly ordinary cheek-to-cheek greeting, yet his Heart felt as though it had trapped a jubilant nightingale inside.
The nightingale began to sing within his chest, keeping time with the beat of his Heart.
Eugene did not notice that, in a corner he could not see, the smile on the young Queen’s face had already vanished completely. There was not a trace of warmth in her eyes. Only her voice remained as sweet and cloying as ever.
“You really are a good child,” she said.
He hated being called that.
Eugene began learning how to get along properly with another person. Only then did he realize that the cookies the Queen made were so fragrant and sweet, and the black tea she brewed was rich and full-bodied, its aroma lingering for a long time.
When the Queen brewed tea, she liked to add dried rose petals. He complained about it to her face, but in private, he copied her and added rose petals to the brewed black tea. Yet no matter what he did, he could never recreate the fragrance of that cup of tea.
He thought he must be ill.