VBNWDW - Chapter 75
Chapter 75
Ivo had just reached the main gate when she received the news about the day off.
She tilted her head in confusion and repeated, "Sick?"
Mo Wen, standing opposite her, nodded and added, "Her Majesty caught a chill last night. Lord Black Dragon is staying to accompany her, so there will be no class today."
She found it strange, too. Just after waking up, a black dragon had appeared in her room in a great hurry, rattled off a few instructions, and then teleported away as if on some urgent business.
But if it was truly that urgent, why not go directly to Ivo instead of making a detour to her place?
Ivo, however, recalled the scene she had witnessed yesterday afternoon and formed her own conclusion as to why Her Majesty had caught a chill. She attributed the other woman's pondering to Her Majesty's desire for them to grow closer, putting on a show for the families of the Council.
Lost in their own thoughts, neither of them found the temporary silence awkward.
Finally, Mo Wen shook her head, pushing the matter aside. "It's too late for you to go back to sleep at this point. Why don't you join me for something to eat?"
"Alright," Ivo agreed without hesitation.
The morning mist was cool, and dewdrops gathered on the eaves. The waking city gradually grew noisy. A guard standing watch outside the city walls yawned, ready to change shifts with a weary face.
But in the room where no one had slept all night, there was not a trace of fatigue.
The thin blanket on the floor had not been picked up. In fact, two nightgowns now lay on top of it, crumpled and discarded, a testament to the night's ravages.
A voice, desperately suppressed by biting down on a lower lip, still escaped through her teeth, unable to withstand the dragon's mischief.
A fair, well-proportioned hand landed on the edge of the bed. It had barely rested there for a moment before it shot out to grip the mattress, the round bones of her bent knuckles seeming ready to pierce through the thin skin. Faint finger marks, a stark and eye-catching crisscross of red and white, remained on her wrist.
But the arm did not stay there for long. A moment later, it lifted again, wrapping tightly around the person on top of her.
Like a drowning person clinging to driftwood, the embrace was forceful and urgent. Ragged breaths echoed in the room.
The other person, however, did not stop. Her movements only quickened.
It was much better than before.
A first-timer is always prone to hesitation. Even a dragon, gifted in all aspects, who had spoken so confidently when demanding favors, had, in the previous attempts, failed to reach the final step. The reason wasn't just yesterday's topic, but also a certain hesitation born from inexperience.
Thus, her movements had been clumsy and slow, pausing every few seconds to look up and ask a question.
"Is this okay?"
"Does it hurt?"
"Can I do it here?"
Metis had been able to answer at first, but after the endless repetition, she grew annoyed. For the first time, she flipped over and pinned the black dragon down, seizing the dominant position that had originally belonged to it.
But if Yueqing was clumsy, how much better could she be?
The color that had just returned to her face drained away again, turning a shade paler from the pain caused by her own recklessness. Combined with the lingering mist of tears at the corners of her eyes, she looked utterly pitiful.
Fortunately, thanks to Metis's initiative and Yueqing's superb ability to learn, their first time lasted half an hour before they finally reached their goal.
And with that, the dragon regained its confidence, flipping their positions back and eagerly practicing twice more, each time better than the last.
When they next looked, the sun was blazing outside the window. It was already afternoon.
The things on the floor were unusable. The dragon rummaged through the wardrobe for a new set of bedding, barely managing to cover them both.
Metis lay against her, utterly drained of strength, too lazy to move. The consequence of being up all night and carrying on until now was that, despite feeling incredibly drowsy, she couldn't fall asleep. She could only listlessly hug the instigator.
The other creature's features were relaxed, the corners of her eyes seeming to hold the spring breeze, radiating an undisguised smugness.
Metis couldn't be bothered with her, but the other couldn't stay quiet, clingily whispering in her ear, "Metis, did you like it?"
"If you liked that one… I can try even harder."
She was like a diligent student who, after studying hard in class, would call the teacher at night to ask more questions.
Unfortunately, Metis was not a teacher. She shot her a glance, a look devoid of any threat, yet the shift of her eyes was enough to make a certain dragon's heart itch again. A hand unconsciously started to wander downwards, only to be caught.
"Don't," Metis said quickly. Her voice was so hoarse she barely recognized it herself. It was truly pathetic.
The dragon still had some conscience. She blinked, stopping with a look of disappointment, then hugged her partner tightly and said in a solemn tone, "Metis, I think you should start exercising more."
The person in her arms didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Who on earth exercised for this? She could only pat the creature and say softly, "Stop fooling around."
She pursed her lips, her voice softening even more. "I'm really tired."
Yueqing pouted and patted her back. Although she still felt the desire to try again after getting a taste of sweetness, she had no choice but to suppress it, coaxing gently, "Go to sleep."
Metis felt no sleepiness at all, but to prevent a certain dragon from getting any more ideas, she closed her eyes to rest. After an unknown amount of time, a long, serene song seemed to reach her ears. The words were archaic and hard to distinguish, like the Draconic of legend.
Before Metis could make them out, she drifted into a deep sleep.
A warm breeze blew in through the window, stirring up faint sounds. The hand patting her back grew lighter and lighter, until it finally stopped.
The two on the bed slept in each other's arms, both wearing faint smiles.
The next day.
The Council Hall.
The simple stone tables and chairs were once again filled with people. Compared to before, when they would discuss matters while completely ignoring the Queen, they were now clearly more reserved. They would occasionally fall silent and glance toward the head of the table before continuing to speak.
Metis's face was somewhat pale, as if she hadn't rested well. She propped her face in her hand, her elbow resting on the table. Her half-closed eyes concealed her expression; she seemed to be dozing off, yet also listening patiently.
Only when they stopped did she speak in a low voice. It was still a bit hoarse, but not enough to prevent everyone from hearing her.
"The Duke of Ander mentioned to me last time that their family has been stationed at the border ever since my father took the throne. Now, the elders in their family are old and frail, and they wish to return to their homeland…"
Metis hadn't even finished her sentence before the expressions of those below changed again and again. Those with closer ties exchanged glances before lowering their heads to hide their faces.
Metis finished quickly, "What are all your thoughts on this?"
The hall fell into a dead silence for a moment. The head of the Naist Family opened his mouth, then looked at the person opposite him.
The Head of the Temple turned to look the other way, looking completely unconcerned, as if it had nothing to do with them.
The others wanted to object to the Queen, but the thought of that dragon made them swallow their words.
It was the Duchess of the Iliana Family who, with a thoughtful glint in her eyes, spoke up.
Her family had been severely ostracized these past few days. Their family-run shops had been smashed by who-knows-who and hadn't been able to open for days.
Her most beloved child refused to leave the house, saying that people sneered at him wherever he went. The other members of the family were receiving the same treatment.
In short, since being ostracized, the Iliana Family was having a hard time everywhere, and it was incredibly frustrating.
She glanced to the other side, where the Duke of the Maple Family sat with a deep frown, clearly not having had an easy time either.
She recalled the incident with the Atl Kingdom's invasion. Wasn't it the Duke of the Maple Family who had been the first to attack them?
A flash of resentment crossed her eyes, and she suddenly said, "The Ander Family has indeed guarded the city for many years. It's normal for them to miss their homeland. But if they are to return, another family must take their place to prevent the Atl Kingdom from learning of this and launching a surprise attack."
Upon hearing this, the other families immediately frowned, now thoroughly convinced that the Iliana Family had thrown their lot in with the Queen.
But she continued, "I believe the Maple Family is full of talent, with many gifted descendants. They should be able to defend the border for the kingdom."
This was her plan to kill two birds with one stone. Since the Maple Family was already under suspicion, she would just give them a push. It would both clear her own name and allow her to get revenge for the past.
Just as she expected, as soon as she said this, the gazes from the other families softened slightly.
Since the Queen wanted the Ander Family back, then her other supposed allies, the Maple Family, could go instead. The Ander Family was now just a group of old and weak individuals; they wouldn't be much help to her upon their return. The Maple Family, on the other hand, was a greater threat.
Looking at the Queen at the head of the table, they saw her frown deeply, a troubled expression on her face. She said hesitantly, "Nestor is still injured and bedridden…"
She looked as if she didn't want them to go.
This only strengthened everyone's conviction. Someone immediately stood up and said, "Nestor can already get up and walk."
Another added, "I visited him two days ago, and he told me himself that he was fine."
The ignored Duke of the Maple Family slammed his hands on the table and shot to his feet, roaring, "What nonsense are you all spouting! Nestor is still lying in bed. How could he possibly get up before another ten days or half a month have passed?"
The others immediately retorted, "He has already received treatment from the Head of the Temple. His flesh has regrown. How could he possibly have trouble even getting out of bed?"
"Exactly! How could you tell such a lie just for the sake of comfort? The Ander Family has protected our country for so many years. Even if they have no great merits, they have toiled hard. Do you intend to watch their entire family perish over there?"
The others quickly nodded in agreement. The hall instantly became noisy. The Duke of the Maple Family's face turned red with anger as he tried to refute them one by one, but he was no match for so many people and was left panting in fury.
The Duchess of the Iliana Family pointed at him several times, all but accusing his family of caring only for pleasure and not for the kingdom.
As these accusations were piled onto the Maple Family, Metis glanced to the side. The Duke of the Naist Family, their deepest rival, remained silent, as if coldly observing everything.
Metis spoke at the right moment, "Nestor is exceptionally talented and has the potential to become a Magister. He should remain in Anthelia to receive a better education…"
This deliberate defense became even more obvious, and the others grew even more certain of their assumptions.
"The battlefield is the best training ground. Nestor is the only Gifted in our Roy Kingdom to be noticed by a Magister from elsewhere. Spoiling him too much will only hinder his growth."
"Indeed. Which Magister hasn't succeeded through all sorts of trials? Your Majesty values talent, but you must also know what is truly best for him."
Metis twitched her lips, feigning a troubled expression, looking as if she had shot herself in the foot. She stammered, "But what about the Gael Family? There are only a few people left in their family…"
It was as if no one heard her. The argument grew even more heated.
The Duke of the Naist Family, his face stern, swept a cold gaze over the scene, as if contemplating or trying to discern something. After a long moment, he said coldly, "Since we cannot decide, let's put it to a vote."
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